My students need 6 graphing calculators to help them with computation and data analysis.
FULLY FUNDED! Ms. D.'s classroom raised $974
This project is fully funded
Eighty-percent of students in my district live in poverty, and half of the children who begin school in the first grade drop out of school before graduating.
I teach 7th grade mathematics to 78 students at a charter school in a major urban area of Pennsylvania. It is an extremely unfair reality that my students, because of where they live, are not provided the same opportunities that their wealthier, suburban peers are. The 50% of students in my district who do graduate high school, on average, perform on an eighth grade level. I am working incredibly hard to change this fact by looking to provide my students with some of the same academic opportunities - such as familiarity with the use of calculators - that their wealthier peers enjoy in order to encourage their academic success.
Because so many of my students live in poverty, it would be unrealistic to ask parents to provide their students with a $112 graphing calculator when there are so many other demands upon them. Though I will obviously teach my students computation and analytical skills and will impart upon my students the importance of understanding computation without their calculator, calculator literacy is an important life skill for students to have, whether you are calculating the standard deviation of a data set or merely balancing your own personal finances.
More immediately, calculators are permitted to be used on the PSSA tests. My students, who often lack such experience with graphing calculators, struggle to compete with students in wealthier districts who are exposed to and who often own their own graphing calculator.
I would like to provide the six groups of 4-5 students in each of my three sections of seventh grade mathematics with a graphing calculator that they can share among their table. While one calculator for every 4-5 students is not ideal, it is one more than my students presently have access to. Graphing calculators will add another level of depth of analysis and understanding to my students' Algebra, Geometry, Comparisons (Ratios), Probability, and Data Analysis Units. Their use will help level the playing field for my students, who can achieve at the same academic levels as their wealthier peers, when given the same opportunities. Having experience with a graphing calculator will also enhance my students' performance on the PSSA test and help them to hone a valuable life skill that will serve them in high school, college, and their careers.
Your help will ensure that my students are provided an equal opportunity to earn an excellent education with the resources that they both require and deserve. I hope that you will support my students' learning in this important year, in which their classroom grades and PSSA scores impact their high school application and acceptance process.
This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.
Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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