Texas State Board of Education gives high school students new math options beyond Algebra 2
The State Board of Education members on Thursday solved the math equation that had long confounded them as they finalized the details of Texas’ new high school graduation requirements.
In a 15-0 vote, the board gave preliminary approval to a proposal that gives students two more higher-level math options beyond Algebra 2. That course has dominated the discussion as the board has hammered out the finer points of implementing House Bill 5, the Legislature’s overhaul aimed at giving students more flexibility in their course-loads.
The additional courses — statistics and algebraic reasoning — will be developed to be on par with Algebra 2 and prepare students for college entrance exams, said Board Chairwoman Barbara Cargill, R-The Woodlands.
House Bill 5 scrapped the rigid 4x4 graduation plan — four years each of math, science, English and social studies — and created several new specialized pathways to graduation called endorsements. The new options kick in fully for next year’s ninth-graders.
More at http://www.statesman.com/news/news/texas-state-board-of-education-gives-high-school-s/nc7KP/ .
[font color=green]While I stand strong for mathematics education as a mathematics major, I am going to go against the grain and accept this as a meaningful compromise. I believe that understanding statistics and using reasoning skills are also valuable and more useful to students than whether they can successfully factor a polynomial equation or study logarithms. The courses should provide a challenging curriculum that proceeds at about half the pace and cover the majority of subject matter found in introductory level college courses.[/font]
