tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post2426272957112736628..comments2023-09-29T06:32:16.005-04:00Comments on My School Committee Blog: The 8th Grade Algebra DebateCatherine A. Sandersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-69762299579301445552009-06-13T06:42:08.867-04:002009-06-13T06:42:08.867-04:00Thank you for your answer on AYP. The whole thing...Thank you for your answer on AYP. The whole thing sounds very complicated. I appreciate you taking the time to explain it.<br /><br />Anon 4:37Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-1570429713789710602009-06-12T21:19:44.135-04:002009-06-12T21:19:44.135-04:00Anon 4:37
This blog chat seems to have wrapped up...Anon 4:37<br /><br />This blog chat seems to have wrapped up but to answer your question: AYP is annual yearly progress on standardized test scores, for us it is scores on the MCAS exam.<br /><br />With an eye on the goal of 100% proficient scores by the year 2014, a certain amount of improvement in the proficient scores is expected each year, so it is an annual yearly progress.<br /><br />I know that the middles school has made progress each year on MCAS scores but has sometimes fallen short of the amount prescribed. So, for example, if they make 6% progress but it was supposed to be 8% then they haven't met AYP.<br /><br />Also as a whole school the MCAS scores are very good when compared around the state and AYP is regularly met as a whole school. It is actually only in two subgroups that the AYP is not being met. <br /><br /> Many schools do not have to worry about measuring subgroup's progress because they do not have enough students to have to count them as a group. You must have 40 in a subgroup, I believe, to make it count. Subgroups can include groups like low-income, special ed, english language learners, as well as different racial or ethnic categories. So, in a couple of ARMS" subgroups while there has been progress shown it has not been quite enough to meet AYP.<br /><br />The funny thing about AYP is that they are not measuring the progress for one group of students, but are actually comparing entirely different groups. For example the scores of this year's 7th graders will be compared to the scores of last year's 7th graders to look for progress. I guess I don't understand how you can measure progress between two totally different groups. it might just be the makeup of the group that changed the scores. The only way to measure how the schools are doing, it seems, would be to follow one consistent group from year to year and see how they are progressing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-51059133407500980342009-06-11T16:37:57.553-04:002009-06-11T16:37:57.553-04:00What does AYP mean?What does AYP mean?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-89669132767189486972009-06-11T15:45:17.664-04:002009-06-11T15:45:17.664-04:00My responses:
Anonymous 4:48 - two key points her...My responses:<br /><br />Anonymous 4:48 - two key points here. First, we still don't know if this program works (and as you point out, there are still AYP issues). That is why we need data. Second, having a textbook (this is the first year) is definitely an improvement. <br /><br />Anonymous 8:35 - I hear this a lot too ... and I think writing feedback/instruction varies tremendously across schools, grades, and classrooms. A more consistently high quality experience (which some teachers clearly provide) would be good.<br /><br />Anonymous 8:15 - I hear from current MS parents that the amount of writing, reading, and feeback varies tremendously by teacher. That is a pretty big issue in terms of making sure all kids are prepared for HS, especially when teams loop (meaning some years could have two great years of instruction while others have two very weak years).<br /><br />Anonymous 10:49 - was this true when your kids were in the MS? I'm hearing now that there are big differences in teacher feedback at this school. I haven't heard this issue in the same way at all from HS parents.Catherine A. Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-8091234264391450932009-06-11T13:01:28.497-04:002009-06-11T13:01:28.497-04:00Kumon has recently opened a branch in Amherst - ab...Kumon has recently opened a branch in Amherst - about 3 years ago. Soon, we will start to see those (primarily) elementary students reach the middle school - and they will be way ahead of their peers in terms of their grasp of basic math skills. <br /><br />That's another form of tracking (parents who are concerned enough to sign their kids up for Kumon, or work on math themselves at home) - that we will have to take into consideration in the next few years. That is also a specific form of tracking that relies on parent involvement, interest in math, AND money (to pay for Kumon) and time (to take the kids to Kumon). This will further increase the gap between the haves and the have-nots.