Keywords: Standards
Ref: Sarah1
Author(s): Frye, Shirley
Date: 1989
Title: The NCTM Standards-Challenges for all Classrooms
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics Teacher
Volume, Issue, Pages: 82(5), p.312(6)
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 3-2-99
I like this article because it is very informative. It is written by the 1989 NCTM president Shirley M. Frye. Her intention in writing this article is to answer common questions that come up with the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics. No matter who you are, this article can be useful. She lays out concrete answers to questions asked by teachers, parents, and students. One example of a question that she answers is, "What other professional organizations and agencies are supporting the standards?" Frye then goes on to list seven of the organizations that support the standards. A second example of a question is, "Why doesn't NCTM begin field-testing new textbooks, using the evaluation standards as the criteria, and publish the results?" Frye answers this by telling us that each district is unique and has its own needs when it comes to textbooks.
Overall I have come away with a positive feeling about the way Frye explained the NCTM standards. I feel like they are needed, but I do not feel as if they are being shoved at me without flexibility.
I would recommend this article for anyone who is looking into the NCTM standards. Chances are that if you have a question about them, Frye will have an answer for you in her article.
Keywords: Assessment, Standards
Ref: Sarah2
Author(s): Schloemer, Cathy G.
Date: 1993
Title: Aligning assessment with the NCTM's curriculum standards
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics Teacher
Volume, Issue, Pages: 86, 9, p722(5)
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 3-2-99
This article goes a step beyond just saying we need to assess our students’ learning beyond the work of standard pencil and paper problems. Cathy Schloemer demonstrates the importance of finding out what students are thinking about and learning in mathematics. She does this by walking us through her unit on Functions and Relations. What Schloemer does is present questions to her students that the students respond to either in-class or out-of class. These responses are brief . This is beneficial in two ways, first it doesn't turn off the students and secondly it is easy for Schloemer to read all of the comments and respond to them before the next class period.
One day I would like to highlight is Schloemer's "project activity 4." This project connects the idea of composition of functions and the real world. The students are to find and item at home that performs a "G-rated function." One of the examples Schloemer gives in class is, "a pencil could perform a writing function on a piece of paper."(123) I like this unique way of looking at composition of functions.
I recommend this article to teachers. It introduces new ways of assessment and also presents fun ideas of how to talk about and present Functions and Relations.
Keywords: Teaching Strategies, Standards
Ref: Sarah3
Author(s): Showalter, Millard E.
Date: 1994
Title: Using problems to implement the NCTM's professional teaching standards
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics Teacher
Volume, Issue, Pages: 87, 1, p5(3)
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 3-2-99
The best way to sum up this article is to say, "Here’s a situation, let’s explore it!"(5). Showalter, a methods teacher and student teacher supervisor, talks about how giving students a problem can stimulate student thinking and also fulfill the requirements implemented by the NCTM standards. Instead of telling us that giving problems to a class "may serve to illustrate how multiple goals can be accomplished"(5), he shows us how this happens. Showalter does this by giving examples of four situations, all of which deal with problems students understand. Within these problems are mathematical ideas and concepts. The key is to give your students problems that are relevant to the goals of the class and are interesting to the students. This article serves as a good example of problems that fulfill these criteria and is an excellent place to begin one’s search of problems that can be used in the classroom.
Keywords: Curriculum
Ref: Sarah4
Author(s): Western Michigan University
Date: Viewed 3/18/99
Title: Core-Plus Mathematics Project
Journal or Publisher: Western Michigan University
Volume, Issue, Pages: http://www.wmich.edu/cpmp/
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 3-22-99
This is a great web page for people to begin their search on core-plus. It gives a wonderful overview of what core-plus is and its goals. This web site encompasses all of core-plus. A few of the pages one can look at on this web site are, "Features of the CPMP Curriculum, Overview of the Mathematical Strands, Strands, Instructional Design, Assessment, CPMP Evaluation, and Adoption Considerations."
There is too much in this web site to write about it all, so I will highlight a few things. Overall, this is web page is promoting CPMP. Just like when you promote anything, you will stress and emphasize all of the positive aspects. This fact is reiterated in the evaluation page. I plan to write in and get the full copy of what they have found, so stayed tuned. I will post my findings when I get them. I’m curious to see what "better" and "significantly" better mean?
