September
- October 2001
OpEd Corner
Reading,
Writing, and...Algebra?
by
Dr. Hardy J. Pottinger
I teach computer
engineering, partly to make a living, but mostly because I enjoy it.
Like most IEEE members, to make money doing something enjoyable I
had to learn a lot of math along the way. It came as something of a
surprise for me to learn that California only recently made algebra a
requirement for high school graduation. Even more surprising, though,
was the fact that this requirement is creating quite a furor in the
state.
When I heard about the
algebra requirement, my thought was, "you mean it wasn't always
that way?" And apparently, I am not alone. I asked some of my
colleagues in California about the new requirement and they reacted the
same way: "I thought it had always been required!" So, what's
the beef?
After investigating
further, I learned about what I call their "Reading, 'Riting, and 'Rithmetic
Exam." California state law requires that starting with the
graduation class of 2004, all students must pass a high school exit exam
(HSEE). Many other states have similar exit exams for high school
seniors. In California, the exam consists of two parts: language arts
and math. About one-third of the multiple choice questions on the math
portion test knowledge of algebra concepts, and a score of 55 percent on
this segment is considered passing. Although this isn't a clear-cut
algebra requirement, it is apparently enough to stir up plenty of latent
math anxiety.
So, what does this
have to do with IEEE and engineers? This algebra requirement — and others
like it — is certain to create a demand for more math teachers, a
commodity already in short supply nationwide. Unless we can calm the
anxieties and create a liking for math in the lower grades, high school
exit exams could generate so much math anxiety that students will avoid
engineering and other technical careers like the plague. These are good
reasons for engineers to be involved in pre-college education — the
sooner the better.
Editor's Note: IEEE
has several resources for engineers who want to get involved. Visit the IEEE
Educational Activities Precollege website or the IEEE
Precollege Committe website. Also, to find out what your state's education
standards and requirements are, visit your state Board of Education
website.
 Reader
Poll:
What
Do You Think?
Can engineers make the difference?
Is
it simply a matter of assembling engineers from here, there
and everywhere, and then having them descend upon the schools en
masse to "make math fun"?
Would
such action only worsen the anxieties young people associate
with math? How?
We
want to hear from you. Please
send your comments to todaysengineer@ieee.org.
Include your name, residence city and state, and
IEEE membership status.
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Hardy
Pottinger is a member of IEEE-USA's Precollege Education Committee and
is a computer engineering professor at the University of Missouri-Rolla.
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