The results of the Algebra 2 Honors final:
10 | 0
9 | 6
8 | 0 1 1 4 4
7 | 1 1 1 4 4 6 6 8
6 | 1 1 5 6 9
5 | 4
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
For a final exam, that's fairly solid. Students did worst on the most recent material, which makes sense, because they haven't had enough time to let it really sink in. Next week, we are going to need to review factoring and dealing with the various forms of parabolas. Then we'll learn to complete the square and prove the quadratic formula.
Every student in the class ended up passing with a C- or better (a new first for me!), so that is something we will definitely celebrate next week.
The biggest success: the boys who shook my hand, looked me in the eye, and thanked me for helping them get prepared, both after the review sessions and after getting their tests back. Usually the girls are pretty vocal about their appreciation; the boys tend to wave, put on their iPods/cell phones, and rush out the door (not to generalize, but...) So I kind of smiled on the inside when these boys conveyed their awkward gratitude - it was a milestone along their paths to maturity and they didn't even know it.
Thinking Thursday: Explain a Math Trick
4 days ago
2 comments:
Hey, congratulations! All passing is excellent.
Thanks! I ended with 21 students passing. Unfortunately, the class started the year close to 30 students. The rest dropped down to the regular class (though a couple did leave the school for different reasons). A few students made the right choice to switch because the work was overwhelming them. A few students were just being lazy.
Now, of the 21 students I have, 18 are sophomores. Of those, I'm not sure how many will decide to take the geometry course this summer so that they can be on track for calculus as seniors. I'm not sure how many we need to justify having a calculus class, but there weren't enough in the last two years to do so.
Shockingly, building an enduring, successful calculus program for low-skilled high school students is not quite as easy as it appears in Stand and Deliver. Who knew?
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