CHS graduates were contacted to inquire about their experience with Integrated Math (IM). The following questions were asked of the students:
- Do you feel you were well prepared in math after CHS?
- Are you currently taking any math classes, and if so in what class/classes did you place?
- Have you declared a major, and if so, will you need to take much math?
- Did you feel you were well prepared for ACT/SAT exams?
- Did you receive any supplemental tutoring in math, and if so was it helpful?
Do you feel you were well prepared in math after CHS?
Prepared? ha! I wish! I was prepared to write well, really well, thats all. I cannot do basic math--inequalities,
polynomial equations, quadratic equation. I recieved a wonderful education in general--I have good study skills, can
write anything, take tests in a timely manner, but my math is really lacking. Its not just that I am not great at math
but I am terrified of it.
Are you currently taking any math classes, and if so in what class/classes did you place?
I got out of the XXX math requirement because of my ACT math score but it turns out that I still had to take it due to
my business minor so I am currently taking college algebra. It sounds easy, but the tests are killer because I don't know
real math, just how to apply it in stories.
Have you declared a major, and if so, will you need to take much math?
I am doing dietetics. I have to take Stat 221 and Accounting 200.
Did you feel you were well prepared for ACT/SAT exams?
My parents spent buckets of money on my ACT classes, books, tutors, etc. I did everything! I worked so hard. I did not do
well on math due to integrated math but my dedication. Oh and I took the ACT five times! It was all worth it because I love
my college, my major, but there was an easier route. I wish the middle school teachers would have had more faith in me and
would not have pulled me out of the honors track 1 MONTH before seventh grade ended. It was so final. I wish I had a lower
GPA and did honors becuase I would have learned so much more.
Did you receive any supplemental tutoring while taking IM, and if so was it helpful?
I had a tutor for ACT stuff but not for integrated. You can't find a tutor who is aquainted with the integrated program. It
is too abstract and not widely used enough. If your child will need a tutor and wants to do well on the ACT, do traditional.
Math isn't about application unless you are an engineer AND if you want to do that you should be in honors! The questions are
worded oddly. You almost need a translator to understand what it is asking at times. Clayton needs to just adopt a simple program
with examples, and loads of practice problems. If you miss a day of class you can't just look at the book to learn it. There are
NO examples.
Bottom line--IM is not the route to success.
~CHS graduate 2006
I am an architecture major as of right now. I am actually not enrolled in a math class at this time and will not be until
later next year. When I do, I will be in Technological Systems class - a class that teaches math as used in the world of
architecture (geometry, physics). Honestly, I did not even feel that I was prepared for Integrated Math 4 when I took it.
The main weakness of IM is the lack of definition and grouping of mathematical subject matter. I did not know when I was
learning calculus, nor how it related to statistics, since they were taught next to each other. The heavy concentration on
algebra and the lack of concentration on calculus left me unprepared for the ACT. The only reason I was able to achieve a
decent score was because of outside ACT tutelage.
The program has noble goals and allows for well rounded mathematical learning, but the organization must be explained to the
students in order for them to understand these basic goals. While I do not wish for the abolition of IM, I believe something
in between IM and Honors is required in terms of difficulty, and that IM needs a more clear organizational system. Honors
students should continue in Clayton's highly successful Honors Math program.
~CHS graduate 2006
Personally, I have had mixed expierences regarding how well I was prepared for college level math. In the fall semester I was placed
in an math class which all XX business students are required to pass (or pass out of by getting a 4 or 5 on the AP Calc exam). This course,
which was called "Finite Math and Social Sciences for Business" covered just about everything we studied in four years of integrated math.
I felt extremely prepared for the course and had no problem getting a top grade in the class. However, upon the presentation of each new topic,
I always recgonized the material, but, it was almost as if I had to re-learn it. This is because in IM math we would cover a topic for a short
period of time, cram the information for the test, and then move on to a completely unrelated topic, causing me to forget the information I just
spent so much time learning. This semester, however, has been a different situation. I am currently enrolled in "Business Calculus". Due to the
fact that we had very little calculus instruction in IM I feel like I am a few steps behind many of my classmates. I am currently arranging to get
a tutor for the course because I know that as we get deeper into the material I am only going to be more lost. The fact that I had so little formal
calculus instruction due to the IM program is going to make the weight this class puts on my shoulders much heavier than it would have otherwise been.
My major is currently "Business Undecided". Within the next year I will be chosing between Marketing, Management, Finance, and Information Systems,
all of which will require me to take math courses (obviousally some more than others).
