Student Background and Challenges
My school's demographic breakdown is approximately 34% Latino, 5% African American, 18% Asian, and 41% Caucasian. The population is split about evenly by gender.
Approximately 54% of entering freshmen take Algebra 1, our lowest math class. The bottom third of the Algebra 1 students are concurrently enrolled in an additional mathematics support class as well. In statewide testing, only 19% of our Algebra 1 students scored proficient. The performance of Algebra 1 students on our statewide testing is a significant factor reducing our school's rating within California. Algebra 1 is also the most flunked class and therefore the most repeated class at our school.
On the other end of the spectrum, 61% of students in pre-calculus and calculus score proficient on the statewide test. Students in the first year Advanced Placement Calculus AB classes routinely outscore the national averages on the Calculus AP/AB exam and have had passing rates (with scores of 3 or above) in the 70% to 90% in the last few years. Students in the second year AP Calculus BC classes routinely have passing rates above 95%.
My target population for this unit is a heterogeneous group consisting of two distinct divisions: A) students enrolled in either first or second year Advanced Placement Calculus, and B) students enrolled in what our district calls Algebra 1 "support" mathematics classes. I will deliberately attempt to leverage the group A students' abilities to improve overall performance of the B group students in mathematics.
Students in the A group are usually from the Junior or Senior class, have above average mathematics ability, have experienced prior success with mathematics, and most likely have already taken a first year Biology class and have taken or are currently enrolled in either or all of the following classes: Advanced Placement Biology, regular Chemistry, regular Physics, Advanced Placement Chemistry, and Advanced Placement Physics. Students in the A group are above average in general academic ability and are all on a college track.
Students in the B group are most likely freshmen or sophomores who have below average mathematics ability as indicated by prior math grades and performance on the California State tests in mathematics. B group students have rarely experienced any level of success with mathematics, and have usually either failed at least one prior mathematics class or have been enrolled in a remedial mathematics class far below grade level in the middle school. B group students are concurrently enrolled with a subject area course of either Algebra 1 or Geometry, and a support class for that subject area to provide extra time and instruction to help bring them to grade level. B group students are behind grade level and sometimes may be as low as first grade level in mathematics (i.e. They have not mastered times tables, single digit addition with a carry, basic fraction operations, etc.). The lowest level mathematics class our district offers for non-special education students is Algebra 1, so the concurrent support class is offered in lieu of providing the students with a remedial mathematics class preceding Algebra. Since our district requires passing both Algebra 1 and Geometry for graduation, B group students are among those most likely to fail to graduate.
Ancillary to the goal of learning the content objectives, the heterogeneous composition of this target group is constructed to improve the affective receptiveness to learning mathematics of the B group Algebra 1 students. In addition to their lack of mathematical ability, the B group students frequently express helplessness and resistance to learning mathematics so that even mathematics that is within their intellectual grasp is not even attempted. No matter how effectively any teacher presents instruction, an unreceptive student will not learn. I chose the content and focus of this unit specifically because it deals with material that is valuable for and accessible to both the A group and B group students.
Comments: