Earlier this year, when Gov. Schwarzenegger announced that
all California students would soon be taking algebra by 8th grade,
the news was met with near equal parts joy and terror. Some railed against the
ruling saying that most students were nowhere near prepared for such a course
in middle school. Others rejoiced at the head start these same students would
receive upon entering high school. The rest, it seems, have held their breath...until now.
Today, the Brookings Institute released a report examining the nation’s students taking 8th grade algebra and just how well they’re doing. The results, my friends, aren’t exactly uplifting.
According to the LA Times, “There was some ostensibly good news. Nationwide, more students are taking algebra than before. Over five years, the percentage of eighth-graders in advanced math -- algebra or higher -- went up by more than one-third. In total, about 37% of all U.S. students took advanced math in 2005, the most recent year in the analysis.”
BUT! Here’s where California may be in hot water:
According to USA Today, “Using data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, [Brookings] found that among the lowest-scoring 10% of kids, nearly 29% were taking advanced math, despite having very low skills. How low? On par with a typical second-grader.”
This latter fact caused even algebra-loving, Washington Post columnist Jay Matthews to reconsider his support of 8th grade algebra.
So the question still stands, should all students be taking algebra by 8th grade? Numerous studies show that algebra proficiency by the end of 8th grade is the key to success in high school math, which, in turn, opens many more doors for students in the world of college and work. And I would argue that—at the very least—mandating algebra has exposed key weaknesses that need to be corrected in our system’s math instruction.