Wednesday, November 20, 2013

The Milwaukee Archdiocesan Math "Core"

We know that the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has signed on to this .....thing.

Why?

...While Common Core promoters assert their standards are “internationally benchmarked,” independent members of the expert panel in charge of validating the standards refute the claim. Panel member Dr. Sandra Stotsky of the University of Arkansas reported, “No material was ever provided to the Validation Committee or to the public on the specific college readiness expectations of other leading nations in mathematics” or other subjects. 

In fact, Stanford University professor James Milgram, the only mathematician on the validation panel, concluded that the Common Core math scheme would place American students two years behind their peers in other high-achieving countries. In protest, Milgram refused to sign off on the standards. He’s not alone.
Professor Jonathan Goodman of New York University found that the Common Core math standards imposed “significantly lower expectations with respect to algebra and geometry than the published standards of other countries.”

Under Common Core, as the American Principles Project and Pioneer Institute point out, algebra I instruction is pushed to 9th grade, instead of 8th grade, as commonly taught. Division is postponed from 5th to 6th grade. Prime factorization, common denominators, conversions of fractions and decimals, and algebraic manipulation are de-emphasized or eschewed. Traditional Euclidean geometry is replaced with an experimental approach that had not been previously pilot-tested in the U.S.

Ze’ev Wurman, a prominent software architect, electrical engineer and longtime math advisory expert in California and Washington, D.C., points out that Common Core delays proficiency with addition and subtraction until 4th grade and proficiency with basic multiplication until 5th grade, and skimps on logarithms, mathematical induction, parametric equations and trigonometry at the high school level.  --AOSHQ quoting Malkin

Perhaps the Archdiocesan Education-types would like to return to the 'Catholic ghetto' days?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The Milwaukee Archdiocese screwed themselves the minute they started accepting the devil's cash to keep their Milwaukee parishes school doors open. They are so heavily invested in Choice at this point that they have several Milwaukee parish schools with parish family member enrollments under 10%. More than a couple are close to zero. They long ago ceased being Catholic schools dispensing Catholic education for Catholics. If you take the devil's cash you shouldn't be surprised when he demands his due.