A second page I would like to comment on is "Adoption Considerations." This page is excellent! I feel this is one of the roots of core-pluses problems. They say, "As a department, spend time studying the CPMP curriculum ad instructional model. Build understanding of mathematics education reform and a support base from administrators, counselors, parents, board members, ... high school, and middle school faculty. ... Develop an extended professional development plan for ongoing support for teachers. ..."(1). I feel that many of the schools I have read about have core-plus thrown at them and only some of the above considerations are examined. Of course people are going to be hesitant and they should be if something like this is thrown at them. Whether a school accepts this curriculum or not, all of the "Adoption Considerations" found on this web page should be considered. If this does not happen, chances are that huge problems will occur.
Once again I want to encourage you to read this web page, but don’t just read it-analyze it and question it. This is something you as a teacher could/will be teaching.
Keywords: Curriculum
Ref: Sarah5
Author(s): Core-Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP)
Date: Viewed 3/18/99
Title: Core-Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP); Description
Journal or Publisher: Core-Plus Mathematics Project (CPMP)
Volume, Issue, Pages: http://www.teleport.com/~cgrether/resource/curriculum/core.html
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 3-22-99
This is a web link off of the Core-Plus Mathematics web page. The reason I highlight this alone is because of a statement it makes on calculators. "The programming capabilities of graphing calculators enable students to develop versatile ways of solving realistic mathematical problems and remove barriers to learning for some students"(1). I really like the way this web page frames the use of calculators. Looking at them as a way to remove barriers and promote versatile thinking is the way we should use them. The question that now comes up is, how do we use calculators for versatile thinking and helpers for breaking down walls, not for replacing basic skills?
Keywords: Curriculum
Ref: Sarah6
Author(s): Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
Date: 1999
Title: Core Plus Mathematics Project/ Contemporary Mathematics in Context (9-12)
Journal or Publisher: Northwest Regional Education’s Laboratory web site
Volume, Issue, Pages: http://www.nwrel.org/scpd/natspec/catalog/coreplus.htm
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 3-22-99
This article outline the elements of the Core Plus Mathematics Project/ Contemporary Mathematics in Context. It gives one a good overview of what core plus is all about. Each program that is implemented by Core Plus Mathematics Project is researched for three years. Basically core plus is a three year math program that combines multiple discipline in mathematics. These disciplines are labeled strands and include algebra and functions, statistics and probability, geometry and trigonometry, and discrete mathematics. For those students that are college bound, a fourth year is included. This new curriculum is rooted in the NCTM standards. This new math curriculum is pushing students to see math as "sense-making" and focuses in on data and information students will encounter in life. This web-site also talks briefly about coasts and components that surround implementation. It gives you a contact person and also names of sample sites. One piece I would like to highlight!
from the end of this article is the piece on "Follow-up coaching"(3). This web site says that they have follow-up workshops and also telephone consultation. These things in themselves are great for any program. A teacher needs to be able to reflect on what they teach and be able to ask questions that come up everyday.
As I just stated, I like how this core plus program has a follow-up plan. When teachers can reflect what they have done, they are able to get feedback and improve their plan for the next time they teach. Over all, this is a good straight forward web site. The only thing about the article is that I would like some numbers. In light of all of the reading I have done on this topic, I would like to see some hard facts. Yes, core-plus students may have out performed the non-core-plus students, but by how much? Did one student out-perform or did 300 students? Also, what does it mean when they say that they have "exhibited greater mathematical growth"(3)? I’m not trying to deny any of the claims they are making, but I would like some more concrete evidence because of the issues surrounding this topic.
Keywords: Curriculum
Ref: Sarah7
Author(s): Linda Jensen Sheffield
Date: 1998
Title: Tracks to Success
Journal or Publisher: Mathematics Education Dialogues. (A Publication of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.)
Volume, Issue, Pages: v2i1, p3&5.
