Jackson teachers work on new algebra course

Jackson High School teachers say some students pass algebra I and II with C's but are nevertheless unprepared for college or the work force. Three teachers, Kerrie Middleton, Stephanie Robbs and Jennifer Grieshop, are working on a possible solution.

They discussed a plan with the Jackson School Board on Tuesday, one they hope to develop over the summer and the next school year. Their goal is to create a transition course that relies heavily on the practical application of math skills and hands-on learning.

At one time, students at the high school could slip through without taking an algebra class. "They'd only have prealgebra or technical math and never get any further," said principal Rick McClard.

The school has aggressively tried to raise the bar, McClard said, by pushing some of those courses to the junior high or even the middle school. The number of students needing remedial math in college has decreased by about six percentage points. But the number of graduates who require the course still troubles teachers. In 2007, 18 percent of Jackson graduates attending a Missouri college required remedial math. In comparison, only 1.8 percent required remedial English.

Robbs, Middleton and Grieshop are trying to steer away from the traditional method of giving notes, reading out of the textbook and assigning a worksheet. While plans are still preliminary, Robbs said each class would begin with an "essential" question that students could answer through "discovery" learning. One example is: How could you measure the height of a building without actually measuring the height? Here's a hint: Consider the length of shadows.

The class, designed for seniors, would be kept small, ideally around 15 students. It would also review subjects already taught but go more in depth.

"Math has always been a very traditionally taught course," McClard said. But "a lot of kids struggle with theoretical math. They want to know why they need to know it."

While good teachers try to make concepts applicable to real life, time constraints do not always make that possible, the teachers told the school board. The transition class would scale down the number of units to five.

"We'd be cutting the content in half but getting to a deeper level," said Robbs, who is tentatively scheduled to teach the class. Initially she would start off with one section in fall 2009.

Middleton said the department has also been working to make algebra II more problem-based. She described the transition class as a course for people who "aren't quite ready for college" and need "algebra to get them there."

lbavolek@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123

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