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R E P O R T
M A Y 2 0 0 9
Most Caliornia policymakers and educators would likely agree that al
students need to take and master algebraand that they need to do so
as early as possible in their school careers.
HigHligHts
n Caliornia has used its academic
content standards and accountability
policies to push or earlier student
participation and success in algebra ...... 2
n The state has seen large increases
in 8th grade algebra participationand profciency ......................................5
n Test scores, repeater data, and
the NAEP all provide evidence that
math perormance alls well short
o the states expectations or
many students ......................................6
n Critics are raising hard questions
about the states algebra policies
and pushing or clarifcation about
what to teach and when ......................11
n The debate sheds light on shortcomings
in Caliornias teacher credentialing
policies and a lack o support or
proessional development ...................14
EdSource is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) or ganization established in California in 1977.
Independent and impartial, EdSource strives to advance the common good by developing and widely distributing trustworthy, usef ul
information that clarifies complex K12 education issues and promotes thoughtful decisions about C alifornias public school system.
Aebra Pocy n Caorna
Great Expectations and Serious Challenges
Ag reemen on h is goa l represens
imporan progress in a sae whereless
han 10 years agohe noion o algebra
as a high school graduaion requiremen
seemed like a radical idea. ha said, he
same Caliornians are much more divided
regarding when exacly sudens should
ake algebra and how o assure hem a
reasonable chance or success. ha divi-
sion was releced in srong reacions o a
Sae Board o Educaion decision made
las Julyblocked by a Caliornia cour
ruling ha is currenly under appeal
ha would have increased pressure or all
sudens o ake Algebra I by 8h grade.
Since he lae 1990s, sae ocials haveused assessmen and accounabiliy poli-
cies as powerul levers o encourage schools
o enroll more 8h and 9h grade sudens
in Algebra I courses. In he process, schools
have raised expecaions and a orded greaer
opporuniy o housands o previously
underserved sudens. Nearly 45,000 more
Caliornia 8h graders scored procien
or advanced on he saes Algebra I es in
2008 han in 2003. Nearly 26,000 more low
income 8h graders did so. However, oo
many Caliornia sudens sill sruggle o
ge hrough he Algebra I gaeway leading o
more rigorous mah and science courses in
high school.Paricipaion or all clearly doesno ranslae auomaically ino success or all
Many call or srenghening mah
insrucion, paricularly in he lae elemen
ary and middle grades, as he crucial nex
sep in moving Caliornia oward is goals
Some also say his is an opporune momen
or Caliornia o consider is mahemaic
policies more broadly, including is academic
conen sandards and annual assessmensAny o hese would require invesmens o
ime and unding. W ha combinaion o sae
policies and school pracices would be mos
eecive o help sudens succeed? Wha
invesmens in educaor capaciy would be
mos sraegic? Tese are complex bu i mpor
an issues or Caliornia o explore, and
hey are he ocus o his EdSource repor
EdSource thanks the Noyce Foundaon for
underwriting the research, development, and
dissemination of this publication.
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E d S O u R c E R E P O R T
n Al ge bra Pol icy in C al ifor nia n May 2009 Copyright 2009 by EdSource, Inc.
Caorna connue o reach oward earer uden ucce n aebra
When Caliornia adopted academic content standards in mathematics in 1997, no one assumed that
large-scale changes in math achievement and course-takingincluding in algebra success in grade 8
would happen overnight. Early decisions by Caliornia policymakers establishing the content standards
in math and the 2004 requirement that students complete Algebra I to graduate rom high school let
many debates or the uture.
A bre hory o he sae Board o Educaon aebra decon
In July 2008, the California State Board of Education
(SBE) passed a motionnow blocked by a state
courtthat called for the states Algebra I test
to become the sole test of record in grade 8
mathematics for federal accountability purposes.
California and federal education policies make
different assumptions about testing in grade 8 math.
n California policy assumes that the California
Standards Test (CST) an 8th grader takes in
math is connected to the math course she or he
takes. Most commonly, 8th graders enrolled in
Algebra I take the Algebra I CST and 8th graders
not yet enrolled in an algebra course take the
General Mathematics CST.
n In contrast, the federal No Child Left Behind
law (NCLB) assumes that math testing in
grade 8 is based on a states content standards
for that grade.
On Feb. 6, 2008, the U.S. Department of Education
(ED) notified California that its General Math CST does
not comply with federal requirements because it tests
8th graders on content defined by Californias math
standards as intended for grades 6 and 7. Failure to
enter an agreement with the ED to align Californias
assessment system with federal expectations wouldresult in $1 million in Title I Part A administrative
funds being withheld from the state and provided
instead to Californias local education agencies. (At
the time of this writing, California and ED officials
were discussing a settlement of this matter.)
One option for complying with federal expectations
was to have all 8th graders take the Algebra I CST. With
SBE approval, the California Department of Education
(CDE) also explored a second option: the development
of a blueprint for a new grade 8 math test. This test, if
approved by SBE and accepted by the U.S. Department
of Education, would replace the General Math CST
and be taken by students not yet enrolled in algebra.
It would be based on a subset of the states Algebra I
standards, excluding more rigorous content such as
factoring and quadratic equations.
This new CST blueprint sparked some intense
disagreement:
n Someincluding CDE, the California School
Boards Association (CSBA) , and the Association
of California School Administrators (ACSA)
supported the blueprint as an improvement on
the General Math CST that would allow local
educators to make judgments about proper
student placements.
n Other state leaders saw the blueprint as lowering
the states academic standards for what counts
as grade-level math in grade 8. Three former state
secretaries of education and four former SBE
presidents signed a letter arguing that anything
less than Algebra I should not be considered
grade-level proficient at eighth grade.
One day before the state board was to consider
the new blueprint further, in July 2008, Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger also went public with his opposition
to it. He sent a letter encouraging the state board to
pursue the Algebra I CST as the sole test of record
in grade 8 math for federal accountability purposes.
By a vote of 8-1, the board passed a motion to
this effect.
The boards motion directed state education officials
to negotiate with the ED for:
nAn agreement to make the Algebra I CST the soletest of record in California for grade 8 math;
nA transition period for building the states
capacity to ensure all 8th graders can succeed
on the test; and
n In the long term, better accommodation of
Californias education policies under federal law.
In September 2008, CSBA and ACSA filed a lawsuit
later joined by the California Teachers Association
(CTA) and State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Jack OConnellto block the state boards decision.They claimed that SBE (1) violated the Bagley-Keene
Open Meeting Act by not providing adequate public
notice of the action it took that day; and (2) exceeded
its legal authority by implicitly changing Californias
academic content standards to require Algebra I in
grade 8, despite the fact that the math standards
for grades 812 are organized by discipline rather
than grade level.
In January 2009, the Sacramento County Superior
Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs on both grounds
and issued a preliminary injunction preventing
the state board from taking any further steps to
implement its algebra decision. SBE is appealing
the courts ruling that the board exceeded its legal
authority but is not disputing the ruling pertaining to
the Bagley-Keene Act.
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E d S O u R c E R E P O R T
May 2009 n Al geb ra Policy in C al ifor ni a n Copyright 2009 by EdSource, Inc.
A July 2008 decision by he Sae Board o
Educaion (SBE) has raised issues no re-
solved 10 years ago. Tis decisionblocked
by a Sacrameno Couny cour rul ing ha is
currenly under appealdireced he sae
o ener an agreemen wih he U.S. Depar-
men o Educaion (ED) o make he Algebra ICaliornia Sandards es (CS) he sole
es o record in grade 8 mah or ederal
accounabiliy purposes. Depending on he
kind o agreemen reached, his expecaion
would have gone ino eec in hree or our
years . (For more inor maion on wha
promped he SBEs decision, see he box on
page 2: A brie hisory o he Sae Board o
Educaions algebra decision.)
Te SBEs acion would have se Calior-
nia apar rom virually all oher saes in
eecively maki ng Algebra I he deaul mahcourse in grade 8. Caliornias prospecive
company in his expecaion is Minnesoa,
which se a slower imeable or implemen-
aion. In 2006, Minnesoa leaders decided
ha, beginning wih he class o 2015, su-
dens mus complee Algebra I by he end o
8h grade and complee Algebra II o gradu-
ae rom high school.
Te SBEs decision sirred vigorous
debae among Caliornia educaion leaders
abou wheher esing al l 8h grade sudens
in Algebra I, even i phased in over several
years, is a sound policy. Schools and dis -
rics would have been held accounable or
he exen o which all 8h graders can suc-
ceed on he saes Algebra I es. Currenly,
43% o 8h graders ake he General Mah
CS, which assesses suden achievemen
on Caliornias mah sandards or grades
6 and 7.
A his momen, a preliminar y injunc ion
prevens he board rom aking any urher
seps o implemen is algebra decision. Buhe imporan issues raised by he decision
remain, and disrics are sruggling o gure
ou wha he boards decision means or heir
suden placemen policies, insrucional
capaciy, and insrucional maerials. Te
res o his repor explores some o hese
issues, describes where Caliornia currenly
nds isel wih regard o K8 mah achieve-
men, and discusses where i migh go nex.
Californias math content standards left thestates Algebra I expectations ambiguousTe Sae Board o Educaion adoped
Caliornias academic conen sandards in
mahemaics in December 1997. Tese san-
dards, in conjuncion wih sae esing and
accounabiliy policy, have pushed schools o
enroll sudens in algebra earlier, opimally in
8h grade. Te sae did no require 8h grad-ers o ake algebra, however. So ar, he only
ocial expecaion has been ha sudens in
he class o 2004 and laer mus pass a course
ha mees or exceeds he sandards or Alge-
bra I o graduae rom high school .