<br /><br />However, it is the weak math system in the Amherst elementary schools that is forcing all the concerned parents to turn to Kumon. If the elementary school math were better, I would not have to go elsewhere.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-33980480272238646082009-06-11T11:58:25.282-04:002009-06-11T11:58:25.282-04:00Catherine- I have to say I find it very difficult ...Catherine- I have to say I find it very difficult to believe that any child in a regular education classroom at ARMS is not required at some point in his/her two years to read an entire novel. I've had three kids go through ARMS on 3 different teams with 5 different English teachers. I can assure you that my kids did indeed read entire novels,plays, shorts stories and poems. And they wrote about them too.AND they got written feedback.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-53215866093545695842009-06-11T11:27:36.248-04:002009-06-11T11:27:36.248-04:00My responses:
Abbie - good question -- and I don&...My responses:<br /><br />Abbie - good question -- and I don't know the answer. My assumption (but I could be wrong) is that the extensions are what used to be taught in the higher level course, and that students are now given the option of doing these, and that the other material is the same. This would be a good question to ask at an upcoming SC meeting, however!<br /><br />Anonymous 8:08 - I think you are right to acknowledge that the MS leadership has changed, and there may be some differences in the MS today compared to a few years ago. I do believe it is good that all 7th graders were given the opportunity to place into 8th grade honors algebra -- and it is clear that those kids really have a great experience (e.g., they avoid extensions completely and will have a very small class -- like 10 students next year -- taking geometry). But that is a very, very small number of kids who benefit in this way.<br /><br />I'm also glad to hear that your kids are doing a lot of reading/writing and getting feedback. I think this points out that there is a lot of variability ... some kids (on some teams) are getting this ... others are not (from what I hear).<br /><br />Anonymous 8:49 - I agree - the consistency of the MS experience seems uneven. Some kids have a teacher who really integrates extensions well ... others don't. And yes, I also heard that some kids were given a book to study to prepare for the 8th grade algebra test ... and others were not (again, this varies by school and by classroom in the elementary schools). As a SC member, this points out to me the importance of horizontal alignment across the schools (one of the reasons I was so pleased with the adoption of the Impact 1 book for all 6th graders). <br /><br />Alison - thanks for your posting -- I hear from many parents about peer pressure from kids to NOT do extensions and about the need for parental help. Ironically, teachers may assume extensions are working for kids BECAUSE these kids are getting a lot of help! I"m glad to hear the 8th grade honors algebra class has been so great!<br /><br />Anonymous 1:51 - Yes, I think extensions is probably 4 or 5 years old now? These are still recent experiences -- and even if they are not CURRENT experiences, I think they point to the problems with a district creating a program to teach math that avoids tracking (a program that is not used in other districts) and not making a point of collecting and analyzing data on its effectiveness. <br /><br />Anonymous 1:57 - I have heard this complaint a lot as well ... and I believe the MS is getting better now at clarifying what extensions is and why it might be good for kids to do them. I am still not sure if that is adequate, however.<br /><br />Anonymous 3:44 - I haven't been able to find a single other town that uses extensions to teach math. <br /><br />Anonymous 4:41 - great question! And in all honesty, I hear more complaints from MS parents now about reading/writing (especially feedback on writing) than I do about math (I think adding a textbook in math really helped the math experience for many kids).Catherine A. Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-68706707530884546292009-06-11T11:12:50.352-04:002009-06-11T11:12:50.352-04:00My responses:
Anonymous 5:18 - I actually looked ...My responses:<br /><br />Anonymous 5:18 - I actually looked at the gender issue in 8th grade honors algebra (as part of my work on the math curriculum council). This was only one year of data, but at least in that year, girls were somewhat under-represented in that class (again, I didn't compute statistics on this, though one could, to see if this was statistically significant). But again, you raise a key question--I believe that when the SC agreed to this approach to teaching 7th grade math, it should have been with a specific timeline and plan of analysis for figuring out if this approach works for all kids. That is what I find most discouraging about our district.<br /><br />Rich Morse - I hear this from a numer of kids/parents -- that extensions were not taught (maybe they are now, or maybe they are now by some teachers). I also think it is distinctly possible that our current system is LESS equitable than our old system. Right now, parents who understand the importance of 8th grade algebra will push their child to do the extensions and provide resources (tutors) if needed (presumably some of these kids would NOT have been placed into the higher track math in the old system). Other parents who don't understand the importance, or don't want to battle their kids about math homework, won't push their child to do extensions (and presumably in the old system, some of these kids would have been placed in the higher track). Again, this is where an analysis of what we are doing and its outcomes would be really, really useful.<br /><br />Anonymous 7:30 - I am not sure I understand your point -- are you saying that heterogeneous classrooms in math are the best way of teaching math in 7th and 8th grade? You note "This is a widely held educational model used throught the State in regards to tracking in general." But most schools in both the US and MA do track math in 7th grade (sometimes starting in 6th grade). This includes other MSAN schools. And I hear now from parents of color that their kids are told (by peers) to NOT do extensions -- it means they ar "acting white." Again, I think this is why we need to figure out if our approach -- extensions -- is in fact better, the same, or worse than tracking (or another approach) for all kids. I don't have the answer to this because we don't have data that examines this essential question.Catherine A. Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-39401214418385860752009-06-11T11:03:22.474-04:002009-06-11T11:03:22.474-04:00My responses:
Rick - I agree that “tracking” is a...My responses:<br /><br />Rick - I agree that “tracking” is a very grey area, and that the line between "allowing" and "not allowing" is pretty muddy. We do allow right now for tracking in 7th grade math -- some 7th graders get to move right into 8th grade algebra. But then we don't allow any other 7th graders to be in classes in which there is grouping by ability. Relatedly, we allow grouping in math, but in no other subjects in the MS. Then, in the HS, we have some grouping in most subjects (e.g., honors versus regular classes), but then we have no grouped classes in English at all (there are heterogeneous classes in English throughout the high school, even in AP English -- honors students just complete separate independent projects). <br /> <br />For me, I think some grouping by ability/skill makes sense -- in terms of making sure all children are challenged and we don't set impossible demands on teachers (even colleges have some tracking of classes based on skill). But I think the crucial thing is FLEXIBLE and FLUID grouping. The problem becomes when a choice that a child makes in a given year (e.g., I'm nervous about entering the HS so I am not on the honors social studies track) doesn't set his/her path (so that he/she can't rejoin an honors class if he/she wants to in a subsequent year). Similarly, a student might set out to do honors work in a class one year, and find it above his/her ability and need to drop down. <br /><br />I'm not as convinced that it is money, however -- the MS classes right now are really small (an average of 17 in 7th grade, whereas my 5th grader has 26 in his class). So, if some kids in MS right now aren't getting differentiated instruction with so few kids, I don't think even smaller classes are the issue.<br /><br />Anonymous 3:45 - I don't think any teachers have stepped up here, but what I've heard from teachers is that having regular 8th grade algebra is tracking -- it adds a third track (honors algebra, regular algebra, 8th grade math). That was stated at the SC meeting on October 14, 2008. Again, as I noted at the time, the distinction seems to be that we are comfortable with two tracks (high/low), but not three (high/medium/low), or (my personal preference), two (high/medium). <br /><br />Ali Burrow - thanks for using your name! I hear this type of story a lot. Thank you for sharing your child's experience.