Helping Students Prepare for College Mathematics Placement Tests: A Guide for Teachers and Parents

by Carmen M. Latterell

Overview

Placement tests are rapidly joining the ranks of high-stakes testing and college freshmen are required to take mathematics placement exams to determine their first mathematics course upon entering college. Unfortunately, these exams tend to place students in a lower-level or remedial course. As a result, additional expenses are incurred; degree programs are extended; and scholarships, awards, and external funding are less likely. Helping Student Prepare for College Mathematics Placement Tests: A Guide for Teachers and Parents includes two sample placement tests, a guide that shows what entry course a student will be assigned with a given score, and explanations on material that students might have forgotten or never quite understood. This guide is sure to help students excel!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781578866557
Publisher:	R&L Education
Publication date:	08/08/2007
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	104
Product dimensions:	6.19(w) x 9.08(h) x 0.25(d)

About the Author

Carmen M. Latterell is associate professor of mathematics at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. She has taught mathematics at all levels since 1988. She is a frequent contributor to research journals on the subject of mathematics education, the author of Math Wars: A Guide for Parents and Teachers (Praeger, 2005), and the principal investigator on a large National Science Foundation grant to improve mathematics education.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Basic Skills without a Calculator
Chapter 3 Graphing without a Graphing Calculator
Chapter 4 A College Mathematics Placement Test
Chapter 5 Elaborate Solutions to the Test
Chapter 6 A Second College Placement Test with Solutions
Chapter 7 Final Advice
Chapter 8 Appendix 1: Study Skills for College Mathematics
Chapter 9 Appendix 2: A Note to Teachers about State Standards

Editorial Reviews

This is a fantastic tool for every parent or teacher who wants to maximize a student's demonstration of mathematics skills on a college placement exam. This guide assists students in utilizing and demonstrating their mathematical skills independent of electronic tools.

Beth Esselstrom

I am a mathematics teacher with more than 20 years of teaching experience. Over and over students come to me and ask me for materials to use to study for mathematics placement tests. I have none to give them, nor do I have any reference for the students. This book is the answer!

Sue A. Smith

To save time and money, students often use test-preparation materials to prepare for exams such as the ACT and the SAT. However, taking an unneeded class costs a much greater amount of both time and money. Unfortunately, the only preparation materials that I had to offer students desiring to test into a higher mathematics course were a vague study guide with ten sample questions and a shelf full of textbooks to sift through. Finally, I can refer students to a relevant, reliable, and comprehensible guide.

Heather Kahler

This is an invaluable resource to both students and teachers. It is nice for students to go to a resource and find numerous examples of a topic in a condensed and easy-to-read format. Teachers use it for reinforcement and further example problems.

Tom Johnson