Tree conceps help explain how algebra
s ino he saes mah conen sandards
and how hose sandards relae o wha is
augh in schools.
Californias math content standards are organized
differently for grades K7 than for grades 812
In grades K7, Caliornias mah conen
sandards are se or each grade level. each-
ers are expeced o help sudens developincreasingly sophisicaed compuaional
and procedural skills, concepual under-
sanding, and problem solving along ve
inerrelaed srands ha exend across
grades K7. (See Figure 1.)
In grades 812, however, Caliornias
mah conen sandards are organized ino
nine specialized disciplines raher han bygrade level, beginning wih Algebra I. (See
Figure 1.) As noed in he box on page 2, hisCaliornia pracice diverges rom ederal as
sumpions under he No Child Le Behind
law (NCLB), which groups grades K8
ogeher and reas grades 912 separaely.
Te annual Caliornia Sandards ess
(CSs) in mahemaics refec he saes
approach. Sudens in grades 26 all ake a
single CS or each grade. A g rade-level CS
is also adminisered in grade 7, bu a smal
percenage o 7h graders enrolled in algebra
ake he Algebra I CS insead.
Sudens in grades 811 ake dieren mah
CSs depending on wha courses hey ake
Tose 8h and 9h graders who are no ye
ready or algebra ake he General Mahemaics
CS, which is aligned wih he mah conen
sandards or grades 6 and 7. Te saes accoun
abiliy sysem provides schools wih incenives
o enroll sudens in Algebra I by grade 8
however. (See he discussion on page 4.)
Algebra as a content standard is different from
algebra as a course or part of a curriculumEvery Caliornia high school mus provide
courses ha ulll he minimum crieria or
eligibiliy o he Universiy o Caliornia
(UC) and he Caliornia Sae Universiy
(CSU). Bu Caliornias mah conen san
dards do no call or any discipline-specic
course o be augh in any paricular grade
beween 8 and 12. Insead, he sandards
acknowledge ha disrics migh adop
in rade K7, he mahemac conen
andard were eabhed or each rade eve,
un fve common rand:
in rade 812, he mahemac conen
andard were eabhed or nne pecazed
mah dcpne:
n Number sensenAlgebra and functions
n Measurement and geometry
n Statistics, data analysis, and probability
n Mathematical reasoning
nAlgebra In Geometry
nAlgebra II
n Probability and Statistics
nTrigonometry
n Linear Algebra
n Mathematical Analysis
nAdvanced Placement Probability and Statis tics
n Calculus
Source:Mahe mai cs Con en S andard s for Cali forni a Public Sc hools: K inde rgar en Troug h Grade welve EdSource 5/
fgure 1 How Caorna academc conen andard n mahemac are oranzed n
rade K7 veru rade 812
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E d S O u R c E R E P O R T
n Al ge bra Pol icy in C al ifor nia n May 2009 Copyright 2009 by EdSource, Inc.
dieren philosophies and approaches
oward heir mah curricula.
Disrics migh pursue a radiional
curriculum ha begins wih Algebra I and
coninues wih Geomery, ollowed by Alge-
bra II. Disr ics migh also oer hese courses
in a dieren sequence, such as placing su-dens in Geomery only aer hey have com-
pleed boh Algebra I and II. Disrics migh
also adop an inegraed mah curriculum
ha weaves ogeher opics rom hese disci-
plines during several years, hough his has
become ar less com mon in Cal iornia.
Ta said, algebra is sill he minimum san-
dard or he conen he sae hopes a growing
number o sudens will learn beginning in
grade 8. Tis sandard is he same regardless o
wha curricular approach a disric akes. Tis
disincion beween algebra as a conen san-dard and as a course was a key poin o conen-
ion in he lawsui brough agains he sae
board. (See he box on page 2.)
Mandatory testing and accountability policies push
schools to meet standards and increase participation
in higher math
Te Caliornia Educaion Code esablishes
ha he academic conen sandards are
inended as models. Te mah conen san-
dards noe, excep or he saues, regula-
ions, and cour decisions ha are reerenced
herein, he documen [seting ou he mah
sandards] is exemplary, and compliance
wih i is no mandaor y. Tis lang uage
relieves he sae rom any obligaion o
reimburse disrics nancially or mandaes
relaed o he conen sandards hemselves.
Oher regulaions, however, underscore he
expecaion ha disrics sandards will be
a leas as rigorous as he saes.
For example, sae unds or insrucional
maerials can be used only or maerials al igned
wih he conen sandards. In addiion, schools
are required o oer he annual CSs in grades
211. Te CSs provide a srong incenive or
local educaors o align insrucion wih con-
en sandards because he ess are used orepor publicly on he academic progress o
schools and disrics, and o ideniy hose
considered in need o improvemen.
Federal educaion policy uses school
accounabiliy o encourage suden parici-
paion in such esing. Te No Child Le
Behind Ac o 2001 requires 95% o all su-
dens in a disric or school o paricipae in
relevan sae ess or he insiu ion o make
adequae yearly progress (AYP). In mahe-
maics in Caliornia, his includes grade-level
and end-o-course mah CSs and, or highschools, he mah secion o he Caliornia
High School Exi Exam (CAHSEE) in grade
10, which includes an Algebra I componen.
Failure o mee his ederal requiremen or
any subgroup o sudens (based on eh niciy,
disabiliy, or English learner saus) or wo
years in a row leads o a school or disric
being placed in Program Improvemen . In
par, NCLB emphasizes paricipaion o dis-
courage schools rom excluding sruggling
sudens. (Caliorn ia law requires disrics o
exemp sudens rom esing i parens
reques i, however.)
In addiion, Caliornia accounabiliy
policy explicily encourages paricipaion in
higher mah courses, such as Algebra I.
Rules adoped by SBE or he calculaion o
he Academic Perormance Index (API)
which summarizes suden achievemen
or a disric or school and or is suden
subgroups or accounabiliy purposes
provide schools wih wo incenives o move
sudens ino higher mah courses.
Firs, because he General Mah CS
assesses mah conen ha is below he saes
expecaions or grades 8 and 9, schools
receive less credi on he API or h igh suden
scores on he General Mah CS in hesegrades. Sudens may achieve one o ve per
ormance levels on a CS: advanced, pro
cien, basic, below basic, or ar below basic.
n Te scores o 8h graders who ake he
General Mah CS are lowered by one
perormance level or he purposes o cal
culaing a schools API. For example, i
an 8h grader scores procien on his
CS, a school only ges credi or a score
o basic.
n Te scores o 9h graders who ake he
General Mah CS are lowered by woperormance levels or he purposes o
calculaing a schools API. For example
i a 9h grader scores procien on his
CS, a school only ges credi or a score
o below basic. (Te sae does no
penalize high schools or 9h graders
who ake he Algebra I CS.)
Second, schools are penalized on he
Base API or any suden no acively aking
mahemaics courses in he upper grades. Al
sudens in grades 811 who do no ake an
end-o-course CS in mahemaics are auo
maically assigned a score o 200or ar
below basicor he purposes o calcula
ing a schools Base API. Tis penaly also
oers schools an opporuniy because
increases in suden enrollmen in higher
mah courses rom one year o he nex can
conribue o gains in a schools Growh API
Tis Assignmen o 200 rule also applies or
high school science courses.
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E d S O u R c E R E P O R T
May 2009 n Al geb ra Policy in C al ifor ni a n Copyright 2009 by EdSource, Inc.
Noably, his growh in paricipaion has
been accompan ied by a higher success rae
on he Algebra I CS, wih greaer numbers
o sudens scoring advanced or procien.
However, a grea many sudens are no suc-
ceeding in he course, and large numbers
repea i once or more. Furhermore, some
say ha daa rom he Naional Assessmen
o Educaional Progress (NAEP) pain a
sobering picure o 8h grade mah achieve-
men in Caliornia compared wih ohersaes. CS daa rom grades 27 sugges
ha hese problems become clear in he lae
elemenary and early middle grades.
Many more students now take algebraTere are wo ways o measure he success
o Caliornias policy decisions regarding
algebra. Te rs is suden paricipaion inhigher mah courses; he second is sudensuccess in hose courses. Tis repor ocuses
primarily on 8h graders who ake he Alge-
bra I CS, how well hey do, and how his
has changed over ime. Considered ogeher,
hese wo measures show ha Calior-
nia schools have changed heir collecive
approach o when sudens ake Algebra I.
o he exen ha SBE policy has been
moivaed by concern ha schools were no
being held o sucienly high expeca ions
or suden achievemen in grade 8 mah,
here have clearly been imporan changes inhe sae. Early suden paricipaion in Alge-
bra I has increased grea ly in recen years .
(See Figure 2A.)
In 1999, he rs year Caliornia adminis-
ered course-specic mah ess in grade 8,
only 16% o 8h graders ook he es or
Algebra I. By 2003, his percenage had in-
creased o 32%. In 2008, 51% o 8h graders
ook he Algebra I CS. Some 7h graders
5% in 2008now ake he es as well.
Paricipaion in he Algebra I CS has
increased among 8h graders o all racial and
ehnic backgrounds. (See Figure 2B.) Te
percenage o Arican American 8h graders
aking he es nearly doubled beween 2003
and 2008, rom 24% o 47%. Te same is al so
rue or Laino 8h graders (26% o 48%).