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 3-22-99
Linda Jensen Sheffield is firm believer of tracking and I would have to agree with her. In this articles she says that not only is it good for students to be placed in the classroom that meet their abilities, but it is beneficial for these students. Sheffield quotes from Karen Rogers’ article, "Using Current Research to Make ‘Good’ Decisions about Grouping," which discusses current research on grouping, "High-ability and gifted students tend to benefit most from like-ability grouping, because the strategy provides them with the opportunity to access more advanced knowledge and skills and to practice deeper processing"(3). The same holds true for the low ability groups. Without challenging our students they become bored and will not reach their full potential. So in order to do this, our high schools must offer all levels of math courses.
Keywords: Curriculum
Ref: Sarah8
Author(s): Al Cuoco
Date: 1995
Title: Some Worries about Mathematics Education
Journal or Publisher: The Mathematics Teacher
Volume, Issue, Pages: v88n3, 186-187.
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 3-22-99
Although this article is from 1995 it is a great article that presents a number of strong points that are valid to the direction math education is heading. My guess is that core plus educators would stand behind all Al Cuoco has to say and support core plus in fulfilling these important educational pushes. But at the same time, I don’t think the "traditional" math educators would deny or argue with what he has to say. Instead, I think they would also agree with the points Cuoco brings up. So the question becomes, do the core plus programs fulfill these criteria? What about "updated math?" Do both of these satisfy the criteria? This is the current question that is being discussed in a number of school districts.
Aside from the implications of this article, what does it actually say? Al Cuoco has wonderful comments. He begins by talking about the changes that are occurring in math education. For instance there are a number of ways to understand mathematics, technology is becoming a strong supplementor of learning, the use of assessment is key in future teaching, and there exists a number of connections to math outside of the classroom. All of these issues lead Cuoco to say, "Mathematics is no longer being sold as an exercise for the mind; students are learning to use mathematics in meaningful contexts that connect to their lives"(186). Cuoco feels these changes are a push to move math away from the elitist enterprise, but at the same time he wonders if they will make math "more of an elitist enterprise"(186). A good question he raises in connection to this is even though people will feel strong in their ability to do the new math, will the new math satisfy the need for future s!
cientists and mathematicians?
The rest of Cuoco article deals with the aspects of math that are key no matter what predictions will be true in future mathematics. A strong point he makes is, "we need to prepare (our students) to use, understand, control, and modify a class of technology that does not yet exist"(187). He then goes on to discuss a number of things that the some math reform programs are not attending to and that he feels are important in math education such as, "abstraction is an integral part of mathematics...symbols are tools for thinking...proofs and explanations are research techniques...reality is a relative term"(187). Overall I feel Cuoco is throwing out all his ideas which are best summarized by, "we need to develop curricula centered on mathematical habits of mind rather than on specific content."
I really like this article, and as you can tell by what I have just written, there is a lot packed in this short two-paged article. I would encourage you to read it. Is our current education fulfilling what Cuoco stresses? Every program is different, so the question becomes, is your school fulfilling all of Cuoco’s criteria?
Keywords: Curriculum
Ref: Sarah9
Author(s): Gregory F. Bachelis
Date: 1998
Title: Building Bridges in Mathematics Between High Schools and Colleges:
Journal or Publisher: Michigan-MAA Newsletter
Volume, Issue, Pages: v24n2, 7-9.
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 3-22-99
In reaction to Roger Verheys article, "Building Bridges in Mathematics Between High Schools and Colleges," Gregory Bachelis writes a bold follow-up article. Bachelis feels that "many of these reform programs have turned high school mathematics on its head"(7). In support of his beliefs, he cites a number of newspaper articles he feels a reader should pay reference to in order to see how serious and disputable this issue of math reform is. There is one sentence I would like to pull out of Bachelis article: "For many of these kids this new approach may in fact be better than the old methods, and in a number they may indeed be a majority of the students; but we shouldn’t let the reformers impose this masquerade on the kids who need to get serious about math in high school"(8). In all of my reading thus far, I feel it is extremely important to support this view and offer both "traditional" and new integrated math at high schools and middle schools. KEY:Curriculum
Keywords: Curriculum, ,
Ref: Sarah10
Author(s): Nicole Bondi
Date: 1998
Title: Parents wary of new program for teaching math
Journal or Publisher: The Detroit News
Volume, Issue, Pages: http://forum.swarthmore.edu/epigone/amte/karjunfrou, 1-3
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 3-22-99
This article is a very good article to read in reference to core-plus. It talks about the pros and cons of core-plus. At the end of the article, Bondi highlights the pros, cons, and also where core-plus and other integrated math programs are being implemented and used. I would like to highlight a few of the pros and cons, but encourage you to read this article to discover what else Bondi has to say.
