Advanced Study Math, Science Programs Deserve Boost, Report Says

High school courses for advanced study in mathematics and science should focus on helping students acquire in-depth understanding rather than the more superficial knowledge that comes from covering too much material too quickly, according to a new report from the National Academies' National Research Council.



Learning and Understanding: Improving Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in U.S. High Schools concentrates on biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs in U.S. secondary schools. Although AP and IB have raised the level of mathematics and science education in the U.S., the report says, their efforts to emphasize the key concepts in science disciplines have not been realized because of the excessive number of topics covered in each subject.



Accelerated classes covering topics and final examinations that devote insufficient attention to important ideas cannot produce superior learners, according to the report. Furthermore, advanced study is almost the norm for secondary students seeking admission to the most competitive colleges — which view enrollment in demanding courses as an indication of a student's willingness to work hard — but access to such programs is limited for many students who are poor or minorities.



In addition to recommending that courses be designed for in-depth learning and numerous other recommendations, the report calls for several changes to boost quality and expand access:

• Advanced courses in mathematics and science should not be designed primarily to replicate typical introductory college classes, which may not take into account the best current practices in education.
• The way many advanced courses are taught does not reflect the recent explosion in scientific understanding about how people learn, and rote memorization of facts, one of the least effective approaches to learning, is stressed in many advanced classes. Research indicates that encouraging students to learn by engaging in active problem solving and discussion, as scientists do, is a more effective teaching tool. And,
• Teachers should work harder to build on students' prior knowledge and address misconceptions.

Developed by the College Board in 1955, AP is now the country's predominant program for accelerated high school courses. It offers 11 separate classes in eight areas of mathematics and science alone, and is built around voluntary, end-of-course exams. IB was developed in the late 1960s to provide an international standard of secondary education for the children of diplomats and others stationed outside their home countries. The International Baccalaureate Organization must endorse participating schools.



Learning and Understanding: Improving Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in U.S. High Schools was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. Printed copies are available to read online or for purchase from the National Academy Press website.