Te number o sudens aking he Algebra I
CS in grade 9 has also increased. Many o
hese sudens are repeaing he course, how
ever, as will be explored in more deph laer.Suden paricipaion in Algebra Ihe
beginning o he ypical high school mah
sequenceis jus one measure o paricipa
ion in higher mah. Mah CSs in laer grades
also provide a rough measure o how many
sudens successully pursue a sequence o
higher mahemaics courses beyond Algebra I
For example, CS daa show ha 25% o 10h
graders and 45% o 11h graders had compleed
or were enrolled in Algebra II in 2008.
lare ncreae n aebra parcpaon n rade 8 nce 2003 havebrouh encouran reu and ome worre
Since the initial adoption o Caliornias math content standards in 1997, growing numbers o students
have been taking Algebra I, and taking it earlier. This section ocuses on changes since 2003.
Numbero
fstudentstakingAlgebraICST
190,179
224,291230,284
239,240247,810
187,396
222,333
248,498261,699
271,300 274,334
113,421
135,614 136,319143,144 140,317
132,813
53,352
66,22172,816 72,158 72,218 66,945
151,714
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Grade 8
Grade 9
Grade 10
Grade 11
Data: Califor nia Departme nt of Education, STAR, CBEDS. Accessed 1/. EdSource 5/
fgure A More Caorna uden are akn Aebra i and are akn earer
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Perce
ntof8thGraders
African American
Native American/Alaska Native
Asian
Filipino
Hispanic/Latino
Pacific Islander
White
fgure B Emaed parcpaon rae n Aebra i have ncreaed amon
8h rader o a raca/ehnc roup nce 2003
Notes: Figure 2A : In 2007, 21,739 7th graders took the Algebra I C ST. The number increased to 25,635 in 2008. ( 2007 was the first year that qualified 7th graders could t ake the Algebra I CST.) Figure 2B
These rates are calculated by dividing the number of Algebra I CST-t akers for a st udent group in grade 8 (der ived from STAR data ) by that groups tot al grade 8 enro llment (de rived fr om CBEDS da ta) . STAR data
do not include a count of total enrollments by subgroup in each grade at the time of S TAR testing. CBEDS enrollment data, which are based on student counts at the beginning of the academic year, are used
to estimate participation rates for subgroups.
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E d S O u R c E R E P O R T
n Al ge bra Pol icy in C al ifor nia n May 2009 Copyright 2009 by EdSource, Inc.
Mixed results show the positive andnegative consequences of increasedalgebra participation to dateAlgebra I CS daa provide evidence or
severala imes conficingsories abou
Caliornia sudens algebra achievemen in
grade 8 since 2003. Some nd evidence hahe saes schools and 8h graders are mee-
ing high expecaions in mahemaics, while
ohers poin o resuls ha sugges growing
numbers o sudens are being placed in
algebra courses or which hey are no pre-
pared. Consider some examples. (Addiional
chars showing 8h grade Algebra I CS
oucomes among dieren suden groups
are available rom he EdSource websie a:
ww w.edsource.org)
8th grade performance on Algebra I CST overall
Firs, consider all 8h graders who ook he
Algebra I CS in 2003 and 2008. (See Figure
3A.) In general, here was a sligh improve-
men in he proporion o sudens scoring
procien or advanced, even given a large
increase in paricipaion. In addiion, he
percenage scoring in he lowes achieve-
men caegory (ar below basic) decreased
slighly, rom 9% o 7%.
Te scale o change since 2003 is paricu-
larly noable:
n 1.8 imes as many 8h gradersabou104,100scored procien or advanced on
he Algebra I CS in 2008 as in 2003.
n A he same ime, 1.5 imes as many 8hgradersabou 76,800scored below or ar
below basic on he es in 2008 as in 2003.
Tese overall saisics obscure imporan
dierences in 8h grade Algebra I achievemen
among various suden groups, however.
8th grade performance on Algebra I CST by economic
backgroundChanges in algebra achievemen or socio-
economically disadvanaged (SED) 8h
graders conras wih hose or nonsocio-
economically disadvanaged (non-SED) 8h
graders. Sudens are caegorized as SED i
(a) hey paricipae in a ree or reduced-price
meal program, or (b) he educaion level o
heir parens is coded as no high school
graduae.
For non-SED 8h graders, Caliornias
push oward expanded algebra success in
grade 8 has been comparaively successul.
(See Figure 3B on page 7.) Only abou 4,100
more non-SED sudens scored basic or
below on he A lgebra I CS i n 2008 han in
2003, compared wih abou 21,200 more
who scored procien or advanced.
For SED sudens, he sory is more
complex. (See Figure 3C.) Te percenage
o SED 8h graders scoring procien or
advanced on he Algebra I CS increased
by 8 percenage poins beween 2003 and
2008. In ac, 3.2 imes as many SED 8hgradersabou 37,600did so in 2008.
Tis shows ha many SED sudens who
migh no previously have had access o analgebra course in grade 8 are no only
aking he course, bu also rising o he
challenge.
A he same ime, however, roughly he
same number o SED 8h graders now scores
below or ar below basic on he Algebra I CS
as ook he es a all in 2003. Tis means hamore SED 8h graders53,900 in 2008are
a risk o ailing a nd repeaing Algebra I.
8th grade performance on Algebra I CST by ethnicity
Te Algebra I sory is also complex or 8h
graders o dieren racial and ehnic back-
grounds. Consider Caliornias Arican
Amer ican and Laino 8h graders. For boh
groups, 8h grader paricipaion in he Alge-
bra I CS increased subsania lly beween
2003 and 2008.
n 2.6 imes as many Arican American 8hgraders scored procien or advanced on
he Algebra I CS in 2008 as in 2003, and
he percenage scoring below or ar be
low basic decreased. On he oher hand
nearly as many Arican American 8h
graders (abou 9,000) now score below or
ar below basic as ook he es a all in
2003 (abou 9,900). (See Figure 3D.)n 3.2 imes as many Laino 8h grader
scored procien or advanced on he
Algebra I CS in 2 008 as in 2003, and he
percenage scoring below or ar below
basic decreased. On he oher hand, abou
47,900 Laino 8h graders now score
below or ar below basic, or nearly as
many as ook he es a all in 2003
(abou 51,200). (See Figure 3E.)
50,066
76,821
42,480
66,90959,168
104,080
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
2003 2008
NumberofStudents
Proficient or Advanced
Basic
Below Basic orFar Below Basic
(33%)
(27%)(39%)
(42%)
(31%)
(28%)
Data: Califor nia Departmen t of Education, STAR. Accessed 1/. EdSource 5/
Note: The counts of 8th gr aders shown here are based on the numbers teste d on the Algebra I CST, rather than the preferable number
students with valid scores. This is because the latter data are not published for 2003 as they are for 2008. These counts are estimate
derived from state reports of per formance and may not match the number of students tested due to rounding.
Perormance o a 8h rader akn he Aebra i Cstfgure A
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Tese daa ell wo sories. One is a sory
abou Arican American and Laino sudens
succeeding when provided access o Alge-bra I in grade 8, whereas in prior years hey
may no have had such access. Anoher sory
is abou uninended consequences and he
subsanial cohors o Arican American and
Laino 8h graders who migh have been
placed in Algebra I wihou adequae prepa-
raion and/or suppor and migh need o
repea he course. Abou hree in our Laino
and hree in ve Arican American 8h
graders who ook he es in 2008 were
socioeconomically disadvanaged.
Tis sands in sark conras o Asian andwhie 8 h graders. For bo h groups, he num-
ber o 8h graders scori ng procien or
advanced on he Algebra I CS has grown
subsanially more since 2003 han has he
number scoring basic or below. Alhough
abou 1,100 more Asian 8h graders scored
basic or below in 2008 han did so in 2003,
abou 5,800 more now score procien or
advanced. Te comparable increases among
whie 8h grader s were abou 3,600 and
10,200 sudens, respecively.
8th grade performance on Algebra I CST of English
learners and students with disabilities
Algebra I CS achievemen daa or 8h grad-
ers who are designaed as English learners or
as sudens wih disabiliies warran paricu
lar consideraion. Sudens are placed in hese
wo caegories because hey have been ideni
ed as needing addiional suppor o be suc
cessul in Caliornias public schools. English
Proficient or Advanced
Basic
Below Basic orFar Below Basic
5,332
9,004
4,682
4,322
2,765
1,679
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
20,000
2003 2008
Num
bero
f8thGra
ders
Ta
king
Alge
bra
ICST
(54%)
(28%)
(17%)
(24%)
(26%)
(50%)
26,101
47,916
33,085
33,085
14,842
10,236
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
2003 2008
Numb
ero
f8thGra
ders
Ta
king
Alge
bra
ICST
(51%)
(29%)
(29%)
(29%)
(20%)
(42%)
Proficient or Advanced
Basic
Below Basic orFar Below Basic
Proficient or Advanced
Basic
Below Basic orFar Below Basic
23,562 24,504
27,48930,630
46,142
67,387
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000
2003 2008
Num
bero
f8thGra
ders
Ta
king
Alge
bra
ICST
(24%)
(28%)
(47%)
(20%)
(25%)
(55%)
Proficient or Advanced
Basic
Below Basic orFar Below Basic
26,660
53,919
35,110
37,618
15,463
11,730
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000
2003 2008
Num
bero
f8thGra
ders
Ta
king
Alge
bra
ICST
(50%)
(22%)
(29%)(43%)
(30%)
(28%)
Data: Californ ia Departme nt of Education, STAR. Accessed 1/. EdSource 5/
Note: The counts of 8th graders shown here are based on the numbers tested on the Algebra I CST, rather than the preferable number of students with valid scores. This is because the latter data are not
published for 2003 as they are for 2008. These counts are estimates derived from state report s of performance and may not match the number of students tested due to rounding.
