Studies Question Value Of Early Algebra Lessons
The inclusion of updates and revisions is essential. Mastering algebra is widely regarded as the entryway to higher mathematics and college preparedness. However, recent studies have raised doubts about the benefits of exposing low-performing students to the subject in middle school. Separate examinations of urban middle schoolers in California and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C. school district suggest that placing struggling math students in algebra classes does not improve their performance on state math tests. In fact, it significantly negatively impacts their grade point averages and reduces the likelihood of them taking and passing higher-level math courses in high school.
California has been at the forefront of efforts to introduce algebra concepts in lower grades. In 2008, the state board of education made algebra a part of the 8th-grade end-of-year math test, making it mandatory for all students to take algebra by the end of middle school. While there has been resistance from the state education department and teachers’ unions, the policy did lead to an increase in the number of students taking Algebra 1 and pre-algebra in 8th grade, according to Don Taylor, an education consultant for the California education department, and researchers Michael Kurlaender and Heather Rose from the University of California, Davis. These findings were presented during a session at the American Educational Research Association’s annual conference.
Nationally, the percentage of students taking algebra in 8th grade nearly doubled from 1990 to 2007, going from 16 percent to 31 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics and Mr. Taylor’s research. In California, however, the enrollment in algebra for 8th graders more than tripled during that same period, going from 16 percent in 1990 to 54 percent in 2009.
The researchers in California analyzed the course selection and math achievement of over 22,000 students who began 7th grade between 2001 and 2004 in more than 20 schools in a large urban district. They discovered that for the approximately 2,400 students who scored in the lowest 10 percent on state math tests at the end of 7th grade, taking algebra in 8th grade did not have a significant impact on their math-test performance at the end of 8th grade. It did, however, cause their average GPAs to decrease by 7 percent, which is roughly equivalent to the difference between a C and a C-minus. Lead author of the study, Mr. Taylor, emphasized the potential academic harm that low-performing students experience in the short term, as their grade point averages hold more weight than math state tests.
In North Carolina, a separate study was conducted on students in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district, which has a student population of 141,100. In 2002, the district implemented a policy that transformed Algebra 1 from a high school course to an 8th-grade course. The researchers at Duke University, including Charles T. Clotfelter, Helen F. Ladd, and Jacob L. Vigdor, tracked the effects of this policy. Unlike the findings in the California study, the Duke researchers discovered that even moderately proficient math students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg performed significantly worse on state end-of-year math tests when placed in early-algebra classes. Furthermore, low-performing students who took Algebra 1 in 8th grade were considerably less likely to take more advanced math courses, such as Algebra 2 or geometry, in the future.
In both the districts of California and Charlotte-Mecklenburg, students were placed in high school-level courses without any transition from pre-algebra in previous grades. This was also done without taking into account the students who might be performing at a 2nd grade level in arithmetic. This information comes from a study conducted in 2009 by Tom Loveless, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington.
According to Mr. Loveless, it is possible for children in 8th grade or even younger to take algebra and succeed in it. However, this is not the case for all students. The key factor seems to be their prior knowledge. In an interview, Mr. Loveless stated, "If a student is well prepared, algebra is beneficial regardless of their age. But if a student is not prepared, it can have negative consequences, regardless of their age. Developmental readiness should not imply a developmental requirement."
These concerns have led to the universal-algebra policy being put on hold in California. Michael Taylor, a representative from the California Department of Education, explained that it does not seem to make a difference in terms of math performance. He questioned whether a universal policy truly suits all students and suggested rethinking such policies if they do not improve education for every child.
However, there is some positive news for algebra from a study conducted by the American Institutes for Research and the University of Chicago. Their "Back on Track" study revealed that introducing online and face-to-face summer algebra programs in Chicago resulted in a significant increase in credit recovery for students who had failed algebra in their freshman year. Jessica B. Heppen, a principal research analyst at AIR, shared this information.