<br /><br />Anonymous 5:15 - this is what I hear repeatedly from parents: "If you don't have a math savvy parent at home, 7th grade extensions require tutoring and/or helping your child find others to help him/her. 7th grade extensions also force parents to battle with their children about doing "more" work than others in their class. The students see others in their class not doing the extensions but getting better grades. Why should they work harder, they say." This all raises the question, for me, of whether extensions is a better approach to 7th grade math (that supposedly avoids tracking) than our prior system. I don't have the answer, but again, I have seen no data answering this question nor have I seen a commitment in this district to asking/answering such questions using data.Catherine A. Sandersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03523667921190365891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-27506679413788941792009-06-11T10:49:27.376-04:002009-06-11T10:49:27.376-04:00My kids, one at HS and one graduated, were both as...My kids, one at HS and one graduated, were both assigned books and had papers returned with comments. They did not have the same teachers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-5369667914244507992009-06-11T08:15:20.909-04:002009-06-11T08:15:20.909-04:00My middle schooler (now in the high school) did no...My middle schooler (now in the high school) did not read one complete novel the entire 2 years he was in middle school, nor did he receive one paper back with written comments or feedback on his writing. When I asked about it, I was given some explanation about the curriculum which sounded like they didn't really have specific goals that each teacher/student needed to reach. He got to high school, expected to read several novels a trimester and write frequent papers. Middle school had not prepared him at all.<br /><br />My experience is that the English teachers like to think they're doing a good job at ARMS. But do they consider what is expected from the students in 9th grade and if their program is supporting the student to reaching that goal? I hope that has changed.<br /><br />I never knew any ARMS student who received written papers back with feedback. I hope that has changed too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-54412629005768295572009-06-10T20:35:59.024-04:002009-06-10T20:35:59.024-04:00To Anon 4:41
It's hard to weigh in on the sub...To Anon 4:41<br /><br />It's hard to weigh in on the subject of the writing curriculum because (and I don't mean to be snarky) there isn't much of a curriculum. My 4th grader has not had a single writing assignment that was more of a long term project (i.e. research a country and write a report) and almost no smaller writing assignments (i.e. write an essay about your favorite hobby). <br />I know the typical Amherst response is that writing assignments like these may be typical in Newton but are not how we do things here because of all of the economic diversity, but friends, who have same age kids, who live in diverse communities, have rigorous writing programs with long term projects, weekly writing homework assignments and lots of teacher feedback.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-15149986384217388002009-06-10T16:48:03.009-04:002009-06-10T16:48:03.009-04:00Please don't think that because I think that t...Please don't think that because I think that there has been some improvement in the 7th grade math course that I support the use of the extension model.<br /><br />I believe that the 05/06 year was the first year that the extension model was implemented across the entire 7th grade. The year before,the model was piloted with a smaller group as part of one of the math teacher's graduate work. <br /><br />I thought then that the program was poorly conceived and the implementation, especially in that 1st year was poorly executed. And that I think is being generous. I still think it is a poorly conceived program but the implementation has improved in my opinion- based on my small sample size of 2. For example- at least now the kids have a textbook that they can reference. <br /><br />How successful has this been in improving student performance? Well, I think the fact that once again ARMS did not meet its AYP goals answers that question.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-22658974884704170082009-06-10T16:41:44.689-04:002009-06-10T16:41:44.689-04:00I am pleased to hear that things might be changed ...I am pleased to hear that things might be changed from three years ago at ARMS in the math curriculum.<br /><br />But I'd like to see a show of hands on this blog for this question:<br /><br />Just how many of you out there are pleased with the writing training your child has been getting in our secondary schools? Do you believe that it is as good as the training you got in those years? <br /><br />I haven't been seeing much in the way of feedback on writing, i.e. returned papers with constructive commenting from teachers on writing. I know that some children wait weeks or even months for returned papers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-27691201449217056252009-06-10T15:44:30.926-04:002009-06-10T15:44:30.926-04:00June 9th at 7:30pm: "This is a widely held ed...June 9th at 7:30pm: "This is a widely held educational model used throughout the State in regards to tracking in general. It is not a joke. It works. It "de-ghettoizes" chronically low-tracked students."