What Foundational Skills Matter for Algebra I Success?

• In Event: Assessment in K–12 Schools

Abstract

To increase opportunities for students to take advanced math courses in high school, there has been a trend toward enrolling students in Algebra I in the middle grades (Star et al., 2015). However, if students are accelerated into Algebra I during middle school, they may miss the opportunities to develop the foundational skills required for success in advanced math (Domina, McEachin, Penner, & Penner, 2015). Educators face the challenge of determining which students are ready to take Algebra I in middle school and which students are not. To inform strategies to address this challenge, this study examined whether student knowledge in five domains of math assessed in grade 7 was associated with Algebra I achievement.

Authors

• Mary Klute, SRI International

• Douglas W. Van Dine, Marzano Research

• Barbara Dougherty, Curriculum Research and Development Group