The California Algebra I Success Initiative
Mastery of Algebra is critical to success in today's global economy. Algebra, at its essence, is about problem solving and critical thinking. This critical thinking process and skill is pivotal in many industries where it may seem that "math" is absent. It is also true that many students can succeed in Algebra I as early as eighth grade and that it behooves us as a system to encourage as many students as possible to learn this skill as early as possible. While there is wide disagreement that mandating algebra in the eighth grade was the right decision, it is incumbent on all of us in education to ensure that this mandate now passed is successful.
To prepare all California eighth graders to succeed in Algebra I, however, will take a major system-wide effort. This is not about merely focusing on eighth grade but looking at mathematics instruction from pre-K to pre-service. Therefore, the Algebra I Success Initiative breaks down the needs into three categories: Student Support; Professional Development and Instructional Materials; and Recruitment, Retention and Preservice.
Student Support
In order to give all our students what they need to meet this unprecedented challenge, we must make sure they have the necessary resources. The first and most critical resource is time. In our schools today, time is one of our most precious commodities. If want to make sure all students are fully prepared for Algebra I in eighth grade, we are going to need to give teachers at all levels more time to instruct their students in mathematics. Therefore, in order to honor this commitment without lessening our commitment to English-language arts or doing away with other subjects such as science, history, physical education, and art, we must provide the resources to extend instruction in combination with the additional comprehensive support structure recommended in this proposal.
We must also provide students with resources that improve learning. Results show that our mathematics proficiency rates are highest in kindergarten through grade three where we have class sizes no larger than 20:1. While clearly class size cannot be considered the sole factor for those results, we do believe it contributes to early success. According to data collected by the California Department of Education (CDE), the average class size for Algebra I in California is more than 26 students per class. We simply must do better.
Finally, there is a host of proven student support interventions that should be funded and implemented to provide resources targeted at our most struggling students.
Therefore the California Algebra I Success Initiative calls for:
- Increase instructional time for middle grades so all sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students receive sufficient mathematics, pre-algebra, and algebra instruction and support. Cost: $1.5 billion in General Fund for local support.
- Expand the Morgan-Hart Class Size Reduction Program to include pre-algebra and Algebra I in seventh and eighth grades. Cost: $492 million in General Fund for local support, $369 million in General Fund for school facilities and $305,000 in General Fund for state operations.
- Provide funding for districts to establish and operate "Boost Classes" in elementary, middle, and junior high schools, for no more than 15 students per class identified by a student success team as needing specialized curriculum, instruction, and counseling to address the new algebra requirement. Cost: $175 million in General Fund local support and $185,000 in General Fund for state operations.
- Expand school counseling services in grades four through eight to identify and provide services for students not adequately prepared to take Algebra I in eighth grade. Cost: $40 million in General Fund for local support and $185,000 in General Fund for state operations.
- Expand Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs in grades four through eight. STEM programs increase student engagement and motivation by providing relevant and rigorous instruction that gives students a clear understanding of how academic subjects can be applied to real-world situations. Cost: $25 million in General Fund for local support and $320,000 in General Fund for state operations.
- Expand the after school programs funded by Proposition 49, including weekend algebra tutorial support programs with an option for online and toll-free services. The expansion would include stipends for highly qualified teachers for supplemental mathematics activities for seventh- and eighth-grade students. Cost: $36.3 million in General Fund for local support.
- Expand effective Algebra Summer Bridge programs that provide instruction for students in grades four through eight and professional development for elementary and middle school math teachers. This program targets student needs and builds teacher capacity. Cost: $10 million in General Fund for local support.
- Expand Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), a college preparatory program targeted primarily at disadvantaged students, to improve student success in Algebra I. Cost: $5.8 million in General Fund for local support.
- Expand the Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) Program at the University of California (UC). Cost: $5 million in General Fund for local support.
- Provide increased support for migrant students assessed in Algebra I. Cost: $135,000 in General Fund for state operations.
- Require the California State University (CSU) and UC systems to expand through the federal work-study program the availability of trained classroom tutors for both elementary and middle schools. Cost: unknown.
Professional Development and Instructional Materials
According to the Center for The Future of Teaching and Learning, "Without more teachers developing a deep understanding of the subject as well as the skill required to deliver that curriculum powerfully and well, it is likely that Californians will see the same numbers of students succeed in eighth grade Algebra I three years hence as they did three years ago. To ensure students meet state and federal standards, their teachers must get the training necessary to develop the knowledge and skills to effectively teach Algebra I. Unfortunately, teacher professional development programs have repeatedly been cut in recent years…"
Given the new mandate of Algebra I for all eighth graders, it is incumbent on us to truly and fully invest in professional development for teachers and administrators and effective instructional materials directly aligned to helping students reach our goal.
