A California family was faced with a difficult choice.
Julie Linem’s son took algebra in eighth grade but didn’t understand some of the core concepts, so the family had to decide whether to have him repeat the class in ninth grade (which would mean he wouldn’t be able to take calculus in high school) or let him finish.
“After much discussion as a family, we decided that my son would repeat Algebra 1 in ninth grade,” said Linem, the journalism instructor. He wrote in CalMattersHis parents hoped that this would lead to improved confidence and proficiency in his studies, she wrote, and when he later won an award for excellence in math, Ms. Linem knew they had made the right decision.
States around her are grappling with similar questions.
Last July, California New K-12 Math FrameworkProponents say the framework Increase flexibility in math pathsAt the same time, it also emphasizes inquiry-based approaches to encourage more students to learn more about mathematics. was heavily criticized Because they prioritized a “reform agenda” over strict standards.
Perhaps the most controversial aspect is its treatment of algebra. In its final version, the framework recommends that most students start learning algebra in the ninth grade, raising concerns that this will make students less competitive for college and will discourage some from pursuing science careers. The move is based in part on San Francisco Public Schools’ high-profile experiment in postponing algebra for all students until high school. But the city recently Changed course Under pressure from parents.
California is trying to solve an intractable problem. Algebra has long been considered a “gateway” to advanced math. But there’s wide variation in how schools determine which students are ready for algebra, resulting in fewer low-income students, rural students, and English language learners taking the course in middle school. The trends have districts seeking new models.
Some researchers believe California has misjudged the decision, and at least one is hopeful that a move to a “more nuanced” model based on proven student aptitude will prevail.
I couldn’t move backwards
Traditional methods of including students in algebra have exacerbated disparities: relying on teacher recommendations or parental advocacy to determine which students are ready has led many schools to underfill algebra classrooms with talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds, which in turn has led to a growing number of low-income, black, Hispanic, Native American, rural, and English language learner populations. Reduced or slower access Algebra. Learning algebra early is thought to increase the attractiveness of college admissions, and algebra is often a requirement for high school graduation.
It’s a phenomenon that researchers are keenly aware of.
The current system works disproportionately well for a shrinking portion of the population, said Scott Peters, director of research and consulting partnerships at NWEA. In other words, math placements often fail for the fastest-growing parts of the U.S. population. This is an inefficiency in the education system that is missing out on talent, he said, adding that “doing nothing is a step backwards.”
Peters’ organization, the evaluation and research organization NWEA, recently Guidance published The guidance aims to give schools a more accurate idea of when students are ready for algebra and encourage them to use “universally administered” data points when making math placement decisions. The argument goes that using data points that limit subjective factors such as teacher impressions and parental support when determining whether a student is ready for algebra would reduce the likelihood that students would start algebra too early or too late. The guidance: MAP Growthis one of the organization’s assessments.
The right to perform algebraic calculations
The idea of standardizing aspects of mathematics education in America has emerged.
When the latest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores showed Utah outperforming other states in the US, Lindsay Henderson, a secondary mathematics specialist with the Utah State Board of Education, said the state’s scores contributed in part to the state’s mandate for a unified secondary mathematics curriculum. Others interpreting the results highlighted the lack of a national math curriculum as a reason for the country’s lagging international performance.
This may have something to do with algebra preparation, Peters said, but addressing these issues requires nuance and the ability to balance how states standardize, he said.
Peters argues that school districts that want all eighth-graders to take algebra in order to close racial gaps are going about standards in the wrong direction: This could lead to “huge failure rates” because not all students are ready to take algebra in middle school, he said.
But some districts allow only high-achieving students to take introductory algebra, which “means you have to be Albert Einstein to take advanced math, which is ridiculous,” Peters said.
Both of these approaches are aimed at forcing students into algebra or away from it. “Both have been tried, and both are stupid,” he added.
A better model for standardization, Peters suggested, is automatic enrollment based on demonstrated aptitude, also known as an “opt-out” policy. In these systems, if a student scores high on a standardized test, they are automatically enrolled in algebra unless they choose to opt out. Peters hopes his guidelines will help in this regard by directing school districts to adopt broad standards.
This model is currently being implemented in some instances. In 2018, the state of Ohio adopted such a policy, so that now, if a student in the state scores at or above the 95th percentile on a standardized achievement test, Terra NovaThey are then automatically classified as “gifted.” These students can take advanced math classes, and schools are required to send reports to the state education department about who they classify as “gifted.”
In the past five years, other states, including Colorado, Nevada, Washington, Illinois and Texas, have also adopted some form of automatic enrollment policy after their legislatures decided to require schools to offer algebra to students who demonstrate readiness by scoring highly on state tests.
Some see this as a veiled “bipartisan” option to recalculate algebra, reducing disparities without relying on controversial reform approaches. North Carolina, which passed the bill in 2018, released a review of the state’s program. It suggested that they had achieved some success.While the gap hasn’t been completely eliminated, a study of the state’s program’s effectiveness found that “most mathematically gifted students in North Carolina are taking advanced mathematics courses in their public schools, and the percentage of such students is increasing each year.”
Ultimately, that’s the most promising path for Mr. Peters. He argues that it would eliminate the discretion that tends to correlate with resources and discrimination. But it also wouldn’t just dump students who may not be ready into hard math.
