Lacking preparation, many 8th-graders fail algebra

02-18-2011

By Louis Freedberg/California Watch

Thousands of California eighth-graders who have been pushed into taking high school algebra lack the preparation they need to succeed in those classes, and are being set up for failure. That is one of the key findings of a report by EdSource released today, titled "Improving Middle Grades Mathematics Performance." It takes a close look at California's push in recent years to have students take Algebra I in the eighth grade instead of in high school. On one level, that effort has been spectacularly successful. Since 2003, the number of students taking Algebra I has soared by 80 percent. The increase has been most dramatic among low-income, African American and Latino students, many of whom did not previously have access to the course in the middle grades. (more...)

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Lacking preparation, many 8th-graders fail algebra

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