Starting Early in Math Makes a Difference

Barbara McSwain
Jul 14, 2008

A new federal report suggests that those students who are enrolled in math subjects, such as calculus, trigonometry or advanced statistics, have an advantage over their peers who do not engage in these subjects until college or at all.

This study is not surprising to math educators who have long recognized that students who participate in 8th grade algebra are more likely to take higher level mathematics courses in high school.  

Education Week, in the March 2007 edition, quoted James M Rubillo, "The natural thing for everyone to say is 'Everyone should take Algebra I in the 8th grade.' " Rubillo is the Executive Director of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics in Reston, Va.  He continues, "Well not everyone is ready. We advocate strong preparation for algebra."

The study, "America's High School Graduates: Results from the 2005 NAEP High School Transcript Study," collected data from approximately 640 public schools and 80 private schools that took part in the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

The study found that the number of students taking core high school math courses has risen steadily from 1990 to 2005. The study  indicated  that students who took more demanding math courses also did better on the NAEP than those who took more basic classes. The study further stated that whether a student took more advanced courses depended a lot on the math course that the student was enrolled in during the freshman year of high school. Thirty-seven percent of the students who took Algebra I in high school ended up taking a more advanced math course before graduating. That number rose to 87 percent among those who took geometry during their freshman year of high school.

Currently only Alabama and South Carolina mandate four years of high school math.