Typically, students are assigned to algebra coursework based on a combination of teacher or counselor recommendation, prior achievement, and student or parent preferences (Dougherty, 2015).
For the decade before the adoption of Common Core State Standards in 2010, the policy of the State Board of Education was to make Algebra 1 the standard course for eighth graders so they could progress to Calculus in high school (Fensterwald, 2014).
There has been a movement, the “Algebra-for-All”, where student readiness for algebra was questioned (Goodman, 2014). Yet, universal enrollment may force underprepared students into a course in which they may not be successful, particularly without additional supports. Simply mandating that all students
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In addition, students should take a test which measures the foundational number sense, computation, measurement, algebra and functions skills from middle school math. Students should also earn at least a 90% on this 8th grade end-of-year placement test before being considered for an accelerated pathway. A deliberate scope and sequence of seventh and eighth grade standards needs to be provided to students prior to beginning their accelerated Algebra 1 course.
Although the research evidence on the needs of students who enter high school with inadequate mathematics skills is minimal, schools can employ several promising strategies to accelerate instruction (National High School Center: Curriculum and Instruction). These include the following:
• Double-blocked class schedules: With a double-blocked class schedule, classes meet daily for extended periods and can cover a year’s worth of material in one semester. This will give students the opportunity to attempt and earn more credits per year than more traditional schedules (Herlihy & Quint,