2008 Woodie Awards
Math Madness
Stephanie Angela Lane
Issue date: 3/30/06 Section: News
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Alison Marchetti, 19, is sitting in her college dorm working on some math homework. It is an ordinary Monday night for Alison - she is hoping to get her homework done at a reasonable time in order to get a good night's sleep.
While Marchetti's course load as a major in math and a minor in secondary education is extremely challenging - it is not impossible. This is due in part to Marchetti's high school preparation when she attended West Warwick High School. During high school Marchetti took Geometry, Algebra II, Pre Calculus, and EEP Calculus which is similar to an Advanced Placement course except you do not need a test to get college credits.
Marchetti had graduated from a small math department in high school consisting of 10 teachers to join a larger math department at PC consisting of 18 professors. College level math courses are undoubtedly more difficult than high school level courses, but Marchetti is able to keep up with the work and has a strong GPA as a result. Marchetti is indisputably a hard worker - but she also gives credit of her success to her high school teachers.
According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, the U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings told a Senate committee in February that she is concerned as to how prepared high school students are for college level math courses.
Spellings expressed apprehension as to how successful high school teachers are when it comes to instructing the future college students. She believes a student's success is related to the experience they receive from their high school teachers.
Marchetti is fortunate she had teachers she believes prepared her for college. "Both my Calc teachers in high school were awesome," said Marchetti. She went on to explain it is because of her Pre Calculus teacher in high school she decided to be a math major with a minor in secondary education.
Marchetti said the reason she was so prepared for college courses is not, however, due to school resources in high school, "unless you count a book and a black board it was definitely the teachers that prepared me," said Marchetti.
While Marchetti's course load as a major in math and a minor in secondary education is extremely challenging - it is not impossible. This is due in part to Marchetti's high school preparation when she attended West Warwick High School. During high school Marchetti took Geometry, Algebra II, Pre Calculus, and EEP Calculus which is similar to an Advanced Placement course except you do not need a test to get college credits.
Marchetti had graduated from a small math department in high school consisting of 10 teachers to join a larger math department at PC consisting of 18 professors. College level math courses are undoubtedly more difficult than high school level courses, but Marchetti is able to keep up with the work and has a strong GPA as a result. Marchetti is indisputably a hard worker - but she also gives credit of her success to her high school teachers.
According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, the U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings told a Senate committee in February that she is concerned as to how prepared high school students are for college level math courses.
Spellings expressed apprehension as to how successful high school teachers are when it comes to instructing the future college students. She believes a student's success is related to the experience they receive from their high school teachers.
Marchetti is fortunate she had teachers she believes prepared her for college. "Both my Calc teachers in high school were awesome," said Marchetti. She went on to explain it is because of her Pre Calculus teacher in high school she decided to be a math major with a minor in secondary education.
Marchetti said the reason she was so prepared for college courses is not, however, due to school resources in high school, "unless you count a book and a black board it was definitely the teachers that prepared me," said Marchetti.