Latest news with #AlgebraI
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Untangling Who Should Take Algebra — And When
When it comes to access, readiness and placement in Algebra I, states and districts across the country have ping-ponged between extremes for decades, often without clear evidence to back up drastic and frequent policy shifts. A new report attempts to untangle the policy pendulum swings and provide states and districts with concrete evidence for what's most effective. But to really understand what's at stake, consider a history lesson – more a cautionary tale, really – set in San Francisco schools. Nationally, only 16% of eighth-grade students took Algebra I in the mid-80s — and as one might imagine, the well-resourced schools that offered the advanced math subject in middle school overwhelmingly catered to wealthy white students. The 90s was marked by efforts to address those inequities and increase access to Algebra I, which was seen as a gateway to academic success and college access but one that often locked out marginalized students. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Swept up in California's 'Algebra for All' push in the late 1990s, San Francisco schools shifted away from placing high-achieving students on advanced math tracts and attempted to enroll all eighth-graders in Algebra I. But the results were lackluster at best. By significantly increasing enrollment, including students who were not academically prepared for the subject, achievement plummeted. Some research even suggests a harmful backsliding for the lowest-performers, who often had to repeat the course. So, San Francisco course-corrected once again. In 2015, they rolled out new and rigorous math standards, but took away the ability for students to take Algebra I in eighth-grade, making it a ninth-grade subject. Then, after a wave of criticism from parents fearing their kids weren't being challenged or properly prepared for more advanced mathematics, they reintroduced Algebra I to eighth-graders this year, piloting three different ways of offering the subject in middle school to pinpoint the most effective way to do so. San Francisco isn't alone in its Algebra I pendulum swings — not by a long shot. Today, the subject has become a bellwether for equity and college access, and unexpectedly, one of the most hotly debated topics in American education. With district and school leaders clamoring for more meaningful guidance about who should take the class, when, and with what types of support, a new report from EdResearch for Action and the Annenberg Institute at Brown University tackles those issues head-on. 'Over the past few decades, the research that has come out of those policy swings — from everyone should take it in eighth grade to no, we should make everyone take it in ninth grade — has kind of shown that that one-size-fits-all uniform push to algebra one is not meeting the needs of all students,' says Elizabeth Huffaker, a fellow at Stanford University's Center for Education Policy Analysis and author of the report. 'A lot of states and districts are experimenting with new models, and we wanted to bring to bear what we do know as states and districts try to do that.' Here's what the report found and what state, district and school leaders should examine as they think about the most effective ways to set students up for success with Algebra I and beyond. In deciding who should take algebra, districts should attempt to strike a balance between expanding early access to the subject in 8th grade and ensuring students are academically ready. The goal should be to broaden participation while preventing course failure, disengagement, and long-term setbacks. Research shows that long-term academic success is higher when students are enrolled in Algebra I based on academic readiness rather than grade level. But whether schools should embrace acceleration among students with uncertain readiness depends on the level of academic support a district can provide as well as the proportion of students considered borderline ready. Enrolling too many students who aren't fully ready can be disruptive and ineffective, whereas a small number who are also bolstered by tutoring programs, for example, would likely be successful. Related Students who are not academically ready need significant support to be successful. When it comes to making placement decisions, research shows the best way to do so is with a combination of test scores, rather than relying solely on subjective referrals or a single test score. This has been shown to improve participation and achievement, especially for historically underserved students. For example, when schools in Wake County, North Carolina, replaced subjective placement factors with a cutoff score based on multiple academic measures, it led to increased enrollment, especially among Black, Hispanic, and low-income students. 'Tracking,' the practice of assigning students to courses based on their proficiency level, is controversial since it assumes students have fixed academic abilities. That's a narrative that's particularly harmful for low-income students and students of color who come into K-12 with far less access to advanced coursework. Yet the practice is widespread, especially in older grades and for placement in advanced classes: Nationally, about 25% of 4th graders and 75% of 8th graders attend schools that use tracking. Supporters argue that it improves learning by targeting instruction to students' individual needs, and research seems to bear that out, with classrooms grouped by proficiency levels allowing more targeted instruction. However, research also shows that tracking tends to benefit higher achievers while also widening achievement gaps and increasing segregation. Moreover, students in lower tracks are typically aware of their placement, which can hurt confidence, motivation and effort. Meanwhile, mixed-proficiency classrooms offer all students access to rigorous coursework, but risk discouraging lower achievers by introducing material that's too advanced while also slowing progress for high achievers because the material isn't advanced enough. And while differentiated instruction can benefit all students, effectively supporting a wide range of academic abilities requires teachers to have advanced skills. The best approach is to provide extra support to students who aren't quite ready for algebra through tutoring, offering two periods of math each day (also known as 'double-dose') or providing summer programs, research shows. Tutoring, especially when delivered in small groups, multiple times per week, and during the school day, is one of the most effective short-term and long-term academic interventions. A meta-analysis of 21 randomly controlled trials found that math tutoring generates about a 10 percentile learning gain, on average, which is a large effect for an educational intervention. 