Thursday, February 14, 2019

The College Board Gets It Right

In Thomas L. Friedman's column in The New York Times he talks about important changes to the College Board Exams. This can replace all the Advanced Placement Classes students cram for and then forget. I am speaking as a professor emeritus from a Cal State.
1. The knowledge test on our constitution. Most of my students didn't know how many senators California had. much less the concept of presidential succession when a president dies, much less what's in the Bill of Rights. And yet these people are allowed to vote. If you're going to be tested on this, that will make up for what they didn't learn in  the Los Angeles School System( I had students who couldn't read)

2. The second test will involve computer science and coding. If they aren't forced to learn about computers before they go to college they may never learn and they'll be unemployable (In the CSU I taught at the math requirement could be filled by taking an advertising class).

Since all students in China have to know calculus to get into a university. this is not too much to ask.

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