Who Should Take Algebra In 8 th Grade, and What To Do If Students Aren t Ready

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1 Who Should Take Algebra In 8 th Grade, and What To Do If Students Aren t Ready Presented by: Shelley Kriegler kriegler@ucla.edu CSUDH Mathematics Project Friday July 31, 2009

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3 POLICY OR GOAL: The State of Algebra Readiness in California (1995) Robert Moses (The Algebra Project): Highlighting the social consequences of poor and minority students who take general mathematics courses, Moses calls algebra The New Civil Right. (1997) Richard Riley (Secretary of Education): In response to a national goal established by President Clinton to stay globally competitive, Riley calls algebra a gateway to advanced mathematics and science courses.and opportunity. (1998) California Mathematics Framework: Establishes standards for grades K-7, followed by courses that do not mandate that a particular discipline be initiated and completed in a single grade level. The first course listed is Algebra 1. (2000) New Graduation Requirement -Algebra 1 (California Education Code) (2003) New Graduation Requirement - CAHSEE (California Board of Education) (2006) California Mathematics Framework: Establishes requirements for specialized instructional materials for those who are not prepared for algebra by grade 8. An algebra readiness course will prepare students for success in algebra and subsequent advanced courses. However, it falls short of establishing new algebra readiness standards as a transition between 7 th grade and algebra. (2007) Algebra Readiness Textbooks Adopted (2008) Brookings Institute Report: No social benefit is produced by placing students in classes for which they are unprepared.get the goal right. Focus on learning, not completing a course. (2008) California State Board of Education (under pressure from the governor) votes to make the Algebra 1 CST for 8 th graders the sole test of record, for federal accounting purposes, to comply with NCLB. However, a Superior Court Judge rules that the SBE did not have the legal authority to mandate Algebra 1 for all eighth grade students.

4 Californians Speak Out We cannot demand that students meet this challenge without making the substantial changes to our entire system that will help students be successful in Algebra 1 in 8 th Grade Jack O Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction of CA I look forward to working with the education community to determine the best way to implement and support California s nation-leading Algebra 1 test standard. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of CA Experience has told us that not all students are ready to take Algebra at the same time, and a one-size fits all approach unfairly punishes students, often those who need our help the most. Chris Steinbauser, Superintendent Long Beach Unified Schools It is intellectually dishonest for the state to ask students to be tested on academic content that they have not studied. The proposed mandate runs counter to all principles of sound policy in education. Kathy Woods, President, Califonria Mathematics Council ACSA strongly supports ensuring all students have the essential skills to excel. ACSA supports all students succeeding in Algebra 1 as a critical gateway course. ACSA does not support a policy that foces educators to make inappropriate placements in math. ACSA supports and will advocate that educators continue to do what is in the best interest of each individual student, regardless of state sanctions. Position on Algebra 1, Association of California School Administrators

5 WHO SHOULD TAKE ALGEBRA AND WHAT TO DO IF STUDENTS AREN T READY Research by Shelley Kriegler and Theresa Lee (2006) For a copy of the paper, a PowerPoint presentation, and the templates needed to analyze individual school data go to The Questions Typically, the decision to place 8 th grade students into an algebra class or into a pre-algebra class is made at the school level and guided by district policy. Two pertinent questions arise: What level of mathematics achievement is needed in the 7 th grade for success in algebra in the 8 th grade? And how can a school assess if its placement decisions lead to mathematical growth for students? The Methods Stacked bar graphs were created for 1/3 of all middle schools in Los Angeles County (112 schools) and analyzed for patterns of placement and student achievement. Figure 1: Sample Stacked Bar Graph Profile (Rank = 3) 7th Grade Math (2005) 8th Grade All Math (2006) 8th Grade Alg (2006) 8th Grade Gen Math (2006) 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Far Below Basic Below Basic Basic Proficient Advanced XYZ Middle School 350 Students The Results Although State and National policies offer strong incentives to schools to make algebra its 8 th grade course, still only half of California s students are completing algebra in the 8 th grade, and less than half of those students are demonstrating proficiency in the subject. High ranked schools were three times as more likely to only place students demonstrating proficiency in 7 th grade mathematics into algebra, while low ranked schools were three times more likely to place students who were at below basic or far below basic proficiency levels into algebra.

6 Kriegler and Lee (2006) Figure 2: Minimum Student Achievement Level of 7th Graders who Take 8th Grade Algebra Percent of Schools 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Rank: 1-3 (n=43) Rank: 4-7 (n=36) Rank: 8-10 (n=33) Proficient and Above Basic Below Basic Far Below Basic School Rankings 90% of the schools that used conservative algebra placement policies saw an increase in the number of proficient students or decrease in the number of non-proficient students, while only 20% of the schools using an aggressive algebra placement policy saw improvement in at least one of these ranges. Figure3: Improved Proficency in CST scores from 7th Grade to 8th Grade Percent of Schools 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% FBB (n=26) BB (n=11) B (n=32) P+ (n=43) Minimum Student Achievement Level Of 7th Graders who Took the 8th Grade Algebra CST Increase in P+ and Decrease in BB- Increase in P+ or Decrease in BB- No Overall Improvement Analysis of school profiles strongly suggest that proficiency in 7 th grade mathematics is an important indicator of success in 8 th grade algebra, and that enrolling 7 th grade students who are below basic or far below basic in mathematical proficiency is ineffective. The results are inconclusive about whether students at the basic level are ready for algebra, indicating that this decision probably needs to be made on a case-by-case basis. Schools where students are growing mathematically reduce the number of students from year-toyear who score below basic and far below basic, while increasing the number of students who score proficient or higher. This study give school decision makers a visual tool for assessing the effectiveness of math programs and enrollment policies. A template for creating these graphs is available on the web at

