The Algebra Wars Continue

July 16, 2008 by dave

Even though the State Board of Education has made the decision that 8th graders will be tested in Algebra, the argument over the decision continues in the press. Here are a couple articles for your consideration, one on the pro-Algebra side and one on negative side.

I thought this Ventura County Star opinion piece was pretty representative of the pieces that seem to suggest that this decision is one of the worst ever made by the State Board.

Here is a story of two young men of my acquaintance, both products of the California public schools.

Both enrolled in algebra in the eighth grade.

One, perhaps because of an innate aptitude for math or perhaps because of the skill of his sixth- and seventh-grade math teachers, fared well. The class became the gateway for higher-level mathematics, progressing ultimately to calculus and beyond.

The other, although cautioned that he might not be quite prepared for eighth-grade algebra, decided to take on the challenge. He failed the course, but used it as a kind of hard-knocks preparation-for-algebra class for which he got a ton of frustration and no credit. The next year, in the ninth grade, he took the course again and excelled.

From these experiences, this is my conclusion: Some students are ready to take algebra in the eighth grade, while others need another year of development and preparation.

Now, I'm just a dad and have an admittedly small sample of personal experiences upon which to base this opinion. But the evidence is that my own very limited qualifications are superior to those of the majority of the state Board of Education.

Last week, acting hastily and without the benefit of research data to justify the decision, the board voted to require that all eighth-graders be enrolled in algebra beginning in three years.

Actually, I believe the decision didn't have any to do with enrollment, but rather said that 8th graders will take the Algebra I California Standards Test (CST) rather than some kids taking a General Math CST based on 6th and 7th grade standards and the rest taking Algebra I or higher tests. As I understand it, the US Department of Education told California that it had to give one test as a measure of 8th grade math proficiency, not two and certainly not one based on standards from lower grades.

I thought it interesting in this piece that even the student who failed Algebra I in 8th grade, took it again in 9th grade, not only passed it, but excelled. That doesn't seem like a terrible thing.

This Riverside Press Enterprise editorial took the opposite position.

The state Board of Education's decision last week that requires schools to teach algebra in eighth grade closes a gap between stated expectations and daily practice. California gains little by setting high standards and then creating loopholes that allow schools to ignore those benchmarks.

The state board made the right choice, however. And the discussion needs to turn from hand-wringing over the algebra standard to the more crucial task of improving students' grasp of that subject.

The board's decision stemmed from a federal order in February to revise the state's eighth-grade math test. The federal government said the state could no longer test some eighth-graders on algebra and others on general math. The general math test covers material taught in lower grades, but federal law requires states to test eighth-graders on eighth-grade course content.

The board had contemplated a new test that would still allow eighth-grade students to bypass algebra. But the board members decided instead to make all eighth-grade students take the algebra test -- in essence, requiring those students to take algebra. About half of the state's eighth-graders now take the algebra test.

Critics, including state schools chief Jack O'Connell and the California Teachers Association, argued that schools needed additional resources to meet that mandate. Without extra tutoring, additional qualified math teachers and more preparation, students will fail, critics said.

That argument confuses resources with standards. Yes, schools will need to do a better job giving students in lower grades the foundation necessary to master algebra. And the state needs to increase the number of specialized math teachers.

I think one of the biggest reasons that students are having difficulty in Algebra I in the 8th grade is poor math instruction in prior years. If students are scoring below basic or far below basic in 7th grade math and earlier, it shouldn't come as big surprise that they're having difficulty in Algebra I as an 8th grader. Opponents of the decision argue that it will cause more dropouts, but I would suggest that students who are going to fail 8th grade Algebra probably also failed earlier math tests. This one test isn't going to change that situation.

I do believe that in the long run, this decision will have a positive impact. The California High School Exit Exam has focused attention on students having basic skills and language arts and math and this has led to new interventions for students who aren't ready to pass the test. My hope is that this change will increase the pressure on elementary school teachers to step up the quality of their math instruction and encourage schools to create math interventions to make certain students are prepared for 8th grade Algebra I. Those would be positive changes.

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