A View From Abroad: Algebra Comes Early
While more American students are being encouraged to take introductory algebra in 8th grade, their foreign peers are typically exposed to that math content by at least that grade level, if not earlier, a well-known scholar has found.
Research conducted by William H. Schmidt, a professor of education at Michigan State University in East Lansing, has shown that many Asian and European countries teach introductory algebra in 8th or even 7th grade, and seek to prepare students for that material in earlier grades. Those courses usually aren’t called Algebra 1, as they are in the United States, even though they cover algebraic material, he said.
Mr. Schmidt studied algebra and math coursetaking in about 50 foreign nations with varying levels of academic achievement in the mid-1990s; their curricula have remained relatively unchanged since then, he said.
The researcher says he believes all U.S. students should be encouraged to take introductory algebra by 8th grade—and be adequately prepared for it beforehand. In American middle schools today, “there’s a tracking,” Mr. Schmidt said, in which “some kids get Algebra 1 and others don’t.”
—Sean Cavanagh
Catching Up on Algebra
Education Week
April 22, 2008
and, in California:
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.
[snip]
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.
California Board Mandates Algebra 1 for All 8th Graders
Ed Week
July 14, 2008
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ReplyDeleteCalifornia 8th graders will be required to take Algebra 1
ReplyDeleteThere is something a bit incoherent in California's education scene. The standards are there, but the implementation is severely lacking.
I would imagine many districts will add 8th grade Algebra, but will not ensure that students entering 8th grade will be prepared for the subject.
absolutely
ReplyDeleteit'll be pretend algebra
same way Project Lead the Way is pretend pre-engineering
I remain very skeptical about Minnesota's algebra standards. How on earth will my district's students be prepared for Algebra I in 8th grade when we use Everyday Math in K-6? I really don't think it's possible, because most kids don't come out of Everyday Math with the foundational skills (such as fraction fluency) that are required for algebra.
ReplyDelete7th grade is going to be nothing short of a nightmare. I see a lot of summer school in these kids' futures...
I remain very skeptical about Minnesota's algebra standards. How on earth will my district's students be prepared for Algebra I in 8th grade when we use Everyday Math in K-6?
ReplyDeleteIn Susan S's school, they got rid of accelerated math in middle school to make the middle school math classes compatible with Math Trailblazers.
The Tri State Consortium report for our district makes a LOT of noise about how great Math Trailblazers is, as opposed to the "traditional environment" of math in the middle school.