Press Release
June 23, 2008
University faculty prepare Regent Universities Mathematics Transitions Guide
High school and college educators in the U.S. have long struggled with the problem of poor student transition from high school to college mathematics. Faculty at the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Iowa are addressing how to improve student preparation and teacher awareness of the entry expectations for math courses at Iowa's Regent universities.
Last November, UNI hosted a Math Transitions Congress for state educators, legislators and business leaders to discuss the challenges facing students and teachers in mathematics. One of the outcomes of the meeting was the need for more communication between math instructors at the university and high school levels -- particularly the identification of key skills and competencies expected of students entering the universities. As a result, university faculty have developed the "Iowa High Schools-to-Regent Universities Mathematics Transition Guide."
The guide gives high school teachers the math competencies students need to enter university math and science courses. It gives the foundational skills and competencies for six entry-level university courses: pre-calculus, calculus I, calculus II, statistics, finite mathematics and mathematics for elementary teachers. The guide also addresses the mindset and learning experiences of students at the high school and college levels to help instructors better meet their needs.
"Everyone involved in the project recognized the opportunity to be the first state to align high school and college math study," said Jeff Weld, director, Iowa Mathematics & Science Education Partnership. "We now have a model not only for other states, but for other academic areas to follow."
It will be distributed to Iowa schools, area education agencies, universities and other professional organizations. For more information or to view the guide, contact Jeff Weld at (319) 273-2723 or visit http://www2.state.ia.us/regents/StudentInfo/Math_Guide.pdf.