Pros:
Cons:
Keywords: Curriculum, ,
Ref: Sarah11
Author(s): Rusty Hoover
Date: 1998
Title: Professor wont give up controversial data on Core-Plus program in
Journal or Publisher: The Detroit News
Volume, Issue, Pages: 6-17-98, 1-3.
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 3-22-99
Melissa Lynn, 18, graduated with a grade point average of 3.97 but failed the University of Michigan’s math placement test. This put her in the lowest possible percentile, the first percentile (1). When Melissa contacted 14 other students that had the same math background as her, she found that they also placed low on the exams, and were from the first to sixth percentile. All fifteen of these students were a part of Andover High School’s core-plus math program.
This article focuses on the data found in a survey of students who have graduated from the core-plus program. Surrounding the debate of how and why this data is not available for the public are stories and feedback from a few students. The overall theme I gather is that core-plus does not emphasize basic algebra enough. Christian Hirsh, the man who developed core-plus said, "that algebra is integrated into the program"(2). It seems that whether it is in the program or not(they say it has been added in more since 1997), the problem in the forefront is even though these students have the algebra, are they able to pull it out and utilize it on the ACT, SAT, college entrance exams, and in a future college math course?
Keywords: Curriculum, ,
Ref: Sarah12
Author(s): Kim Mackey; Marcia Weinhold.
Date: 1998
Title: A Core Plus Student; Core-Plus Mathematics – Adding Balance
Journal or Publisher:
Volume, Issue, Pages: http://forum.swarthmore.edu/epigone/math...0.5.32.19980710085226.00793ac0@alaska.net, 1-2; http://forum.swarthmore.edu/epigone/math....980714134722.541110549F100000@wmich.edu, 1-3.
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 3-22-99
I would like to analyze these articles in conjunction with each other. I have learned from both of them that you need to be careful with what you read. Who can you believe anymore? People are so good at twisting words and interpreting things in ways that benefit themselves. I feel it would be better to just skip these two articles. There are more concrete articles out there that you can benefit from. Who are we to believe? Core-plus gives us one side, and "Anti/Questioning" core-plus gives us the other.
So read these two articles if you want to, but I would suggest to skip them and look into other articles.
Keywords: Curriculum, ,
Ref: Sarah13
Author(s): John Welsh and Linda Owen
Date: 1998
Title: Newest new math doesn't add up for some
Journal or Publisher: Pioneer Press
Volume, Issue, Pages: 11-17-98, 1-8.
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 3-22-99
This is a wonderful article. It gives the reader a glimpse of what integrated math is as well as some of the issues surrounding it. Below are a few of the positive and negative points this article highlights on integrated math;
Positive:
Negative:
The one thing I would like to question in reference to this article is the fact that none of the people Welsh and Owen cite are teachers. Shouldn't we be talking to the teachers who are working with these students every day? They do cite a professor and businessmen, but I believe the place we need to begin is the actual classroom. Is integrated math working for the students?
Keywords: Curriculum, ,
Ref: Sarah14
Author(s): District 621
Date: 1998
Title: An Important Decision
Journal or Publisher: District 621
Volume, Issue, Pages: 12-28-98, 1-4.
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 3-22-99
Mounds View High School, which is just up the road from me, is fully active in the core-plus hoopla. This letter is addressed to the 621 families. I believe it is being sent out by the school board in response to the December 15, 1998 meeting. At this meeting they decided to give students the option of core-plus or "traditional" math. The intention of this letter is to inform the parents on what core-plus and "traditional" math have to offer their children. The writers stress that parents should decide what best fits their child's needs. "This newsletter presents information for both choices. Consider your needs and future goals. Don't be swayed by what is 'popular' or 'easy' or what your friends are doing. Do what's best for you"(4).
I really applaud the Mounds View school district. I like this newsletter and the hard evidence it gives on both sides. It is an excellent informative article to send home to parents. It is short, but densely packed with information. It will be read more frequently than a long report, but at the same time gives names of people to contact for more information. So I would encourage you to look at this letter to get a feeling of what this core-plus, traditional math debate is all about.
