[2banana]

The destruction of the black family from the democrat agenda and now they wonder why they can’t do math.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

something was missing in this article....hmmmm.

[freedumb2003]

>>The study also shows teachers’ judgment could be affected by a ferocious academic debate over whether algebra should even be taught in middle schools.
<<

The dumbing down of America in favor of Political Correctness is complete. That is why India and China are eating our lunch, brunch and dinner.

X=(3-1) = X=2 no matter if you are white, black, green, red or polka-dotted. Algebra and the other true sciences are supposed to be color-blind.

This entire article says that people of colour are too stupid to learn the maths.

[blueunicorn6]

Pssssst.....Senator Mitchell.

How about the Americans of Vietnamese Descent and Americans of Japanese Descent and Americans of Chinese Descent?

Are the Americans of European Descent holding them back, too?

[Jimmy Valentine]

Are we EVER going to run out of excuses for the enduring social pathogies of minorities?

[mrmeyer]

claims middle-school algebra teachers are holding back black and Latino kids from advancing to ninth-grade geometry

Right, it's just one big conspiracy.

[txrefugee]

Are the scores on the tests being manipulated to show more minority students doing well? Atlanta and Houston school personnel were caught cheating by changing scores. It’s certain that these schools are not the only ones doing it.

[rbg81]

Lots of kids can’t do math & science. It’s horrible when you force a kid to take classes they’re not qualified to take. Like a deer in the headlights.

[Vinnie]

Two + Dos am Fo.

[PGR88]

I don’t know about California, but in our district there are two metrics - the local curricula and the scores on that, and then, the state assessment exams at year end.

In our area, if you did not pass the district courses, it wouldn’t matter if you squeaked by on the state assessment tests.

[Bruce Kurtz]

“She claims middle-school algebra teachers are holding back black and Latino kids from advancing to ninth-grade geometry, ....”

I graduated in 71, back then you had Alg I in 9th grade and Alg II in 10th grade, and geometry in 11th. Geometry in 9th grade is way to soon.

[bkopto]

And then there's the elephant in the room that everyone studiously ignores:

[livius]

The teachers in mostly minority schools are horrible and math is one of their major weaknesses. So it’s not surprising.

The other thing is that having good language skills is essential to understanding math concepts. Hispanics come out of a foreign language background and have not received good English instruction for the most part. Blacks come out of a culture that speaks a completely non-standard English that can’t even accommodate mathematical concepts. So they need to learn English too.

[edwinland]

Wrong, according to Mitchell. She pointed to a 2010 Noyce Foundation Pathways [1]study that Mitchell said found that African-American and Latino students, in particular, were improperly held back in nine Bay Area school districts despite having demonstrated proficiency on state standardized math tests.

Wrong, Mitchell.

The study did not find that at all. It found that "placement decisions are correlated to ethnicity and parent education, but not gender", but as to the crucial question of whether successful Latino and African-American students test-takers were held back despite their good test scores, the study had this to say:

"However, even among the “successful” eighth grade Algebra students, placement in ninth grade varied – with Asian students showing the highest percentages in Geometry or Advanced Geometry (77%) and Filipino students with the lowest (40%), while Latino and white students were approximately equally successful at about 66% enrolled in Geometry. Other ethnic groups samples were too small for inclusion. "

[EinNYC]

After nearly a quarter-century of teaching high school, there are certain things I know from personal experience. The first kids in a class to start to act out are virtually always black kids. Most of the kids cutting class and wandering the halls instead of learning stuff are black kids. The students least likely to turn in homework are black kids. This is not bigotry on my part, this is what I have seen, over and over and over again.

From what I have personally observed, it is no surprise to me that black kids are apparently lagging behind in math achievement or any other sort of academic achievement. And it is no surprise to me that some libtard is attempting to make excuses for their behavior and deflect the finger of blame on people who are not responsible for their failure. The subways keep on rolling for everybody; they just didn't get on the train.

[bgill]

Math report card grades aren’t subjective like English grades. Either the answer is right or it’s wrong and you fail. If you don’t turn in your homework, it’s a 0. No matter how well one does on a state test, it doesn’t make up for not turning in homework. Schools have assignment grades online these days. There is no excuse for a parent not to know that all of little Latishia’s zeros for no homework are going to fail her.

[henkster]

I only scanned the article, and I may have missed something, but here's my take:

1. If you are getting “B's” in the regular math class in 8th Grade, you don't belong in an advanced class.

2. Most schools have the test tools and curriculum to determine who goes to the advanced math classes much earlier than 8th grade, usually around 4th grade. If you didn't get selected for the advanced math program by 6th grade, the bus has passed you by.

3. If you are getting B's in the regular math class in 8th grade, the only job you're getting in Silicon Valley is 3rd shift assistant men's room attendant.

[Jim Noble]

She claims middle-school algebra teachers are holding back black and Latino kids from advancing to ninth-grade geometry, even though they are doing just as well as white kids who are getting a grade of “B” or better, and are meeting or exceeding state standard assessments.

SURE they are.

[citizen]

Dese kids need dey diplomas.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

However, the study that Mitchell and others supporting her effort cite as proof of their position also shows the real problem is actually with middle-school algebra teachers. Many of them just aren’t very good at their jobs.

I have a customer, teenage female, who had twice flunked Algebra. Because she knows she has to have it she talked her parents and school into letting her take the class with another teacher.

That time she passed.

Same kid, same material, different teacher.