tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4983334520933101277.post7043419707699949129..comments2024-02-16T06:29:33.587-08:00Comments on Welcome to " The Math UnderGround " -- Seattle & Washington State: Philly Inquirer reports on Singapore Mathdan dempseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4983334520933101277.post-8233778758319053722008-12-13T15:53:00.000-08:002008-12-13T15:53:00.000-08:00http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/education/20080...http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/education/20080331-2101-highschoolgradrates.html<BR/><BR/>Nationally, about 70 percent of U.S. students graduate on time with a regular diploma and about 1.2 million students drop out annually. <BR/><BR/>“When more than 1 million students a year drop out of high school, it's more than a problem, it's a catastrophe,” said former Secretary of State Colin Powell, founding chair of the alliance.<BR/><BR/>Here's appendix A from OSPI's website reporting on 2007 dropout rates.<BR/><BR/>http://www.k12.wa.us/DataAdmin/pubdocs/GradDropout/05-06/2005-06AppendixA.pdf<BR/><BR/>Putting the national statistics into perspective (if you can trust the 'glowing' stats) of school districts, there are almost a million students enrolled in Washington state.<BR/><BR/>One way to estimate turnovers is to look at the female/male ratios of alternative schools. A high number indicates a good chance of a high turnover of students and consequently much lower graduation rates than are being reported.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4983334520933101277.post-16631539428438926292008-12-13T12:14:00.000-08:002008-12-13T12:14:00.000-08:00I've been reading various accounts of the TIMSS re...I've been reading various accounts of the TIMSS report and the focus by the media is more to do with balance than with accuracy. To say anything positive about the US results is detrimental to the real problem that I observe in classrooms. <BR/><BR/>Knowledge requires more than exposure to content. Students need to be fluent and versed in deductive and inductive logic. Based on our students' results, the reform math programs make absolutely no sense, especially when teachers have to make their own curriculum. <BR/><BR/>My ninth and tenth graders are currently learning multiplication, fractions, and decimals...and we are doing fine without textbooks. Screw the district's adoption.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4983334520933101277.post-76533742264982389022008-12-12T21:08:00.000-08:002008-12-12T21:08:00.000-08:00WTM could easily follow Schmidt's lead and support...WTM could easily follow Schmidt's lead and support a standard at least as good Singapore. Its an excellent solution to a growing problem.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com