Repeating Algebra Can Make Things Worse - East Idaho News

Repeating Algebra Can Make Things Worse

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getty 121714 algebra?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1418830466411iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Algebra has been the bane of many high school students going back in time. And yet, it appears that making some youngsters take algebra again because they didn’t do well enough the first time seems to do more harm than good, according to a new California study.

Anthony B. Fong, the lead researcher for the study conducted for the U.S. Department of Education, says that about half the students who received at least a “C” and passed California’s algebra assessment test actually saw their grades and tests scores decline when they repeated the course.

Fong’s study didn’t look into the reasons why this happened but he guesses that many of these students felt embarrassed about having to take algebra again and just did the minimum amount of work to get by.

He also questioned teachers’ motivations for making students repeat algebra. His conclusion is, “If you have a kid who’s on the borderline of repeating algebra or moving on, if you’re in doubt, it seems like it’s better to move on.”

In other cases, when a student flunked the course, repeating algebra tended to get their grade up to a “D” but there was really no indication that they mastered the material.


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