Algebra testing sets kids up to fail

The recent action by the State Board of Education, as reported by The Times in " California mandates testing every eighth-grader in algebra — ready or not,” is a disappointment for those involved at the front lines of California's educational system. The board's action is a classic example of a decision made in haste in response to a manufactured crisis, and it will result in a strain on the relationships between teachers, parents and students who are simply not ready for algebra in middle school.

By Paul H. Chatman

July 16, 2008