Comments on: Math alert! All eighth-graders to take algebra test

By: FL math teacher

FL math teacher — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 21:33:49 +0000

The difference between success and failure for most at-risk students is the teacher.

By: Algebra I, all summer long - The Education Report - Reporter Katy Murphy’s blog on Oakland schools

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 01:24:23 +0000

[...] I — as opposed to a slowed down version – by the eighth grade, a move our governor would definitely support. Algebra’s a big stumbling block for kids, and many wind up taking it over and over and [...]

By: Algebra I mandate takes a hit in court - The Education Report - Katy Murphy covers what’s going on in the Oakland schools

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 02:13:54 +0000

[...] July, under pressure from the governor, the State Board of Education approved the bold, 11th-hour algebra requirement over the strong objections of the top ranking education official, Jack O’Connell (who filed [...]

By: phil bertoni

phil bertoni — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:32:55 +0000

Having all or most students take Algebra too early runs the “risk of categorizing math students too early”. Algebra, although very conceptual, is full of necessary basic skills, such as algebraic fractions and decimals involved with equation solving and problem solving. Most students need more time to develop their understanding of basic math skills applied to increasingly higher forms of problem solving without the additional distraction of learning complex algebraic concepts.
—–Retired public school teacher – 38 years—–

By: TyPR

TyPR — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:15:06 +0000

I don’t know what their plans are with this policy, but either way I think this proves how corrupted our government is.

If their plan is really to help the students, then that simply proves how little most government officials really know about regular people. Being currently in school I should know. When I was in 8th grade, I took Algebra I. Personally I think I was ready for it in 7th (or MAYBE 6th). Sure, I did well, but I also know others in lower maths that wouldn’t have had any success at all. To me, most concepts of higher math are like this: you either get them, or you don’t. And if you’re not ready to learn something, it won’t help to try, because you just won’t get it.

However, if they (the government) know that won’t work for students, but still have their own goals for it, then I just find it sad that government officials can do basically anything they want, even if it puts the majority of those effected at the bottom. And we call this a democracy.

By: Nextset

Nextset — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:09:24 +0000

Here’s a pretty good article complaining about Arnold’s new state Algebra policy. Note the stats from LA Unified on Algebra…

http://www.vdare.com/sailer/080803_algebra.htm

This covers my problem with what Arnold has done. My question now is why has the Governor done something that he knows won’t work? The only answer is that he actually intends the logical results of his actions – he knows the Algebra policy will radically speed up the pace of school drop outs – and that is his actual objective.

And while I have taken the position that we should only have half of the high school students in academic high schools that we have – there’s something about how this will do it that bothers me. I think it that I don’t like creating failure by sending people into situations they have no reasonable expectation of succeeding in… That’s what bothers me. Algebra, like other academic study, should have prerequisites. We should not be enrolling people in programs they are extremely likely to fail in. It’s bad for them, wasteful for us, and just the wrong thing to do.

By: MaryF

MaryF — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:40:39 +0000

It is a shame that the CA School Board didn’t agree to the proposed changes to the General Math exam. With an “Algebra Readiness” course covering the introductory standards of Algebra 1 in eighth grade, most students have a good chance of being successful in Algebra 1 in the ninth grade. Publishers have even devised books for “Algebra Readiness” that are on the state-adopted list in anticipation of the revised general math course. For students who are not quite developmentally ready at 14, it was a logical step to give them another year to mature and solidify their skills. It is really frustrating when politicians get involved who have no idea what really happens in the classroom.

By: Public School Survivor

Public School Survivor — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:26:50 +0000

It is unreasonable to expect all students to take the same exam, when they are not all prepared for it. It would be nice if all eighth-graders were at the same level, but this is, sadly, not true. The general math students would just be wasting their time taking an algebra test, guessing on every question, and artificially lowering the math scores of the entire state. It would actually have a negative effect because students will become discouraged by the difficulty of the subject before they even start to learn it.
On the other end of the spectrum, having one test for all the students in a grade is a waste of time for the advanced students as well. I took algebra in seventh grade and still had to take a general math test. In my high school honors program we took history classes a year earlier and switched the order of the science classes. Every year I had to take the wrong test, either on material I had not learned yet or on something I had learned the year before. Instead of trying to use one test for all students, the decision should be based on what the student is actually taking if lawmakers want an accurate report of how students are performing.

By: Dee

Dee — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:59:29 +0000

Thank you for your reply. That is what I was afraid of.

By: Katy Murphy

Katy Murphy — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:45:34 +0000

Dee: As I understand it, the Mathematics Blueprint outlined proposed changes to the General Math exam, not to the Algebra I test.

Because the eighth-grade General Math test was deemed out of compliance by the U.S. Department of Education, State Superintendent Jack O’Connell originally proposed revamping it to include some — but not all — Algebra I standards.

The state board rejected that option, however, and decided to phase out the test entirely. So unless I’m mistaken, the blueprint is now irrelevant.