Why algebra testing will work (From LA Times)

BLOWBACK
Why algebra testing will work
California students have met seemingly unattainable standards before.
By Kenneth Noonan July 21, 2008
California has taken a bold step to lead the nation by setting the highest expectations in the country for our eighth-grade students in mathematics. Earlier this month, the state Board of Education acted to make the Algebra I exam the standard for all eighth-graders and to do away with the current two-tiered system. Contrary to Paul H. Chatman's , "Algebra testing sets kids up to fail," requiring all eighth-grade students to take the exam raises the bar for California's overall mathematics standards and will lead to better preparation for all our students' futures.The federal government, under the No Child Left Behind Act, requires that all students must be tested on grade-level standards. Under California's two-tiered system, some eighth-graders take an Algebra I assessment while others take a general mathematics assessment that tests students on sixth- and seventh-grade standards. The state board looked at a number of options to bring California's eighth-grade mathematics assessment in line with federal requirements, including a new, more rigorous two-tiered solution. But what the governor proposed and what the state board supported was a single-test solution: One standard, one test, for all students.Through this action, the state board sent a strong message to students that high standards are of the utmost importance. We have set the bar higher than ever before, giving every student something to strive for. This action tells our students that we want something better for them and their futures. Algebra is the gateway to critical mathematical thinking and to educating the engineers, researchers, doctors and scientists we will need in the future. Through these high standards, California's students will be better prepared to compete in the global economy.Some critics of this action, including Chatman, have said that we are setting ourselves up for failure, and that this is too lofty a goal to set for our schools, teachers and students. I would like to remind those critics that we have been successful in setting and achieving such goals in the past. We have seen great success in the implementation of the California High School Exit Exam and the Standardized Testing and Reporting program. Critics opposed those goals as unattainable and overly aggressive, but in each of these cases, California met the goal and substantially improved the quality of education for all our students.We all understand that this will be a large undertaking and will require sufficient resources to build the infrastructure needed to accomplish this goal. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is committed to providing the resources and investment required to make this goal a reality. We are all dedicated to raising expectations for students and will continue to work together as we move forward.Kenneth Noonan, a previous California Superintendent of the Year, has been a member of the state Board of Education since 2005.