Selection criteria and student access to Algebra I

The purpose of this study was to determine the standards and measures teachers and counselors use to place students in one-year versus two-year algebra and to identify predictors of high grades. Traditionally, methods for sorting students into algebra courses have been vague and inconsistent, creating school site practices that are counterproductive and inequitable for students who are denied access, either because of perceived ability or curriculum “tracking.” Therefore, two hypotheses were examined for this research: (1) Selection criteria used to determine which students will access Algebra I are subjective and based on perceptions about the student's mathematics ability rather than identified standards or an accurate measure of a student's mathematics ability and (2) Unspecified criteria and informal school site practices rather than state mandates or prior student achievement determine whether or not a student will access one-year or two-year algebra.;This study included two populations from two urban school districts in southern California. The first population was 9th grade students who enrolled in and completed one- and two-year algebra courses and the second population was middle and high school teachers and counselors. Two data sets were also utilized: (1) Quantitative student data, which included: Norm Reference Test scores, 8th and 9th grade mathematics course enrollment, 8th and 9th grade mathematics grades, gender, and ethnicity and (2) Teacher and counselor survey data regarding selection criteria and standards for student placement in algebra.;A series of t-test and Pearson correlations were conducted to determine the statistical differences between the identified measures for students in one-year algebra when compared to students enrolled in two-year algebra. Discriminant Analyses and Multiple Regression analyses were utilized to evaluate which variables identified by both teachers and counselors were actually the best predictors of algebra placement and academic success and whether demographic variables contributed more to placement than academic criteria. The findings for this study include: (1) Students in one-year algebra had statistically significantly higher academic achievement than two-year students, (2) Academic criteria identified by teachers are strong predictors of performance in algebra, and (3) Teacher practices have not been influenced by state mandates.