Perormance o nonocoeconomcay dadvanaed 8h raderfgure B Perormance o ocoeconomcay dadvanaed 8h raderfgure C
Perormance o Arcan Amercan 8h raderfgure D Perormance o lano 8h raderfgure E
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n Al ge bra Pol icy in C al ifor nia n May 2009 Copyright 2009 by EdSource, Inc.
learners (ELs) and sudens wih disabiliies
were abou 13% and 4% respecively o 8h
graders who ook he Algebra I CS in 2008.
Algebra I CS paricipaion increased
subsanially or boh groups o 8h graders
beween 2003 and 2008. (See Figures 3F and
3G.) Tis is especially rue or 8h graders
wih d isabi liies . Nearly2.5 imes as many 8hgraders wih disabiliiesabou 10,400 in
allook he es in 2008 versus 2003.
Even wih his growh in paricipaion,
he percenages o hese 8h graders scoring
a dieren achievemen levels on he Alge-
bra I CS in 2008 was roughly he same as in
2003, wih small decreases i n he percenages
scoring ar below basic. One resul is ha
greaer numbers o 8h graders in boh
groups now score procien or advanced.
Abou 1.7 imes as many EL 8h graders didso compared wih 2003, as did abou2.3 imesas many 8h g raders wih disabiliies.
However, anoher upsho is ha abouwo-hirds o 8h graders in boh groups sill
score below or ar below basic on he Alge-
bra I CS. As a resul, many more o hese
sudens may need o repea Algebra I. Abou
1.2 imes as many EL 8h graders and 1.7 imesas many 8h graders wih disabiliies scored
below or ar below basic on he Algebra I
CS in 2008 as ook he es a all in 2 003. o
he exen ha Algebra I becomes a deaul
course-aking expecaion or grade 8, par-
icular atenion regarding how o suppor
he mah achievemen o EL sudens and
sudens wih disabiliies mos eecively is
clearly warraned.
General Math CST
Suden oucomes are also mi xed among 8h
graders who do no ake he Algebra I CS.
In 2008, 43% o he saes 8h graders ook
he General Mah CS because hey were
eiher no enrolled in algebra or enrolled in
he rs year o a wo-year algebra course.
Pre-algebra success among 8h graders
no ye aking he Algebra I CS is improv-
ing bu remains a concern. O hese 8h grad-
ers, less ha n one-hird (31%) scored procien
or advanced on he es, and 4 1% scored below
or ar below basic. In 2003, when 60% o 8h
graders ook he General Mah CS, only
24% scored procien or advanced.
Many students repeat Algebra ICaliornia mah educaors and policymakers
inerpre he Algebra I CS daa presened
so ar in diering ways. Bu mos agree ha
oo many sudens are repeaing he course,
someimes muliple imes.
Caliornia is now able o quaniy his
problem more precisely using suden-level
daa. Tese daa show ha 38% o 9h graders
who ook he Algebra I CS in 2008 had
aken he es in a prior year. More han hal
o 10h and 11h graders who ook he CS
were repeai ng i as well . (See Figure 4 on
page 9.) Repeaing Algebra I in grade 10 or
laer is o paricular concern because i can
preven sudens rom compleing college
prep courses in science ha have algebra as
a prerequisie.
Tese daa also raise larger quesions
abou curren sudens preparaion o ake
advanage o earlier access o algebra. Many
sudens who repea he Algebra I CS may
have sruggled in mah in earlier grades as
well . Some worr y ha coninuous lack o
success in mah can have he pernicious
eec o convincing some sudens hey are
unable o undersand and use mahemaics
A he ex reme, some say repeaed algebra
course ailure causes some sudens o disen
gage rom school enirely and drop ou.
Te Caliornia Deparmen o Educaion(CDE) cauions ha some uncerainy sur
rounds hese repeaer daa:
n Some sudens in he sae ake Algebra I
as a wo-year course. CDE inends or
sudens in he rs year o such a course
o ake he General Mah CS. Only su
dens compleing Algebra I are expeced
o ake he Algebra I CS. However
wheher a ll disrics ad miniser he CS
11,099
20,704
7,230
3,700
4,929
2,819
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
2003 2008
Num
bero
f8thGra
ders
Ta
king
Alg
ebra
ICST
(63%)
(21%)
(16%)
(22%)
(63%)
(15%)
Proficient or Advanced
Basic
Below Basic orFar Below Basic
Proficient or Advanced
Basic
Below Basic orFar Below Basic
2,908
7,076
1,769
674
1,561
674
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
2003 2008
Num
bero
f8thGra
ders
Ta
king
Alge
bra
ICST
(69%)
(16%)
(16%)(68%)
(17%)
(15%)
Note: The counts of 8th graders shown here are based on the numbers tested on the Algebra I CST, rather than the preferable number of students with valid scores. This is because the latter data are not
published for 2003 as they are for 2008. These counts are estimates derived from state report s of performance and may not match the number of students tested due to rounding.
Data: Californ ia Departmen t of Education, STAR. Accessed 1/. EdSource 5/
Perormance o Enh earner 8h raderfgure F Perormance o 8h rader wh dabefgure G
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May 2009 n Al geb ra Policy in C al ifor ni a n Copyright 2009 by EdSource, Inc.
in his way is unclear. Some sudens in
wo-year algebra courses migh ake he
Algebra I CS wice, even hough hey
did no acually repea he course.
n In addiion, some sudens who pass
Algebra I in grade 8 migh be placed in
he course again by high schools hacriicize he qualiy o 8h grade courses.
California compares poorly in grade 8 mathon a national assessmentTe CSs are no he only available meas-
ures o Caliornia sudens mah achieve-
men in grade 8. Te Naional Assessmen
o Educaional Progress (NAEP), which is
adminisered o a sample o Caliornia su-
dens, provides a way o compare Calior-
nias grade 8 mah achievemen wih oher
saes. Some say NAEP provides an objec-ive and valuable measure o Caliornias
overall mahemaics curriculum.
Daa rom he 2007 NAEP (see Figure
5A) show ha:
n Caliornia 8h graders generally score
below he naiona l average and below he
oher our larges saes (Florida, Illinois,
New York, and exas).
n exas in paricular ouscores Caliornia
across all suden groups.
n Caliornias average NAEP scores in
grade 8 mah generally are also below hose
or Massachusets and Minnesoa. Tese
wo saes are paricularly noable in con-
necion wih ye anoher assessmen: he
rends in Inernaional Mahemaics and
Science Sudy (IMSS). Massachusets
and Minnesoa are he only wo saes
whose sudens scores on he IMSS are
benchmarked separaely agains sudens
rom oher naionswih greaer average
success in mah han sudens in he
Unied Saes as a whole.Some in Caliornia insis ha NAEP
resuls in general should be inerpreed wih
cauion. Te NAEP in grade 8 mah is no
specically aligned wih Caliornias conen
sandards, nor is i an Algebra I es. In addi-
ion, Caliornias scores (1) or all sudens
and (2) or Laino sudens are complicaed
by he ac ha Caliorn ia excludes a much
lower proporion o is English learner
sudens rom paricipaion in he NAEP
compared wih he naion and he oher six
saes discussed here. (See Figure 5B.)
However, ohers see hese resuls as com-
pelling evidence ha whaever progress su-
dens may have made relaive o he saes
own sandards and assessmens, Caliornia
sudens are no receiving a bala nced mahe
maics educaion in grades K8 compared
wih heir peers in oher saes . For some
hese daa heighen heir concern ha Cali
ornias sudensand he public schoo
suden group CA Fl il MA MN NY tX Naon
African American 253 259 * 264 * * 271 259
Asian/Pacific Islander 293 * * 315 * 302 309 296
Latino 256 270 265 270 269 264 277 264
White 287 * * 305 297 * 300 290
English Learner 241 * 257 * 258 * 252 245
Not English Learner 278 * * 299 293 282 288 282
All Students 270 277 280 298 292 280 286 280
* Difference with comparable California score is not statistically significant.
fgure A 2007 NAEP 8h rade mahemac averae cae core
grade suden n grade
takn he Aebra i Cst
n 2008
Aebra i
Cst-aker Who Are
Fr-me Examnee
Aebra i Cst-aker
Who Are Repean he
Aemen
7 25,573 25,573 (100%) 0 (0%)
8 246,587 242,062 (98%) 4,525 (2%)
9 272,353 167,819 (62%) 104,534 (38%)
10 131,415 62,834 (48%) 68,581 (52%)
11 66,108 31,901 (48%) 34,207 (52%)
Data: California Department of Education, 00 Sandardized esing and Reporing (SAR) EdSource 5/Program S ummar y of Resu ls , August 8.
fgure Many uden n he hh choo rade have aken he Aebra i Cst more han once
# Rounds to zero.
suden group CA Fl il MA MN NY tX Naon
Percentage of 8th
Graders Identified as EL
22% 6% 4% 3% 5% 5% 8% 7%
Percentage of 8th
Graders Excluded Due
to EL Status
1% 1% 1% 1% # 1% 2% 1%
Percentage of 8th
Grade EL Students
Excluded
5% 17% 25% 33% # 20% 25% 14%
Data: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). EdSource 5/
fgure B 2007 NAEP 8h rade mahemac Enh earner excuon
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10 n Al ge bra Pol icy in C al ifor nia n May 2009 Copyright 2009 by EdSource, Inc.
sysem in generalare no prepared o
make Algebra I in grade 8 a deaul curric-
ulum and ha he uninended conse-
quences could be quie serious.
