What Do the California Standards Test Results Reveal About the Movement Toward Eighth-Grade Algebra for All?

Jian-hua, Liang; Heckman, Paul E.; Abedi, Jamal

doi:10.3102/0162373712443307

Cited by 23 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…We estimate that one-third of remaining accelerated students return to the non-accelerated track each year, so that the initial impact of acceleration on coursework decays over time. This leaky pipeline is consistent with evidence from California's eighth grade algebra push (Liang et al, 2012) and from other North Carolina districts (Clotfelter et al, 2015). We complement prior research focused on test scores and course grades by emphasizing students' coursework trajectories, given increasing quasi-experimental evidence that improved high school math coursework can have substantial effects on high school graduation rates, college enrollment rates and labor market earnings, both for relatively low-skilled students (Goodman, 2012;Cortes et al, 2015) and relatively high-skilled ones (Joensen and Nielsen, 2009;Jackson, 2010;Smith et al, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Objective course placement and college readiness: Evidence from targeted middle school math acceleration

Dougherty

Goodman

Hill³

et al. 2017

Economics of Education Review

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and AERA. Melanie Rucinski provided excellent research assistance. We gratefully acknowledge institutional support from the Taubman Center for State and Local Government at Harvard. Any errors are our own. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research. NBER working papers are circulated for discussion and comment purposes. They have not been peer-reviewed or been subject to the review by the NBER Board of Directors that accompanies official NBER publications.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 73%

Objective course placement and college readiness: Evidence from targeted middle school math acceleration

Dougherty

Goodman

Hill³

et al. 2017

Economics of Education Review

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show abstract

“…Outcomes, unfortunately, are mixed at best. Take, for example, the broad movement across states to require algebra for all students in eighth grade (e.g., see Liang, Heckman, & Abedi, , for a discussion of California; see Best, , for a discussion of Wisconsin). The hope is that by accelerating students’ mathematics tracks, we will get more of them into the STEM pipeline.…”

Section: Critiques and Limitations Of The Pipeline Metaphormentioning

confidence: 99%

Problematizing the STEM Pipeline Metaphor: Is the STEM Pipeline Metaphor Serving Our Students and the STEM Workforce?

2014

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ABSTRACT:Researchers and policy makers often use the metaphor of an ever-narrowing pipeline to describe the trajectory to a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) degree or career. This study interrogates the appropriateness of the STEM pipeline as the dominant frame for understanding and making policies related to STEM career trajectories. Our review of pertinent literature and independent analysis of data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 finds that the trajectory implied by the pipeline metaphor fails to describe the experience for nearly half of those who go on to become scientists or engineers, masks meaningful differences in trajectories by subfield, and informs policies that do little to diversify or increase the size of the STEM workforce. We suggest a pathway metaphor to better illuminate the multiple trajectories toward STEM degrees and careers and present four composite trajectories as useful categorizations of the individual paths taken by STEM graduates and career entrants.

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“…Our study, and many others, has shown that placing all 8th-grade students into algebra courses does not help all of them in their subsequent year's of learning (Clotfelter, Ladd, & Vigdor, 2012;Liang, Heckman, & Abedi, 2012;Loveless, 2008;Taylor, 2011;Waterman, 2010;Williams, Haertel, Kirst, Rosin, & Perry 2011;. Our study also indicates that students who scored below proficient on the CST for Algebra I at 8th grade have a 69% less chance to score proficient or above on their CST for Algebra I at 9th grade compared to their peers who scored proficient or above on the CST for General Mathematics at 8th grade.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 46%

“…This paper then aims to provide empirical evidence in two critical elements of algebra success for all: student placement and algebra preparation. We make use of our most recent studies to answer three questions (Liang, 2009;Liang, Heckman, & Abedi, 2012). First, regarding both placement and preparation, we looked at whether the increase in the number of California 8thgrade students taking algebra has achieved the goal of the "algebra for all" policy, namely, increasing the overall college preparation course-taking pipeline.…”

Section: Two Elements Of Algebra Success: Placement and Preparationmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Examination of Algebra for All through Historic Context and Statewide Assessment Data

Jian-hua¹,

Heckman²

2012

JTLPS

Self Cite

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Since 2003, California has enacted a policy through its education accountability system that encourages schools and districts to place all 8th grade students into algebra courses and therefore, be tested in algebra in the statewide assessment program. Ten years later, there are a great many more 8th graders taking algebra now. However, there are also many students repeating algebra, instead of going on taking higher level mathematics tests. This article aims to provide the historic context of this policy, previous and recent studies on 8th grade algebra, and our study based on the California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) data. We analyzed 8th grade algebra test-taking and the following years� higher level mathematics test-taking to examine the college preparation course taking pipeline. Our longitudinal study compared two groups of students� performance on 9th grade algebra between those who previously scored below proficient on algebra at 8th grade and those who scored proficient or above on general mathematics at 8th grade. Further, another longitudinal study linked 7th grade mathematics sub-scores to 8th grade algebra achievement. The results show that �algebra for all� policy increased the number of students taking algebra at 8th grade and subsequently, taking higher level mathematics tests. However, the pipeline of the college preparation course taking has a significant leak because the number of students taking higher level mathematics decreased dramatically after algebra. Longitudinal study shows that students who pass the general mathematics test at 8th grade have a 69% greater chance to pass the algebra test at 9th grade compared to their peers who failed the algebra test at 8th grade. We also find that the sub-score rational numbers is a strong predictor of 8th grade algebra achievement. Alternatives to help all students achieve in mathematics learning are also discussed in addition to recommendations for future research.

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What Do the California Standards Test Results Reveal About the Movement Toward Eighth-Grade Algebra for All?

Cited by 23 publications

References 14 publications

Objective course placement and college readiness: Evidence from targeted middle school math acceleration

Objective course placement and college readiness: Evidence from targeted middle school math acceleration

Problematizing the STEM Pipeline Metaphor: Is the STEM Pipeline Metaphor Serving Our Students and the STEM Workforce?

An Examination of Algebra for All through Historic Context and Statewide Assessment Data

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