Professors: Students Unprepared for Math after Pandemic

Professors: Students Unprepared for Math after Pandemic

Andrea Hernandez is a student at the University of Texas.

As a high school student in Dallas, she studied math a lot and was proud of her skill in the subject.

But when schools around the U.S. closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, students started learning¹ by video link and on computers. Hernandez found it hard to make progress.

By then, she was studying in a class called pre-calculus².

After more than one year of learning by video link, she had to take a calculus test before starting school at the University of Texas.

She did not do well. As a result, she had to start her college education in a lower³-level math class.

High school success but trouble in college

Hernandez got a top grade of "A," but she told The Hechinger Report that she lost some belief in her math ability.

Now, she looks at calculus questions and thinks: "'I don't understand anything.' I'll just sit there," she said, "kind of lost."

College professors around the country are saying there are many students like Hernandez. These students had trouble learning when the pandemic changed the way they experienced⁴ school.

After two years, many students said they are less prepared for college than they hoped to be. Some say they have forgotten how to be students.

Uri Treisman is Hernandez's professor at the University of Texas. He told Hechinger Report that his students are making basic mistakes that he would not expect. About 25 percent did not pass his class in the autumn of 2021. Usually, he said, five percent fail the class.

Treisman said it was hard to see so many students have problems.

"Their failure is my failure," he said.

He is also worried about his students whose families do not make a lot of money. They might not have the same ability to get extra help.

"The wealthy are concerned and nervous about the futures⁵ of their children, and they're investing⁶ heavily in ensuring their children have an advantage," he said.

The professor said it is normal for students to come to the university with different skill levels, but they are usually able to catch up. During the last two years, it has been harder because students are distracted⁷ in different ways than in the past.

Unusual distractions⁹

For example, Hernandez's grandfather, who lived in Mexico, died of COVID-19. She learned¹⁰ about it in the middle of her computer math class. It became hard for her to think about school when family members were sick and others had financial problems.

Another of Treisman's students had to drive into Texas from his home in Mexico to go to high school. When the pandemic closed schools, Halil Hamscho had to work from home in the border city of Matamoros, Mexico.

At that point, Hamscho said his classes were not as good. He called them "watered down." He still received good grades, but when it was time to take an exam before college, he did not get a good score. In college, he failed his first college calculus exam before forming a study group. After that, he received an "A" in Treisman's class.

Kristin Patterson is an associate¹¹ professor of genetics¹² at the University of Texas. She said in past years, only two to four percent of students do not get through her class. But last year, about 20 percent did not pass.

Patterson said the university does not fully¹³ understand how the pandemic changed learning for students when they were in high school. But it is slowly getting more information.

When students are able to work with a teacher in the classroom, she said, the teacher can judge a student's progress. When they are at home, that information is limited. In addition, some high schools permitted¹⁴ students to move on in their studies even with poor grades.

When students came back to school, some did not have to take standardized¹⁵ tests that permitted teachers to find out how much they had learned. In 2021, for example, some states asked the U.S. Department of Education for permission to change or cancel the tests.

Learning about college life

Patterson at the University of Texas said some students did not understand the difference between the large meetings and small group discussions¹⁶ that form her class.

Ed Venit said students' lack of preparation will continue.

He works¹⁷ at an education research company called EAB. He said colleges must understand that a large number of incoming students have "unfinished" learning from high school.

For example, at the University of Maryland – Baltimore County¹⁸, the number of students having trouble with math classes is higher than in the past. The university added¹⁹ classes to help students learn study skills and ways to plan their time.

Many college officials report that the students they accept do not have lower grades than usual. But they many have not "mastered" the subjects as well as students in past years.

Over the last two years, the U.S government has made billions of dollars of aid available for school systems across the country. Schools are expected to find out why students are having problems learning.

This year in New York City, the country's largest public school system, students are getting more tests than before, the Associated²⁰ Press reports. Virginia's Fairfax County school district is using testing to provide more money to schools with lower test scores.

AP reports Chicago is using a system that places importance on a student's grades and rates of COVID-19 and violent²¹ crime²² in their neighborhoods.

In Boston, Lorena Rivera has two daughters who had trouble with math in the last two years. Her daughters would often start their work and then stop.

"There was a lot of giving up — it was hard," she said.

Early reports have been gathered from some of the biggest school districts in the country. They suggest that student groups which already faced problems, including Black, Hispanic, and poor students, appear to be behind in greater numbers.

But Treisman said lowering²³ standards is not the answer. Sometimes he thinks he could make his classes easier.

"The big risk," he said, "is that I give them a good grade and they're not prepared for what comes next."

He commented that students could graduate from college and be unprepared for their jobs.

Venit said he worries that students who come from poor families or who are not white or who are the first in their families to go to college will have problems.

"This is a ‘rich gets richer' situation and a ‘poor stays poor situation,'" Venit said. He said that would reverse²⁴ what those like him have been trying to do for 20 years.

Gisela Field studies the data that comes from student tests in a large school district near Miami, Florida. She said one year will not enough to correct all the problems.

"The bottom line," she said, "is that we have such a loss²⁵ that it will take some time."

