A big deal in education policy discussions is how many students take Algebra I in the 8th grade. From 2002 to 2004, CMS had a policy of assigning even “moderately-performing students” 8th graders to take the class. The National Bureau of Economic Research has a new study out by Duke University professors Charles Clotfelter, Helen F. Ladd, and Jacob Vigdor that looks at this initiative. Over at the Locker Room, JLF education expert Terry Stoops offers up a quick summary:
Clotfelter, Ladd, and Vigdor found that students participating in the acceleration initiative scored significantly lower on state Algebra I tests and were significantly less likely (or no more likely) to pass subsequent Geometry and Algebra II courses in a timely way.
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So, there was no evidence that class size, teacher quality, and student assignment changes produced significant declines in mathematics performance for the moderately-performing students who participated in the acceleration initiative. The authors suggest that an initial redesign of the entire mathematics curriculum may have produced different outcomes.
