A lot of the for-profit training businesses have gone belly up and their credentials turned out to be worthless.

So I'm wondering if these math tutoring centers are worth the money. Or are they just another business in the shark infested educational industrial complex? One of these centers is opening up in my neighborhood here in San Francisco:

https://www.mathnasium.com/

My impression is they are another franchise like McDonald's and the CEOs are just looking for "investors" to put up some big $$$. You would be better off just hiring a math or physics tutor from a nearby college or university.

 

It is hard to tell. My opinion is that this environment is not helpful to a struggling student, because having to go there makes him different from his peers. One dedicated teacher along the way has in my limited anecdotal experience produced far better results.

 

Looks to me like any other promotional math program, having a location costs money not to mention finding individuals able to teach, but it's really nothing more than K12 Algebra 1 and 2, Trig, Pre-calc. The trouble came for the Uni Students at work was they would take the old Standardized Test which was an adaptive Algorithm which when the student seemed they knew more than they did? it would raise the bar by advancing the questions (As and example) Algebra 1 to Algebra 2, or worse yet if they only needed to qualify Algebra 1&2 it would advance them into Trig, if the student couldn't answer those questions which they we're not told to study Trig, it would fail them. So, many kids were stuck in Algebra 2, which was good for the Math Dept, they made so much money, worse yet instead of people taking Applied Math it was required to have Algebra 1 & 2 when Algebra 1 would be just fine, I mean what does a Dance student need Algebra 2 right?

Counselors would just say to the failing students, well it's the companies algorithm we are not at fault and it's not just here but the whole country uses it, so we have to use it.

After so many years of this finally the Administration said, if the company isn't going to fix their testing program, we need to adopt another solution. That was the final change that works for everyone, not only did they change back to Applied Mathematics but, the testing program itself was new, called "Aleks"

https://www.mheducation.com/highered/aleksppl/data-analytics.html

I've used it, finally I started learning as well as advancing, but most young students fail an online courses because they don't have the temperament to take their regular classes plus advanced Mathematics, although they can practice at their own speed in what ever is their weak area, which has helped a lot.

I also found this little gal from MIT. She's smart and has a few tricks to help with more advanced stuff.

kv

 

Looks to me like any other promotional math program, having a location costs money not to mention finding individuals able to teach, but it's really nothing more than K12 Algebra 1 and 2, Trig, Pre-calc. The trouble came for the Uni Students at work was they would take the old Standardized Test which was an adaptive Algorithm which when the student seemed they knew more than they did? it would raise the bar by advancing the questions (As and example) Algebra 1 to Algebra 2, or worse yet if they only needed to qualify Algebra 1&2 it would advance them into Trig, if the student couldn't answer those questions which they we're not told to study Trig, it would fail them. So, many kids were stuck in Algebra 2, which was good for the Math Dept, they made so much money, worse yet instead of people taking Applied Math it was required to have Algebra 1 & 2 when Algebra 1 would be just fine, I mean what does a Dance student need Algebra 2 right?

Counselors would just say to the failing students, well it's the companies algorithm we are not at fault and it's not just here but the whole country uses it, so we have to use it.

After so many years of this finally the Administration said, if the company isn't going to fix their testing program, we need to adopt another solution. That was the final change that works for everyone, not only did they change back to Applied Mathematics but, the testing program itself was new, called "Aleks"

https://www.mheducation.com/highered/aleksppl/data-analytics.html

I've used it, finally I started learning as well as advancing, but most young students fail an online courses because they don't have the temperament to take their regular classes plus advanced Mathematics, although they can practice at their own speed in what ever is their weak area, which has helped a lot.

I also found this little gal from MIT. She's smart and has a few tricks to help with more advanced stuff.

kv

I find that nothing works better than one on one tutoring. And even there it takes a right match. I have tutored math and physics to both high school students and adult ESL looking to do equivalency exam. Sometimes I would be the one to advise that a different tutor is needed as my approach does not work. A student must be willing to learn.

I actually have been wanting to get back to tutoring, but I live in an area with very low regard for education

 

As killivolt states, I have found a whole world of GOOD instruction to just about any question re maths on line, Its free and you can view it at your own pace. Yes, I found Nancy to be a great explainer, learnt more about calculus from her than ever I learnt from my school teacher.
PS We would have called it "Smart Aleks".