By Celine Hoang and Steve Phan, Staff Writers
Coming into effect this year, high schools across the Huntington Beach Union High School District [HBUHSD] have not permitted students to go onto Algebra 2 Trigonometry as a freshman, but were forced to retake algebra in 8th grade and move onto geometry as a freshman.
To align with common core standards, how students learn math is changing all over the nation. The purpose of common core is to make sure that students understand the skills they learn, but that they also can apply the skills to life problems, and communicate how they got their answers. Common core is very rich in applying logical thinking skills from kindergarten to twelfth grade.
“The math curriculum is changing to align with the Common Core and the purpose of Common Core is to make sure that students not only understand skills and how to use skills but they also can apply the skills to problem solving in meaningful ways and communicate their solutions,” said math teacher and math department coordinator, Cathy Lichodziejewski.
Most middle schools have 8th grade math, which is more regressed with common core math, and also in algebra 1, which includes some Common Core and algebra one. They are pushing geometry towards high school. Before this change, students would be rushed through the math courses at a young age and not be able to have a solid foundation. This way, they would be able to have a strong foundation. 80-90% of professions do not need calculus so middle schools have students be able to have a strong foundation in algebra before moving onto calculus. However, in high school, freshman who have passed the placement test, accelerated geometry is still offered.
“The push to get students into geometry freshman year and to race kids through to make sure everyone gets calculus before they graduate is really not in the best interest of students,” said Lichodziejewski.
