Math Education

While the Thomas Fordham Foundation has been critical of me, especially about my writing on grading policies, I always try to learn from them, and this week was an especially good report on math education. Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin (Matt Giani, Ph.D., Franchesca Lyra, Adam Tyner, Ph.D.) studied the impact on students who took calculus or statistics. While, as a recovering statistician, I have long argued that statistics is a much more helpful preparation for many different career fields. At the same time, calculus, however irrelevant, was regarded as more prestigious on college admission applications. This study delivers the definitive answer: It doesn’t matter. 

The researchers studied more than a dozen years of data from tens of thousands of students. More than 90% of college admissions officers said in 2024 that they prefer calculus as the gold standard of academic performance. But it’s a tie when it comes to performance in college and the job market. Knowledge of statistics helps students in subjects as diverse as marketing, biology, psychology, economics, sociology, education, political science, and public health, enabling them to analyze data, draw meaningful conclusions, and make informed decisions.

Key findings:

  • Participation in statistics classes has grown significantly, but as with calculus classes, poor and minority students are underrepresented in these advanced classes.

  • The two groups have no difference in college degree completion and earnings. 

  • AP stats is not inferior to calculus. Students should not be required to choose, but should take both calculus and statistics. 

  • Start advanced math opportunities in elementary school. Kindergarten students can grasp the essentials of probability and statistics and thereby gain confidence to take advanced math classes in high school.

I would only add that missing homework is the primary cause of failure in secondary school math classes. However, as we documented in work with schools, student success increases enormously when teachers do the practice (which is what homework is supposed to be) in class rather than at home. https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/research/calculus-or-statistics-does-it-matter

I encourage you to listen to the Fearless Schools Podcast that will be released tomorrow, May 1st. It features Dr. Alex Merraro and Dr. Washington Collado discussing Family and Community Engagement. Apple Podcasts Spotify iHeart Podcasts

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