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Maybe the cure to math anxiety is to teach kids math
Timed tests cause math anxiety, according to Jo Boaler, a Stanford math education professor who's been charged with "reckless disregard...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 1, 20242 min read


Teachers aren't unhappy or underpaid
Most teachers like teaching, enjoy the flexible work schedule, live comfortably and are no more likely to quit their profession than...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 26, 20241 min read


'Data science' isn't college-prep math (or science), say university profs
"Data science" is a popular choice for students who struggled in traditional math classes, reports Javeria Salman on the Hechinger...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 7, 20242 min read


Algebra wins big in San Francisco -- but will kids learn times tables?
San Francisco schools should offer algebra in eighth grade, said 84 percent of voters in Tuesday's election. It was a stunning rejection...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 7, 20242 min read


How to teach math well: There are wrong answers
Engineering, computer science, accounting, finance and medicine will not be options for people who couldn't find the lowest common...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 4, 20242 min read


Lots of kids left behind: Why achievement gaps grew
Achievement gaps are large and growing across the country, writes Chad Aldeman on The 74. It's not the pandemic: Scores have been falling...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 28, 20242 min read


What about math? Schools focus on reading, not so much on math
Many schools are training teachers, hiring tutors and changing curricula to improve reading instruction, writes Holly Korey on The 74....

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 22, 20242 min read


SF brings back 8th-grade algebra, admits 'equity math' failed
Algebra will return to San Francisco middle schools, reports Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle. The school board's vote Tuesday...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 15, 20242 min read


In defense of remedial math classes
Students who are almost ready for college math do best by taking college-level classes with support in basic skills, researchers agree....

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 9, 20242 min read


8th-grade algebra for some
Most middle schools offer eighth-grade algebra to high achievers, according to a new RAND survey, reports Kalyn Belsha on Chalkbeat. Only...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 8, 20241 min read


Leveling up: How to get 'diverse' kids to advanced math
"Equity" doesn't mean lowering standards in Union district near Tulsa, reports Hechinger's Neal Morton. Most students in accelerated math...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 8, 20242 min read


$250K for 'woke' training: Reading, math scores fall even lower
Training teachers to "disrupt whiteness" isn't helping children learn at a Bay Area school, reports Jill Tucker in the San Francisco...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 5, 20242 min read


Young students are better in phonics, worse in math
"Covid toddlers" -- kids who were two years old in March 2020 -- were more likely to be unprepared for kindergarten in fall 2023 reports...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 1, 20241 min read


Students are catching up in math, reading -- but gaps are wider
Reading and math scores are on their way up, reports the Education Recovery Scorecard. On average, students in grades three through eight...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 1, 20242 min read


'School math' is boring: Students want 'real math'
"Math is important, but we’re being taught the wrong kind of math," say high school students in a YouthTruth survey. While 57 percent...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 11, 20242 min read


Culturally relevant math: If Cardi B owns $500K in handbags ...
Math achievement is very low for black students. Can "culturally relevant" math problems -- such as analyzing a hip-hop star's purse...

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 29, 20232 min read


Math crisis is global: US teens do worse on PISA, but so do others
The bad news from international testing: U.S. 15-year-olds did significantly worse in math from 2018 to 2022 on the Program for...

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 6, 20232 min read


WVU gives students what they want: Good grades in easy classes
West Virginia University is cutting majors and firing professors to fulfill the utilitarian vision of its president, E. Gordon Gee,...

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 5, 20232 min read


Practice makes better
How do get to Carnegie Hall? Practice! It's the same for math, writes Holly Korbey on Edutopia. “They are considered dirty words, but...

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 1, 20231 min read


Anti-racist math: 2 + 2 = whiteness
Apples and oranges featured heavily in my elementary school math curriculum, and yet I knew math was about the numbers, not about the...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 29, 20232 min read
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