Duncan Clarke
Advanced Pre-Algebra
Washington Middle School
September 6, 2006
Dear Parent or Guardian,
Welcome to a new year at Washington! I hope you and your child will find the coming term fun and challenging, and I’d like to give you now some information which will help you both succeed in Advanced Pre-Algebra (a.k.a. 8+).
First, regarding curriculum, 8+ Math is a great opportunity for your child to do what few others can, spend a full year getting ready Algebra. That is, your child has already shown math aptitude, so that we need not dally in basic arithmetic; however, because this is not a high school Algebra class, we have the luxury of time, allowing us to master fully the prerequisites that so often make Algebra a tough class for newcomers. The fact is, we will be doing algebraic equation solving. We’ll also spend most of the year mastering the two great curricular obstacles to Algebra success, fractions and the distributive property. Fractions, normally covered in 8th grade math, we will tackle immediately, mostly out of the green 8th grade math book, while the distributive property, along with basic equation solving & abstract expressions, will come later from my personal favorite text, Saxon Algebra. Saxon, I feel, is a great text for learning Algebra. It builds on prior lessons & learning in incremental steps which almost guarantee student success. It remains unappreciated in the national math publishing market, however, because it is no nonsense (no pictures, no “real world” problems) and fails to cover many of the lesser & tangential curricular strands that today count so heavily on the WASL.
For these days we share a dual task: the first is to get your child ready for algebra; the second is to make sure your child can test to the best of his/her ability -- because, for better or worse, we will all be judged by these test results. You’d think that these tasks should nicely dovetail, but I don’t think they really do. Algebra is simple & clean. The WASL, on the other hand, includes everything possible (even the kitchen sink). It is fortunate, then, that we really do have the time, in this special in-between class, to be able to cover both sets of expectations fully. (And in the six weeks prior to the WASL I return to the green text to cover & review in those areas missed by Saxon: geometry, statistics & probability.) Importantly, parents should remember that this is not an Algebra class, so we will not be finishing the Saxon text. (We will not be covering, for example, quadratic equations, factoring, or the slopes of linear equations.)
Now grading. My grading policy at first glance is very basic:
50% - Tests & Quizzes
50% - Homework
While simple on the surface, this policy includes some subtleties which need clarification. First and foremost, homework is everything. I view math at this level to be a skill (as opposed to a content); and for this reason I consider constant practice to be the single most important aspect of the math curriculum. I give one homework assignment (approx. 25 minutes) for every day we have class. This includes weekends and vacations, but it does not include days in the schedule when class has been preempted (by an assembly, for example). Unlike some teachers, I do not publish in advance the week’s assignments; among my reasons, I don’t want students doing 2 hours on Monday, for example, and then nothing for several days. While a responsible approach to some subjects, this method misses the point: math, like eating, needs a little bit of time every day.
It is true that some kids can regularly finish their work in class (good for them!); it’s also true that some spend one or more hours a night in pain. Please monitor your child. If your child is really spending too much time, let me know. I do not want to “punish” kids with math; assignments can be modified. If, on the other hand, you never see a book and your child claims regularly to finish in class, you can always ask to see the finished product. As in the past our school has an “agenda” program which will aid students and parents in this monitoring task. You’ll be hearing more about this program from all the teachers.
Upon arrival in class the next day, students correct their work; and I go from desk to desk in class and provide your child with immediate feedback, including the grade. Each homework is worth 5 points, and I grade largely on effort. I expect each assignment to be complete and legible, and I also expect all work (all the steps) to be shown. I do not expect all correct answers or complete understanding (but since we regularly practice certain homework problems at the board for demonstration, it is entirely reasonable of me to see at least these problems done properly). Incomplete work receives no more than 2 points, and late work is not accepted. (I’ve found that to compromise on these points sends a terrible “mixed message” to children.)
If your child receives a grade of 2 or lower on any homework, he/she will take a “no homework” (pink) slip home that night to inform you. Failure to return this note to me the next day (signed) will result in after-school detention. (Note: I do not discipline kids for homework, but I do have consequences for failing to return parent notes.) A rarely used & sad policy: After a child has missed five assignments in a quarter -- and I have the signed notes showing the parent is aware of the fact -- I will no longer send home any notes. I’ve done all that I can. (I’ve found from years of punishing myself that my notes cannot help every child.) Furthermore, by the time we get to the final quarter I will no longer send out these slips (except by individual arrangement), as students and parents all need to get ready for high school and an end to such close monitoring.
While tests and quizzes technically count for half of your child’s grade, they are not nearly as important as homework. This is because in my gradebook I enter no failing grade on a test or quiz lower than 50%. That is, if a student scores a 21% on a test, I still average the score in as a 50%. While still a failing grade, this one test does not by itself ruin a student’s overall grade. (An exception: cheating on a test or skipping class (unexcused) on the day of the test results in a 0%.)
Let me illustrate what the subtleties amount to and why homework, although half the grade, counts for much more. If a child completes all of his or her homework, showing all work, yet still fails every single test, that child would receive 100% on homework and 50% on tests, averaging to 75%, which is a “C”. On the other hand, if a child gets 100% on every test, but never does any homework (0%), that averages to 50%, an “NC”. I teach math, but I also teach good study habits.
Finally, what happens when your child misses school: I mentioned I don’t publish my assignments for the coming week. I do, however, have an entire blackboard devoted to showing all the assignments for the previous week. If your child is gone from one to five days, he/she can come into my room upon returning and get all the make-up without even speaking to me. (I’m trying to make kids responsible.) Often a boy or girl will have to ask me for a worksheet or two, and I’ll go rummaging through the pile on my desk; but this is all routine. If a child misses more than five days, I am willing to negotiate. For the most part I follow the school policy: for every day a child is absent he/she has one day to make up the work. If you’re gone one day, you get one day. If you’re gone three days, you get three days; and so on. When it comes to excused absences, I am reasonable, even forgiving; but there does come a time when unmade-up work becomes a zero grade.
And absences, you must know, are the Achilles heel of my whole system. The easiest way for a child to slip through the cracks in my class is to miss a lot of school. I simply can’t stay on top of each missing ancient assignment in every one of my many classes. So the only way you can be sure your child doesn’t slip through, in the event of absences, is by staying on top of the situation yourself. Consider, for instance, how my “no homework” slip instant-feedback system falls apart when a child is not there.
I hope this structure will provide your child the best opportunity for successful learning, and I hope this lengthy letter anticipates your concerns. Please call me at school if you have any questions. Thank you.
Duncan Clarke
Advanced Pre-Algebra (8+)