Promote Algebra I Student Success

District and state graduation requirements as well as college access concerns often constrain math course placement decisions and lead most students to take Algebra I in the eighth or ninth grade regardless of readiness.

This study analyzes how six districts promote Algebra I success for all students, beginning with a discussion of course structure, followed by an examination of instructional practices and interventions as well as professional collaboration and development.

Facilitate teacher data-driven decision making for math interventions and course placements

Math teachers at District B review results from common summative assessments, screeners, and state assessments in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to better understand skill gaps. District E math teachers at both the middle and high school level receive student reports directly from the district’s self-paced learning system.

Math teachers meet monthly with the district’s math facilitator to discuss these reports as well as unit assessment data and develop necessary interventions. District D teachers receive real-time data from the Edulastic application to alter daily instruction and conduct interventions as needed. Similarly, District A introduced Formative for its middle school teachers to determine when to conduct interventions.

Offer structured academic support time during the school day

All profiled districts offer academic support time throughout the school day. District A students may enroll in an additional math support class as well as a general academic support class. Similarly, middle school students at District F may enroll in a 60-minute intervention period rather than an elective. At the high school level, students may enroll in the district’s intervention Algebra I course rather than the standard Algebra I course. All ninth grade students in District D take two one-year math courses which embeds this support option in all students’ schedules.

Similarly, District C and District E also offer intervention courses. While District B does not offer a designated academic support class, district teachers instead invite students to work with them during either their homeroom or the school-wide common study period.

Focus professional development on instructional practices

All profiled districts focus professional development on instructional practices. Contacts at District C report professional development currently centers on the science of reading and cultural proficiency. Similarly, curriculum providers lead professional development on instructional practices at District F and District D.

More formally, District E offers a week of professional development every summer on instruction. Administrators at District B note professional development, typically led by district instructional coaches, also focuses on general instructional practices rather than subject content. District A contracted with a math professor from a local university for professional development training on shifting algorithmic instruction to conceptual, inquiry-based instruction.

Incorporate instructional coaching as a core pillar of teacher professional development

Five profiled districts discuss working with instructional coaches to improve math instruction through cycles of observation and feedback. Profiled districts use both external and internal coaches. In District D, middle school math teachers work with LearnZillion coaches, while District A math teachers worked with a local math professor. Instructional coaches at District B and District E lead coaching cycles, among other responsibilities.

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