IM math only moderately prepared me for the ACT. Had I not met with a tutor once a week for several months my scores on the math section would have
likely been drastically lower. I also recieved tutoring once a week for the entire "Intgrated 4" year. Even with the tutoring I found the course to be
near unbearable (as did most of my peers). The first three years were extremely easy and then senior year they hit us with unbelieveably difficult
material which caused much frustration towards the program.
~CHS graduate 2006
While I think that all of the math teachers I had at CHS were fabulous teachers, I feel the program itself is flawed. The problem with integrated math is
that while you learn what you need to learn, because you don't learn units in blocks such as geometry for an entire year etc, I feel that I just could not
retain anything. I am in college algebra right now, which is a lower level math, and i don't feel that I have been adequately prepared because while I
remember being taught some of the material, I did not know it by name and with math i feel you just have to learn in blocks. While I did well in integrated
math, it was only because I saw the math teachers about homework every day because integrated is so unclear in the way they present problems. Hope this
was helpful!
~CHS graduate 2006
Of all the people that should take intergrated it should be honors students, however, i do NOT feel the program is a strong one. The intergrated approch is
a lot more complecated then a traditional program, so really only honors kids could get anything out of it. I do not feel the integrated program has enough
generalizablity, because things are learned in one context insted of an abstract idea, its harder to applie the consepts of other multiple scenarios. The
honors program, could tho, learn a thing or two from the intergrated program. Using some of the "life" examples to help clarify when what you just learn is
used. The honors program/ap program is much better, in my opion because it IS traditional. The fact is most CHS students are not going to major in math, in
fact when most go to college they take at most one year of math. The math in college is NOT intergrated if you take lower level courses. It is taught in a
traditional way. Students need to learn in High school how to make this traditional way work for them, ie- how they study ask question ect. In fact the
non-honors kids should probably have the most traditional courses because they are the ones most like not to take APs in math therefore are going to be
required to take math in college.
In terms of the ACT/SAT the regualar/ honors program is hands down the best. I have alot of friends that took intergrated that had NO idea what was going on
when it came to the SAT/ACT espeically because of the new math section on the SAT that is very alg2/trig oriented. It was the work in the honors / ap program
that got me my math scores not Intagrated.
I'm currently at XXXXX, in a combined bachlors and master program in Psychology, the program is a five year program but i'm finishing it in 4- 4 1/2. I placed
in to the normal freshman level, i only have to take one semester of math, I am taking Stat again because its required for my major. Most of the stuff is reveiw
and AP stat did a great job preparing me for the class.
About tutoring, I had a tutior my freshman year, and junior year for math, and for the SAT/ACT i had a private tuitor and that was really helpful, I'm not
gifted in math, but i am so glad i took honors and ap with a tutor over regualre with out one, it was the best disicion i ever made, I learned less in
integrated then i did any other year. I hope this helps
~CHS graduate 2006
Do you feel you were well prepared in math after CHS?
NO, I do not believe IM has significantly helped me in collegiate level math. As a business major I have to take classes such as business calculus and
several statistics classes, IM contributed very little to the math knowledge I used for these classes. The classes that did help were the honors algebra,
statistics, and AP statistics. The main problem with IM math from a business major's point of view is the lack of statistics. Even though I did not receive
credit from AP Stat the knowledge gained significantly contributed to my ability to excel in the class.
Are you currently taking any math classes, and if so in what class/classes did you place?
No
Have you declared a major, and if so, will you need to take much math?
Yes, I am a business management major with a concentration in Insurance. I have taken Business Calculus, two Statistics classes, plus statistics have played
a significant role in classes such as, Corporate Finance, Personal Risk Management Insurance, and several upper level management classes.
Did you feel you were well prepared for ACT/SAT exams?
No, the IM math does not stress the need to be able to solve basic math problems quickly witch is essential for the standardized test.
Did you receive any supplemental tutoring while taking IM, and if so was it helpful
Yes, I took supplemental tutoring in SAT prep, which significently improved my problem solving skills and increased the speed and amount of calculations I
could do in my head.
~CHS Graduate 2005
Do you feel you were well prepared in math after CHS?
Not at all. I was at a huge disadvantage because I had taken integrated math.
Are you currently taking any math classes, and if so in what class/classes did you place?
I have taken three math classes and I placed into introduction to college math which only offered half of the credits of a normal math class.
Have you declared a major, and if so, will you need to take much math?
I have declared a major and I specifically chose one that has very little to do with math. If I had a better math background, I am sure I would have chosen
another major.
Did you feel you were well prepared for ACT/SAT exams?
The only reason that I felt well prepared for the ACT exam was that I took private classes to help me do better. I would not have done nearly as well if I
had not taken these classes and only relied on what Clayton taught me.
