Our May 2009 report, Algebra Policy in California: Great Expectations and Serious Challenges, focuses on California's evolving expectations, policies, and debates about when students should take Algebra I. It explores the current state of algebra achievement in California and discusses some of the big questions raised by the goal of ensuring earlier algebra success for all students.

Due to space constraints, we were unable to include in the report the following, full list of resources related to this topic, which includes both national and California-specific information.

California Math-Related Organizations and Initiatives Referenced in the May 2009 EdSource Report

• California Algebra Forum. For more information, contact the California Comprehensive Center at WestEd

 

• California Council on Science and Technology (CCST).

• California Mathematics Council (CMC).

• California Mathematics Project (CMP).

The California State Board of Education's July 2008 Algebra Motion

• Motion approved by California State Board of Education, July 9, 2008.

• Court documents for California School Boards Association, et al. v. California State Board of Education, et al., (Enter case number 34-2008-00021188 to access documents.)

Related California Education Policy Documents

• California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Meeting agenda items regarding authorizations to teach mathematics. See the following agenda items: Oct. 2008 (Item 2D); Nov. 2008 (Item 2G); Dec. 2008 (Item 3G); Jan. 2009 (Item 3E); April 2009 (Item 3E).

• California Department of Education, 2008 Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program Summary of Results, August 2008. Includes data on California students repeating the Algebra I CST in 2008.

• California Department of Education, Algebra I Testing Requirement information page. Includes access to State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell's Algebra I Success Initiative.

• California State Board of Education, SBE meeting agenda for January 2009, Item 9. This item summarizes the process and timeline for California's 2011 Mathematics Framework update and cites possible areas for update.

• Mathematics Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve. Adopted by the California State Board of Education, December 1997.

• Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve. Adopted by the California State Board of Education, March 2005. Page includes information on the state's 2011 Mathematics Framework update.

California Publications and Resources

• California Council on Science and Technology & The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning. Critical Path Analysis of California's Science and Mathematics Teacher Preparation System. Sacramento, CA: March 2007.

• California State Auditor, Bureau of State Audits. Department of Education: Its Mathematics and Reading Professional Development Program Has Trained Fewer Teachers Than Originally Expected. November 2006.

• The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning. "California's Approach to Math Instruction Still Doesn't Add Up." Center View, July 2008.

• Foster, D., et al. "When Assessment Guides Instruction: Silicon Valley's Mathematics Assessment Collaborative." Assessing Mathematical Proficiency (MSRI Publications, Vol. 53), ed. A. H. Schoenfeld. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.

• Gallagher, H. A., et al. Evaluation of the California Subject Matter Projects (CSMP): Final Report. Prepared by SRI International, fulfilling the requirements of AB 2950 (2002) and SB 611 (2003), December 2005.

• Guha, R., et al. California's Teaching Force 2008: Key Issues and Trends. Santa Cruz, CA: The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning, 2008.

• Hakansson, S. W. Algebra Concept Papers. California Mathematics Project Directors & Faculty Advisors Meeting, Fall 2008.

• Kriegler, S. & Lee, T. "Using Standardized Test Data as Guidance for Placement Into 8th Grade Algebra." Department of Mathematics, University of California, Los Angeles.

National Publications and Resources

• Allensworth, E. M. & Nomi, T. "College-Preparatory Curriculum for All: The Consequences of Raising Mathematics Graduation Requirements on Students' Course Taking and Outcomes in Chicago." Paper presented at the Second Annual Conference of the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness, March 3, 2009, Arlington, VA.

• American Federation of Teachers. Sizing Up State Standards 2008. Washington, DC.

• Burris, C. C., et al. "Accelerating Mathematics Achievement Using Heterogeneous Grouping." American Educational Research Journal. Spring 2006, 43(1).

• Doing What Works website (U.S. Department of Education), videos and transcripts based on the National Mathematics Advisory Panel's Major Topics of School Algebra.

• Greenburg, J. & Walsh, K. No Common Denominator: The Preparation of Elementary Teachers in Mathematics by America's Education Schools. Washington, D.C.: National Council on Teacher Quality, June 2008.

• Klein, D., et al. The State of State Math Standards 2005. Washington, DC: Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, 2005.

• Loveless, T. The Misplaced Math Student: Lost in Eighth-Grade Algebra. Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution, Brown Center on Education Policy, September 2008.

• Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. Progress Report on the Work of the Mathematics Curriculum Framework Revision Panel. March 13, 2009.

• National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Curriculum Focal Points for Prekindergarten through Grade 8 Mathematics: A Quest for Coherence. Reston, VA, 2006.

• National Mathematics Advisory Panel. Foundations for Success: The Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, and Task Group reports. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, March 2008.

• National Research Council. Adding It Up: Helping Children Learn Mathematics. J. Kilpatrick, J. Swafford, and B. Findell (Eds.). Mathematics Learning Study Committee, Center for Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2001.

• Sack, J. L. "California High Schools Lining Up For Algebra 1 Waivers." Education Week. May 5, 2004, 23(34), pg. 27.

• Schmidt, W., et al. "A Coherent Curriculum: The Case of Mathematics." American Educator. Summer 2002, 26(2).

Related Reports from EdSource

• High School to Community College: New Efforts to Build Shared Expectations (November 2008)

• Raising African American Student Achievement: California Goals, Local Outcomes (May 2008)

• Math and Science Education for the California Workforce: It Starts with K–12 (January 2008)

• Math and Science Teachers: Recruiting and Retaining California's Workforce (January 2008)

• High Standards + Support = More Students Taking Tougher Math (May 2007)

• California's Middle Grade Students (March 2004)

May 11, 2009