Therefore, the California Algebra I Success Initiative calls for:
- Increase funding for the Instructional Materials Funding Realignment Program to support the purchase of mathematics instructional materials in grades four through seven, intervention programs for struggling students, and Algebra I materials for grade eight. Cost: $134 million in General Fund for local support.
- Implement a focused and comprehensive algebra professional development plan for all teachers, paraprofessionals, and administrators in grades kindergarten through twelve to directly correlate mathematics algebra standards. This plan initially focuses on grades four through eight and will augment SB 472 and AB 430 trainings. It will ensure that the algebra professional development training for administrators will have a focus on the school site administrator's ability to serve as both an instructional leader for Algebra I and an overall learning leader. It includes the elimination of the 3 percent cap on the Reading and Mathematics Professional Development program to allow more teachers to receive needed mathematics professional development. It will provide specific algebra professional development (content knowledge, instructional pedagogy and instructional strategies) for all teachers, including those who teach special populations of students — students with disabilities, students in GATE, English learners, and historically lower performing students. Cost: $108 million in General Fund for local support.
- Expand the California Mathematics and Science Partnership program by 20 new projects focusing on the Algebra and Functions standards for grades three through eight. Cost: $10 million in General Fund for local support.
- Create the Business and Labor Assisting Students and Teachers (BLAST) program. Start-up funding would be used to establish business-education partnerships and design curriculum that demonstrates algebra's practical application. After implementation, grantees will sustain BLAST with local funds or matching funds from their partners. Cost: $24 million in General Fund for local support and $1 million in General Fund for state operations.
- Expand partnerships between education and mathematics-intensive industries to provide paid summer teacher externships, giving veteran teachers the opportunity to update their knowledge, see mathematics in the context of modern industry, and to develop relevant curricula at a state-of-the-art level. Cost: $5 million in General Fund for local support and $270,000 in General Fund for state operations.
- Create a math-in-career technical education program that teaches students to learn and apply mathematics concepts and solutions to real-world situations. Cost: $5 million in General Fund for local support and $250,000 in General Fund for state operations.
- Conduct a special mathematics adoption to expand choices for districts to purchase more basic and intervention mathematics instructional materials. Cost: $380,000 in General Fund for state operations.
- Expand the California Algebra Forum to increase the identification and sharing of effective instructional practices. Cost: $100,000 for state operations.
- Require the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to expedite the process for credentialing qualified candidates as mathematics teachers, including out-of-state applicants and career changing scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. Additionally, implement a process, in cooperation with CDE, similar to the Subject Matter Verification Process for Teachers in Special Settings for veteran teachers to gain an advanced certification in algebra leading to the attainment of a Fundamental Mathematics Credential. The cost is unknown at this point.
Recruitment, Retention, and Preservice
Recruiting, training, and retaining effective teachers of mathematics are our most important and most difficult challenges. We have existing and persistent shortages of fully prepared teachers in math throughout all grade levels. According to the Center for The Future of Teaching and Learning, teachers are projected to retire by tens of thousands over the next decade. Nearly one in five teachers is projected to retire within five years, and about 100,000 teachers, or one-third of the workforce, are expected to retire by 2017.
Therefore, the California Algebra I Success Initiative calls for:
- Provide incentives to expand the recruitment and retention of Highly Qualified math teachers. Cost: $80 million in General Fund for local support.
- Require the CSU and UC systems to accelerate mathematics teacher training programs that will enable kindergarten through grade twelve schools to recruit and retain highly qualified math teachers to address the current teacher shortage. Cost: $15 million in General Fund for local support.
- Increase teacher recruitment programs for existing and retired mathematics professionals. Cost: $11 million in General Fund for local support and $135,000 in General Fund for state operations.
- Expand the Become a Mathematics Teacher program by improving the outreach to students, local education agencies, CSU, UC, community colleges, and marketing in other states. This also supports the early identification of potential mathematics teacher candidates at the California Community College level, including the Teacher Preparation Pipeline Program. Cost: $10 million in General Fund for local support.
- Expand programs for early identification of potential mathematics teacher candidates at the California Community College level, including the Career Technical Education Teacher Preparation Pipeline Program. This program focuses on recruiting students interested in teaching careers and in increasing awareness about teacher preparation pathways. Cost: $5.6 million General Fund (based on the 2006-07 allocation).
- Expand the hiring of multinational teachers with mathematics expertise through the Visiting Teachers Program to better meet the needs of English learner and migrant students. Cost: $139,000 General Fund for state operations to support local education agencies' expanded recruitment efforts.
As part of the Algebra I Success Initiative, the California Department of Education will create an Algebra Task Force, made up of experts inside and outside the department to oversee the implementation of the initiative. This Task Force will provide intensive targeted technical assistance to support districts in implementing effective mathematics programs from kindergarten though eighth grade. Cost: $1.5 million in General Fund for state operations.
Grand total: $3.1 billion.