Keywords: Curriculum, ,
Ref: Sarah15
Author(s): John Welsh
Date: 1999
Title: Mounds View tinkers with new math program
Journal or Publisher: Pioneer Press
Volume, Issue, Pages: 1-19-99, 2D.
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 3-22-99
Integrated math is the central theme in this article. It hits home for me because many of my friends are Mounds View grads and Mounds View High School is only a 20 minute bike ride from my house. Parents are upset and have every right to be. When a new program is implemented into a school, my hope is that every parent will be upset and concerned. This questioning and interest is what makes schools and programs stronger. This article basically states a number of concerns and how the Mounds View school district "wants to strike a balance"(1D). One concern I would like to highlight is by the students at Mounds View, "[the] students complained that their grades were too dependent on group assignments instead of individual performance"(2D). I applaud the Mounds View school district for their active role in students' education. Even if core-plus, integrated math, is better than "traditional math," it is something that should be examined and researched before anyone suddenly implemented.
Keywords: Communication, ,
Ref: Sarah16
Author(s): Draper, Roni Jo.
Date: 1997
Title: Jigsaw: because reading your math book shouldn't be a puzzle
Journal or Publisher: The Clearing House
Volume, Issue, Pages: v71n1, 33-36.
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 3-22-99
One thing that the NCTM states in their Curriculum and Evaluation Standard is thatteachers are encouraged to teach their students how to communicate mathematically (33). Roni Jo Draper gives a jigsaw activity that displays a good way for students to become familiar and comfortable with using their math text book. Draper writes, "the jigsaw puzzle activity presented in this article requires readers to get involved in all phases of reading"(34). The jigsaw puzzle involves the students taking two roles, "expert" and "learner." Basically, what happens is a class is divided up into groups and each group is given a topic in which they are to become the expert. Once this happens the groups are rearranged so that each group is full of experts. In these first expert groups, students are given a problem to work on. First of all, they try to solve the problem without opening the book. Once they try, they then brainstorm a list of things they need to know to solve the problem! . After the list is complied, they open the book to see what the other has to say. They use the knowledge found in the book to solve the problem and answer the questions they have. Once the problem is solved, the expert group then decides on the best way to present it to their "students." After all of the expert groups are ready, they reorganize so that each new group consists of experts knowing different material.
One thing that is done to ensure that the students have learned the material is to give them a quiz a day or two after the group sharing. The quiz is then graded in two pieces, one individually and the other by how the group does overall. This second piece promotes group work and helping each other fully understand the material. Draper also presents a few variations to do that add twists to this method of learning.
I really like this activity. It is something we did in my secondary education class, and I found it worked really well. I'm excited to see how it would work in a math classroom. Students need to be in contro; this gives them full control and teaches them how to communicate and think about what they are learning. I encourage you to read this article and also to look at Prof. Holden's work on Paideia seminars.
Keywords: Teaching Strategies, ,
Ref: Sarah17
Author(s): Lappan, Glenda.
Date: 1998
Title: Teachers Examining Teaching
Journal or Publisher: News Bulletin. (A Publication of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.)
Volume, Issue, Pages: v35n4, 3.
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 3-22-99
As a question asker myself, I think this is an awesome article. Glenda Lappan, president of the NCTM, discusses how good teachers bring their curriculum to life for their students. She describes this skill by having the ability to ask analytical questions.
The questions stem from examining the goals of the class and lesson, how to maximize the interest of the students, how to get the students ready for success, how to assess work, and how to form a positive learning environment for the students (3). I would like to highlight a few of my favorite questions, but encourage you to read this article and find more.
Keywords: Technology, ,
Ref: Sarah18
Author(s): Middleton, Betty and Murray, Richard.
Date: 1999
Title: The Impact of Instructional Technology on Student Academic Achievement in Reading and Mathematics
Journal or Publisher: International Journal of Instructional Media.
Volume, Issue, Pages: v26, i1, p109.
