California Board Mandates Algebra 1 for All 8th Graders

Governor lauds change, but state schools chief sees resources lacking.

California 8th graders will be required to take Algebra 1 and be tested on it as part of the state’s accountability system, under a controversial decision made by the state board of education last week after last-minute pressure from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The board voted 8-1 July 9 to approve the requirement, which could be could be phased in for the state’s nearly 490,000 8th graders as early as the 2009-10 school year if the plan passes muster under federal accountability standards.

In a July 8 letter to board President Theodore R. Mitchell, Gov. Schwarzenegger, a Republican, urged the board to raise the bar for students as its members considered the assessment of state mathematics...