California's Approach to Math Instruction Doesn't Add Up. CenterView

Abstract

California's students are failing to make the grade in mathematics. A recent study released by the RAND Corporation found that California's eighth grade students ranked 43rd on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) mathematics tests. A study conducted by the California State University system found that only 55% of high school juniors are prepared to enroll in college-level mathematics courses. In 2004, 82% of students scored below proficiency on the California Standardized Test in Algebra I (tested in grades 8-11). And in 2003-2004, more than a quarter of all students taking the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) failed to pass the mathematics section of the test. Sections in this CenterView include: Poor Performance on High Stakes Math Tests; The Teaching Crisis in Algebra; Bulging Enrollment in Middle and High Schools + Existing Teacher Shortages + Accelerating Student Academic Standards = Increasing Demand for Skilled and Knowledgeable Math Teachers; Considerations for Policy-Makers; and The Center View: Establish Summer Mathematics Institutes; Begin by Serving 8th Grade Algebra I Teachers.