Hear no, see no, speak no algebra

2009-12-16T19:21:00Z

This is hwo many stuednts look at albegra. It mihgt as well be wrttien in greek. For soem, albegra is the fisrt cuosre in scoohl wehre tehy enconuter abtsratc cnopcets, and most of tehm stugrgle to see hwo ablerga reltaes to the rael wolrd.

It’s interesting that we can look at the series of letters scrambled together and still comprehend their meaning. It’s intuitive for us. We’ve been conditioned to understand. We speak the language.

But when it comes to understanding algebra, an alarming number of students simply can’t make the connection. The abstract nature of algebra seems to elude even the best and brightest students who, upon leaving primary school with a string of good grades in mathematics, encounter this new and strange language called algebra.

I struggled in algebra. I loathed algebra. I never believed it was necessary because I could not see how it applied to me, or that I would ever have occasion to use it beyond the walls of the classroom. It was simply something I had to get through. Years later I would see my own daughter struggle with algebra, with too many homework sessions ending in tears of desperation.

One could make the case that traditional methods of teaching algebra is not solving the problem for a significant percentage of students, and today, more than ever before, administrators are willing to explore alternative solutions in order to raise student achievement levels in The Gateway Course.

Such is the case in Greenville, South Carolina, where students at Carolina High School & Academy have been given an opportunity to learn algebra in a non-traditional way, a way that let’s students see algebra, hear algebra, and speak algebra. A unique combination of hands-on activities, cooperative learning environment, and a student-centered instructional model provide these students with an answer to the question, “why do I need to know algebra?”.

To learn more about how Pitsco Education's algebra curriculum is solving the algebra problem, download the latest issue of The Network Magazine and see how administrators, teachers, and students in Greenville, South Carolina are succeeding in algebra using our innovative middle-level curriculum.

The Star Academy Program: Saving lives one student at a time.

2009-12-11T16:04:00Z

Some have called it the silent epidemic. Others refer to it as a crisis that must be fixed. But for the estimated 7,000 students who drop out of high school every day, it's a very real, and very devastating event in their lives, and statistics tell us the future is not so bright for these young people. For them, dropping out of school is a personal tragedy that will have a life-long impact, and the consequences are debilitating, both socially and economically. (View Introduction Video)

But when you step back from the individual consequences and consider the problem as a whole, the nation's dropout rate has an incredible impact on the US economy. According to a recent report issued by the Committee on Education & Labor, 2,000 high schools in the 50 largest cities in America account for 50 percent of our nation's dropouts. Poor and minority students are particularly at-risk, as they account for a disproportionate percentage of the students who are leaving school.

Consider the fact that if--according to a report by the McKinsey Corporation--poor and minority student performance had reached the level of their white counterparts in 1998, the nations' GDP in 2009 would have been between $310 billion to $525 billion higher, or approximately 2 to 4 percent of GDP. Essentially this achievement gap is like having a permanent recession.

Unfortunately, as the country continues to pick itself up off the floor and fight through serious economic challenges, finding a way to "fix" the dropout problem in America's schools isn't high on the list of priorities, despite the fact that statistics indicate that it should be. Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former Governor of West Virginia, put it this way: "That's why I believe that the ultimate economic stimulus package is a diploma."

But while U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA) is chairing a committee in Washington, D.C., to explore the issue, some states have decided not to wait and have implemented solutions to reduce the dropout rate in their schools and close the achievement gap.

South Carolina has turned to the Star Academy Program, a dropout prevention solution developed by Pitsco Education. The Star Academy Program is a school-within-a-school model that serves anywhere from 40 to 80 students in a given year. Students enrolled in the Star Academy Program are typically over-aged and have failed one or more grades. Faced with the prospect of seeing these students leave the enrollment ranks, South Carolina has implemented 16 Star Academies now serving over 500 students with the goal of retaining these at-risk students and get them back on track to graduate with their peers. (View the The Star Academy Program Overview Video)

Additional Star Academies are now on the drawing board in South Carolina, and others are coming on-line in Missouri, California, and Texas. Virtually every school district in the country is facing similar conditions when it comes to dropout rates, and the Star Academy Program is proving to be a viable, sustainable, and effective alternative for educators looking to turn the tide on dropout prevention.

Pitsco Education Today

Hear no, see no, speak no algebra

This is hwo many stuednts look at albegra. It mihgt as well be wrttien in greek. For soem, albegra is the fisrt cuosre in scoohl wehre tehy enconuter abtsratc cnopcets, and most of tehm stugrgle to see hwo ablerga reltaes to the rael wolrd.

The Star Academy Program: Saving lives one student at a time.