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Hi! I've been asked to do a presentation to our faculty on the role of parents in college student success. Thanks to Pat Trosclair I have the general parent orientation info that was sent to her. Does any one have any programs/interventions that have been empirically validated as successful? If so, I'd appreciate a brief review of your methodology and results. Thanks in advance! Peggy Brady-Amoon Executive Director, Office of Academic Services St. Thomas Aquinas College Sparkill, New York (914) 398-4026 Rosemarie Woodruff wrote: > YUP. So what can we do? > > Rosie > > Rosemarie Woodruff > Counseling and Student Development Center > University of Hawaii-Manoa > 2600 Campus Road, SSC 312 > Honolulu, HI 96822 > 808-956-6114 > > The world is full of obstacle illusions. > Grant Frasier > > On Thu, 30 Mar 2000, Mayfield, Linda wrote: > > > Assessment testing indicated our freshman nursing students needed help with > > basic math skills. They can do algebra--they can't do fractions. They > > can't do either one--or much of anything else mathematical-- without a > > calculator. Last week I presented highly-promoted "fun" math workshops > > entitled "Shop 'til You Drop" on two campuses and hardly anyone > > came--follow-up indicated the students don't think they need math > > refreshers. Of the five students who did come, one is on a full-ride > > academic scholarship, with an ACT of over 30. She couldn't figure out > > discounts on sale racks, or whether the per-can cost of Pepsi is lower at > > 6/$1.99, 12/$2.99 or 24/$4.99, without a calculator. (She can, now.) > > Another student couldn't do the math, because she didn't know her > > multiplication tables--not at all. These are our future medical > > professionals, who earned scores of 20-32 on their ACT tests, and graduated > > from high school with at least a 3.0 in a college prep program, and knew > > they needed help, and their peers don't think they even need help. Scary, > > isn't it? > > > > > ---------- > > > From: Craig Andres[SMTP:[log in to unmask]] > > > Reply To: Open Forum for Learning Assistance Professionals > > > Sent: Monday, March 27, 2000 7:15 AM > > > To: [log in to unmask] > > > Subject: Re: Traditional vs. reform math > > > > > > I agree that it always comes down to the quality > > > of the teachers. You are right that only about > > > 1/6 of the students are coming in from a math > > > reform program, but the other 5/6 are coming in > > > with a strong background in calculator use, which > > > some of those schools believe IS reform. Again, a > > > good teacher will incorporate a calculutor the > > > right way. > > > > > > By the way, I don't trust ACT or SAT scores to > > > tell you anything about a students math ability. > > > > > > Eric Kaljumagi wrote: > > > > > > > > > I never said not to teach the other 80%, they will still learn. > > > > > > > > They never did before. Your median high school graduate > > > > took two years of "consumer" or general math and never > > > > touched it again. The majority of American adults couldn't > > > > calculate the interest on a loan if their lives depended on it. > > > > A sizeable minority can't calculate a tip. > > > > > > > > >But if you don't meet the needs of the 10-15%, then you > > > > >won't have as competent group of mathematicians and scientists > > > > >in the future. > > > > > > > > True enough. If the reform movement takes over, I do wonder > > > > how we'll serve the needs of graduate schools. > > > > > > > > What I found using CPM was that my top students suffered little. > > > > They seemed to adapt by concentrating on the challenge problems > > > > others wouldn't touch. As for their overall mathematical skills,. > > > > perhaps they suffered a slight drop, but it certainly wasn't much, if > > > > it existed at all. On the other hand, I did find the number of > > > > students succeeding in class increase dramatically, and over 50% of > > > > my high school's graduates took Algebra II while in high school. > > > > Our average SAT scores went up slightly, yet far more students > > > > took the test. More students also achieved recognition on the > > > > Golden State Exam. To me, that's success. > > > > > > > > My hypothesis: > > > > > > > > Traditional math instruction has evolved to become the best and > > > > most efficient means of educating those destined to become the > > > > scientists and engineers of the next generation. Traditional > > > > instruction is simultaneously a frustrating nightmare for most other > > > > students. > > > > > > > > The reform movement of the 1980s and 1990s has attempted to > > > > bring in other methodologies so as to serve other learning modalities. > > > > The resultant body of curriculum is not as efficient a means of > > > > transmission of knowledge, but appeals to a far wider range of students. > > > > > > > > Overall, I think that if reform math takes over, we will have a > > > > significantly > > > > better educated populace. The challenge is in preventing the elite from > > > > receiving a weaker education. > > > > > > > > > The math being taught out there in the public schools is not strong > > > > enough. > > > > > > > > It never is, is it? Seriously, however, this is another issue entirely. > > > > If you > > > > surveyed your feeder schools I'd be quite surprised if even 100 of your > > > > 600 > > > > students was in a reform math program. Good teaching requires well > > > > educated, well trained individuals with dedication to their profession > > > > and > > > > a good deal of autonomy to allow for innovation. I've met many such > > > > high > > > > school teachers, but there are also many marginal ones. So long as a > > > > good > > > > economy provides good paying jobs to new college graduates, a shortage > > > > of excellent teachers will ensue. We've got to make do with what we've > > > > got. > > > > > > > > Prof. Eric Kaljumagi > > > > LAC/Math > > > > Mt. San Antonio College > > > > > > -- > > > Craig Andres > > > Director, Study Abroad and Tutor Program > > > Kettering University > > > (Continuing the GMI heritage) > > > > > > email: [log in to unmask] > > > Phone: (810)-762-9642 > > > Fax: (810)-762-9505 > > > > > > > > > "We must look forward to the future as that is > > > where most of us will be spending the rest of our > > > lives." Charles Kettering. > > > > >