Category Archives: Mathematics

Instead of Racing to Tops or Not Leaving Children Behind, Why Don’t We Just Clone What Massachusetts Has Done?

Posted on December 12, 2012 by

The 2011 TIMMS international scholastic test results are out (I’ve written about TIMMS results before). I’ll have more to say about the results later–the Alabama-Massachusetts comparisons, my favorite*, are devastating. But, as a first pass, it’s worth noting that, once … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Massachusetts, Mathematics | 6 Comments

Solidarity and Teaching

Posted on October 15, 2012 by

No, this isn’t about unions (at least directly), but teachers supporting each other’s teaching. Carrie Leana describes the role of “social capital” plays in student outcomes, in particular third grade math* (boldface mine): So we asked the teachers whom they … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Mathematics, Unions | 4 Comments

Value-Added Testing and “Weapons of Math Destruction”

Posted on September 25, 2012 by

I’ve written about the technical problems with using value-added testing to assess teacher performance before. Note that technical is not a synonym for trivial–these problems are fundamental. The recently settled Chicago teachers strike has made this issue important once again. … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Mathematics, Statistics | 1 Comment

Curriculum and Pedagogy Matter and ‘Reformers’ Suck at Those Things: The Math Edition

Posted on September 20, 2012 by

When the latest ‘algebra-is-too-hard-so-let’s-dumb-it-down’ pustule broke, I argued that the problem isn’t learning algebra, it’s that the students in trouble usually haven’t learned basic arithmetic: …one thing I’ve noticed anecdotally is that when students say they have difficultly with algebra, … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Mathematics | 2 Comments

It’s Not the Algebra, It’s the Arithmetic

Posted on July 30, 2012 by

There has been a lot said so far about Andrew Hacker’s argument for de-emphasizing algebra, and I’ll have more to say about that later this week. But one thing I’ve noticed anecdotally is that when students say they have difficultly … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Mathematics | 9 Comments

I Am Still the Punditiest Pundit EVAH!: The First Derivative Edition

Posted on November 11, 2011 by

Back when the Obama Administration was blabbering on about “green shoots”, the forefather of the confidence fairy, I repeatedly bemoaned the confusion between the change in unemployment or other economic indicators (the first derivative) versus the number of people actually … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Mathematics | 3 Comments

Meet the New New Math, Same As the Old New Math? What We Can Learn from Finland

Posted on August 31, 2011 by

Do we need an applied ‘constructivist’ curriculum for math?
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Posted in Education, Mathematics | 2 Comments

About the Gallup LGBT Estimation Poll, We Can Conclude That Many Americans…

Posted on June 2, 2011 by

…don’t understand fractions.
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Posted in Mathematics, Polling | 7 Comments

Value-Added Teacher Testing Is Very Precise: You Did Poorly With a Confidence Interval of Abyssmal to ‘We’ll Grant You Tenure’

Posted on March 15, 2011 by

The method works great, except that it can’t tell if you’re succeeding or failing.
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Posted in Education, Mathematics, News Media, Statistics | 12 Comments

Welcome to a New Science Blogging Collective: Scientopia

Posted on August 2, 2010 by

There’s a new science blogging collective in town: Scientopia.
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Posted in Bloggity Blog, Mathematics