(Also posted to the Modeling listserv.)
This is not strictly a modeling question, but we are meeting with our
administration tomorrow to discuss the topic of offering regular and
advanced levels of sophomore (high school) physical science.
The other physics teacher and I have thought for years that we could
target the classes to our student population better if we divided them
into lower and higher math levels. We spend an inordinate amount of
time teaching remedial math (e.g., spending four to six weeks trying
to teach the meaning of and how to find slope of a line) to the
students with lower math levels, and find it very difficult to present
the physics material to classes that are so broad as to have students
ranging from 3rd/4th grade math&reading to those who are two or more
years beyond their academic grade level.
We were told that we are switching to a sophomore physical science
course, and we want to take the opportunity to steer students into
"Physical Science" and "Advanced Physical Science" based on some
academic indicator (such as concurrent math class or specific class
math grade). There is opposition in our district to offering
different sections of this course.
I have been running searches of The Physics Teacher and American
Journal of Physics, hoping to find research on grouping students by
math and/or reading level. So far I have not found any research one
way or the other...perhaps my search terms are not good.
If you have ideas, would you please email me directly (
jim.deane@gmail.com ) so that I see it immediately? We are meeting on
this topic tomorrow (Wednesday) and it's imperative that we present
our case as best we can.
I'm also more than happy to reverse what I am recommending if the
research says that broad ability levels (2nd grade--college) are
beneficial in the same physics/chemistry/physical science classroom.