Doing the Math - JHU Mathematics - Johns Hopkins University

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and solve quadratic equations of the form y = ax2 + bx + c by factoring and the
quadratic formula.
2.7.4 The student will simplify and evaluate expressions with rational exponents.
2.7.5 The student will perform operations on radical and exponential forms of
numerical and algebraic expressions.
2.7.6 The student will simplify and evaluate expressions and solve equations using
properties of logarithms.
2.8 The student will use literal equations and formulas to extract information.
The Alignment
Of the six topics designated by the Accuplacer College Level Math Test, three of
them are well covered, two of them are covered incompletely, and one of them,
trigonometry, is not covered at all in Maryland’s Algebra II VSC. In the proficiency
statements, trigonometry skills appear first at a score of 63. Students who lack
knowledge of trigonometry are not precluded from scoring 45 or better on this
Accuplacer.
The Accuplacer Categories
Algebraic Operations
This area is well covered by the VSC for Algebra II.
Solutions of Equations and Inequalities
This area is well covered by the VSC for Algebra II.
Coordinate Geometry
Coverage here is somewhat uneven.
Applications and other Algebra Topics
Coverage here is also somewhat problematic.
Functions
This area is well covered by the VSC for Algebra II.
Trigonometry
Trigonometry does not appear as a topic in the VSC for Algebra II. A rudimentary
understanding of trigonometry is explicitly mentioned in the proficiency statements
to score about 63 on the Accuplacer. The skills mentioned to score about 40 do not
include trigonometry.
Doing the Math 19