Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for July 11, 2008 ALGEBRA IN 8TH GRADE?

That question looms large in California.

State faces tough task in making it a requirement for eighth grade.

By Deb Kollars

Thursday morning, Johnnie Powell, a longtime National Weather Service forecaster, heard the news that all of California's eighth-grade students would have to take Algebra 1 within three years.

Like many, it got him thinking about the ancient and difficult subject in a personal way.

It was algebra, he said, that opened the door to a career he enjoys every day. And every day, in ways obvious and hidden, he uses the algebra lessons he learned in high school in Texas to help keep the Sacramento region informed about Mother Nature.

"When I read the story, I had to think about it," Powell said, referring to Wednesday's decision by the state Board of Education to require Algebra 1 of all eighth-graders. "I know it's going to be difficult for some students. But then I realized, it will only help them in the future. That's what happened to me."

Wednesday's state board decision caused a tidal wave of concern throughout schools in California. Until now, the state had encouraged but not mandated Algebra 1 before high school.

About half the state's eighth-graders take the subject, far more than in other states. The others still struggle with basic arithmetic.

Teachers and principals said they do not have enough time, qualified teachers or materials to get a full course of Algebra 1 across to all eighth-graders starting three years from now.

They have good reason to be concerned.

Algebra is tough to teach and to learn. It leaves many students feeling lost. Some need more time and help than others. Resistance to the subject runs deep, with many teachers and parents insisting it is not necessary for success in life and should not be forced on every child.

But in California, grounding all students in algebra as early as possible has been a priority over the past decade, especially for poor and minority children who have historically had less exposure and success in the subject.

Algebra, which uses letters to represent numbers, requires the leap from concrete to abstract thought. It forms the foundation for later math, science and computer studies. It is essential to a huge range of occupations, including medicine, marketing, finance, economics, architecture and computer technology.

Beyond its formal mathematical applications, algebra is considered essential for helping to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It is viewed as a gatekeeper course for college and career success.

Powell said he uses algebra daily in his weather forecasting job. It comes into play when converting miles per hour to knots, measuring the speed of thunderstorms or simply recognizing temperatures or wind speeds that cannot possibly be accurate.

"All temperatures come to us in Celsius," he said, "and we have machines that convert to Fahrenheit. But sometimes the machines break down and guess what, we have to use algebra."

Structural engineer Kit Miyamoto said the same.

"I use algebra every day, every day," said Miyamoto, president of Miyamoto International Structural Engineers, which designs buildings and has a staff of 80. "It's the basics of mathematics and it gives you logical sense."

Even people who don't apply formal math in their jobs find algebra an essential aspect of their knowledge base.

"You know, we don't do a lot of algebra in our office," said Les Bowman, redevelopment manager for the city of West Sacramento. Algebraic formulas buried in spreadsheets and computer programs do most of the heavy lifting when he and his staff are analyzing land deals and financial transactions.

But problem-solving skills gained from studying algebra and higher math are always in play, Bowman said.

"It really does affect your critical thinking," he said. "And the language creeps in all the time. People are always saying things like, 'You're only looking at one side of the equation.' "

Love algebra or hate it, people also often use it in their daily lives without even knowing it, according to educators and mathematicians.

Solving for the unknown. Exponential calculations. These and other algebraic skills are embedded in tasks ranging from figuring out interest earnings on a savings account to measuring fabric for draperies to comparison shopping for a fuel-efficient car or an energy-saving air conditioner.