what to do after MUS Algebra II for weak math student who wants to get a business degree

[AngieW in Texas]

I'm not sure what path to take for my dd who struggles with math. She is both dyslexic and dysgraphic and that has affected her math much more than her reading since about 6th grade.

 

She is in 11th grade now and will probably finish MUS Algebra II around March. I plan for her to take Business Math at the cc in the fall. She was hoping to be able to use her PSAT score in math to get exempted from the COMPASS placement test for math like she did for English, but she needed a 50 on the math portion of the PSAT and only got a 48. She took the SAT just last weekend, so we will see if that score is high enough to exempt her.

 

I would like for her to work on something between now and then that will help her prepare for the math portion of the COMPASS test so she can place into Business Math and hopefully also get a headstart on what she needs for Business Math.

 

I'm not sure that moving on into MUS Precalculus is going to cover the topics that she is going to need.

 

Any suggestions?

 

She has a lot of vision issues. The print needs to be nonfussy and black on white. If the print is in different colors, she has a really hard time seeing it.

 

I was thinking that working through a more basic business math book might be helpful. 

 

Also, working through something that specifically helps prepare for the math portion of the COMPASS test would be good.

 

Any suggestions?

 

She is going to end up needing to take Business Math and Business Calculus. I would like to get her ready for both of these courses.

[EndOfOrdinary]

Have you talked with the student resources department about accommodations? In some colleges a teacher not only cannot accommodate without the department stepping in, but they cannot even suggest it. All has to be done by the student.

 

That doesn't help with the prep part, but it could dramatically increase her college success and give her other adults that are not Mom to begin guiding her. You are a great parent and advocate - I do not mean that. I merely mean to express her beginning to self advocate for resources and transition to feeling more adult.

[chiguirre]

She's going to need to take calculus. The business class is hopefully easier than the science major version but it's still calc. I'd start precalc using whichever program you think will work for her. I think I'd try a video based class for a text that has either a workbook or a pdf of homework problems. I've had luck finding these for algebra, but as schools move away from textbooks, you might have some luck.

[Guest2]

I would look at the CC bookstore and get a cheaper copy of the books that they use for these courses. I would then hire a tutor to take her very slowly through these books. I'm not sure if this would work , but it might . It could identify which areas need work, and tutor could use lots of sources or techniques to teach her. This way when she takes the class, she may be much more successful.

 

Has she been diagnosed? Would the university excuse her from math requirement due to disability? What does she want a buisness degree for? Could another degree accomplish the same goal? Sometimes, human resources degree is in another school and may not require buisness calc. I think econ may require this class, but it would depend. I checked and there are accommodations available for the compass test with a diagnosis. Hope this helps.

[kiana]

Business calculus usually does not require a full course in pre-calculus, but rather has a prerequisite of college algebra. This is because the models that it deals with do not involve trigonometry. 

 

For business math, is it called that? What is the listed prerequisite? Is the prerequisite college algebra or intermediate algebra? 

[Running the race]

I second looking into accommodations.

 

MUS Precalculus is almost all Trigonometry, if that is helpful. We are halfway through, and the only Algebra that has been used is in solving the Trig problems.

[AngieW in Texas]

Business Math or College Algebra is what's listed as the prerequisite for Business Calculus. Business Math will be more helpful to prepare for Business Calculus because it's a business-slant on college algebra, so all the problems are geared toward business.

 

I do have an older edition of the textbook the cc uses for Business Math, which is how I know that she'll need logarithms and matrices. I was hoping to find a better text to use than that one though.

 

She does already get accommodations at the cc. She can type all of her papers (including in-class essays). She can take all of her exams in the OSD office. She can do all of her essays on a computer that reads her essay back to her. She can record lectures. She can get all of her paper materials on white paper with black print (has a hard time reading color).

 

 

[kiana]

I really wouldn't do MUS precalculus in that case. It is going to teach her a lot of trigonometry that she will not use, either in business calculus or in everyday life.

 

I would look into a college intermediate algebra textbook as that should segue into the business math nicely. It will cover most of the same material as the MUS algebra 2, but with a more standard level of challenge. I think the review would be good for her and better prepare her for the placement exam.