To: All teachers of courses in the algebra sequence

(PAR 1103, PAR 1153, PAR 1173, PAR 1193, MTH 1743)

From: Mary Parker, for the Algebra Sequence Committee, 223-4846, mparker@austin.cc.tx.us

Date: 4-7-97

Re: Reviewing the algebra syllabi

Our committee would like to have some input from you on the organization of the material in these courses. We have a long-term project and a short-term project going on. Our long-term project is to look at the entire sequence of courses. My interpretation of what we're doing is to see whether we can make the courses somewhat less fast-paced by reorganizing the material. Other people on the committee may have different emphases, but we're all trying to improve our courses and increase the proportion of students who succeed in them. We don't think that we will complete this analysis by June. Yet, by June we need to prepare the syllabi, calendars, and Notes to Instructors for next year's Math Manual. So, our short-term project is to gather input for the committees that put together the material for the Manual.

How to provide your input:
For each course, give us a copy of the syllabus/calendar that you used for the current text. (Perhaps you can just copy it from the Manual.) On that syllabus, indicate what you would change if you were writing the syllabus yourself. In particular, indicate
Which sections you would omit.

1. Which sections you would spend less time on.
2. Which sections you would spend more time on.
3. Specifically, what you think we should do in Week 1 (of a long semester)
4. Specifically, what you think we should do in Week 15 (of a long semester)

Give this to your Department Head by May 1.

• Footnote: We also have a form that encourages thinking about the entire sequence of algebra courses, and what level of each algebra topic is taught in each. If you'd like to have a copy of that form to provide some input to the algebra sequence committee, please request a copy of it from me.