New data puts ‘Algebra for All’ debate back in the spotlight

POSTED ON May 29, 2018

Algebra is often referred to as a “gatekeeper” because early passage of this math course is widely thought to help prepare students for higher level work in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

In the latest report from the Civil Rights Data Collection survey, which collects data on STEM courses available in schools, students of different races and grade spans don’t appear to be accessing courses the same way.

The CRDC provides critical information and data on student equity and opportunity.

Of high school students enrolled in and passing Algebra I, White students made up 45 percent of students who took Algebra I in Grades 9-10 and 50 percent of the students who passed.

White students were also 37 percent of the students who took Algebra I in Grades 11-12 and 41 percent of the students who passed.
Latino students constituted 28 percent of students enrolled in Grade 9-10 Algebra I and 35 percent of students enrolled in Grade 11-12 Algebra I. Latino students were 27 percent and 37 percent of students who passed Algebra I in Grades 9-10 and Grades 11-12, respectively.
Of the students enrolled in Algebra I in Grades 11 and 12, 37 percent were white, 35 percent were Latino, 19 percent were black, and 3 percent were Asian.
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander students accounted for 0.5 percent of students studying Algebra I in Grades 9-10 and 0.3 percent of the students who passed the course. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander students also constituted 1 percent of students enrolled in Grade 11-12 Algebra I and 0.2 percent of the students who passed.
Asian and American Indian or Alaska Native students both passed Grade 9-10 Algebra I at a rate comparable to their respective Algebra I enrollment (3 percent and 1 percent, respectively).

“The argument for algebra rests on the transfer from math to other areas of life, something that has never been proven,” wrote Roger C. Schank, the John Evans Professor Emeritus of Computer Science, Psychology, and Education at Northwestern University, in response to a newspaper article “Yes, algebra is necessary.”

“We can teach people the skills they need if we allow them to choose what interests them and then teach them to predict, evaluate, diagnose, etc., within their area of interest,” Schank continued. “Teaching algebra and then hoping those skills will transfer to other areas of life is simply fantasy, a fantasy that makes our kids bored and miserable in school.”

Math mindsets matter, according to the staff at Great Schools, a leading national nonprofit empowering parents to unlock educational opportunities for their child.

“Algebra I isn’t the first step toward math success — students begin exploring algebraic reasoning in kindergarten (and, ideally, even in preschool). Researchers say that a powerful way to help your child build a strong foundation in math is by encouraging them to develop a positive mindset about math,” Great Schools advises.

In the 2018 CDRC report, Latino students constituted 24 percent of high school enrollment and represented 23 percent of students enrolled in Algebra II and Chemistry, 19 percent of students enrolled in advanced mathematics, and 16 percent of students enrolled in Calculus.

Latino students represented 25 percent of students enrolled in Geometry and in Physics, and 24 percent of students enrolled in Biology.

The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) data include course enrollment and course availability for some middle school and high school courses. Middle school courses include Algebra I and Geometry. High school courses include Algebra I and Geometry, as well as Algebra II, advanced mathematics,3 Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

Kati Haycock of The Education Trust, which is described as ” fierce advocates for the high academic achievement of all students– particularly those of color or living in poverty” says profound questions about the feasibility of an “algebra for all” policy will remain until educators know how to reduce the number of underprepared students and how to effectively teach algebra to students who struggle with basic arithmetic.

For the 2015–16 school year, the Civil Rights Data Collection survey collected data indicating that of nearly 30,000 public schools in the United States, approximately 4.4 million students were enrolled in Algebra I during the 2015–16 school year.

The U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 2015–16 Civil Rights Data Collection | STEM COURSE TAKING report was released in April 2018.