Why do so many students perform so ...

Support | Event Directors & Organizers

Search Cool Running Community

Browse Cool Running

CoolRunning.com > Cool Running Community > Clubhouse >

Up to Threads in Clubhouse

37 Replies Last post: Nov 27, 2007 12:00 PM by Rich Mac 1 2 3 Previous Next

Lintu

257 posts since
Dec 14, 2007

Nov 26, 2007 2:26 PM

Why do so many students perform so poorly

Are our standards too high? Is it really all about how much money is allocated to each child at a school? Do we have a non-academic culture?

I'm not just talking about 4th graders at an inner-city, impoverished school. We have all applicants take a math test when they apply for jobs---nothing higher than algebra I. Of 12 college seniors we interviewed from a top tier private university, 6 failed miserably (30-40% correct), 2 were borderline, and 4 passed.

pigeye097

214 posts since
Nov 2, 2006

1. Nov 26, 2007 2:29 PM

in response to: Lintu

Re: Why do so many students perform so poorly

quote:<HR>Originally posted by Lintu:
Are our standards too high? Is it really all about how much money is allocated to each child at a school? Do we have a non-academic culture?

I'm not just talking about 4th graders at an inner-city, impoverished school. We have all applicants take a math test when they apply for jobs---nothing higher than algebra I. Of 12 college seniors we interviewed from a top tier private university, 6 failed miserably (30-40% correct), 2 were borderline, and 4 passed.<HR>

Your standards aren't too high, you're looking at the wrong people. You should be getting science and engineering majors. You know, educated people.

janSport

307 posts since
Dec 12, 2007

2. Dec 20, 2007 5:59 PM

in response to: Lintu

Re: Why do so many students perform so poorly

Helicopter parents and a culture of mediocrity.

http://This message has been edited by SloJan (edited Nov-26-2007).

bigapplepie

2,636 posts since
Dec 14, 2007

3. Nov 26, 2007 2:30 PM

in response to: Lintu

Re: Why do so many students perform so poorly

Maybe your tests are sh1te.

Diane95

254 posts since
Dec 14, 2007

4. Nov 26, 2007 2:31 PM

in response to: Lintu

Re: Why do so many students perform so poorly

Legacy admissions.

AmericanIdiot

86 posts since
Dec 24, 2005

5. Dec 20, 2007 5:59 PM

in response to: Lintu

Re: Why do so many students perform so poorly

heh maybe they should go on "Are You Smarter than a 5th grader"....then again maybe not. Unfortunately if they weren't math magors in college, many students don't go beyond algebra 1 which they probably had their sophmore year in hs.

What do you do for work that you have to take a math test for applying. That seems really odd to me.

Oh and my kids are all allowed to use calculators for math tests these days...which REALLY ****** me off because I feel it leads to mediocracy and doesn't really let you learn the true principles of math. Did you forget to hand out calculators by chance?

http://This message has been edited by AmericanIdiot (edited Nov-26-2007).

bigapplepie

2,636 posts since
Dec 14, 2007

6. Nov 26, 2007 2:35 PM

in response to: Lintu

Re: Why do so many students perform so poorly

quote:<HR>Originally posted by AmericanIdiot:
Unfortunately if they weren't math magors in college<HR>

I'm guessing you weren't an English major.

AmericanIdiot

86 posts since
Dec 24, 2005

7. Nov 26, 2007 2:39 PM

in response to: Lintu

Re: Why do so many students perform so poorly

quote:<HR>Originally posted by bigapplepie:
[b]
Originally posted by AmericanIdiot:
Unfortunately if they weren't math magors in college<HR>

I'm guessing you weren't an English major.

[/B]

nope I suck at speelling..me was a science magjor!

Lintu

257 posts since
Dec 14, 2007

8. Dec 20, 2007 5:59 PM

in response to: Lintu

Re: Why do so many students perform so poorly

quote:<HR>Originally posted by AmericanIdiot:
heh maybe they should go on "Are You Smarter than a 5th grader"....then again maybe not. Unfortunately if they weren't math magors in college, many students don't go beyond algebra 1 which they probably had their sophmore year in hs.

What do you do for work that you have to take a math test for applying. That seems really odd to me.

Oh and my kids are all allowed to use calculators for math tests these days...which REALLY ****** me off because I feel it leads to mediocracy and doesn't really let you learn the true principles of math. Did you forget to hand out calculators by chance?

http://This message has been edited by AmericanIdiot (edited Nov-26-2007).<HR>

I went to the school these applicants were from, and I had to either go through calculus at the school or score well on my AP/IB tests or SAT II. And I was a linguistics major. (We actually had a math major fail it!!!)

I'm a marketing analyst. The kinds of questions we ask were verified as legally appropriate for the job we do...things like return on investment, average units sold, etc.

http://This message has been edited by Lintu (edited Nov-26-2007).

AmericanIdiot

86 posts since
Dec 24, 2005

9. Nov 26, 2007 2:47 PM

in response to: Lintu

Re: Why do so many students perform so poorly

Well in that case there really is no excuse.

makeda023

825 posts since
Aug 16, 1999

10. Nov 26, 2007 2:52 PM

in response to: Lintu

Re: Why do so many students perform so poorly

Thats sad.

Do they need to know economic formulas to get the answers right?

CarsonW

73 posts since
Nov 16, 2007

11. Nov 26, 2007 2:54 PM

in response to: Lintu

Re: Why do so many students perform so poorly

Post a few of the questions. I want to see just how dumb I really am.

maryk071

211 posts since
Dec 5, 2002

12. Nov 26, 2007 2:58 PM

in response to: Lintu

Re: Why do so many students perform so poorly

Perhaps they cheated their way through school?

Low standards, emphasis on passing rather than excelling.

Chasing Amy

75 posts since
Feb 18, 2005

13. Nov 26, 2007 3:01 PM

in response to: Lintu

Re: Why do so many students perform so poorly

I would have failed the test with flying colors.

I haven't looked at an algebra book or struggled through an equation in about 18 years. Standardized math tests also killed me during my academic career.

Lintu

257 posts since
Dec 14, 2007

14. Nov 26, 2007 3:03 PM

in response to: Lintu

Re: Why do so many students perform so poorly

quote:<HR>Originally posted by makeda:
Thats sad.

Do they need to know economic formulas to get the answers right?<HR>

Nope. I certainly didn't. I mean, I'm good at math, but I never took anything past calculus.

I'm not allowed to post the questions---they're used all over the world to apply here. But I can give you a sample of something similar:

It costs $1,000,000 to construct a factory that builds alarm clocks. Each alarm clock requires $4.25 in materials to create. The clocks sell to stores for $15.75. Each clock is immediately sold to a store after it is constructed. The company can create 3,000 clocks per day. How long will it take for the company to break even?

(Please note I'm just making this up in between doing my real job, so if it's a little funky, that's why).

Go to original post 1 2 3 Previous Next

Go to original post

Nov 26, 2007 2:26 PM

Why do so many students perform so poorly

Actions

More Like This

New Runners

Training

Competition

Age Groups

Fitness

The Lighter Side

Feedback

Related Links