Independence Day Math
“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal….” This week, as we pile relish on the hot dogs and “ooh” and “ahh” at fireworks, we’ll also remember our nation’s founding principle. But as my college students learn, Jefferson never meant “all people,” and he didn’t even mean “all men.” Nevertheless, we Americans embrace equality as a core value. As an educator for more than 27 years, I see this nowhere more than in my work as a math tutor. In the rest of this piece, you’ll learn how Americans’ obsession with equality is affecting adolescent education – and the implications for your child’s college application journey.
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“Everyone Gets an A”: Math Tutors Everywhere Cringe….
I’ve written before about rampant grade inflation in American high schools. But the facts bear repeating. Even before COVID, teens received As more often than any other grade. The pandemic only exacerbated this trend. This spring, a study found a growing number of students placed in remedial classes in U.S. colleges.(These same post-secondary institutions have had their own grade inflation problem for more than a decade.)
“But maybe students are getting smarter?” you might ask. If only that were true. While GPAs have been rising, ACT scores dropped to a 30-year low. In the absence of standardized tests, the narrowing sliver of possible GPAs means that “If Everyone Gets an A, No One Gets an A.” Is this really the equality that we want for our kids?
How Math Tutoring Cuts Through the Fog
When more than half of kids earn an A in math, how do you know whether your child really knows their algebra, geometry, and trigonometry? As a math tutor, I recommend a self-administered PSAT, SAT, or ACT. After your teen scores the exam themself, confirm online the percentile into which that score falls. Check out the median ACT and SAT scores of some of the colleges your child wants to attend. If the scores are close and your kid is self-directed, they can probably study on their own.
But, if their diagnostic test score is more than 15% below their target colleges’ medians, math tutoring might be a worthwhile investment. Not only will their grades in school likely increase, but with the right math tutor, their test scores will probably also rise. Most importantly, a nurturing math tutor can also give a student suffering from math anxiety tips to quiet the alarm bells that go off when they don’t immediately know how to solve a problem.
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How Much Will a Math Tutor Cost?
Like many goods and services, the fees of math tutors run the gamut. Your child can inquire with the National Honor Society at their high school to see whether its members offer free tutoring. (Many chapters do!) On the other hand, an elite SAT math tutor in New York City can run over $1000 an hour. (Yes, that’s three zeros after the one!) While my own services don’t cost nearly that much, they’re also not free or cheap. But as one former client found out, sometimes “cheap is dear.”
Though Dr. P. had been recommended to me last fall, another (less expensive) tutor worked with my son on ACT prep this spring instead. Unfortunately, my son’s scores and skills stagnated during that time. So, I reached out to Dr. P. this summer in the hopes that she could do something to help raise my son’s ACT scores. Because she charges a bit more than our previous tutor, we began with just a 10-hour package. We wound up buying two more. Not only did Dr. P. teach my son the best techniques to approach algebra and geometry that enabled him to raise his ACT score by 5 points, with improvement in every section. She gave him the confidence that he needed to believe that he could do it. Through her patient encouragement and nurturing structure, Dr. P. showed him that he had the skills and intelligence to perform well. I’m so thankful we found her — and sorry we didn’t use her sooner. I recommend Dr. P. and Crimson Coaching to any family whose child needs to take a test, improve skills, and learn content.
Six months with the other math tutor didn’t accomplish what the student was able to do after working with me for just six weeks. And while the other tutor’s hourly rate was lower than mine, the family wound up spending more money overall on his services. All for zero academic results and their son’s decreased confidence as the months dragged on without improvement.
Conclusion
Not every kid needs a math tutor. Some high school students truly deserve their 4.0 GPA in math. But it’s a great idea to test out whether your child’s math grades reflect their math ability well no later than sophomore year. That way, you’ll still have time to work with a skilled math tutor when your teen is a junior – the most common time to take the SAT or ACT. Please feel free to contact me if you think your young adult might need a caring, expert math tutor for school or any standardized test.