New study says not all eighth graders should take algebra

By René Hill

Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008 | midnight

Nevada is among many states raising the math requirements for its middle and high school students. Many eighth grade students are being pushed into algebra courses for which they are unready and ill-prepared. A new study argues that middle schoolers struggling in math are being enrolled in upper level courses despite being unprepared.

"The Misplaced Math Student: Lost in Eighth Grade Algebra" is scheduled for release by the Brookings Institution, and the findings in it show that an "increasing number of the lowest-performing students" have been pushed into algebra as eighth graders while they are as far as six grades below grade level in math.

Efforts to require all student to take either introductory algebra or algebra I are admirable but misplaced, the study's author, Tom Loveless of the Washington-based research center, says. According to the study, policy-makers would be better off concentrating on grounding elementary students in the math they need for algebra and intervening with those who need extra help.

"Preparing students for algebra is a culmination of many years of teaching and learning and the product of hard work by students, teachers and families," Loveless writes. "Mandating algebra in eighth grade is the equivalent of mandating, by policy, that all buildings immediately erect a fiftieth floor — regardless of their current height."

The study was based on data from eighth grade test scores on the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress, often called the nation's report card. In addition to the scores, the researcher also looked at the courses the students reported being enrolled in when they took the exam. The results showed the disconnect between the lofty goal of enrolling as many students as possible in introductory algebra in eighth grade and student performance.

To help the struggling students, it is suggested that schools concentrate on building necessary skills in the early grades, particularly in the area of whole numbers and fractions, an emphasis recommended this year by the National Mathematics Advisory Panel.

Another recommendation of the report is the use of after school and summer programs to identify and help students who struggle. This must start as early as possible, because it is difficult to catch up on several years of math. There is little research on how to bring students up to grade level quickly at this point, so early intervention is the only way to counter any math deficiencies.

Rene Hill is an English teacher in the Clark County School District. She can be reached c/o The News, 2360 Corporate Circle, Third Floor, Henderson, NV 89074 or [email protected].