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 4-7-99
This article's main focus is on technology and its impact on education. "For education to be successful, public schools must make current technologies available to students that are already available in the business world" (1). Most of these technologies are expensive. Therefore studies like these are done to "determine the cost benefit of technology purchases" (2). This particular study was of fourth and fifth grade students and their teachers in South Carolina. What they found is that the use of technology in the classroom has a positive correlation with classroom mathematics achievement. Their findings were particular ly strong for the fifth grade students. As I stated earlier, the cost of technological devices is a problem. Yet, in addition to the issue of equipment cost, another problem is the implementation barrier. Not only is this equipment expensive, but teachers need to know how to use it. The author stresses that not only is technology important to the education of our youth, but it is vital to help teachers learn how to use and implement it.
Overall this is a good article. Its only drawback is that its
focus is on fourth and fifth grade students. By reading this
brief summary, I feel you will understand all you need to know
from this article.
Keywords: Curriculum, ,
Ref: Sarah19
Author(s): Core-Plus Mathematics Project
Date:
Title: Student Achievement Reports
Journal or Publisher: Everyday Learning
Volume, Issue, Pages:
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 5-9-99
I enjoyed reading this report. It pulls forth a number of things
to think about. Unlike my other article evaluations, I will not
be giving a summary of the data. I do not want my questions,
opinions, or beliefs to influence someone before they read this.
I highly encourage people to look at these reports and I would
love to talk to them about it and hear what they think.
What I will say is that this is a brochure containing eight
reports written by teachers that give you a summary of how the
implementation of core-plus has worked in their own schools. I
encourage you to read it with an open mind and a critical eye.
A number of good things can be found in reading this article and
it will give you a good flavor of schools where core-plus is
really making an impact. Once you do read it, please let me
know and we can get together to talk about it.
Keywords: Curriculum, Connections,
Ref: Sarah20
Author(s): Rothenberg, Barbara Skolnick
Date: 1996
Title: The measure of music.
Journal or Publisher: Teaching Children Mathematics
Volume, Issue, Pages: v2, n7, 408-409.
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 5-9-99
I really enjoyed this article. Even though it is for elementary
school mathematics it promotes thought on ideas for high school
mathematics. This particular article breaks down elementary grade
levels into three groups and using music implements mathematics
that is appropriate for that age group, "K-2 focuses on patterns
and measurement; 3-4 focuses on measurement, fractions, and money;
and 5-6 focuses on monetary problem solving, area and perimeter,
and fractions"(408).
I would like to highlight two examples I particularly like. The first is for the 3-4 grade group. It deals with the song, "Bicycle built for two." In this song there are 3 beats per measure and the students are to form all of the possible "3 beat" measures they can. In conjunction with a music class where the students learn about the notes and what they are worth, this is a lesson the can work extremely well. It is great way to show students a connection between math and music.
A second example I would like to highlight is "Take me out
to the ball game." In listening to this song, students are to
imagine they are at a Baseball game. What they need to do is to
estimate how much it would cost them to buy, "a small soft drink
and popcorn, ice cream and a bag of peanuts"(409). They will
then figure out the actual cost. The lesson goes on to ask the
students how much they can buy with $3 and $5. They then compare
these costs with what it would cost at a high school game. I
think I would even go a step further to see if it is cheaper to
buy this food at the grocery store? If it is cheaper to buy this
food at grocery store, how much cheaper is it?
I would recommend this article. If nothing else, it makes you
start to think about ideas for classroom activities.
Keywords: Curriculum, ,
Ref: Sarah21
Author(s): Moffat, Anne Simon.
Date: 1994
Title: Coping with the underprepared undergraduate.
Journal or Publisher: Science
Volume, Issue, Pages: v266, n5186, p849.
Reviewer: Sarah
Date of Review: 5-9-99
This article talks of the concern that students are not prepared for college classes. At the distinguished MIT, "incoming freshman seen to have a broader range of abilities than did their predecessors but less depth and preparation in math and science"(849). In response to this MIT is slowing down their introductory courses. This appears to be working and these students who are slightly behind seem to be catching up. This article also quotes St. Olaf college in their strategy of breaking up lab and lectures "to give students more time"(849). A few ideas are given in how to close up the gap that is found at MIT and other colleges. Overall colleges want to prepare their students for the future and they "want them to succeed"(849). This article is good, but I feel all it basically does is state the problem. I wish it would of spent more time on possible solutions or answers.