'Double-dose' algebra gives students two math periods a day and has been shown to improve outcomes. When Chicago Public Schools required underprepared 9th-grade students to take two periods of algebra instead of one, student test scores increased. It also led to longer-run gains in college entrance exam scores, high school graduation rates, and college enrollment rates. Research also shows that summer bridge programs help students build the study skills and confidence needed for success in algebra. One 19-day Algebra I bridge program in California raised the share of algebra-ready students from 12% to 29%. Increasing enrollment in Algebra I in middle school involves nuanced decision-making that includes evaluating the readiness of students and educators and the capacity of the district to provide support. What districts should avoid, the research shows, are policy shifts that either delay Algebra I for all students or accelerate them without strong, integrated support, and enrollment policies that rely on one static test score or subjective teacher recommendations. 'There should be an emphasis on raising the floor, not lowering the ceiling when we're thinking about balancing access and achievement,' Huffaker says. Related Most recently, districts have been turning to auto-enrollment policies, which allow students to opt out and support those who may not be academically ready with either tutoring or a second math class. Research shows that it increases participation and completion rates, particularly among underrepresented students. Bottom line, Huffaker says, is that there are always going to be trade-offs when it comes to how and when to introduce Algebra I. 'We always say that supported acceleration is a great way to get all or most of your students on an advanced pathway. And it sounds really great to have everyone kind of on that early Algebra I one trajectory. But districts face significant resource constraints and staffing. So I think our real goal here was to provide a framework where districts could come in with their local priorities and resources mapped and see what's realistic for them.'
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Excellent Educators: Newport News
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — WAVY-TV 10 will celebrate educators all month long! This year, the Newport News Public School Division nominated three Excellent Educators, including Tanesha Koonce, Jessica Reynolds, and Llew Radford. 10 On Your Side's Kiahnna Patterson met up with Mrs. Koonce, the family and consumer sciences teacher and athletic director at Booker T. Washington Middle. Koonce is the 2024-2025 Middle School Teacher of the Year. Newport News Excellent Educator allows students to create a business plan More information on the other two educators can be found below: Jessica Reynolds Jessica Reynolds has 18 years of teaching experience. She fosters two-way communication so that students can hold themselves accountable. She not only holds students to high standards academically, but also to high standards as leaders inside and outside the classroom. An example is her students reading with their peers in the Kindergarten Buddies program. Reynolds has served as a grade-level lead, a cooperating teacher and a teacher mentor, among other duties. Reynolds, the 2024-2025 Newport News Public Schools Division-Wide Teacher of the Year. Reynolds' mother and aunt are teachers. She attended Newport News schools and graduated from Heritage High School. 'For me, it's all about the kids,' Reynolds said in a NNPS News article. 'That's what makes me want to come to school, even with all the other stuff going on. They're my kids. They're my babies.' Learn More about Reynolds here. Llew Radford Radford teaches Algebra I and geometry to ninth and tenth graders and serves as the lead math teacher at Heritage. He has nine years of teaching experience. Radford believes that developing relationships and making connections with students are essential to their growth and achievement. He uses teen culture, music terminology, and fashion – all to advance mathematical understanding and skills to prepare students for success. Radford started his career in human services before becoming an educator. Challenges are something he embraces. Mr. Radford works to explore innovative ways to meet those challenges to prepare students for success. He ensures that his students have transferable life skills to successfully prepare them for the future. Radford is the 2024-2025 Newport News Public Schools High School Teacher of the Year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida Senate softens high school math and reading graduation requirements
Senators convene in the Senate chamber on March 4, 2025. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix) Florida high schoolers would not need to pass algebra or English final exams to graduate under a bill the Florida Senate unanimously passed Thursday. That proposal is part of SB 166, which its sponsor, Sen. Cory Simon, a Republican representing 13 counties in the Panhandle and Big Bend, called public school 'deregulation.' The bill would remove a state requirement that students pass the Algebra I and 10th grade English finals. Students would still have to pass the classes notwithstanding a failing test score. (The test would count toward 30% of the course grade.) 'As we focus on providing parents with the choice in education, school districts must be given the chance to compete,' Simon said on the Senate floor Thursday. Last year, under Speaker Paul Renner, the House rejected removing the testing requirements. ExcelinEd, former Gov. Jeb Bush's education think tank, opposed the idea then and now. In office, Bush established the A+ Plan for education, which put in place school grades based on student test scores and the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Several school districts lobbied in support of the bill. The bill would expand eligibility for teachers' professional certificates, looks to enhance teacher recruitment, and would remove requirements for schools to have internal auditors. Third-graders who score a 1 out of 5 on their third and final reading progress monitoring tests could advance to fourth grade if they scored a 2 on the first two progress-monitoring tests. A score of 3 is considered 'on grade level.' Federal assessments show reading and math performance drop in Florida, nation Reading scores among Florida's fourth graders on the 2024 National Assessment of Education Progress dropped to the lowest mark since 2003, the Phoenix reported in February. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Simon said adding progress monitoring has allowed teachers to understand in real time how to shape instruction. In 2024, 55% of third graders could read at grade level. In 2023, that level was 50%. 'A few years ago, when we passed the universal school choice bill, we made an obligation to parents that we were going to fund students and we were going to fund their choice to choose the school that is best suited for them. Well, 75-to-80% of our parents are choosing our public schools, and it is part of the choice. It's not the default,' Simon said. Focusing on test scores only can turn students into 'robots,' Simon said. 'We all learn differently, but we take a test that doesn't focus on all of our strengths, and so it's important for us to continue to do this work, making sure that our kids leave our schools, and they're not defeated, they're encouraged. They're emboldened to take on their future,' Simon said. The bill looks to 'level the playing field amid other school choice options,' Senate President Ben Albritton said in a news release. 'None of this bill decreases the rigor of what our schools are doing. What we're saying is, what they've done all should add up to something,' Simon told reporters following the vote. The bill does not have a companion in the House, which will have to pass it before the governor could sign it into law. 'Thank you for your leadership and continued work on education and helping our public schools to have an environment where those that are running and trying to create policy to manage the district gets a little relief from all of the things that we mandate on them on the state level, as well as being focused on our children and helping them to learn and grow without overburdening them,' Sen. Rosalind Osgood, a Democrat representing part of Broward County said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
CBS News
21-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Trump singles out Baltimore schools over low math scores while dismantling Department of Education
President Donald Trump singled out Baltimore City schools for their low math scores on Thursday as the administration begins dismantling the Department of Education. Mr. Trump signed an executive order that would initiate the process of eliminating the department . However, the president used Baltimore schools as an example, citing the district's inept math scores. "In Baltimore, 40% of the high schools have zero students who can do basic mathematics, not even the very simplest of mathematics," Mr. Trump said. "I said, 'Give me your definition of basic,' and they are talking about adding a few numbers together." A fact sheet presented by the White House said that 13 Baltimore City schools had no students who were proficient on a state math test in 2023. WJZ reached out to the Baltimore City schools for comment but has not heard back. Meanwhile, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore weighed in. "While the President is busy mocking Maryland students' test scores and trying to shutter the doors of the Department of Education, we're fighting for Maryland's students and educators," Moore said in a statement. "Leadership means lifting people up, not punching down." According to The Baltimore Banner , Mr. Trump is referring to the students' performances on Maryland's Algebra I test, which covers far more than basic math, but also tests students ' knowledge of functions and systems of equations, among other materials. The Banner reports that Achievement Academy at Harbor City High and Excel Academy at Francis M. Wood High — alternative schools designed to help struggling students catch up — are two schools in the report cited by Mr. Trump, along with Joseph C. Briscoe Academy, which serves students with special needs. Baltimore City high school students didn't fair well with the Algebra I test administered in the spring of 2023, the Banner reports. The Banner says that around 5,000 students took the test, and fewer than 3% passed, according to data shared by the district. The data obtained by the Banner showed that Baltimore Polytechnic Institute had the city's best results that year, however, roughly a quarter of the school's students passed. Baltimore City schools told the Banner that in 2024, the share of Baltimore high school students who passed the Algebra I test grew to nearly 6%. The 2024 graduation rate for Maryland high schools reached 87.6% in 2024, the highest level since 2017, according to the State Department of Education (MSDE). The 2024 graduation rate was 1.8 percentage points higher than in the 2022-23 school year. Hispanic students and multilingual learners saw the largest increase among student groups. The latest data represents students who began high school during the 2020-21 school year, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Anne Arundel County , the 2024 graduation rate rose by almost one percentage point, compared to 2023, according to data from MSDE. Baltimore County recorded a high school graduation rate of 85.8% in 2024, an increase of nearly one percentage point from the previous year. Baltimore City schools had a graduation rate of 71% in 2024, up from 69% in 2023. The Blueprint for Maryland's Future education plan became law in 2021 after the General Assembly overrode a veto of the bill by former Gov. Larry Hogan. The Kirwan Commission was formed in 2016 and worked for three years to develop the Blueprint based on best practices to help the state's poorest schools. The education plan sought to bolster spending in high-concentration poverty schools and uplift students who need additional services to succeed in underserved districts. Earlier this month, Maryland's House of Delegates voted along party lines to modify parts of Gov. Wes Moore's plan for the Blueprint education plan, according to The Baltimore Banner . The Banner says the legislation no longer carries some of the reforms sought by