<br /><br />Show us the other towns that use extensions please!!!! I need to know that our kids are not being used as guinea pigs in an experiment that leaves them dissatisfied, frustrated and feeling ill equipped.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-74071175366048105782009-06-10T13:57:11.985-04:002009-06-10T13:57:11.985-04:00I know that another issue with the extensions prog...I know that another issue with the extensions program was that some parents didn't understand what it was. Kids were not encouraged at home to do them and then found out to late that they would miss out on higher math. This didn't have to do with income/race either, just lack of emphasis on its importance and assuming we all knew the system.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-50039758648265435242009-06-10T13:51:17.224-04:002009-06-10T13:51:17.224-04:00I think extensions math has been around only for a...I think extensions math has been around only for a few years, so I think most of the parents are talking about the current middle school experience.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-56837869797327287532009-06-10T10:54:51.634-04:002009-06-10T10:54:51.634-04:00My daughter found the concept of extensions in 7th...My daughter found the concept of extensions in 7th grade math frustrating. There was a huge amount of peer pressure not to do the extensions--both by members of her own grade and by members of grades above her. There also seemed to be little direct instruction relevant to the extensions (although perhaps she wasn't paying attention?) so she needed a lot of help at home. And I think her math teacher was very motivated about math and very enthusiastic, so I think perhaps the extensions just represented "too much to cover."<br /><br />In contrast, her experience in 8th grade algebra has been great! Enthusiastic teacher again, challenging material, and a lot of peer buy-in to the course. Some of the material comes easy to her, other units are very challenging, but there is adequate support. It has been one of her best courses at ARMS.Alison Donta-Venmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03878779168857679143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-80851650485889638052009-06-10T09:40:52.247-04:002009-06-10T09:40:52.247-04:00Anon 8:49- My son did not get any special test pre...Anon 8:49- My son did not get any special test prep in 6th grade nor did he get a textbook to help him over the summer. What he did get in 6th grade, along with some other kids in his class, was the opportunity to explore some very basic concepts in algebra. Why is this random? Isn't that what we're asking teachers to do? To differentiate by skill in a heterogeneous classroom? And yes- some teachers are better at this than others. My kids have had teachers who were good at it, some not so good and some who were really bad at it. Is that random? It sounds like real life to me.<br /><br />Look- my point was and is that lots has changed for the better at the MS and at some point rehashing what was going on 3-5 years ago under very different circumstances gets us nowhere.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-55398964069814697412009-06-10T08:49:51.341-04:002009-06-10T08:49:51.341-04:00While all the 7th graders could take a test and pl...While all the 7th graders could take a test and place into 8th grade honor algebra only a few were prepped for this test in 6th grade by doing extra studying and beng given a textbook to work on over the summer. Pretty random, I think, and hopfully a practice that will not continue.<br /><br /> Also, I think 7th graders experience with extensions varies by the teacher -- another random factor. If a teacher is good at teaching to kids at different levels and juggling the regular math and extension, great. If not, something much less than great for the students.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-85026701825246533282009-06-10T08:08:25.836-04:002009-06-10T08:08:25.836-04:00I don't think that it is entirely fair to comp...I don't think that it is entirely fair to compare ARMS in the last days of the Cavalier regime to what's happening there today. I too had a child there at that time and she hated it. She had been accelerating in math all through elementary school and when she got to ARMS she was completely shut down. In general, those 2 years were lost years for her as far as math was concerned. Her story was not unique. I have to say that I believe that a big reason Mr. Hayes is not the principal today is due in large part to his handling of the math program at ARMS.