Doing the Math - JHU Mathematics - Johns Hopkins University

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remedial course, which is Arithmetic. Although this study concentrates on algebra
and high school, these results reveal a problem with students’ arithmetic skills and
thus in their preparation for algebra.
It is possible that the Accuplacer Arithmetic Test is the first rigorous arithmetic test
that many students have ever encountered. This is not fair to the students. To ensure
that students are adequately prepared for both college and algebra:
Recommendation #4: Students should master arithmetic before they
take an algebra I course.
Recommendation #5: All Maryland high school graduates should be
proficient in arithmetic without the use of a calculator. Proficiency
includes adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions and
decimal numbers as well as being able to work with percents and ratios.
These lead to the following recommendations:
Recommendation #6: Maryland should review the K-8 VSC to ensure
that arithmetic skills are thoroughly covered.
Recommendation #7: The state should have in place some assessment
of arithmetic proficiency that could help determine if students are
prepared for algebra. State assessments are the logical tool, and they
could be reviewed to ensure that they adequately assess arithmetic
skills. Alternatively, another test (such as the now-defunct Maryland
Functional Math Test) could be developed or adopted.
Many states have worked on developing statewide curricula, and all states can
potentially benefit from the results. Maryland, with its national visibility and high
proportion of STEM employment opportunities, could be a national leader in the
development and implementation of exemplary mathematics education. The State
Department of Education should review mathematics standards of other wellregarded
states, and perhaps even countries, and incorporate and/or adopt some of
the material that has already been developed. States that have highly rated math
standards include California and Massachusetts, so the standards of these states and
their accompanying state assessments should be carefully considered.
Maryland has committed to ensuring that its high school graduates are prepared for
college-level mathematics courses. This commitment implies that high school
graduates should not be relegated to remedial status by colleges. Ideally, the pre- and
post-secondary communities in Maryland should work together to align expectations
Doing the Math 29