History of IDEA
Jeannie Oakes, Founder and Former Director
Youth Voice in School Finance
NEW REPORT: Los Angeles' road to A-G for all
Without Dollars and Sense Powerpoint
Past Educational Opportunity Reports
Prepare more students for algebra but be fair to those who aren’t ready
- 06-22-2011
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Opinion by Bill Honig/Thoughts on Public education
Bill Honig began his career in education as an elementary school teacher before becoming a California State Board member and district superintendent.
One of the most intractable problems facing California schools is the shockingly low performance of students in our middle grades. In 2009, on the respected NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) test, only Mississippi, Alabama, and Washington, D.C., scored lower than our state. It’s true that many of our students take Algebra, which is not tested in NAEP, but NAEP does assess important mathematical knowledge that 8th graders should know, so it is relevant to all students. What to do? First, it is crucial that we get the policy framework right. In 2008, the State Board of Education, with the governor’s support, adopted the educationally unsound standard of requiring all students to take Algebra in the 8th grade. (more…)
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