Maryland District Officials Ponder High Math Failure Rate

In a front-page story, the Washington Post (5/20, George, Bui) reports on the “startling phenomenon” in Montgomery County, Maryland, in which more students than expected are failing math final exams despite having demonstrated mastery of the subject matter in the classroom. Noting that students in the district usually perform well, the Post reports that “parents and elected leaders are demanding answers: Why did 62 percent of high school students flunk their geometry finals in January?” High numbers of students also “bombed” algebra 2 and precalculus exams. The questions “intensified late Friday, when school officials released detailed data showing the high failure rates were consistent across five school years.”