Washington students don't do very well in math.
Its a fact.
Math scores on the 2008-2009 WASL tests were down, with fewer than half of all sophomores passing. At Rainier Beach High School, the figures are dismal. Fewer than one out of five kids are able to meet the minimum standards in mathematics.
Personally, I'm having a horrible time helping my daughter with her math homework these days. I only managed to get through geometry because the teacher was the baseball coach and he let me keep the stat books for extra credit (needless to say this was pre-WASL tests).
In an attempt to improve the situation, a group called Explorations in Math is hosting MathFest 2009 on Thursday, Nov. 12 - an event aimed at using games, hands-on activities and group projects to help kids learn math. One of the group's goals is to involve the entire school community in helping kids learn. Studies show lessons cannot be contained simply to the classroom. There have to be learning opportunities outside the class as well, and those lessons cannot all be textbook related. To that end, more than 750 children, parents, community members and teachers turned out for the carnival-like event.
The event is free, but you need to register. It runs from 5 p,m to 8 p.m. at the Rainier Community Center, 4600 38th Avenue S. You can skip the line by registering early.
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