One California family had to make a difficult choice.
Julie Lynem's son took algebra in eighth grade, but didn't understand some of the key concepts. This left his family to decide whether to have him retake the class in 9th grade, potentially penalizing him by not allowing him to take calculus later in high school, or to have him complete it.
Lynem, a journalism instructor, wrote in CalMatters: “After a family discussion, we decided that he would repeat Algebra 1 in 9th grade. They hoped it would increase his confidence and mastery, she wrote. Later, when she received an award for achievement in mathematics, Lynem decided she had made a good decision.
The state surrounding her is grappling with similar questions.
Last July, California adopted a new K-12 math framework. Supporters believe the framework provides greater flexibility in mathematics pathways while emphasizing an inquiry-based approach that encourages more students to progress further in mathematics. California's framework has been fiercely criticized for offering a “reform agenda” rather than rigorous standards.
Perhaps the most controversial part is the handling of algebra. In its final version, the framework recommends that most students begin algebra in ninth grade. Many people worry that this will make students less competitive in college or that it will turn some students away from science fields. The movement was based in part on San Francisco public schools, which, in a high-profile experiment, postponed algebra for all students until high school. But recently, pressure from parents has caused Dorsey to change course.
California is trying to solve a seemingly intractable problem. Algebra has long been considered the “gateway” to higher mathematics. But there are many differences in how schools determine who is ready to take algebra, which results in fewer low-income students, rural students, or English language learners taking this course in middle school. These patterns have led each region to seek new models.
For some researchers, California made a mistake. And at least one researcher hopes that the shift to a “more nuanced” model based on proven student aptitude will be successful.
Stuck in reverse
The traditional way of assigning students to algebra further deepened the gap. Relying on teacher recommendations or parent advocacy to determine which students are ready has left many schools unable to place gifted students from disadvantaged backgrounds into algebra classrooms. This is why growing populations, such as low-income, black, Hispanic, Native American and rural students, and English language learners, have less or slower access to algebra. Starting algebra early is thought to increase the attractiveness of attending college, and algebra courses are often a requirement for high school graduation.
This is a phenomenon that researchers are painfully aware of.
Scott Peters, director of research and consulting partnerships at NWEA, says the current system is working disproportionately well for a shrinking population group. That means math placements fail most often among the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. population. He said it was the inefficiency of the education system that excluded talented people, adding, “Doing nothing is regressing.”
The assessment and research organization NWEA (Peters' organization) recently issued guidance to encourage schools to use “universally administered” data points in math assignments to better identify when students are ready to take algebra. I did. According to this argument, using data points that limit subjective factors, such as teacher impressions or parental support, when determining whether a student is ready to study algebra makes it less likely that a student will start algebra too early or too late. The guidelines are linked to MAP Growth, one of the organization's assessments.
Right to Do Algebra
There is an idea floating around to standardize aspects of American math education.
When the latest scores from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) showed Utah outperforming other U.S. states, Lindsey Henderson, a secondary math specialist for the Utah State Board of Education, attributed the state's performance in part to the state's combined score. Middle school mathematics curriculum required. Others have interpreted the results, highlighting the lack of a national mathematics curriculum as a reason for the country's poor international performance.
According to Peters, this may have something to do with algebra preparation. But solving these problems requires nuance and the ability to balance national standardization approaches, he says.
School districts that try to close racial disparities by requiring all eighth graders to take algebra are applying standardization in the wrong way, Peters argues. This can lead to “massive failure rates,” he says, because not all students are ready to study algebra in middle school.
However, some districts go in the opposite direction, allowing only the highest achieving students to take early algebra. “You’d have to be Albert Einstein to get into slightly advanced math that’s so over the top it’s ridiculous,” Peters says.
All of these approaches try to force students into algebra or steer them away from algebra. “I’ve tried both, and they’re both idiots,” he adds.
Peters proposed a better standardization model. That is, automatic enrollment based on demonstrated aptitude (also known as an “opt-out” policy). In these systems, students are automatically enrolled in algebra after earning high scores on standardized tests. That's where Peters hopes his guidance will help direct districts to embrace broad standards.
There are currently several examples of this model in practice. In 2018, Ohio adopted one such policy. So now, if a student in the state scores above the 95th percentile on a standardized academic achievement test like TerraNova, he or she is automatically classified as “gifted.” These students may receive advanced math classes, and schools must also send reports to the state Department of Education on who is classified as “gifted.”
In the past five years, other states, including Colorado, Nevada, Washington, Illinois and Texas, have adopted some version of the automatic enrollment policy. Legislatures in these states decided to force schools to offer algebra to students who have proven they are prepared by scoring high on state tests.
Some see this as a covert “bipartisan” option to close the gap and recalculate the algebra without resorting to controversial reform approaches. North Carolina, which passed this version in 2018, released a review of the program that suggested it had some success. Although the gap has not been completely closed, a state review of the program's effectiveness found that “the majority of North Carolina's mathematically gifted students are taking advanced math courses in public schools, and the percentage of such students is increasing each year.” It is done.
Ultimately, for Peters, this is the most likely path. Peters argues that this eliminates the discretion that tends to be associated with resources and separation. But we also don't just kick out students who aren't ready to take on difficult math.