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California moves to recommend delaying algebra to 9th grade statewide

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Re: California moves to recommend delaying algebra to 9th grade statewide

#11
"Yet for all the sound and fury, the proposed framework, about 800-pages long, is little more than a set of suggestions. Its designers are revising it now and will subject it to 60 more days of public review. Once it’s approved in July, districts may adopt as much or as little of the framework as they choose — and can disregard it completely without any penalty."

Re: California moves to recommend delaying algebra to 9th grade statewide

#12

It’s the official shift from “we can lift everyone up” to “we need to hold everyone down”. It wasn’t that long ago the California was touting the success of Algebra for everyone in 8th grade.

in this timeline, we are all Harrison Bergeron.

Re: California moves to recommend delaying algebra to 9th grade statewide

#14
Here's a revolutionary idea that pretty much all of the world adopts, if students are having trouble with a topic, get them to do more of it, instead of running away from it.

I always find it hilarious that the pre college education in US is so messed up. Instead of doing Algebra 1, Algebra 2, calculus, geometry as one subject that you do in a year and then completely forgetting about it till the next time you have to do it, how about you do a little bit of everything every year from grade 8-12. Problem solved.

For e.g. in India you learn geometry, algebra, etc. every year from grade 6 to grade 12. i.e. You have a single subject called "Math" that teaches grade appropriate concepts in all the topics in math. Trains the mind gradually over 7 years instead of one big dump. In undergrad in USA, I cruised through most of my freshmen math classes because I had learnt most of it in high school.

Re: California moves to recommend delaying algebra to 9th grade statewide

#15
post #9

What age is ninth grade? We were doing Algebra by eleven.

In Canada, ninth grade was around 14-15 years old, depending on the month you were born. I think the US has a similar timescale for primary/secondary schooling.

Yup, 14-15. It's freshman year of highschool in the US.

Re: California moves to recommend delaying algebra to 9th grade statewide

#16

What age is ninth grade? We were doing Algebra by eleven.

I think around 13 years old.

That's pretty much when we actually start algebra here in quebec. Agreed that it's a bit late though.

Re: California moves to recommend delaying algebra to 9th grade statewide

#18

I was doing algebra and Russian math word problems in 4th grade (maybe earlier, it's been a while). What exactly is the logic of pushing back mathematical training to later grades? [1] 1: https://www.edhelper.com/geography/Russia_Math1.htm

" . . . as a means of promoting equity" and "The intent of the state mathematics framework, its designers say, is to maintain rigor while also helping remedy California’s achievement gaps for Black, Latino and low-income students, which remain some of the largest in the nation.

It's Harrison Bergeron Math.

Re: California moves to recommend delaying algebra to 9th grade statewide

#19
post #3

Well that's stupid. If anything they should introduce it sooner. There's tons of research that show the sooner it's introduced the better they are able to digest that (as in it becomes more second nature and are later able to reason with it and build off that knowledge better).

It's hard to introduce Algebra much earlier than 8th grade - the students just don't have the mathematical maturity for it. What you can do though is challenge and expose them to slightly more complex applications of ordinary math (often stated via increasingly elaborate "word problems") that make the introduction of algebra a lot more natural when the students are finally up for it. You tend to see this approach in the various "Singapore Math", "Russian Math", what have you.
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