12th Grade Math Options

[Anonymous]

There doesn’t seem to be many options for kids who hate math and have no plans to pursue a STEM career. My child dropped from honors Algebra 2 to regular Algebra 2 for the second semester and has taken regular geometry and understood the math better because it moves at a slower pace than honors. I know the push is honors everything, but if a student is taking multiple IB classes in their stronger subjects I don’t understand pushing them beyond comfort zone. Child had planned on taking Quantitative Literacy to fulfill math requirement, but I just received a letter that it doesn’t meet requirement of four years of “non-trivial math” and dc will be enrolled in Honors Statistics instead. Dreading sharing this news. Is there at least a non-honors statistics option? Can anyone give me hope that statistics is not as hard as Algebra 2 as I try to psych my kid up?

[Anonymous]

How about using the free tutoring and prep this summer.

[Anonymous]

Statistics is very different from Algebra, just like Geometry is very different from Algebra. While they all are under the math umbrella, they’re different fields of study. As I recall, a lot of stats isn’t do much about the math involved, as choosing the right approach. To greatly oversimplify, think of mode/median/mean. They are all statistical ways of finding an average, and the math for all three procedures is fairly simple. The trick is to know which one gives you the information you need. Of course, a year-long course goes deeper and does involve more math, but it’s not so much about Algebra II type math.

Is there a section available that’s not Honors?

FWIW, my college Stats professor who was wonderful at framing his lessons for our class of non-mathematicians, as a common sense approach to real life, vs. “formal mathematics”, recommended the book “Statistics” by David Freedman et al., as an additional reference. Of course, that was back in the dark ages and the book’s been revised a few times since. I don’t know if it would be helpful or just add to the confusion. I’m attaching a link, but these days you might do better with Khan academy and other YouTube.

https://www.amazon.com/Statistics-4th-David-Freedman/dp/0393929728/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=h30iU&content-id=amzn1.sym.a6902a35-db15-41bc-b73e-8acb54939e9e&pf_rd_p=a6902a35-db15-41bc-b73e-8acb54939e9e&pf_rd_r=138-9784490-1843556&pd_rd_wg=WD7OQ&pd_rd_r=d1d6c578-c22e-4fa6-98aa-d988dab9b199&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk

[Anonymous]

Is on-level precalc not an option? Arguably Stats is more useful. Nontrivial math must be an IB requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Statistics is very different from Algebra, just like Geometry is very different from Algebra. While they all are under the math umbrella, they’re different fields of study. As I recall, a lot of stats isn’t do much about the math involved, as choosing the right approach. To greatly oversimplify, think of mode/median/mean. They are all statistical ways of finding an average, and the math for all three procedures is fairly simple. The trick is to know which one gives you the information you need. Of course, a year-long course goes deeper and does involve more math, but it’s not so much about Algebra II type math.

Is there a section available that’s not Honors?

FWIW, my college Stats professor who was wonderful at framing his lessons for our class of non-mathematicians, as a common sense approach to real life, vs. “formal mathematics”, recommended the book “Statistics” by David Freedman et al., as an additional reference. Of course, that was back in the dark ages and the book’s been revised a few times since. I don’t know if it would be helpful or just add to the confusion. I’m attaching a link, but these days you might do better with Khan academy and other YouTube.

https://www.amazon.com/Statistics-4th-David-Freedman/dp/0393929728/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=h30iU&content-id=amzn1.sym.a6902a35-db15-41bc-b73e-8acb54939e9e&pf_rd_p=a6902a35-db15-41bc-b73e-8acb54939e9e&pf_rd_r=138-9784490-1843556&pd_rd_wg=WD7OQ&pd_rd_r=d1d6c578-c22e-4fa6-98aa-d988dab9b199&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk

Thank you for your thoughtful, helpful answer. I know it’ll be fine but we literally were celebrating hours before this email arrived that if she could make it through today’s test, the end is near. I think we are in pre calc now whomever asked that. I mixed it up with geometry. They’ve all been anxiety inducing!

[Anonymous]

Statistics and Mathematical Modelling SAMM is non-Honors Statistics:
https://coursebulletin.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/CourseDetails/Index/MAT2044A


Financial Mathematics if your school has it

https://coursebulletin.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/CourseDetails/Index/MAT2023A

I guess it's too late but maybe you could ask to to 2-Year Algebra 2 C/D even though it's a repeat of the Algebra 2B you already did?


Math Pathways docs: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/k-q/poolesvillehs/uploadedfiles/departments/math/mathpathways.pdf

But it's a few years old. "Quantitative Literacy" isnt in the Bulletin anymore.

[Anonymous]

Stats is probably the most useful math for non-STEM people. Especially for the social sciences—it’s valuable to be able to analyze data and apply it to your work. Even English majors can use stats to do stuff like analyzing language patterns or word frequency.