Math achievement problems begin in grade 5Mos Caliornia mah expers, including
policymakers and educaors, agree ha
Caliornia sudens mah prociency when
hey arrive in grade 8, on average, does no
mee he saes aspiraions. Te key daa
relae o sudens mah achievemen in
grades 57.
Te good news is ha he percenage o
sudens scoring procien or advanced on
mah CSs increased in each o grades 2
hrough 7 beween 2003 a nd 2008. (See Fig
ure 6A.) In addiion, 5% o 7h graders now
ake he Algebra I CS, wih our ou o v
o hese sudens scoring procien o
advanced.
However, some analyss cauion ha
some o he improvemen in grades 27 ilikely a consequence o increased amil iariy
wih he ess. Fur her, Cal iornia observer
are roubled by a decline in mah achieve
men across grades, beginning in grade 5 and
persising in he early middle grades. Large
percenages o sudens in hese grades scor
below or ar below basic on mah CSs
Nearly hree in 10 sudens in grades 6 and 7
scored in hese lowes wo caegories in
2008, compared wih jus 16% o 4h graders
(See Figure 6B.)
For many in he sae, hese daa indicaa roo cause behind Caliornias challenge
in grade 8 mahemaics, including laer alge
bra repei ion: sudens mah prepara ion
in earlier grades is inadequae and suer
beginni ng in grade 5. Te mah achievemen
gaps among dieren suden groups noed
earlier wih respec o grade 8 Algebra I also
appear across grades 2 7.
How NAEP and Cst der
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and the California Standards Tests (CSTs) in
grade 8 mathematics are very different tests.
nThe NAEP includes both multiple-choice and open-ended, constructed-response items. In contrast, the
math CSTs that California 8th graders take are entirely multiple-choice questions.
n No student takes the entire NAEP exam, in contrast with the CSTs. The NAEP follows a matrix design:
individual students take only two sections of the test, and the results for many sampled students are
combined.
n In grade 8, the NAEP in mathematics assesses content pertaining to number properties and operations,
measurement, geometry, data analysis and probability, and algebra at varying levels of mathematical
complexity. In contrast, California 8th graders take different CSTs that assess different content
depending on the math courses in which they are enrolled.
For more extensive discuss ion of NAEP and CSTs, see EdSources May 2008 report, NAEP and the California
Standards Tests: A Case of Apples and Oranges.
* Includes both 7th graders taking the Grade 7 Mathematics CST and those taking the Algebra I CST in 2008.
Note: The counts of students in Figure 6B are based on the numbers tested on the relevant CSTs, in order to remain consistent with Figures 3AG. These counts are estimates derived from state reports of
performance and may not match the number of s tudents tested due to rounding.
2003
2008
6A. suden scorn Procen or Advanced on Mahemac Cst,* 2003 and 2008
53%
46% 45%
35% 34%
30%
59%61% 61%
51%
44% 43%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7
%ofSt
udentsProficient/Advanced
Data: Califor nia Departme nt of Education, STAR. Accessed 1/. EdSource 5/
fgure Ahouh more uden n rade 27 are corn hhy on mah Cst, uden achevemen decne bennn n rade 5
6B. suden Perormance on Mahemac Cst* n 2008
88,165 76,256 71,774
113,126131,638 134,776
94,198 103,175
108,601
136,339 132,383
273,624 273,639230,777
206,860 202,581
97,446
273,776
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
500,000
Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7
NumberofStudents
59%
17% 16%
25%28% 29%
21%21% 23%
29% 28%
24%
61% 61%
51%
44% 43%
19%
Proficient or Advanced Basic Below Basic or Far Below Basic
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Different perspectives on the timing ofalgebra highlight the importance of supportand the risk of unintended consequences
A decade ago, he big quesion i n Ca liornia
was wheher all sudens should be expec ed
o ake a year o algebra beore hey gradu-
aed rom high school. Sae lawmakers
responded yes o his quesion in 2000. Su-
dens in he class o 2004 were he rs o berequired o pass Algebra I o earn a diploma.
Bu he ransiion was no easy. EducaionWeek repored in May 2004 ha nearly halo Caliornia disrics applied or waiv-
ers rom he requiremen ha year. oday,
his requiremen appears o be ully imple-
mened as a minimum sandard or high
school graduaion.
In conras, Caliornias Mahemaics
Framework saes ha one o is goals is o
prepare all sudens o sudy algebra by he
eighh grade. Tis aspiraion is consisen
wih ndi ngs rom IMSS, repored by
Wil liam Schmid and ohers, ha high-
achieving naions in mahemaics end
o begin insrucion in algebra by grade 8.
Tese ndings uel worr ies ha oher naions
expec more rom heir sudens han do
mos saes, wih roubling implicaions or
Amer ican economic compe iiveness.
In addiion, such naions requenly ake
a dieren approach o heir mah curricula
han Caliornia. For example, conen per-aining o inroducory algebra and geom-
ery migh be augh o all sudens over
he course o grades 79, raher han hrough
wo separae courses in jus wo years. High-
perorming naions also end o ocus on
ewer imporan mah opics in greaer
deph in he grades leading up o algebra.
Tere is broad agreemen in Caliornia
ha earlier success in a lgebra would be good
or sudens and or he sae generally. Tere
is also general agreemen ha every Calior-
nia suden deserves o be challenged aca-
demically, augh and suppored by aduls
who believe srong ly in his or her poenia l,
and provided a air chance o achieve aca-
demic success. Bu some Caliornia mah
educaors and policymakers dier regard-
ing how sae policy migh bes supporhese ideals.
Consider he debae ha surrounded he
Sae Board o Educaions response o ed-
eral demands ha Caliornia bring is grade 8
assessmens ino compliance wih NCLB.
(See he box on page 2.) In he absence o a
waiver al lowi ng Caliornia o pursue is own
approach o grade 8 mah, he sae board
ocused on wo opions:
n Pursue he Algebra I CS or all 8h
graders, which would clearly mee ed-
eral demands and coninue he saes
emphasis on geting more sudens ino
he course.
n Pursue, i acceped by he U.S. Depar-
men o Educaion, a new grade 8 CS
based on Algebra I bu exclud ing such
conen as acoring and quadraic
equaions.
Some saw he proposed blueprin or a
new grade 8 CS as undercui ng he inen
o he saes conen sandards o ensure
high expecaions or all sudens. he pro-posed es would have assess ed less conen
han he Algebra I CS, bu i would have
been designaed gr ade-level or ed era l
accounabiliy purposes. Criics argued
his would coner grade-level saus on
lower expecaions or some sudens. For
hem, he sae board made a deensible
decision when i insised ha all schools
should be held accounable or universally
high expecaions hrough he Algebra I
CS in grade 8.
Ohers saw he proposed blueprin as an
improvemen on he General Mah CS ha
would provide less prepared sudens wih
iniial exposure o algebra and leave room
or local educaors o use heir bes judg
men in making suden placemen decisions
For hem, Caliornia policy should ocus onacceleraing early success in algebra only as
appropriae or individual sudenssuch
as by grade 8 or 9raher han use he es
ing sysem o insis on algebra in a paricula
grade. Tey worry ha requiring he Alge
bra I CS or al l 8h graders could se up
many sudens or course ailure and expand
he already large number o sudens who
repea he course.
Recen sudies have underscored con
cern ha a grade 8 algebra or all policy
could have uninended repercussions o
sudens. Te mos recen is a 2009 sudy by
wo researchers rom he Consorium on Chi
cago School Research, Elaine M. Allensworh
and akako Nomi. Te sudy explored he
oucomes o a 1997 Chicago Public Schools
policy o require Algebra I or all sudens by
grade 9 as par o an eor o broaden suden
access o college-prep curricula. Allensworh
and Nomi looked a course daa or 11 cohors
o rs-ime Chicago 9h graders beween
1994 and 2004. Te Chicago researchersound ha more sudens enrolled in Alge
bra I, as inended under he policy. Howeve
mah course ailure and abseneeism in
creased among hose sudens who sared wih
low and average levels o mah achievemen.
A 2008 repor by om Loveless o he
Brookings Insiuion, Te Misplaced MahSuden, repored on he exen o whichsome early algebra placemens migh be
the aebra debae rae hard queon abou Caorna expecaonor mah achevemen
The relationship between a states academic content standards and actual classroom practice is
highly complex. But Caliornias algebra debate raises a question that goes to the heart o the states
standards-based reorms. Does Caliornia have the right expectations when it comes to algebra?
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1 n Al ge bra Pol icy in C al ifor nia n May 2009 Copyright 2009 by EdSource, Inc.
inappropriae. Loveless looked a mah ou-
comes or he lowes-achieving 10% o 8h
graders on NAEP. He ound ha, whereas
only 8% o hese lower-achieving sudens
were enrolled in Algebra I or higher in 2000,
almos 29% were enrolled in such courses
in 2005. However, hese sudens were re-quenly unable o correcly answer es iems
ha assessed such basic mah conceps as
rounding a decimal o he neares whole num-
ber. Loveless concludes ha policies aimed
a more equiable access o rigorous mah
curricula had he uninended consequence
o puting less-prepared eachers in algebra
classrooms wih sudens o widely diering
levels o preparaion. He argues urher ha
his burden ell disproporionaely on minor-
iy sudens in urban, low-income schools.