Words in This Story

nervous –adj. having or showing feelings of being worried and afraid about what might happen

ensure – v. to make sure something happens

advantage – n. something (such as a good position or condition) that helps to make someone or something better or more likely to succeed than others

distraction⁸ – n. something that makes it difficult to pay attentions

watered down – adj. weakened²⁶ or made less strong or useful

standardized test –n. a test that requires all test-takers to answer the same questions which is used to measure a person's abilities

master – v. to get the knowledge and skill that allows you to do, use, or understand (something) very well

district – n. an area established by a government for official government purposes

reverse – v. to change to an opposite state or condition

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 calculus   

n.微积分；结石

参考例句：

• This is a problem where calculus won't help at all.对于这一题，微积分一点也用不上。
• After studying differential calculus you will be able to solve these mathematical problems.学了微积分之后，你们就能够解这些数学题了。

3 lower   

adj.较低的；地位较低的，低等的；低年级的；下游的；vt.放下，降下，放低；减低

参考例句：

• Society is divided into upper,middle and lower classes.社会分为上层、中层和下层阶级。
• This price is his minimum;he refuses to lower it any further.这个价格是他开的最低价，他拒绝再作任何降价。

4 experienced   

adj.有经验的；经验丰富的，熟练的

参考例句：

• Experienced seamen will advise you about sailing in this weather.有经验的海员会告诉你在这种天气下的航行情况。
• Perhaps you and I had better change over;you are more experienced.也许我们的工作还是对换一下好，你比我更有经验。

5 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。

6 investing   

v.投资，花费( invest的现在分词 )；授予；（把资金）投入；投入（时间、精力等）

参考例句：

• He was timid about investing money. 他不敢投资。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Europe also caught the excitement of investing in American railroads. 欧洲人对投资美国铁路也极感兴趣。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

7 distracted   

a.注意力分散的，思想不集中的

参考例句：

• When working, one should concentrate and not allow oneself to be distracted. 工作时要集中精力，不要分心。
• Noise outside distracted her mind from her studies. 门外的噪音使她心神不宁，无法集中注意力学习。

8 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

9 distractions   

n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 )；娱乐，消遣；心烦意乱；精神错乱

参考例句：

• I find it hard to work at home because there are too many distractions. 我发觉在家里工作很难，因为使人分心的事太多。
• There are too many distractions here to work properly. 这里叫人分心的事太多，使人无法好好工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 learned   

adj.有学问的，博学的；learn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He went into a rage when he learned about it.他听到这事后勃然大怒。
• In this little village,he passed for a learned man.在这个小村子里，他被视为有学问的人。

11 associate   

vt.使发生联系，使联合；把…联想起来；vi.交往，结交；n.合伙人，同事；adj.副的

参考例句：

• I always associate that song with my visit to Hawaii.听到那支歌我就会联想到我的夏威夷之行。
• I don't associate the two ideas.这两个概念我联系不起来。

12 genetics   

n.遗传学

参考例句：

• He gave me a piece of advice on how to learn genetics.他就如何学好遗传学给我提出了一条建议。
• Population genetics owes its origin to Francis Galton.人体遗传学的创立应归功于弗朗西斯·高尔顿。

13 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

14 permitted   

允许( permit的过去式和过去分词 )； 许可； 许用

参考例句：

• Radios are not permitted in the library. 图书馆内不许使用收音机。
• Entrance is permitted only on production of a ticket. 出示门票才可进入。

15 standardized   

adj.标准化的

参考例句：

• We use standardized tests to measure scholastic achievement. 我们用标准化考试来衡量学生的学业成绩。
• The parts of an automobile are standardized. 汽车零件是标准化了的。

16 discussions   

n.讨论( discussion的名词复数 )；商讨；详述；论述

参考例句：

• Discussions are held on an informal basis within the department. 讨论限于在本部门内非正式地进行。
• Her specialist input to the discussions has been very useful. 她在这些讨论中提供的专家建议很有助益。

17 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

18 county   

n.县，郡

参考例句：

• When the good news reached there,the whole county rejoiced.喜讯传到那里时，全县的人都欢欣鼓舞起来。
• In that year county after county fell to the enemy.那一年一个又一个的县城沦入敌人手中。

19 added   

adj.更多的，附加的，额外的

参考例句：

• They have added a new scene at the beginning.在开头他们又增加了一场戏。
• The pop music added to our enjoyment of the film.片中的流行音乐使我们对这部电影更加喜爱。

20 associated   

adj.联合的

参考例句：

• the risks associated with taking drugs 与吸毒有关的危险
• I don't want to be associated with your scheme; I'm contracting out. 我不想参与你们的计划，我要退出。

21 violent   

adj.暴力的，猛烈的，激烈的，极端的，凶暴的，歪曲的

参考例句：

• The madman was violent and had to be locked up.这个精神病患者很凶暴，不得不把他锁起来。
• They caught him and gave him a violent beating.他们抓住了他，把他狠狠打了一顿。

22 crime   

n.犯罪，罪行，罪恶

参考例句：

• You'll have to pay for your crime.你得为你的罪行付出代价。
• Crime in our big cities is on the increase.在我们大城市里犯罪率正在增长。

23 lowering   

adj.使低劣的，减少体力的，昏暗的v.（使）降低， （使）跌落( lower的现在分词 )；削弱；削减；减少

参考例句：

• She never cheapened herself by lowering her standards. 她从不降低标准来贬低自己。
• the lowering of taxes and the consequent increase in spending 税收降低与随之引起的消费增长

24 reverse   

v.推翻，颠倒，反向；n.反面，逆境；adj.反向的

参考例句：

• His answer was just the reverse of what I expected.他的回答正好与我期望的相反。
• Please reverse the positions of two pictures.请把两张图片的位置倒转过来。

25 loss   

n.损失，遗失，失败，输，浪费，错过，[军]伤亡，降低

参考例句：

• His death was a great loss to the country.他的逝世对这个国家是一大损失。
• Because of the continued loss,the factory closed down.由于连续亏损，工厂关闭了。

26 weakened   

adj.虚弱的v.（使）削弱， （使）变弱( weaken的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The team has been weakened by injury. 这个队因伤实力减弱。
• In his weakened condition, he is very susceptible to cold. 他身体很弱，因此很容易患感冒。 来自《简明英汉词典》