Mathematics education in the United States
However, with the adoption of the Common Core Standards in most states and the District of Columbia beginning in 2010, mathematics content across the country has moved into closer agreement for each grade level.
[4][5] At the other end, counselors at competitive public or private high schools usually encourage talented and ambitious students to take Calculus regardless of future plans in order to increase their chances of getting admitted to a prestigious university[6] and their parents enroll them in enrichment programs in mathematics.
[13][14] According to a 1997 report by the U.S. Department of Education, passing rigorous high-school mathematics courses predicts successful completion of university programs regardless of major or family income.
[18][23] On the other hand, high-performing schools may offer their students accelerated tracks (including the possibility of taking collegiate courses after calculus)[24] and nourish them for mathematics competitions.
For example, the University of California (UC) system requires three years of "college-preparatory mathematics that include the topics covered in elementary and advanced algebra and two- and three-dimensional geometry"[53] to be admitted.
After the California Department of Education adopted the Common Core, the UC system clarified that "approved integrated math courses may be used to fulfill part or all"[53] of this admission requirement.
On the other hand, in a controversial decision, the Texas Board of Education voted to remove Algebra II as a required course for high school graduation.
[67] In Utah, the final required mathematics course in high school incorporates elements of Algebra II, Trigonometry, Precalculus, and Data Science.
[26][78] All students in STEM, especially mathematics, physics, chemistry, computer science, and engineering must take single-variable calculus unless they have Advanced Placement credits (or equivalents, such as IB Math HL).
[70] During the 1970s and 1980s, the number of students taking remedial courses in college rose substantially, partly due to the de-emphasis of calculus in high school, leading to less exposure to pre-calculus topics.
[45][13] Another source of contention is the decentralized nature of American education, making it difficult to introduce standard curriculum implemented nationwide, despite the benefits of such a program as seen from the experience of other countries, such as Italy.
William Heard Kilpatrick, one of the most vocal proponents of progressive education, advocated for the de-emphasis of intellectual "luxuries" such as algebra, geometry, and trigonometry, calling them "harmful rather than helpful to the kind of thinking necessary for ordinary living."
Indeed, prior to the Second World War, it was common for educationists to argue against the teaching of academic subjects and in favor of more utilitarian concerns of "home, shop, store, citizenship, and health," presuming that a majority of high school students could not embark on a path towards higher education but were instead, destined to become unskilled laborers or their wives.
[4] Under the 'New Math' initiative, created after the successful launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik in 1957, conceptual abstraction rather than calculation gained a central role in mathematics education.
[4] The U.S. federal government under President Dwight D. Eisenhower realized it needed thousands of scientists and engineers to match the might of its ideological rival the Soviet Union and started pouring enormous sums of money into research and development as well as education.
[200] However, this educational initiative soon faced strong opposition, not just from teachers, who struggled to understand the new material, let alone teach it, but also from parents, who had problems helping their children with homework.
In a 1965 essay, physicist Richard Feynman argued, "first there must be freedom of thought; second, we do not want to teach just words; and third, subjects should not be introduced without explaining the purpose or reason, or without giving any way in which the material could be really used to discover something interesting.
[204] Mathematician George F. Simmons wrote in the algebra section of his book Precalculus Mathematics in a Nutshell (1981) that the New Math produced students who had "heard of the commutative law, but did not know the multiplication table.
The author gave evidence that even though most Chinese teachers had only 11 or 12 years of formal education, they understood basic mathematics better than did their U.S. counterparts, many of whom were working on their master's degrees.
Refuting reports and editorials[211] that it was repudiating the earlier standards, the NCTM claimed that the Focal Points were largely re-emphasizing the need for instruction that builds skills and deepens student mathematical understanding.
As previously stated, American children usually follow a unique sequence of mathematics courses in secondary school (grades 6 to 12), learning one subject at a time.
On the other hand, many countries around the world from Israel to Italy teach mathematics according to what Americans call an integrated curriculum, familiarizing students with various aspects of calculus and prerequisites throughout secondary school.
On the other hand, critics—including parents and teachers—prefer the traditional American approach both because of their familiarity with it and because of their concern that certain key topics might be omitted, leaving the student ill-prepared for college.
[45] Moreover, there has been a movement to de-emphasize the traditional pathway with Calculus as the final mathematics class in high school in favor of Statistics and Data Science for those not planning to major in a STEM subject in college.
[6] But in the case of Utah, as of 2023, students may skip the final required course for high-school graduation—one that combines elements of Algebra II, Trigonometry, Precalculus, and Statistics—if they submit a letter signed by their parents acknowledging that this decision could jeopardize their chances of university matriculation.
[18][19] In order to rectify this problem, the amount of instructional hours dedicated towards mathematical contents has been increased in undergraduate programs aimed at training elementary teachers.
Wai identified one consistent pattern: those with the highest test scores tended to pick mathematics and statistics, the natural and social sciences, and engineering as their majors while those with the lowest were more likely to choose healthcare, education, and agriculture.
)[226][227] Results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test show that scores in mathematics have been leveling off in the 2010s, but with a growing gap between the top and bottom students.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which forced schools to shut down and lessons to be given online, further widened the divide, as the best students lost fewer points compared to the worst and therefore could catch up more quickly.
[24] In the early 21st century, there has been a demand for the creation of AP Multivariable Calculus and indeed, a number of American high schools have begun to offer this class, giving colleges trouble in placing incoming students.