Did you receive any supplemental tutoring while taking IM, and if so was it helpful?
No.
The integrated math classes at Clayton were not very difficult. I knew a lot of students who did not do their homework or who cheated their way through the
class. I did my homework and always went to class, but this definitely did not help me in the long run. I did not like how the topics in the class jumped
around from one to the next, back to the first one-it never made any sense. I wish I would have been given the opportunity to take a traditional math
curriculum that focused on each topic (algebra, trigonometry, etc) separately. Honestly, I hated the IM classes and I did not learn anything from them.
Clayton claims to be a great high school, but their math curriculum is awful.
~CHS graduate, 2005
Do you feel you were well prepared in math after CHS?
Yes yes and yes.
Are you currently taking any math classes, and if so in what class/classes did you place?
Placed out of college algebra, taking finite, took biz. calc.
Have you declared a major, and if so, will you need to take much math?
accountancy, a moderate amount
Did you feel you were well prepared for ACT/SAT exams?
yes
Did you receive any supplemental tutoring in math, and if so was it helpful?
no
~CHS graduate, 2006
I was never great at math, but I typically got A's and B's in Math when I worked hard. I never liked the Integrated program, I found it tedious. We were
always told however, that it would be preparing us for college and for "real life." I always failed to understand how being able to measure the angles of a
ferris wheel would prepare us for the future, but nevertheless I did my work and got satisfactory grades. Junior year, I noticed Integrated getting very
difficult as far as course material and teaching methods. By the time senior year rolled around, the class had become very difficult, so I decided to take
it as pass/fail in order the maintain my GPA for graduation. I passed of course, and began my first semester at XXXXXX. The first class that I had to take
was college algebra because I had not tested out of it on my ACT. I believe I needed a 26 on the Math section and I had gotten a 24, my lowest section score
on the test. Literally the first day of class I was completely lost. The first two weeks of the course were supposed to be review, and it appeared for all of
my classmates that it was, but for me, I was learning everything for the first time. I spent hours a day playing "catch-up" trying to get on the same level
as my classmates. After a while, we started units that we had covered in high school, but even so, I was unprepared. In the Integrated system, 90% of the
work you do is word problems. At XXXXXX, 10% are word problems. Most of the material is straight equations and solving. I was behind on the basics. When
I would, on occasion, have a word problem to do, I was very good at determining what was being asked in the problem, unlike many of my classmates. However,
when it came to actually solving the word problems, I still had difficulty on the solving aspect. I still managed to get a B- in college algebra, thanks to
intense studying and a helpful curve, but I couldn't help but feel that the Integrated program did not prepare me adequately for my college math courses.
I am now in Statistics. To be quite honest, it is so far rather easy. Granted we are only about a month or so in, and we have yet to have a test, but I am
not finding it to be too difficult. That being said, I have always found statistics to be easier for me, even in high school. In any event, if I were to
give my advice to an 8th grader, or anyone for that matter, I would say to avoid Integrated if at all possible. I do not feel that it prepared me for college
(or at the very least college algebra) and it also increased my dislike for the subject. In fact, when I was in town over Thanksgiving break I met with the
Assistant Superintendant and Mrs. Shepard (who was my teacher in 8th grade, and I loved) with a few of my friends to talk to them about the math program.
We expressed to them how we felt, and they seemed to be at least willing to listen. If you have any other questions for me feel free to ask! The math
program is something that I am very serious about, considering that I had so much difficulty with it.
~CHS graduate, 2006
Hi this is XXXXX and I graduated from Clayton last year. I now attend XXXXXX. I took integrated math from sixth grade until 11th grade. In my senior year I
decided that I was not being prepared by Integrated Math so I tried College Algebra. Although it was not enough to make a difference in college, I feel like
I learned more in my senior year than in the five previous years combined. I am a hotel restaurant managment major so i have to take a few math classes.
Last semester I took college algebra and I did not feel prepared whatsoever. My senior year of college algebra was not enough help. I feel like the other
students were much more prepared than me because they had a better math program. I am not in the class Statistics which reminds me a little bit of Integrated
but not enough. I honestly hated the integrated math program because it was unnecessary difficult work that did not benefit me as much as I know I could
have been beneifited. YOu guys need a new program where you take one year of college algebra, one year of geometry, etc. When you jump around from one
subject to another like you do in integrated, i feel it is mere impossible to truly learn the material. I also did terrible on the math section of the
ACT because it was math that we toucned on for like a day or not at all. If i was you i would strongly suggest trying a new program because while my
grades are fine, i struggle more than i should have in mathematics.
