Despite high school algebra focus, more students need remedial college math

Five years ago, California took a bold step and began requiring algebra of every graduating high school senior. The grumbling ran deep. The work was hard. The underlying equation came through loud and clear:

More math in high school would equal more students prepared for college.

For many, it hasn't added up.

In a pattern that has area math professors scratching their heads, some community colleges are seeing an increase in the numbers and proportions of entering students who can't do algebra, or even basic arithmetic.

At Sierra College in Rocklin, for example, of the 199 sections of math being taught this year, 68 of them – 34 percent – are arithmetic, pre-algebra or beginning algebra. Most students seeking a two-year or four-year degree must master those levels of math and in many cases go beyond.

Five years ago, the percentage of remedial math courses at Sierra was 28 percent.

Last year at Cosumnes River College in Elk Grove, 40.8 percent of incoming students who took a math placement exam tested into arithmetic or pre-algebra, up from 38.1 percent two years earlier. The proportion of courses in beginning algebra, pre-algebra and arithmetic at Cosumnes has marched steadily upward, from 43 percent in 2003 to almost 52 percent this year.

"It's the million-dollar question," said Mary Martin, math department chair at Cosumnes. "We are asking more of our high school students, so why isn't it transferring over to college?"

Response falls short

California high schools have responded to the monumental task of getting students through algebra, Martin and other math professors say, but the push is falling short.

It has educators concerned because algebra is considered a key subject for developing critical thinking skills. It provides the language and foundation for numerous fields, from nursing to the sciences to architecture.

One of the biggest reasons for the large wave of college students behind in algebra is timing. If a student takes algebra as an eighth- or ninth-grader, it often means arriving at a community college or state college with several years separating their last encounter with x and y.

"You have to keep practicing your skills or they diminish," said Michael Kane, interim dean of sciences and mathematics at Sierra College. "The pipeline from secondary education to college can have such big gaps."

Even students who have worked through several years of higher math in high school can find themselves back at the algebra drawing board. Too often, high school standards do not run as high as college standards, professors said. The state's high school exit exam, required to graduate from public school, tests basic math and pre-algebra skills, but doesn't go deeply into algebra, they said.

In addition, if students earn C's or lower in high school math courses, or if teachers grade too softly, it can lead to wider gaps.

"If you get a C in a math class and you try to go on and build, you're going to have holes," said Cosumnes math professor Lora Stewart.

A mathematical truth

Jessie Bahn, 24, is a classic example. A 2001 graduate of Rocklin High School, she earned a C in algebra as a sophomore.

Now a sophomore at Sierra College, Bahn hopes to transfer to the University of California, Davis, to study environmental science. This semester, she is in her second go-round with beginning algebra, grappling with variables and difficult equations.

"Being put back in this class was frustrating," she said. "It's things you have already learned. You think you should know them, but you don't any more."

Bahn is among tens of thousands of young adults across California facing a mathematical truth: Algebra matters.

Community college students earning an associate's degree must pass beginning algebra or show they have proficiency – scoring high enough on a placement test or having passed advanced math in high school. Starting next year, two-year degrees will require either intermediate algebra or an equivalent course, Martin said. Community college students transferring to a four-year university must meet even higher math thresholds.

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• Call The Bee's Deb Kollars, (916) 321-1090.