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Sunday's Internet Edition, October 12, 2008.
Algebra in elementary school
Mandatory requirements set for all eighth grade students
By Dana Edlund
Staff Writer
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Changing state and federal requirements relating to algebra and eighth graders may mean big changes for some school districts, but for now Galt elementary school district is on the right path according to curriculum director Judy Bullard.
On July 9, the state Board of Education, a board appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger, voted 8-1 to require mandatory Algebra 1 for all eighth graders beginning 2011. The lone dissenting vote was James Aschwanden.
California was ordered by the federal government to bring our eighth grade math testing into compliance with federal No Child Left Behind guidelines.
The state Board of Education went against the recommendation of Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell. O’Connell has stated he disagreed with the decision, as it did not offer funding for extra resources like tutoring, remediation, and smaller class size. O’Connell recommended a test containing some algebra, but other math as well.
The Galt elementary school district recently adopted a new math curriculum that strongly supports the California Content Standards in Mathematics, the state’s blueprints for what math should be taught at each grade level. These standards lead students on a path to understanding algebra, by gradually increasing the amount and type of algebra they learn through elementary and middle school.
Basic algebra concepts are introduced as early as second grade, and by sixth grade, algebra makes up nearly 30 percent of the math taught.
“This new math curriculum adoption was a smart move by the school board,” said Bullard. “With the new curriculum, our students are going to be ahead of districts that waited to adopt new materials. The program has assessments built in which check to make sure we are at the place we need to be in the contents standards guidelines. We give these assessments to the students at the end of each trimester; we don’t wait until state testing in the spring.”
The current sixth grade class will be the first to take the new exam.
Jessica Rosado, a Lake Canyon sixth grader, said she was confident about her math learning.
“I like math,” said Rosado, “I think our new books are really good.”
Her mom, Erma Rosado, said, “I think she will be ready for the exam because she loves math. However, I think some kids will be able to pass, and some won’t. Some kids just aren’t ready for algebra in eighth grade.”
Edith Crawford, assistant superintendent of curriculum for the Galt Joint Union High School District, said the new algebra requirement would affect the high school’s curriculum as well.
Currently Algebra 1 is one of the high school’s math offerings. Future students will then have to take a minimum of geometry and Algebra 2, or the high school will have to offer a different course.
“At the high school level, there is much we have to do – staff development, reviewing our instructional materials and making sure our support structure for students is strong,” said Crawford. “We will be working closely with the teachers in the middle school and will need to be working in tandem with the elementary school district.”
Finding quality algebra teachers may be difficult during years there are statewide teacher shortages, but McCaffrey Middle School currently has six algebra/pre-algebra teachers, plus additional support staff.
“Every year there is competition from surrounding districts, so we need to constantly be refining our craft,” said Bullard. “We need to support our teachers, reflect on how we teach, and let teachers learn from one another.”
Additionally, Bullard said the district is looking at steps that may need to be taken in the future to ensure the success of algebra in elementary school.
“To ensure our eighth graders pass the new algebra test beginning in 2011, some steps may need to be taken,” said Bullard. “It is going to take some improved instruction. We need to take what can be a complicated idea, algebra, and break it down into simple. We have skilled teachers in Galt who can do this. We have new ideas for helping English learner students; there is no need to enter them into math remediation if their math skills are strong but they have language difficulties.”
One of the other tools Galt uses for its seventh and eighth grade students is a program called IPass. Students answer questions in the computer program, which then finds the gaps in their understanding. The students are given extra practice in those specific areas.
“I feel good about our future in math; we are on the right track,” said Bullard. “We are constantly checking to make sure we are teaching to the content standards. We will continue to monitor the blueprints and other materials for the future algebra exam as they become available to make sure we stay on the right track.”
The California School Boards Association and the Association of California School Administrators filed a lawsuit against the state Board of Education, to halt the algebra test requirements. While the suit moves through the courts system, our elementary students will be moving along the path of algebra learning.
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