Policies to enroll more children in algebra may be less effective than giving all children a strong start
https://hechingerreport.org/strong-early-math-skills-equal-later-algebra-success/
hechingerreport.org
Algebra I is known as a gateway class: Students who pass the course are more likely to take advanced math courses, graduate from college and earn more money as adults. But for many children, their path to success in Algebra I is formed years before they take the class. Third grade math scores can strongly predict which students will go on to pass Algebra I and which ones may struggle. A recent working paper analyzing test scores of over 1.7 million Texas students explored the phenomenon. It found that the gaps in Algebra I pass rates between low-income, Black and Hispanic students and these students’ more affluent, white and Asian peers can largely be traced to how well students master early, foundational math skills.
