By
The Wildcat Opinions Board
The UA math department has created a new system for teaching its calculus students-if students miss 2 out of 12 questions, they are dropped.
While most departments on campus would recognize 10 out of 12 as a passing score of 83 percent, a new math department exam allows teachers to drop Math 129 students who miss two questions on a test given early in the semester.
Known as the Gateway Exam, the test was created because Math 124 was not preparing students adequately for the rigors of second-semester calculus.
The Gateway Exam may have sweeping implications for UA students. Math 124 is the prerequisite for Math 129, and all students in scientific and technical majors are required to pass both courses.
Every course at the UA has a type of Gateway exam - it's called a final. Students should not have to prove themselves again with further testing. Students who pass Math 124 should be adequately prepared for 129.
But they are not, and the Gateway Exam is not the answer.
Instead of dropping students from a course that their major requires, the department needs to work on preparing students by making improvements in 124.
If students are not ready for 129, then they should not pass 124. Preparation and instruction is the answer. More testing is not.
Learning basic skills in calculus is essential to math and science majors' education. Dan Madden, associate professor of mathematics and acting head of the math department, acknowledges that a problem exists.
"We have heard from instructors of later courses, both inside and outside mathematics, that some of the instructors are unhappy with students' ability to do some of the calculation(s) associated with calculus," he said.
The department is failing to meet the needs of students, and the root of this problem needs to be determined.
Perhaps there is a communication gap between instructors of 124 and 129. Or, students in 124 may not be receiving the basic skills required for 129. Whatever the problem is, testing should not be the department's response.
The Gateway Exam reflects a new trend in contemporary American education - when in doubt, test. The most recent example of a failed testing initiative, Arizona's AIMS test, showed educators and administrators the threat of testing does not necessarily produce positive results.
Educators say testing holds students accountable. Students should hold the Math 124 and 129 curricula accountable. If an educational gap exists between the two classes, then the department needs to address it. Students should not be forced to bridge curriculum gaps with tutors or threatened with additional testing.
These are not the answers to the problems ailing the math department. Rather than pointing the finger at the students, perhaps the math department should re-evaluate this method of assessing students.