Moore, including a multi-year pause on a plan to increase planning time for teachers. Delegates opted for only a one-year pause instead. The legislation includes programs to recruit and better train teachers, according to the Banner, and state delegates rejected proposed cuts to funding for community schools. The Banner says state delegates also rejected Moore's proposed cuts to planned increased per-pupil funding for students in poverty and those learning English, and freezing funding levels for community schools, which offer extra services to students and their families in high-poverty neighborhoods. On March 17, Maryland students and education advocates rallied in front of the State House in opposition to potential cuts in the 2026 proposed budget. Rally organizers said Gov. Wes Moore's proposed budget includes cuts to education that would strip essential resources from schools and disproportionately impact students with the highest needs. "It's students from across Maryland coming together under one mission, to fight for education and fight back against a lot of the education cuts," said Riya Gupta, the interim executive director of Strong Schools Maryland. Students gathered to speak out about cuts to community schools, the Blueprint for Maryland's Future , and disability and behavioral health resources, among others. "We want (lawmakers) to maintain their promise to the Blueprint," Gupta said. "In 2021, the governor, the legislature, made a promise to students, and now they are here four years later, stepping back on that promise, and we are here fighting against that. I think it is incredible." Mr. Trump says the United States ranks near the bottom of the world in education. According to CBS News , Mr. Trump claimed that 70% of eighth graders "are not proficient in either reading or math," and "40% of fourth graders lack even basic reading skills." The president said that the administration would be returning education "back to the states, where it belongs," CBS News reports. "We're going to eliminate it, and everybody knows it's right," the president said of the department at the White House Thursday. He added, "We're not doing well with the world of education in this country, and we haven't for a long time." Mr. Trump's administration, along with the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has already cut nearly half of the education department's workforce . CBS News reports that fully eliminating the Department of Education would require an act of Congress.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State education board weighing minimum coursework requirements
BOSTON (SHNS) – The Massachusetts Board of Education could advance draft regulations Tuesday in response to a voter-approved law that removed the requirement that students to pass the MCAS exam to graduate. The board is considering measures to clarify and streamline language that was written by the Massachusetts Teachers Association and approved by voters, by specifying minimum requirements of coursework students must still pass to earn the so-called competency determination (CD) to get state approval to earn a diploma. The voter law turned most decisions about whether a student graduates back to local districts. However, it maintained a statewide CD, leaving it to the state to draft regulations about what exactly it would look like for the state to certify that a student was eligible to graduate without a standardized assessment. The law uses language such as 'showing mastery' and 'satisfactorily completing coursework.' Education Commissioner Russell Johnston wrote in a memo that the department drafted regulations to define the terms. The new regulations specify that for English language arts, a student must 'satisfactorily complete coursework' in the equivalent of two years of high school English courses. For math, they must complete either Algebra I and geometry courses, or Integrated Math I and Integrated Math II. In science, a student would have to finish coursework in one year of biology, one year of physics, one year of chemistry, or one year of a technology or engineering course. The voter law also left wiggle room for the state board to add additional areas to the CD. The regulations they will vote on Tuesday would add United States history to the requirements beginning with the graduating class of 2027. Additionally, the draft regulations attempt to address procedural legal issues, such as removing references to students needing a qualifying score on the MCAS assessment from current regulations. One of the objectives of the ballot campaign was to give more power to the school districts to determine whether a student was eligible for a diploma. Some are considering still using the MCAS, which is still administered statewide even though it isn't used for a graduation standard, for their locally-approved graduation requirements. The Frontier Regional School District, which serves Conway, Deerfield, Sunderland and Whately, is among those considering this option. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has said this would be allowed under the new law. The amended regulations also offer up an option for students to take the MCAS to meet the CD under certain 'limited circumstances,' according to Johnston's memo. 'Some students who enroll in high school may not have a traditional transcript of their prior courses and grades. For example, some students may have been previously homeschooled or may have arrived from another state or country,' he wrote. In these circumstances, a student could pass the CD by getting a qualifying score on the MCAS, or by meeting the academic standards for an equivalent that the district certifies. This section also allows the DESE commissioner to waive a provision of the regulations for 'good cause,' upon a written request from a district. A local district's governing board would need to approve their new CD policy, under the regulations. Districts also have to make those policies available to the public online and submit them to the department. DESE plans to audit the quality of district CD policies, it adds. The board's Tuesday vote could open a public comment period that would end on April 4, with a final vote for approval anticipated on May 20. The regulations will amend current DESE guidelines, but Gov. Maura Healey also signed an executive order in January to create a council tasked with coming up with a new permanent statewide standard. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
