Research: Middle School Algebra Exposure May Hinder Academic Progress

Education Week (4/25, Sparks) reports that notwithstanding the perception that algebra is fundamental to higher math, "new studies question whether low-performing students benefit from exposure to the subject in middle school. Separate studies of urban middle schoolers in California and in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C., schools suggest that placing struggling math students in algebra class does not improve their test performance on state math tests, and significantly hurts their grade point averages and the likelihood of their taking and passing higher math courses in high school." The piece describes the research and the policies in California and North Carolina.