Standards & Accountability

California Board Mandates Algebra 1 for All 8th Graders

By Linda Jacobson — July 14, 2008 4 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

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 standards in 8th grade.

California joins Minnesota as the only states with a requirement that all students take algebra in 8th grade. The Minnesota mandate goes into effect for the 2010-11 school year.

California was forced to move on the issue because it has been under pressure from the U.S. Department of Education to meet an Aug. 1 deadline to align its testing program with its state math standards in 8th grade. While more than half the state’s 8th graders already take algebra and are tested on it, the rest are tested on 6th and 7th grade general mathematics skills.

“This fork in the road is a choice between California’s bold future and a status quo that is safe, mediocre, and unacceptable,” the governor said in the letter. He called on the board “to do away with the below-grade-level general mathematics test” and adopt the more rigorous measure for federal accountability purposes.

But math educators in the state, as well as state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell, have opposed the plan.

“I strongly disagree with the governor’s proposal to require algebra ... without also offering any of the support for our school districts and schools to successfully make this major change,” the elected schools chief said in a statement. He added that he was disturbed that the governor didn’t weigh in on the debate until the “11th hour.”

High Standards

In 1997, California was among the first states to implement a standards-based accountability system, and has been praised for its high expectations. While taking algebra is the state’s goal for all 8th graders—and while the percentage of 8th graders taking algebra has increased to 52 percent in the current school year from 34 percent in 2003—almost half of students in the grade are still taking a lower-level math class. Passing an algebra course is currently only required to receive a high school diploma.

Mr. O’Connell said in his own letter to the state board that requiring all 8th graders to take algebra would especially be hard on African-American and Hispanic students who, as demographic subgroups, are still not even scoring at the proficient level “on what amounts to 7th grade standards.” (See “Catching Up on Algebra”, April 23, 2008.)

“To suggest that we simply enroll these struggling students in Algebra 1 without any additional support or instruction would be, I believe, highly irresponsible,” he wrote.

Mr. O’Connell stressed he is “strong in my belief that every child can and should succeed in algebra in 8th grade.” But he went on to say that without the proper resources—including adequate teacher expertise, professional development, and enough instructional time for math—“we cannot expect our students to succeed when we adults have not done our part.”

Mr. O’Connell instead had proposed a “blueprint” for gradually increasing the rigor of the math assessment taken by students not yet enrolled in an algebra course. Under his proposal, a new test would have been developed that would have been based on algebra standards but would not have included all algebra standards.

Gov. Schwarzenegger, however, had said that such a plan would “perpetuate a two-track system: one for high achievers and one for those of whom we expect less.”

Education officials so far have offered no details about any budget impact from the move. But providing support to get teachers ready to teach algebra to all 8th graders could be difficult given a California budget deficit estimated at $17 billion at one point, which has forced cuts in all departments, including education.

Fundamentals Needed

Studies show that taking algebra in middle school is linked to higher mathematics achievement in high school, a finding reaffirmed by the report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel released earlier this year. But the panel also called for more emphasis on the foundational skills that students need to make the transition to algebra, including concepts such as fractions. (See “Panel Calls for Systematic, Basic Approach to Math”, March 19, 2008.)

California has made available a variety of “algebra readiness” programs, but they are not in place statewide.

The students who struggle the most with the abstract nature of algebra are those who tend to lack “understanding around the key big ideas” throughout elementary math, said Terry Vendlinkski, a senior researcher at the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Mr. Vendlinski has also taught 8th grade in Santa Monica, Calif., and is crafting a program to help teachers better teach the concepts that lead to success in algebra.

“Is there a better way to do it so that more students get it right off the bat?” he said. “If you don’t understand the concrete, it’s hard to make the leap to the abstract.”

Another challenge is the variability within algebra courses themselves, said James M. Rubillo, the executive director of the Reston, Va.-based National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

“We’ve seen a lot of schools trying to mandate Algebra 1, and the failure rates are very high,” he said. “It doesn’t necessarily take into account the readiness of the students or the capability of the teaching force.”

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the July 16, 2008 edition of Education Week as California Board Mandates Algebra 1 for All 8th Graders

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Literacy Success: How Districts Are Closing Reading Gaps Fast
67% of 4th graders read below grade level. Learn how high-dosage virtual tutoring is closing the reading gap in schools across the country.
Content provided by Ignite Reading
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by Boys Town

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Standards & Accountability Here’s What’s in Florida’s New African American History Standards
Standards were expanded in the younger grades, but critics question the framing of many of the new standards.
1 min read
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the historic Ritz Theatre in downtown Jacksonville, Fla., on July 21, 2023. Harris spoke out against the new standards adopted by the Florida State Board of Education in the teaching of Black history.
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the historic Ritz Theatre in downtown Jacksonville, Fla., on July 21, 2023. Harris spoke out against the new standards adopted by the Florida state board of education in the teaching of Black history.
Fran Ruchalski/The Florida Times-Union via AP
Standards & Accountability Opinion How One State Found Common Ground to Produce New History Standards
A veteran board member discusses how the state school board pushed past partisanship to offer a richer, more inclusive history for students.
10 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Standards & Accountability What the Research Says What Should Schools Do to Build on 20 Years of NCLB Data?
The education law yielded a cornucopia of student information, but not scalable turnaround for schools, an analysis finds.
3 min read
Photo of magnifying glass and charts.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Standards & Accountability Education Secretary: Standardized Tests Should No Longer Be a 'Hammer'
But states won't ease accountability requirements until federal law tells them to do so, policy experts say.
5 min read
Close up of a student holding pencil and writing the answer on a bubble sheet assessment test with blurred students at their desks in the background
iStock/Getty