8th grade algebra in California - what next

[George Sheridan <learn@jps.net>]

 The recent surprise decision by the State Board of Education to use the Algebra
1 end-of-course exam as the NCLB-required test for all 8th graders effectively
mandates all students in California to become proficient in algebra before the
end of 8th grade - something never yet achieved in any state.

EdSource is a non-partisan, generally objective source of information about
education in California. They released the following message suggesting some of
the questions raised by this decision and offering some relevant data.

***

When the California State Board of Education voted last week to begin testing all
8th grade students in Algebra I within three years, it set California apart as
having the highest 8th grade math testing standard in the country. This new
policy effectively means that all 8th graders will be expected to take the course
when, in 2007, slightly less than half took the Algebra I test.

Before this decision, the state recommended Algebra I as the 8th grade math
standard. Districts and schools, however, could decide to place students in
either General Math, Algebra I, or a slower-paced, two-year Algebra I course.
Based on their math course, 8th graders either take the Algebra I or the General
Math California Standards Test (CST).

This requirement will have far-reaching effects for middle schools in particular,
but it is likely to reverberate throughout the K-12 system. The state will need
to address many critical questions about how to turn this ambitious goal into a
realistic set of expectations for schools and students. Those questions include:

  * What changes in K-7 math instruction will be necessary to better prepare all
    students for Algebra I?

  * How will districts find enough teachers qualified to teach Algebra I to twice
    as many 8th graders when there is already a critical shortage?

  * Are state leaders prepared to commit the resources necessary to support
    schools and districts in this effort?

To find out more about the issues that helped prompt this decision--including
current math and science instruction in California, students' performance and
college readiness, and the state's long-term workforce needs--see our January
2008 publications. All are available for free download, including our 24-page
research report, Math and Science Education for the California Workforce: It
Starts with K-12.

http://www.edsource.org/pub_abs_mathscience0108.cfm

George Sheridan