A recen UCLA analysis o CS scoresa 112 randomly seleced middle schools in
he Los Angeles area raises similar concerns,
suggesing ha lower-perorming middle
schools are more likely o enroll 8h graders
who scored below or ar below basic on he
grade 7 mah CS in an Algebra I course.
(Alhough he grade 7 mah CS is no a
diagnosic es and resuls are generally no
available in ime o in orm grade 8 placemen
decisions, he UCLA sudy used he grade 7
CS o judge he resriciveness o school
placemen policies.)
Some worry ha minoriy sudens in
hard-o-sa, urban schools who excel in
mah and wish o pursue he mos challeng-
ing courses could, under an algebra or al l in
8h grade policy, nd hemselves enrolled
in algebra courses ha are insucienly
challenging. Tis could eecively place
hese sudens on a less compeiive mah
rajecory. A he same ime, however, some
research suggess ha acceleraed mah
course-aking in he middle grades can work,provided sudens receive adequae suppor
o be successul. For example, a recen longi-
udinal sudy in Long Island, NY, by Carol
Corbet Burris and colleagues, cies such
pracices as workshops or sudens needing
addiional help, common preparaion ime
or eachers, and assigning mah eachers
o work in boh acceleraed regular class-
rooms and suppor workshops.
Tese sudies highligh he challenge o
achieving broader access o rigorous mah cur-
ricula while assuring qualiy insrucion and
successul oucomes or sudens. Alhough
he Chicago and Brookings sudies are oen
inerpreed as cauionary ales, hese sudies
do no necessarily mean he goal o getingmos 8h graders ino Algebra I is no worh
pursuing. Anoher inerpreaion is hese
sudies highligh he imporance o suppor
or local capaciy and insrucional qualiy.
For example, Lovelesss nding ha some
algebra sudens canno round decimals o
he neares whole number raises he quesion
o why hese sudens were no prepared ade-
quaely in prior years. In his sense, suden
paricipaion and success in a rigorous mah
curriculum, and he high expecaions ha
accompany i, begin in elemenary school.Universal Algebra I in grade 8 may also
have some imporan implicaions or high
schools and possecondary insiuions. One
reason oen given or algebra in grade 8 is
o ensure he broades and earlies possible
access o a rigorous high school curriculum
ha will prepare sudens or smooh ransi-
ions o some orm o possecondary sudy.
Wihou quesion, prepara ion in mahema-
ics is very imporan o colleges and univer-
siies. Many Caliornia sudens enroll in
communiy college needing basic skills mah
courses beore hey can succeed in degree-
applicable ones, or example.
Earlier paricipaion and success in algebra
could reduce he need or remediaion among
recen high school graduaes, provided su-
dens ake mah courses every year during high
school as Caliornias public universiies rec-
ommend. I could also increase he demand or
courses in higher mah in high schools. Very di-
eren consequences are also possible, however.
Widespread Algebra I in grade 8 could increasehe numbers o sudens who, having com-
pleed he mah course requiremen or eligi-
biliy o UC or CSU by he end o grade 10,
decide o noake mah courses during heirjunior and senior years. Tis ime away rom
he sudy o mah could resul in more high
school graduaes perorming poorly on college
placemen exams and needing remediaion in
mah. Ta said, sudens who have compleed
or enroll in Algebra II by grade 11 could sil
receive early eedback abou heir college
readiness in mah by paricipaing in he
Early Assessmen Program. (Trough his pro
gram, high school juniors can ake expanded
CSs o deermine college readiness or he
Caliornia Sae Universiy sysem.)
Does the algebra debate raise deeperquestions about Californias standards-based reforms?Caliornias curren mah conen sandards
were he produc o a conenious adop
ion process oen reerred o as he mah
wars . Te debae posiioned suppor ers o a
sronger saewide emphasis on basic
operaional skills and mahemaical preci
sion agains hose who sressed concepual
undersanding and he pracical relevanceo mahemaics (as in he model sandards
o he Naional Council o eachers o
Mahemaics, or example).
Mah educaors and policymakers under
sand ha hese muliple aspecs o mah pro
ciency are closely inerrelaed and essenia
or sudens o learn. A he same ime, mos
acknowledge ha a back o basics approach
o he sandards won he day in Caliornia
Te philosophical ensions ha spurred his
debae coninue o linger. Tere is sill dis
agreemen among knowledgeable people in
he sae abou wheher he oundaion pro
vided by Caliornias mah conen sa ndards
and he assessmens o suden achievemen
provided by he mah CSs, oer sudens
and educaors a world-class or a narrow
vision o mah proc iency.
For supporers o he choices Caliornia
made, he curren mah sandards are a he
core o he saes insrucional capaciy o
expand algebra success by grade 8. Tey poin
o suden achievemen gains on he CSsas evidence ha sudens can succeed when
held o high expecaions and given a air
chance o mee hem. Supporers also poin
o posiive raings o he saes mah san
dards by such organizaions as he Fordham
Foundaion and he American Federaion o
eachers. Furher, he Naional Mahemaics
Advisor y Panel, creaed in Apri l 2006 by hen
Presiden George W. Bush, ound in 2008 ha
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May 2009 n Al geb ra Poli cy i n Ca lifornia n 1 Copyright 2009 by EdSource, Inc.
he K8 mah sandards o six saesinclud-
ing Caliornia and Massachusetson he
whole, provide an emphasis on ewer impor-
an opics per year han mos saes.
However, he panel added ha his more
coheren ocus sill alls shor o wha is
done in high-perorming naions, such asSingapore. Panel members also cauioned
ha sandards mus be accompanied by
meaningul assessmens, curricula, and
eecive eacher preparaion and proes-
sional developmenin eec, he oher
elemens necessary o suppor coninuous
improvemen in eaching and suden
achievemen. Tese observaions bolser he
argumen o hose who say ha Caliorn ias
lackluser perormance on NAEP compared
wi h oher saes shows ha Cal iornias
policy choices have no provided sudens
an adequae oundaion or well-roundedmah prociency. From heir perspecive,
Caliornia should be open o learning rom
oher saes abou how o more eecively
prepare all s udens or algebra. Some poin
o exas, which ouscores Caliornia on
NAEP, and Massachusets and Minnesoa,
which are bench marked independen ly
agains oher naions on IMSS.
Massachusets, or example, is reviewing
is Mahemaics Curriculum Framework,whichincludes he saes mah sandards, o ideniy
possible revisions. Te revision panels progress
repor, discussed by he Massachusets Boardo Elemenary and Secondary Educaion in
March 2009, considers he sreamlining, prior
izing, and verical alignmen o he saes mah
sandards hrough grade 7. Te goal is o sup
por increased, successul paricipaion in alge
bra in grade 8 while sill allowing sudens who
Caorna are mah andard or aebra readne
Californias current Mathematics Framework sets out the states expectations for algebra readiness instructional materials, to be used with 8th graders not yet
ready for algebra. These materials build on key math standards from grades 26, with the goal of achieving 16 target standards from grade 7 and Algebra I thatprepare students for a full algebra course.
13 areed mah andard rom rade 7Number sene rand:
nAdd, subtract, multiply, and divide rational numbers (integers, fractions,
and terminating decimals) and take positive rational numbers to whole-
number powers.
n Convert fractions to decimals and percents and use these representations
in estimations, computations, and applications.
n Know that every rational number is either a terminating or repeating deci-
mal and be able to convert terminating decimals into reduced fractions.
n Understand negative whole-number exponents. Multiply and divide ex-
pressions involving exponents with a common base.
Aebra and Funcon rand:
n Use variables and appropriate operations to write an expression, an equation,
an inequality, or a system of equations or inequalities that represents a
verbal description (e.g., three less than a number, half as large as area A).
n Simplify numerical expressions by applying properties of rational numbers
(e.g., identity, inverse, distributive, associative, commutative) and justify
the process used.
n Interpret positive whole-number powers as repeated multiplication and
negative whole-number powers as repeated division or multiplication bythe multiplicative inverse. Simplify and evaluate expressions that include
exponents.
n Graph linear functions, noting that the vertical change (change in y-value)
per unit of horizontal change (change in x-value) is always the same and
know that the ratio (rise over run) is called the slope of a graph.
n Plot the values of quantities whose ratios are always the same (e.g., cost
to the number of an item, feet to inches, circumference to diameter of
a circle). Fit a line to the plot and understand that the slope of the line
equals the ratio of the quantities.
n Solve two-step linear equations and inequalities in one variable over the
rational numbers, interpret the solution or solutions in the context from
which they arose, and verify the reasonableness of the results.
n Solve multistep problems involving rate, average speed, distance, and
time or direct variation.
