School communities who scored poorly on last year’s Grade 12 pre-calculus exams are receiving more than half a million dollars combined to improve students’ skills.
Mathematician Anna Stokke said the internal announcement
appears to be an attempt to inflate scores via study cramming ahead of the second semester tests.
“The province needs a better, long-term plan to fix math scores,” said Stokke, a professor of mathematics at the University of Winnipeg.
“Preparation for Grade 12 math and pre-calculus really starts in
K to 8.”
Stokke has been a vocal critic of the province’s recent decision to loosen teacher certification requirements and no longer require elementary educators to complete six credit hours of university-level math.
In addition to reiterating calls to restore that training component, the professor called on the province to focus on recruiting more teachers who have strong math backgrounds and renewing an emphasis on helping young students master prerequisite skills.
more.
