Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion NYT opinion: No (rich) child left behind

Sure, at the Ph.D. level talent matters but when we are talking about grade school kids learning grade school level math, I really think most kids are have "talent".

The toll mathematics takes begins early. To our nation’s shame, one in four ninth graders fail to finish high school. In South Carolina, 34 percent fell away in 2008-9, according to national data released last year; for Nevada, it was 45 percent. Most of the educators I’ve talked with cite algebra as the major academic reason.

Shirley Bagwell, a longtime Tennessee teacher, warns that “to expect all students to master algebra will cause more students to drop out.” For those who stay in school, there are often “exit exams,” almost all of which contain an algebra component. In Oklahoma, 33 percent failed to pass last year, as did 35 percent in West Virginia.

Algebra is an onerous stumbling block for all kinds of students: disadvantaged and affluent, black and white. In New Mexico, 43 percent of white students fell below “proficient,” along with 39 percent in Tennessee. Even well-endowed schools have otherwise talented students who are impeded by algebra, to say nothing of calculus and trigonometry.

There were 90 employees in a company last year. This year the
number of employees increased by 10 percent. How many employees
are in the company this year?
A) 9
B) 81
C) 91
D) 99
E) 100