Meauremen and geomery rand:n Use measures expressed as rates (e.g., speed, density) and measures
expressed as products (e.g., person-days) to solve problems; check
the units of the solutions; and use dimensional analysis to check the
reasonableness of the answer.
n Know and understand the Pythagorean theorem and its converse and
use it to find the length of the missing side of a right triangle and the
lengths of other line segments and, in some situations, empirically verify
the Pythagorean theorem by direct measurement.
three areed mah andard rom Aebra i
n Students understand and use such operations as taking the opposite,
finding the reciprocal, taking a root, and raising to a fractional power. Theyunderstand and use the rules of exponents [excluding fractional powers].
n Students simplify expressions before solving linear equations and
inequalities in one variable, such as 3(2x 5) + 4(x 20) = 12 [excluding
inequalities].
n Students solve multistep problems, including word problems, involving
linear equations and linear inequalities in one variable and provide
justification for each step [excluding inequalities].
Source:Mahe mai cs Frame work for Cal iforni a Public S chools , Kinde rgar en Troug h Grade welve , Appendix E
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1 n Al ge bra Pol icy in C al ifor nia n May 2009 Copyright 2009 by EdSource, Inc.
the aebra debae pu eacher capacy n he poh
Beyond instructional materials and other resources, public education is ultimately about people.
need an exra year o underake an algebra read-
iness opion. Te panel is also considering new
high school course opions. One would suppor
suden readiness or Algebra II in high school.
Te oher would provide mah insrucion
beyond Algebra II or sudens hoping o pur-
sue college majors or careers ha are no mah-inensive. A rs dra o he revised mah
ramework will be submited o he Massachu-
sets board in all 2009.
What is the fate of Californias algebrareadiness instructional materials?
Alhough Calior nia currenly has no pro-
cess or periodically revising is mah conen
sandards, he sae does updae is Mahe-
maics Framework every six years o refec
changes in research and pracice. Te rame-
work provides guidance o local educaorsand exbook publishers on how o use Cali-
ornias mahemaics sandards o inorm
curriculum developmen and classroom in-
srucion. Uncerainy abou he saes alge-
bra policies has complicaed saewide and
local eors o make decisions abou middle
grades mah insrucional maerials, however.
Caliornias curren mah ramework was
adoped in March 2005. Based on is goals, he
Sae Board o Educaion adoped new algebra
readiness insrucional maerials in November
2007, inended or 8h graders who are no ye
ready or algebra. Tese maerials are designed
o srenghen sudens oundaional skil ls and
concepual undersanding in mah. o do his,
algebra readiness maerials build on key mah
sandards rom grades 26, wih he ulimaegoal o achieving 16 arge sandards: 13 san-
dards rom grade 7 and hree rom Algebra I.
(See he Caliornias arge Mah Sandards
or Algebra Readiness box on page 13.) Ideally,
hese maerials should help local educaors
deermine heir sudens insrucional needs
and help sudens recognize heir own capac-
iies o learn and undersand mahemaics.
In January 2009, he sae board approved
a imeline or anoher updae o he saes
Mahemaics Framework. I is unclear how
he updae will address algebra readiness,however. CDE has recommended ha he
board revisi he saes algebra and algebra
readiness insrucional programs o bring
he nex ramework ino alignmen wih
SBE policy on saewide assessmens.
A his wriing, sae educaion leaders
have no resolved his issue. As a resul, here
is a grea deal o uncerainy among disrics
as hey pilo and make decisions abou which
sae-adoped K8 mahemaics programs o
purchase or heir sudens. On he one hand
mos agree ha algebra readiness maerials
could be o grea value. Furher, a new Alge
bra I policysuch as he one conained in SBEs
suspended July 2008 moionwould sill pro
vide disrics wih several years during which
hey could enroll 8h graders in mah coursesbelow algebra , while working o prepare su
dens in earlier grades or he Algebra I CS
On he oher hand, disrics ha have
already invesed ime in piloing algebra
readiness maerials are in an ambiguous
posiion. Te new sae budge allows dis
rics o delay he purchase o insrucional
maerials in mahemaics uni l July 1, 2010, a
which ime hey a re ex peced o have maeri
als rom he mos recen sae-approved lis
in place in boh mah and English language
ars. Disrics mus consider wheher algebra readiness maeria ls could soon be obso
lee or some insrucional purposes and
wheher more exensive inves men in Alge
bra I maerials is warra ned. I disric s inves
exbook unds in algebra readiness mae
rials now, hey will no have hese unds
available o purchase addiional Algebra
maerials laer.
As Caliornia look s o help more sudens
succeed in algebra earlier, no resource is more
imporan han qual ied eachers who have a
deep and coninuously growing undersand-ing o mah conen and pedagogy.
Tis secion provides an inroducion o key
consideraions in wo areas o sae eacher pol-
icy: credenialing and proessional developmen.
Te preparaion o muliple-subjec eachers or
mah insrucion in he elemenary and middle
grades is o paricular concern as Caliornia
looks ahead, as is improving he proessional
capaciy o he saes exising eacher workorce
o each mah well. Tese underlying challenges
pre-dae Caliornias curren policy debae abou
grade 8 mah and will coninue o be pressing
regardless o how his debae is resolved.
Teacher credentialing for math in grades K8is an ongoing topic of policy discussionCredenialing or mah insrucion in
grades K8 is a cenral quesion as Cali-
ornia works o enable more sudens o
succeed in algebra early. In Ocober 2008,
he Caliornia Commission on eacher
Credenialing (CC), which grans eaching
credenials in he sae, began reviewing
he saes mah auhorizaions. An adv isory
panel recenly convened by he CC has
begun o rev iew he saes uure credenialing needs or mah insrucion.
Californias supply and distribution of prepared
middle grades algebra teachers is a concern
Even wihou a change in sae policy regard
ing grade 8 mah, eacher qualicaions are an
issue in Caliornia. According o he Cener o
he Fuure o eaching and Learning (CFL)
abou one-hird o middle grades Algebra I
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May 2009 n Al geb ra Policy i n Ca liforni a n 1 Copyright 2009 by EdSource, Inc.
eachers may no be adequaely prepared o
each he course eecively. (See Figure 7.)
Alogeher 8% o middle grades Algebra I
eachers had no received a preliminary or
clear eaching credenial, and 23% held eiher a
single-subjec credenial in anoher subjec or a
muliple-subjec credenial wihou a subjec-mater auhorizaion in mah. Moreover, CFL
noes, alhough sudens who are sruggling o
reach prociency on he Algebra I CS are in
paricular need o eachers who are especially
skilled a remediaion, sudens in lower-
perorming schools are less likely o be augh
by ea chers wi h a s rong m ah backgrou nd.
Teachers with varied backgrounds can teach Algebra I
In general, middle grades eachers in Cali-
ornia earn eiher:
n A single-subjec credenial, similar o highschool eachers; or
n A muliple-subjec credenial, similar o
elemenary school eachers.
Currenly, Caliornia acceps several
opions regarding which educaors are
auhorized o each Algebra I in he middle
grades. Tis fexibiliy enables schools serv-
ing he middle grades o pursue an array o
approaches o organ izing heir classrooms:
n eachers may each algebra in a depar-
menalized seting wih a single-subjeccredenial in mahemaics.
n Middle grades eachers may also each
Algebra I wih a muliple-subjec credeniali hey do so in (1) a sel-conained class-
room in which all subjecs are augh; or
(2) a core classroom in which wo or
more subjecs, such as science and mah,
are augh o he same group o sudens.
n eachers wih a muliple-subjec or single-
subjec credenial in anoher subjec may
also secure a subjec-mater auhorizaion
in mahemaics. Tis add-on auhorizesmah insrucion in courses covering mahconen or grades 9 and lower in a depar-
menalized classroom. Te auhorizaion
requires a degree equivalen 32 semes-
er unis o course work, including cerain
minimum course-aking requiremens.
n In 2003, he CC esablished he single-subjec credenial in foundaional mahe-maics. Te oundaional mah credenial
auhorizes a eacher o provide insrucion
in such areas as algebra, geomery, and
probabiliy and saisics, bu i excludes
calculus and mah analysis. Te credenial
can sand alone or eachers wishing o
each only hose courses, or i can be added
o a credenial in anoher subjec area.
CFL atribues much o he recen rise in
he number o mah credenials graned sae-
wide o he inroducion o he oundaional
mah credenial. Tey expec his rend o con-
inue among eachers who wish o each Alge-
bra I bu need more background and rain ing.
n In 200203, beore he oundaional mah
credenial was oered, CC issued 1,005
new single-subjec mah credenials.
n Four years laer, in 200607, CC issued
1,804 new single-subjec mah credenials,
wih almos 40% o hese in oundaionalmahemaics.
Policymakers are concerned about the preparation of
multiple-subject teachers for math instruction
Algebra ins rucion by muliple-subjec
eachers has become a key opic o concern or
CC. A school acing a shorage o mah
eachers can assign a eacher wih a muliple-
subjec credenial o each Algebra I in a
sel-conained or core classroom. Bu he exam
inaion requiremens or he muliple-subjec
credenial are aligned o he K7 academic
conen sandards in mahemaics, as CC
noes in is January 2009 meeing agenda. In
ligh o his, CC is considering how o addres
he misalignmen beween wha he Muliple
Subjec credenial holder is auhorized o each
wih respec o Mahemaics and he conen
preparaion required or he credenial.
Te capaciy o muliple-subjec each
ers o each mahemaics eecively in he
elemenary grades is also a opic o concernor CC, given he decline in CS achieve
men ha begins in grade 5. Quesions raised
by he commission in Ocober 2008 include
wheher preparaion programs or muliple
subjec eachers are adequae as hey relae
o mah insrucion and wheher he examinaion aken by muliple-subjec candidaes
assesses heir undersanding o mahe
maical conen sucienly.
