Math 213, Mathematics for Early Childhood Teachers, is a course taken by all students in the Early Childhood program at BGSU. Instructors of Math 213 had noticed that many students have weak skills with arithmetic, geometry, simple algebra, and other topics that are covered in grades K-4. For instance, on a diagnostic test that was administered at the beginning of Math 213 in the Fall of 2003 and that was made up of questions similar to the 4th and 6th grade Ohio proficiency tests, class averages were around 50%, with some students scoring considerably lower than this, and few students scoring above 90%. Spending time on these topics slows down the class and forces the omission of important topics.
The existing Math Placement Tests did not have questions covering the material in Math 213 and so were inappropriate for placement into Math 213. The Department of Mathematics and Statistics developed a new placement test that does cover these topics. It is simply called the Math 213 Placement Test. This is the only placement test which addresses arithmetic skills. Students may also qualify to take Math 213 by getting a C or higher in Math 090.
The Math 213 Placement Test is a one-hour pencil and paper test with no calculators of any kind allowed. There are 30 questions with answer blanks for the students to write in their answers. There are no multiple choice questions. The test is hand scored. Students could write answers in different forms and still be correct; for example, for some questions, both 1/4 and 0.25 would be acceptable.
You can see a sample test here. The BGSU Math and Stats Tutoring Center has materials and tutors to help prepare for the placement test. In many cases, all that will be required is to freshen up one's skills with arithmetic, adding fractions, long division, and the like. Many students have not spent time on these topics in years, as they are not emphasized in the high school curriculum. The key for the sample test is also at the Center (available any time the math center is open).
There will be review sessions for the Math 213 Placement Test in Room 308B of the Mathematical Sciences building. Enter through the Science library. The dates and times are
The Math 213 Placement Test will be offered the third Thursday of every month from September through April (except December) from 7:30-8:30 PM in Room 210 of the Mathematical Sciences Building. Most students will take the test at these times. Students with class conflicts on Thursday nights should contact Barbara Moses (bmoses @ bgsu.edu). After she has verified that the student does have a conflict, she will make alternate test arrangements for that student. Regardless of when the test is taken, students should bring two pencils and a valid student ID. No student will be allowed to take the test without a valid student photo ID.
Students must get 80% of the questions correct in order to place into Math 213. The test may be re-taken twice, so that a student has a total of three attempts. After this, the student must enroll in Math 090 and get a C or higher before registering for Math 213. Math 090 covers essentially all the topics necessary for entry into Math 213.
Results from the test will be available three school days after the administration of the test. These results can be obtained by coming to the Mathematics and Statistics Department Office, Room 450 in the Mathematical Sciences Building, with a photo ID between 8 AM and 5 PM weekdays.
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