Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1958-01-09
In County Schools
Sputnik Updating
Approach to Math
Continued from Page One)

present to routine manipulation in artificial stu
ations. Throughout the county, a number of
studies going that are aimed at clearing
out this dead wood" from the math subject
matter.
However all of these new approaches are
still in the experimental stage, DR.. Osterwise
emphasizes.
At the moment, Montgomery Is cooperating
with the University of Maryland in the beginning
of a three-year experimental study of junior high
mathematics. Prince Georges, Arlington and the
District are also included.
The purpose of the study is ito determine
appropriate maturity levels at which certain
mathematical concepts can be taught !. to de-
veOp teaching sequence, mathematicaly and
psychologically sound, and appropriate to modern
day needs"
This is educational doubletalk for how fast
and at what age teach our children to
protect themselves in the scientific clinches.
For it isn't only future scientists and
engineers, at the moment in the spotlight that
need to understand mathematical concepts
Our young farmers doctors, technicans
social scientists business and industrial workers
in fact all of children have this same need
In order to reach all of the children the big
push has to come at the junior high level before
they reach the senior high specialized college
preparatory and vocational courses.
To this end, five of Montgomery's junior
high math teachers and two elementary people
(snce the elementary program cannot be divorced
from the junior high are participating in a week
ly seminar at the University.
Their aim is to increase their knowledge of
modern mathematical concepts and recent adj
vances in the theory of learning math. They will
help set up research procedures and next sernes-
ter will start experimental classes in their own
schools.
Each of the seven will also hold seminars of
their own within their departments in order to
spread the results of the study more quickly.
This study is supported by grant from the
Carnegie Corporation of New York under the
direction of John R. Mayor, Director of Educa-
ton of the American Association for the Advance
ment of Science and Professor of Math and
Education at Maryland He is assisted by DR.. M.
L. Keedy, formerly of the University of Nebraska.
Long before this study and the sputter from
Sputniks, Montgomery educators were aroused
because achievement tests showed our children
under grade level in math fundamentals although
achieving well above national levels in all other
fields.
For the past two years. individual schools
have been doing item analysis to uncover the
areas of difficulties in math and stressing these
areas in their teaching in order to overcome the
weaknesses revealed.
This years achievement test results soon to
be released, are expected to show startling i'm
provement in countrywide achievement in math
fundamentals.
Along with their teaching, the county's math
teachers have also shown concern for their own
education in modern math concepts. Many of
them took advantage last summer of the science
math stpends for summer schooling in their field
Another opportunity for inservice training
now being offered is course on Foundations of
Analysis over closed circuit color television made
available through the Armed Forces Institute of
Pathology and the National Academy of Sciences
This class meets in the county on Tuesdays at
4 PM. at NH
Where Montgomery actually stands at the
moment in teaching math in the secondary
schools is shown in a survey recently completed
by William j. Fleming, general secondary super
visor in the eastern suburban area, The county
has no special math supervisor corresponding to
its special supervisor for the science program,
Edmond T. Burke.
Jennings statistics apply only to pure"
math courses as against applied math found in
banking, bookkeeping, records, landscaping, draw.
ing, use of business and Industrial machines and
instruments, etc.
Actually, the secondary people claim that it
is virtually impossible for student not to get
math in some form at every grade level
However as far as pure" nlath is concerned,
every seventh and eighth grader is taking math
course.
Ninth grade: 10 percent in Algebra, 30 per.
cent General Math
Tenth grade: rs percent Algebra and II,
Plane Geometry, Applied Math or Review Math.
Eleventh grade: 81 percent. Plane Geometry
Algebra II, Commercial Arithmetic or Consumer
Math.
Twelfth grade: 27.3 percent in either Consum.
err Math, Trigonometry or Solid Geometry
Consumer, applied and review math courses
are designed to give additional math to general
diploma students who have completed the basic
math requirements for graduation in the ninth
grade.
For special aid to the slow learner and the
gifted child the county leans on the homogeneous
grouping system in the junior highs This is the
system of putting children of equal ability to-
gether according to whether they are accelerated
average or slow learners