Anyone who has read my blog probably already knows my feelings about high-stakes tests. In a nutshell, I think the tests do more harm than good. I think the tests are emphasizing the wrong skills, and I think we’re teaching the wrong skills in order to “help” students be “successful”.
Long before “No Child Left Behind,” there were two pathways for high school students to study mathematics. One was the algebra-geometry-trigonometry-calculus pathway, which served students who intended to go to college and pursue subjects that required higher math, such as science, and engineering. The other was the “business math” pathway, which served students who intended to forego college and go straight into the business world, as well as students who intended to go to college to pursue non-mathematical disciplines.