~CHS graduate, 2006
Hello to answer your questions, I felt that the math program did not prepare me at all, in fact I had a meeting with other students, and Mrs. Sheppard,
about our feelings towards the program. I was not prepared for the ACT/SATS, or my math class in college (college algerbrah). I did have a turor, who
also taught 65 students from clayton. hope this was helpful
~CHS graduate, 2006
i am responding to this email about integrated math i would like to tell you that at first, my freshman and sophomore years i hated the program, however
by junior and senior year i loved it, i felt liek it was the best way to teach math by revisiting it every year. i do feel very well prepared after clayton,
overly prepared, my freshman courses are almost too easy and i am bored in them i am not taking any math classes yet, my major is Zoology and that
requires me to take satistics and calculus I. When i took the placement test i placed into Calculus I, which was the third or average level, which
is pretty good for someone who did not take any honors math courses. i felt the most prepared in math for the ACT, it was my highest grade in the ACT,
i did not take the SAT so i cant tell you about that i did get some tutoring but it included the entire ACT and math was rearely covered in those sessions,
it mostly consisted of english and reaading, the two things that i did poorer at. i hope this helps you
~CHS graduate, 2006
Do you feel you were well prepared in math after CHS?
I feel I was prepared for college level math after CHS.
Are you currently taking any math classes, and if so in what class/classes did you place?
I took Algebra 101 first semester and got an A. I am currently taking Math 105 which deals with Euler and Hamilton Circuits and other important
math concepts.
Have you declared a major, and if so, will you need to take much math?
I have declared my major as journalism. Once I complete this semester of math I will be done.
Did you feel you were well prepared for ACT/SAT exams?
I wish I would have been more prepared for the ACT/SAT exams.
Did you receive any supplemental tutoring in math, and if so was it helpful?
No I did not receive any supplemental math tutoring but I did recieve tutoring for the ACT/SAT.
~CHS graduate, 2006
My freshman year I was in a traditional math program and recived a B and I retained a lot of those math skills. When I came to Clayton my
sophmore year I was thrown into the integrated program and my math grades dropped and I was not able to retain as many skills. I thought
the program was confusing and I wasn't even aware there was another program that I could have gone into. I am a business major and I am
required to take up through Calclus but in order to take many of my business classes I had to get put into the College Algebra which my
counselor said I was not qualified based on my math act score but needed to in order to get through the Business programs in 4 years.
The first semester I took college algebra I had to drop out and recieved a "W" I would recongize some of the things we did during
integrated but I couldn't connect it to anything. I am taking it again this semester and I had to get a tutor. I really think the integrated
program really killed my enthusiam for learning math and was really difficult to grasp. I think more students would benefit from a regular
math program. When I was in it freshman year everything seemed logically put together and made more sense. The regular math program
is what we encoutner in college so why must the integrated system be in place in high school?
~CHS graduate, 2006
I think in theory it is a good idea to have students learn a bit of each type of math (alg.,geo.,stats.) each year and to keep those skills fresh.
Another advantage is that the problems and general ideas of what we were learning were presented in ways that we could relate to our lives--making it
easier to comprehend-- and see math in everything around us. Sadly, I think they need another year to do it. I say this because I did not feel
sufficiently prepared for the math sections of the SAT or ACT. I don't believe I finished learning what was necessary for me to do well until the
end of senior year. If they started the freshman high school material in eight grade than perhaps it would work. I am aware that those tests are
not the goal of our entire math education, however, they do determine our future to some extent and those in integrated should not be penalized because
of it. I got a tutor junior year for that very reason. Our math class didn't get to lessons he covered with me until the end of senior year.
I also think that the books remain a problem. Up until senior year I didn't feel challenged. Some of the questions seemed ridiculously too easy. I
believe this has to do with a screening process of the questions. In my senior year my math professor did not strictly follow the book and deviated from
it when she thought necessary. I found this approach much more informative and stimulating. I also think some students (maybe gender roles come into play)
were not as encouraged to be challenged by honors math by their teachers and parents as they could have been. Honors math is not for everyone, probably not
me, but as the programs stand I would not recommend integrated unless it changed or unless I thought the particular student needed a less intensive course.
If integrated went faster and started earlier I believe it would be perfect. But as it stands I would not recommend it. I was in honors science classes
and integrated math for three years and in physics and chemistry I felt severely behind when it came to math. I was frustrated by this greatly. Granted,
math was my only non-honors class. However, I don't believe there is as great a discrepancy between honors and non-honors within other classes. Perhaps
I'm wrong. Because of the VERY different structure of the integrated vs. honors classes it is hard to access.
~CHS graduate, 2006