Education Next – Kathryn Baron
“Tens of thousands of students languish in similar mathematical monotony in schools that are unable to fully support them. Despite the overall limp scores of U.S. students on state, national, and international math exams, the number of high-achieving math students in the country has soared during the past 20 years. During those two decades, the number of schools offering Advanced Placement classes in Calculus AB and Calculus BC grew by about 50 percent. The number of students taking those courses jumped to nearly half a million—an increase of 161 percent—and pass rates are rising. In 2018, twice as many 8th graders and 50 percent more 4th graders scored as advanced in math on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, as compared to their counterparts in the year 2000.” (more)