Conversations about course placements and what students need to not just graduate but earn a competitive academic edge are a common occurrence for school administrators, department chairs, advisors, college counselors, and faculty alike. Some parents seek the opinion of each of you, and then more. These conversations originate from a well-intentioned place: often, they are concerned about their child’s ability to achieve high grades and secure good college placements, and sometimes they worry about the pressures of course load and the implications of the “track” their student appears to be on. Further, the learning loss effects and concerns of the pandemic are still heavy on parents’ minds. 

In no area are these concerns more evident than in math. Parents often challenge course placements, and then they voice concerns that either the course offers too little challenge enough—or too little support! These complaints mask a silent conceit: parents tend to think that the mathematics education they received was sufficient and thus mathematics education today should be similar. They don’t realize that school has changed enormously in the last few decades; quite understandable, considering many of us never again set foot in an educational space after leaving school ourselves – unless parenthood one day brings us to a classroom. 

Parents See Calculus as Required for College

For those in parent-facing school roles, successfully conveying the pedagogical evolution that has taken place to parents who are placing a lot of importance specifically on calculus is very difficult: they are responding from their own experiences, and the stakes feel too urgent and too high for the moment to become teachable. If advisors or deans could effectively quell parent concerns about reaching calculus, surely they would. But the obstacles are many. The concept of a student-centered or discussion-based classroom is often foreign to today’s parents, especially when it comes to math. Parents haven’t been exposed to the latest educational research, the recent changes in the college process, or the need to support greater neurodiversity. Every school should prepare to discuss these issues with parents if they hope to ensure that the academic program is as effective as it can be for every student.

Differentiated instruction is a common buzzword in education today. Most people interpret that term as individualized instruction – direct specific instruction for an individual student.  But there is so much more to differentiation that starts when students enter your school. These strategies can include detailed placement practices from the beginning of a student’s career at your school, followed by organized plans for the support or challenge that an individual student requires. 

Traditional Math Placement Methods Don’t Hold Up 

Sometimes, parent concerns about course placement are well founded. Regardless of your school’s academic structure, mathematics courses are consistently the most challenging subject in which to assess and correctly place students. Often, placement methods don’t offer an accurate assessment of student understanding. When students matriculate, placement decisions are based on their previous math teacher’s recommendation, test scores, and possibly a syllabus from a recent course. But these sources don’t really address the heart of the matter: what does the student understand?  

Understanding a math concept is different from being merely exposed to specific skills, or memorizing formulas – context is important. Prior course syllabi and transcripts do not reflect students’ true understanding of material, because schools have varied expectations of rigor and assessment. Placement tests can shed some light, but accurate results are difficult to ensure for at-home testing.   

Recommended Solution: Conversations That Seek to Understand 

From my own review of placement assessments over the last 20 years, I estimate that placement tests can be successful only if they look beyond procedures and include a written assessment which should include learning outcomes that are directly related to students’ prior knowledge. Ambiguous or misleading assessments don’t demonstrate a student’s true understanding. Instead, I recommend a brief conversation with the student in which specific skills and topics are discussed.  

While time consuming, a conversation at this stage is an investment in efficiency – far more efficient than the process of discovering, advising, and mitigating an incorrect placement after classes have begun. When I suggest a conversation, it is not to say that the school should ask, “Did you cover logarithms?” and the student says, “Yes.”  You will need deeper questions that get to the heart of what a student knows: “What does a logarithm mean to you?” or “When would you use a logarithm?”  

It’s easy to see how this conversation-based approach can apply to academic subjects beyond mathematics. And as an additional benefit, these conversations demonstrate to parents that the school cares deeply about supporting students and can help families partner more effectively with the school.