Te adequacy o elemenary mah in
srucion is also a opic o naional conversa
ion. For example, he 2008 repor by he
Naional Mahemaics Advisory Panel drew
naional atenion by recommending ha
schools devoe ample ime o hree criica
One-hrd o mdde rade Aebra i eacher may no be prepared o each he ubjec
Credena sau o Fu-tme, Mdde grade Aebra teacher, 200708
8%
66%
3%
23%
Underprepared (i.e., without apreliminary or clear credential)
Fully credentialedwithout a math authorization
More than one credential type
Fully credentialed with a math authorization
fgure
Data: Center for the Futur e of Teaching and Lear ning (CFTL), 8 EdSource 5/
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1 n Al ge bra Pol icy in C al ifor nia n May 2009 Copyright 2009 by EdSource, Inc.
oundaions o algebra. Tese include
srenghening sudens fuency in working
wih (1) whole numbers , (2) racions, and (3)
paricular aspecs o geomery and measure-
men. Te panel suggesed ha fuency wih
racions in paricular is inadequaely devel-
oped in he naions schools and called oneacher educaion programs o make under-
sanding o he hree oundaions a ocus o
eacher preparaion or elemenary and mid-
dle grades mahemaics.
In addiion, a 2008 repor by he Naional
Council on eacher Qualiy ound litle con-
sensus among elemenary eacher prepara-
ion programs a 77 insiuions naionally
o which hree were in Caliornia, includ-
ing wo Caliornia Sae Universiy (CSU)
campusesregarding he mah conen ha
muliple-subjec, elemenary eachers areexpeced o learn. Te sudy did noe one
unorunae area o agreemen among mos
insiuions in he sample, howeverwide-
spread inatenion o algebra.
CTC is considering a math specialist credential
One opic on he agenda o he new CC
advisory panel is wheher Caliornia should
revive a mahemaics specialis credenial
originally adoped in 1985. Alhough his
credenial has no been used much in Cali-
ornia, a similar auhorizaion or reading
specialiss has been popular and could serve
as a model or mahemaics.
Mah specialiss could ulll hree roles:
n Work in small groups wih sudens who
are having serious diculy wih mah.
n Help eachers improve heir subjec-area
and pedagogical knowledge.
n Lead he developmen o mah programs
in heir school, disric, or couny oce.
CC noed in is December 2008 agenda
ha mah specialiss could suppor muliple-subjec eachers in he elemenary and middle
grades in paricular. Mah specialiss migh
provide proessional developmen, demon-
sraion lessons and observaions in he mul-
iple subjec eachers classroom ocusing on
mahemaics, possibly wih a ocus on he
elemenary and middle school years. Tis
migh provide a new rung on he career lad-
der or veeran eachers.
Reviving he mah specialis credenial
would require CC acion. Te oudaed
sandards or he credenial would need o be
aligned wih Caliornias curren academic
conen sandards in mahemaics, and CC
would need o approve preparaion programs.
The states current professional developmentapproach in mathematics falls short of whatis needed to meet goals
Along wih addressing he qualicaions oeachers o mahemaics, Caliornia also needs
o consider is approach o he proessional
growh o he saes exising eachers. Tis
is paricularly he case in he elemenary and
middle grades as eachers work o mee escala-
ing academic expecaions in mah. Currenly,
eachers in Caliornia receive proessional de-
velopmen in mah hrough a variey o sources,
such as conerences held by proessional
organizaions like he Caliornia Mahemaics
Council or hrough couny oces o educaion
Tis secion ocuses on wo sae-unded pro
grams: he Mahemaics and Reading Proes
sional Developmen Program (MRPDP) and
he Caliornia Mahemaics Projec.
MRPDP focuses on training for locally adopted curricula
Te 2007 Criical Pah Analysis by he Caliornia Council on Science and echnology
(CCS) and CFL calls he sae-undedMRPDP he predominan mahemaics
proessional developmen currenly organized
and oered by sae or local ocials. Te
program was esablished in 2001 hrough
Assembly Bil l (A B) 466 and reauhor ized in
2006 hrough Senae Bill (SB) 472.
Te MRPDP provides disrics wih
incenive unding or raining in mahema
ics and reading conneced o each disrics
Caorna eor o recru and rean mah eacher
A 2007 study es timated that California needs about 3,300 new middle grades and high school math and
science teachers annually during the next 10 years. Californias public universities are working to increase
the number of math and science teachers they send into the teaching workforce:
nThe California State Universit ys Mahemac and scence teacher inave intends to double (from
750 to 1,500) the number of new math and science teachers that CSU prepares by 2010. For more
information, see: www.calstate.edu/teacherED/MSTI/index.shtml
nThe Universit y of Californias Caorna teach program aims to place 1,000 new math and science
teachers into California classrooms annuallya fourfold increase from the 250 who previously graduated
from UC each year. See: www.universityofcalifornia.edu/academics/1000teachers
Retaining Californias current mathematics teaching force is also important. Recent efforts to recruit and
retain knowledgeable math teachers, particularly in low-performing schools, include the following:
n senae B 1660 authorizes school districts to use professional development funds to compensate
new and existing math, science, and Special Education teachers in schools in the lowest 30% of the
Academic Performance Index (API) .
nAumpon Proram o loan or Educaon (APlE ), run by the California Student Aid Commission,
pays a portion of students loans (up to $11,000) for every year they teach in hard-to-staff schools or
subjects, such as middle and high school math and science.
n Caorna Mahemac Projec supporn teacher o increae Reenon (CMP stiR) program
provides induction and support for mathematics teachers in grades 612, particularly in schools with
high need or which are in Program Improvement under the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law.
CMP STIR is currently in the second year of a five-year grant through the California Postsecondary
Education Commissions Improving Teacher Quality Grant program.
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May 2009 n Al geb ra Poli cy i n Ca lifor nia n 1 Copyright 2009 by EdSource, Inc.
adoped insrucional maerials. In K8,
hese insrucional maerials mus be rom
he SBE-adoped lis. Fory hours o iniial
raining hrough an SBE-approved provider
and 80 hours o ollow-up are a he
MRPDPs core. SB 472 also provides unds
or SBE-approved ollow-up raining oreachers o English learners, which eachers
may pursue as par o he 80-hour ollow-up
or in addiion o i. Disrics receive $1,250
or each program componen a paricipaing
eacher complees, o which up o $500 per re-
imbursemen may be used or a eacher sipend.
Recen disagreemens beween CDE and
he Bureau o Sae Audis over he MRPDPs
success o dae sugges i has no been uilized
o he exen policymakers had iniially hoped.
School disrics surveyed by he bureau or a
2006 repor mos oen cied lack o eacherineres as a reason or low MRPDP paricipa-
ion. Some eachers see he raining as eiher
oo long or oo closely ied o exbooks, as
opposed o a broader ocus on undersand-
ing sae sandards, according o he repor.
CDE also cied lack o eacher ineres in is
response o he bureaus ndings, as well as
compeing demands on eachers ime.
According o CFL , a recen legislaive
updae o he MRPDP during he 200708
legislaive sessionAB 2391is inended o
make ollow-up raining under he program
more relevan, and hereore more appeal-
ing o eachers. AB 2391 allows eachers o
devoe up o 40 hours o he 80-hour ollow-
up o proessional developmen in such areas
as daa analysis, he use o daa o improve
suden achievemen, and he use o dieren-
iaed insrucion and suden grouping.
In he iniial 200809 budge, he Legisla-
ure allocaed abou $57 million or MRPDP
caegorical unding. However, MRPDP was
among abou 40 caegorical programs hawere subsequenly cu by 15%, wih dis rics
given ull fexibiliy in heir use o hese
unds. A h is wriing, i was no ye clear how
his would a ec he programs operaion.
California Subject Matter Project offers discipline-
focused, standards-based professional development
Te Caliornia Subjec Mater Projec,
adminisered by he Universiy o Caliornia
Oce o he Presiden, provides eachers
wih sandard s-al igned proessional develop-
men o srenghen heir conen area and
pedagogical experise, especially in low-
perorming disrics. Tis work is organized
ino nine disciplines, including he Calior-
nia Mahemaics Projec (CMP). Te projecsprovide hese services hrough abou 100
sies on college campuses across he sae.
Originally launched in 1988, he Subjec
Mater Projec was revised o refec Calior-
nias sandards-based approach o public educa-
ion in 1998 hrough AB 1734. Te law empha-
sized helping eachers develop and enhance
he conen knowledge and pedagogical skills
necessary o mee he saes academic conen
sandards and improve suden learning.
Despie general praise or he projecs,
nancial suppor has been uneven. Saeunding peaked in 200001 and 200102 a
$35 million bu hen decreased dramaically.
Al hough ederal unds have been used o
ose some o he reducion, unding since
200304 has been only abou $10 million
annually or he projecs as a whole.
CMP has received sae and ederal
ile II unds oaling beween $1.2 million
and $1.4 million annually during he pas
several years and currenly oers proessional
developmen hrough 19 sies. CMP sies
and heir parnering disrics secure grans
hrough many sources, including:
n Te ederally unded Caliornia Mahe
maics & Science Parnership, adminis
ered by CDE;
n Te ederally unded Improving eacher
Qualiy Grans, adminisered by he
Caliornia Possecondary Educaion
Commission (CPEC);n Naional Science Foundaion grans;
n Philanhropic grans; and
n Conracs wih schools and disrics.
CMP programs include monhly work
shops; inensi