Commenters on the AJC Get Schooled blog had a range of reactions to the state End of Course Tests in Coordinate Algebra and Analytic Geometry. The state Department of Education raised the rigor of both tests in its efforts to improve Georgia’s historically dismal math performance. Statewide scores will be released this summer, but schools have received their results. Teachers are reporting high failure rates, including “A” students failing. Here is a sampling of comments:
Teacher2014: Do other states require four units of college prep math courses to graduate as does Georgia? I don't think so. Georgia lawmakers and other "educational" leaders are under the mistaken assumption that all Georgia students are capable of doing upper-level math work. Impossible. Sure, the rigor of the courses has improved over the last few years, so students are getting more math in Coordinate Algebra and Analytic Geometry than students used to get. However, now all students are required to take the same courses. One size does not fit all.
Eulb: It sounds like there is a big disconnect between the content taught throughout the year and the content tested on the EOCT. The point of the EOCT is to prove that the student has mastered a minimum level of proficiency.
DG: Students do not need to pass any EOCTs to move on or to graduate. The only testing requirement for the rising seniors is that they pass the Georgia High School Writing Test. The state has increased the weight of EOCT for course grades from 15 percent to 20 percent as part of this change. It is still mathematically possible to earn an A in a course and not pass the EOCT.
Kim: Please, everyone, don't confuse learning with performance. We all know learning when we see it. Standards and testing regimes are artifices of institutionalized education and its effort to present itself as the primary driver of individual and societal enlightenment. All but those who have been assimilated into this big lie know that most fundamental learning happens on the human scale of teachers and willing students working in partnership.
Advocate: I feel sorry for all math teachers out there in high school. I heard the percentage of students passing the EOCT in math in Fulton and DeKalb was 30 to 40 percent. In fact, most students in the state do not pass these math tests. The math curriculum now in high school is college-level material. Most of you could not pass the current math EOCTs. Most elementary and middle school math teachers definitely would not pass them, which is an issue in itself.
Log: Many students at my school also failed their math EOCTs. If this is a statewide issue, then we have incompetent math teachers or the assessment is faulty. In my opinion, it's the latter. What investigation has been done to evaluate the creation of the math EOCTs? Has the state arrived at any productive feedback besides a score? We've seen negative student performance for years now, but I have yet to read or hear one viable suggestion how to fix it.
EcTeacher: Has anyone here looked at the study guides for EOCT? I just looked at the one for Analytic Geometry. It's about triple the length of the study guide for my EOCT (Economics) and about double the length of the one for the old Georgia Performance Standards geometry. Maybe the state has gone overboard on these courses.
