(July 10, 2008) -- LBUSD reaction is expected later today -- and will be reported by LBReport.com as received -- on yesterday's (July 9) dramatic action by the State Board of Education...which voted (8-1) to require all eighth graders to study and be tested on Algebra I, effective three years from now.
The Board action, which makes CA the first state in the nation with the Algebra I requirement, was supported by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the CA Chamber of Commerce...and opposed by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell who favored a test that critics have ridiculed as "Algebra Light."
SacBee.com describes responses to the State Board of Education vote as "deeply polarized." (For SacBee.com coverage, click here).
Governor Schwarzenegger strongly supported the tougher Algebra I standard and released the following statement:
Today's decision sends a signal to the rest of the nation that California has faith in our students to achieve their dreams and exceed expectations. California's children have already proven that when we set the bar high -- they can do anything. Now we must ensure that our schools have the resources, the teachers, and the curriculum to meet this great challenge. I am committed to doing everything in my power to make sure they succeed. Algebra is the key that unlocks the world of science, innovation, engineering and technology. This is California's future.
A day before the vote, Governor Schwarzenegger sent the Board a letter backing the full Algebra standard. (To view the letter, click here.
The State Board of Education's action came after the U.S. Dept. of Education determined in Oct. 2007 that part of CA's math testing failed to meet the federal "No Child Left Behind" law that requires assessing student performance using tests that actually ceflect the state's claimed academic standards. CA's claimed standards call for Algebra I in eighth grade...but statewide roughly half of 8th graders are tested only at 6th or 7th grade levels.
CA education officials had a choice of either enforcing the Algebra I standard for all students (which the Board of Education ultimately voted to do) or creating a test that measures knowledge of only some Algebra I concepts ("Algebra Light") supported by State Superintendent O'Connell.
In a July 8 letter to County and District Superintendents, State Superintendent O'Connell wrote in pertinent part:
I have strong reservations about requiring all eighth grade students to take Algebra I within 3 years without also offering any additional changes, support, or resources for our public school system. I also reached my conclusion after seriously considering the available data.
It is important to note that a little less than half of eighth grade students in California currently take General Mathematics. For that roughly half of the eighth grade population, a disturbingly low 23 percent is proficient or advanced on what amounts to seventh grade standards. When we disaggregate this data, we also find disturbing achievement gaps with African Americans at 13 percent proficiency and Hispanics at 16 percent.
To suggest that we simply enroll these struggling students in Algebra I without any additional support or instruction would be, I believe, highly irresponsible. I make that statement strong in my belief that every child can and should succeed in Algebra in eighth grade.
But without putting the proper resources into place such as ensuring subject matter expertise for teachers at every grade level, providing consistent, high-quality standards-aligned professional development, and ensuring a minimum available amount of instructional minutes for mathematics, we cannot expect our students to succeed when we adults have not done our part.
Therefore I cannot accept a requirement to mandate eighth grade Algebra I for all students without a complementary agreement between the state and districts guaranteed increased flexibility and assistance for meeting this goal.
In a July 9 email dispatch, the CA Chamber of Commerce rejected the less rigorous "Algebra Light" standard...and framed the issue as "whether California aligns the eighth-grade mathematics test with the state's high expectations or perpetuate[s] a two-track system: one for high achievers and one for those of whom less is expected."
The Cal Chamber dispatch noted in pertinent part:
In 2007, California’s eighth graders ranked 44th in the nation in mathematics achievement. Internationally, eighth graders in the United States are outperformed in mathematics by their counterparts in Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan, as well as Belgium, the Netherlands, Estonia and Hungary.
The CalChamber and business community acknowledge their roles in the education system. Helping young people develop the skills necessary to be productive citizens is an essential part of building and maintaining a strong economy; a strong economy is essential to business success and social responsibility.
Below is the State Board of Education motion as voted on and approved:
First, as the State Education Agency (SEA) the State Board of Education (SBE) directs SBE and CDE staff to work with the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) to develop a compliance agreement whereby the Algebra 1 end of course exam becomes the sole test of record for federal accountability purposes under the No Child Left Behind Act for eight grade mathematics. Further, SBE and CDE staff will work with the USDOE to establish an agreement that provides a reasonable transition period during which the State can build capacity across the system to achieve our goal of Algebra mastery for all eighth grade students. The Board intends that the required federal hearings on such an agreement take place in the late summer or early fall and that the agreement be ready for Board review at its September Board meeting.
Second, The SBE and CDE will concurrently pursue a waiver request with the USDOE to allow scores from students who are proficient in Algebra 1 during 7th grade to be "banked" and included for federal accountability purposes the following school year. Additionally, SBE and CDE staff will assemble a working group to develop priorities for longer term discussions with the USDOE that will help continue the process of more fully accommodating California's 8th through 12th grade end of course mathematics content standards and other State programs with NCLB.