7 THE MISPLACED MATH STUDENT: LOST IN EIGHTH GRADE Research by Tom Loveless (2008) Definitions This study used NAEP data to examine characteristics of misplaced math students who took advanced mathematics courses in 8 th grade, to explore patterns in achievement data, and to discuss implications for policy. The complete study is located at Advanced math courses: algebra 1, geometry, algebra 2 Misplaced student: a student scoring in the bottom 10% on NAEP test (i.e. at the 2 nd grade level) Characteristics of misplaced math students, their teachers, and their schools Students are primarily black, Hispanic, or poor. Teachers tend to be inexperienced and underprepared. Schools are located in large urban high-poverty districts. Patterns in Data 120,000 students are misplaced in 8 th grade algebra annually. The national average in 8 th grade NAEP scores has been rising steadily since 2000, but scores of 8 th graders in advanced courses have decreased. There is NO statistical correlation between NAEP score and enrollment in advanced courses for 8 th graders. Jurisdiction 8 th Grade National Rank on NAEP Percent in advanced courses Massachusetts 1 45% North Dakota 3 21% (lowest) Vermont 4 26% Texas 15 28% Utah 30 58% New York 33 21% California 45 59% (highest) Mississippi 50 21% (lowest) District of Columbia 51 51% NATIONAL N/A 38% Conclusions Algebra policy rose from good intentions (algebra as a civil right), but no social benefit is produced by placing students in classes for which they are unprepared. The system shortchanges well prepared students (who are also predominately black, Hispanic, or poor) because they are in classes geared to lower achievers. We need to get the goal right: The focus must be learning algebra, not taking algebra courses by the 8 th grade.

8 College-Preparatory Curriculum for All: The Consequences of Raising Mathematics Graduation Requirements on Students Course Taking and Outcomes in Chicago Elaine M. Allensworth and Nakako Nomi Consortium on Chicago School research University of Chicago (2009) This study evaluates a curriculum policy that required all students to begin high school with algebra, rather than remedial math in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) between 1997 and Research Questions 1. To what extent did enrollment in college-preparatory courses increase as a result of the policy? 2. Did student s academic outcomes improve by taking college-prep instead of remedial classes, and did the effects differ by students incoming abilities? 3. What were the overall effects of the policy on students academic outcomes? Data Course names, grades, absences (course transcripts) Student demographic information (administrative records) SES variables (U.S. Census) Students incoming abilities (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) Student achievement (Tests of Academic Proficiency) 7/48 algebra questions Results All 9 th graders took algebra after policy was implemented. Policy most strongly influenced enrollment for low-ability students. Two lower ability groups (out of 4 groups) were more likely to earn Algebra 1 credits than their pre-policy counterparts. Policy had little effect on enrollment for average or high ability groups. Failures for lowest ability students increased 7.4% post-policy. Average ability students were absent 3.14 more days. Policy had little effect on math test scores or advanced math course placement. Conclusions/Explanations Changing requirements led to more students taking and receiving credit in rigorous sounding courses, but grades suffered slightly and later coursework was unaffected. Findings may contradict prior research studies because they were limited in their applicability to a universal mandate and affected by selection bias. This policy focused on curricular content, but failed to recognize increased demands on teachers, instructional practices, classroom climate, and instructional challenges inherent in de-tracking. Content matters little if students are not engaged in coursework. (Pre-policy GPA for 9 th grade math was a D+ for low ability students.)

9 Tracking the Progress of Your Eighth Graders Gather Files and Data 1. Go to and click on the Teacher Resources tab. 2. Click on the EXCEL template Tracking the Progress of Your Eighth Graders and SAVE it on your desktop. 3. Minimize the webpage, and open the EXCEL template. Then minimize the template. 4. Maximize the web page. Click on the STAR 2008 Data link. Under County, scroll down and click the county of your school. Under District, scroll down and click the district of your school. Under School, scroll down and click the name of your school. Click View Report. 5. Highlight the entire page, beginning with California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR), and COPY it. 6. Maximize the EXCEL template. Click on Sheet 2 (labeled 2008). Click on Cell A1. PASTE STAR 2008 data onto this page. 7. Repeat steps 3-6, using the STAR 2007 Data link. Copy on sheet 3 (labeled 2007).

10 Fill the Template and Make a Tracking Your 8 th Graders Graph 1. Go to Sheet 3 (2007). Highlight cells G29 G37. The highlighted cells should include the 7 th grade CST Mathematics scores, beginning with data for Students Tested and ending with data for % Far Below Basic. COPY the cells. 2. Go to Sheet 1. Click on B6, and PASTE the information. 3. Go to Sheet 2 (2008). Highlight cells H39 H67. The highlighted cells should begin with data for Students Tested for CST General Mathematics and end with data for % Far Below Basic on CST Geometry. If no Geometry scores are reported, then end with % Far Below Basic on CST Algebra. COPY the cells. 4. Go to Sheet 1. Click on C19, and PASTE the information. Your data should appear analyzed in the bar graph on sheet 1.