Friday, May 23, 2008

Real fuzzy math!


A new study from researchers at the University of California at Davis and the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities suggests something we in this crazy business have known for some time, that "state requirements that students pass exit tests to graduate from high school appear to do nothing to improve achievement on federal reading and mathematics tests." According to the study, comparisons of math and reading scores "of children in states with exit examinations to the scores of children elsewhere in the United States...concluded that there was no evidence that requiring passage of such tests improved academic achievement in those subject areas." No @$#& Sherlock! And I am reminded of this fact on an almost daily basis.

Yesterday, I started my ceramics class on a glaze testing assignment. Each student is to mix a dry glaze with three different percentages of a glaze stain, apply to three individual test tiles, and fire them in the kiln. The percentages used are 2%, 4% and 6% of a 50 gram test batch. Of course, to ascertain prior knowledge, I made the mistake of asking them what would 2% of 50 be? Mind you, this is a class made up primarily of soon-to-be-graduating seniors. They have ALL PASSED THE HIGH SCHOOL EXIT EXAM. I found out, much to my surprise, that 2% of 50 is 25!!! How is this possible? Bet the folks at ETS just laugh their way to the bank everyday.

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