State Board Adopts Eighth Grade Algebra Requirement

State educational leaders have voted to make California the first to require an eighth-grade algebra test, despite concerns over funding, teacher staffing and how it could raise the dropout rate. Gov. Schwarzenegger weighed in at the last moment, then applauded the Board of Education's decision to require algebra at such an early level. He called algebra "the key that unlocks the world of science, innovation, engineering and technology." KPCC Morning Edition host Steve Julian spoke with State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, who is opposed to the new requirement.

Jack O'Connell: I want the necessary tools, the resources. We have a shortage of math teachers today, and to simply say we're going to put all of our students in this much more rigorous class, without the resources, I believe is really setting our students up to fail.

Steve Julian: Why is this much more rigorous?

O'Connell: Well, algebra has more rigorous standards. We have world class content standards. We really are challenging our students. And yet, and we have, about half of our students are taking algebra in 8th grade today. And yet, when you look at our nationally normed test, when you look at our test scores, compared to other countries, we're 44th.

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And so that tells you that the system is already letting down our students. And without preparing our teachers, without recruiting more teachers, without having smaller class sizes, more resources, I believe we're just setting out students up for failure.

Julian: Talk about the other algebra plan that you had been pushing.

O'Connell: Well we had said that we want to give the professional educators, parents, more say in the class that their students' take. We want rigorous classes, but we don't want to have this sink or swim philosophy, that you just all of a sudden, almost overnight, put these students in a much more rigorous class.

And so we were proposing to be able to gradually prepare students for success in algebra. Give students a little bit more time. Let's put more resources into the classroom. We need to recruit more math teachers. We have a shortage of math teachers today! And even the governor's own secretary of education says this will cost billions of dollars. And we're underfunding public education today.

Julian: And you're saying this can't all happen in three years anyway.

O'Connell: I don't believe this can happen in three years. You know, and I just, I pray that I'm wrong, I pray that this does not contribute towards the dropout problem or the achievement gap, which I've been really trying to address in a very comprehensive, thoughtful manner. And I believe we are making some progress, but this is a step in the wrong direction.

Julian: Explain the relationship for us between stage algebra tests and federal ones.

O'Connell: Well the federal government said, what is important to them is that, whatever our standards are, that we're testing to those standards. Whatever the courses are that we're teaching, we're testing to those same concepts. And I support that.

This, you know, algebra for every single student, even though it's no more resources, will satisfy the federal government. But I don't believe it's in the best interests of the students, the parents, and the citizens of our state.

Julian: Jack O'Connell, does this come down to timing for you, or is it the notion that the test is just too hard?

O'Connell: This comes down to resources. This is a resource issue for me. I want all of our students to do algebra. I mean, I'm a hard believer in high standards. I support a college curriculum for all of our students. I'm one, I've helped change the culture in education by talking about high standards, high expectations.

I'm the author of the high school exit exam, to hold our students accountable. I firmly believe in accountability. But similarly, I also firmly believe we have to prepare our system. The system has let down our students. The adults have let down our kids.

Julian: I'm curious whether you feel in any way that the governor did an end-round around you, waiting 'til the last minute to talk about this.

O'Connell: Well I've been the state superintendent now, this is my sixth year, and served with two different governors, and I've never seen a governor with less that 24 hours weigh in, quickly line up his appointees, and ask them to basically, you know, be puppets to his proposal.

And that's exactly what happened. We had less than 24 hours to talk to middle school math teachers, parents, middle school students. We really haven't been able to, you know, get input from the citizenry of this state. And it really was done, in terms of process, in a very poor manner.

Julian: What happens next?

O'Connell: We'll try to make this work. I'm also certain that there will be some legal challenges for a host of reasons, but we're certainly going to try to make this work.

Julian: Do you think this will be tied up in court, and thus delay this, and, at least until the new administration takes over in Washington next year?

O'Connell: Oh, I'm, clearly this will be in court. It'll be delayed in court. I think the, you know, the litigants will have a, the plaintiffs will have a very, very good case against the state.

Julian: State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, thanks very much.

O'Connell: Thank you for having me, Steve.