U-M and Detroit school partner to raise math standards

Updated 10:00 AM October 16, 2006

U-M and Detroit school partner to raise math standards

By Joe Serwach
News Service

Once a week U-M mathematics lecturer Nkem Khumbah drives to Detroit's Martin Luther King Jr. High School to work with math teachers to help bring 175 high school students up to college level.

The plan: to give public high school students the chance to learn what's expected in college level mathematics courses through the Michigan Calculus Achievement Project (M-CAP), an effort to align high school instruction with the expectations of a rigorous college calculus course.

The King students will be part of the pilot year of the project that eventually could be expanded into other schools.

Research shows many Americans and some teachers lack sound mathematical skills, leaving U.S. 12th grade math students trailing their peers in 21 other nations. In turn many, college freshmen feel insecure by the time they reach a college math class. LSA's Comprehensive Studies Program (CPS) is trying to help bridge that gap.

The project is the brainchild of CSP Director William Collins, who long has noticed that too many high school students enter college unfamiliar with the expectations of faculty.

"We want to challenge students to develop a solid foundation in mathematics and thus to have a better idea of what's expected so that they can be ready for calculus courses in college," Collins says. "If you're not confident, you're not going to feel competent."

The project will be led by Khumbah, who has cultivated the idea with school officials and will serve as its facilitator.

"This project not only serves students, but also seeks to help teachers to align their instructional efforts with college requirements," Khumbah says.

Professor Dale Winter has worked closely with CSP in developing the project.

"Mathematics is at the foundation of the many technological careers our society needs to fill, and we believe this project is a step in the right direction in terms of getting students interested and excited about calculus," Winter says.

Students will learn in the classroom and also receive computer-based instruction that will connect them directly with U-M.

"The capabilities available through high-speed Internet connections will allow project students access to the same instructional materials available to University of Michigan students," Collins notes.

Paul Gray, principal of Martin Luther King High School, says he and teachers welcome the collaboration.

"Anytime we can join forces with the University to promote learning among students is a win-win situation for both our communities," Gray says.

The project also has caught the attention of Detroit School Board member Tyrone Winfrey, who is associate director of admissions in the U-M Detroit office.

"As Detroit moves forward to prepare students for career opportunities in the 21st century, we need more collaborative efforts such as this one,'' Winfrey says.

U-M and Detroit school partner to raise math standards

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