<br /><br />This year ALL 7th graders were given the opportunity to place into the 8th grade honors algebra class. My kids are aware of about 8 kids who are in algebra, one girl who is doing some kind of combo 7/8th grade math and 2 girls who are taking geometry. One of my kids is taking the 7th grade class and she generally does not feel very challenged by the content. It seems that there is a lot of review of concepts that she learned in 5th and 6th grade. I have not heard her complain about the extensions being too easy or busywork. My son is in the 8th grade honors algebra class and he finds it challenging in a very positive way.<br /><br />I would also like to respond to some of the comments I've read on other threads about the amount of reading and writing the 7th graders are doing. I can tell you that my kids, who are on different teams, have both read more than one book, have read ( and written) lots of poetry and have been required to write some pretty in depth essays. There has been much focus on the writing process, and my kids come home with papers that have extensive comments on them. <br /><br />We have been pleasantly surprised, and, more than a little relieved, at the changes we see at the MS. Much if the criticism of the MS has been deserved but I think that folks need to look at the place as it is today and not keep harking back to those bad old days.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-51305300771419446362009-06-09T19:49:22.402-04:002009-06-09T19:49:22.402-04:00What I would like to understand is whether the mat...What I would like to understand is whether the material in new Math core course (regardless of the extensions option) is the same as from the "regular" math course that had been offered previously?? Or, as a couple of folks have suggested (eg anon@730), is the new Math class actually more challenging than the previous regular Math (and less challenging than the preAlgebra but with the added extensions is intended to offer the same preparation)? If the answer is no, then I'm very discouraged. If its yes, then at least it's serving some purpose (but perhaps at a cost for those who would have done well in the preAlgebra but aren't doing so well with extensions (for whatever reason)).Abbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02989627808442831131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-16869971570382006872009-06-09T19:30:49.628-04:002009-06-09T19:30:49.628-04:001:23-- "By grouping kids heterogeneously, ALL...1:23-- "By grouping kids heterogeneously, ALL kids are given the opportunity to be exposed to the most challenging material and the most engaging instruction."<br /><br />Is that a joke? This comment in the middle of a discussion of the advantages/disadvantages of extensions repeats one of the things we heard about the benefits of extensions.<br /><br /><br />This is a widely held educational model used throught the State in regards to tracking in general. It is not a joke. It works. It "de-ghettoizes" chronically low-tracked students. The math educational methods in Amherst may need tweaking, but again, in regards to tracking IN GENERAL it is widely accepted throught Massachusetts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-19042131112352806102009-06-09T18:36:39.716-04:002009-06-09T18:36:39.716-04:00I think that the observation that the extensions s...I think that the observation that the extensions system simply farms the tracking of students out to the "learning conditions" in the students' home environments is a very important one. Is that really a better outcome than tracking inside the school? I know that there's some reflexive resistance that arises when this phrase is used, but I think we are in fact talking about "social justice" here.<br /><br />Once again, students are natural-born critics. But they are NOT natural-born naysayers. They analyze things to death, but they have their enthusiasms like the rest of us. And they should be listened to, carefully.<br /><br />I checked with my daughter about the statement in Anon 5:15's post that "since extensions are not taught, there is no engaging instruction of the most challenging material." She says that for 7th grade 2005-2006 that statement is absolutely correct.<br /><br />When I even bring up the memory of 7th grade and math extensions with her, she rolls the eyes, exhales, and says she's tried to forget the whole thing.<br /><br />Rich MorseAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6270815429299703055.post-228852696594755952009-06-09T17:18:19.838-04:002009-06-09T17:18:19.838-04:004:56 Ali Burrow, your comment made me think.
&q...4:56 Ali Burrow, your comment made me think. <br /><br />"Then in 8th grade they had a small group of 4 or 5 boys placed in the teacher resource lounge where they were supposed to be doing algebra II."<br /><br />What is the boy/girl ratio for taking advanced math in the middle school? What are we doing to help girls succeed in math? Do extensions affect girls' interests or participation in advanced math?<br /><br />Equity in math is not only socioeconomic or racial, it also involves gender.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com