Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/2864
Ruling halts 8th-grade algebra testing I t was a radical math equation that just didn’t add up. When the State Board of Educa- tion (SBE) voted in the summer to require that all eighth-graders in Cal- ifornia would have to take the Alge- bra 1 exam despite a severe shortage of math teachers and a lack of student preparation, CTA joined other edu- cator groups in challenging the rash ruling in court. In mid-December, the Sacramento Superior Court is- sued a preliminary injunction to halt the monster math mandate. The legal victory also showed the problems that the federal No Child Left Behind Act is still causing, be- cause the SBE contended its action was driven by the NCLB account- ability provisions. “We are pleased that the Sacra- mento Superior Court ruled in favor of students and public schools and against the State Board of Education’s mandate imposing Algebra 1 tests on all eighth-graders,” says CTA Presi- dent David A. Sanchez. “The State Board of Education acted abruptly and without fully understanding the consequences of its actions on our schools, teachers and students.” CTA was joined in the legal fight by the California School Boards As- sociation and the Association of Cal- ifornia School Administrators. CTA charged in its court filing that the SBE exceeded its authority because its mandate “results in stu- dents taking a test that is not aligned with existing state academic content standards” and would therefore result in an unlawful revision of the state’s academic content standards. CTA also argued that the July 9 decision by the SBE violated the open-meetings law because the public was not given Had the decision been allowed to adequate advance notice. The governor had pressured the SBE to act quickly. “Administrative decisions that are based on political pressure, rather than careful delibera- tion based on evidence, are exactly the sort of which the public needs to be informed and provided an oppor- tunity to correct,” argued CTA in its challenge. Unfortunately, the state is appeal- ing the preliminary injunction, says CTA Chief Legal Counsel Alice O’Brien, who points out that the in- junction sends the message that the SBE was out of line. “This was a vic- tory for our students and for com- mon sense,” says O’Brien. The court ruling was very clear that the state overstepped its bounds and does not have the authority to mandate that every eighth-grader be tested in algebra. stand, schools would have had to be- gin preparing all eighth-graders to take the Algebra 1 exam now. Veteran math teachers agree that the idea was a poor one. Escondido Unified School Dis- trict educator Alex Kajitani — one of five teachers chosen as Teacher of the Year for 2009, and a finalist at the na- tional competition — questions the hastiness of the SBE’s decision. “I think it was a rushed decision that was not thought out,” says Kaji- tani. “There was not much thought to whether it could be adequately fund- ed. In order for students to do well in algebra, they need to have solid prep- aration. The kids would just have ended up falling further behind.” He teaches an algebra readiness program, as many middle school math teachers do, to prepare eighth-graders at Mission Middle Continued on page 38 Programs for California Professionals in Education Designed to advance your career Credentials and Certificates u Multiple and Single Subject u Administrative Credentials u CTEL u Education Counseling u School Psychology u Special Education u Reading and Language Arts u Child Life Specialist Bachelors u Liberal Studies u Child Development • Small classes with professionally active faculty • Programs in La Verne and numerous campuses throughout the state • Flexible scheduling • Nationally recognized, CCTC approved and WASC accredited programs Celebrating more than 100 years of excellence in teacher education Not all programs offered at all locations. Masters u Educational Management u School Counseling u Special Education: Mild/Moderate u School Psychology u Reading u Special Emphasis u Child Life u Child Development u Advanced Teaching Doctoral u Organizational Leadership (Ed.D.) University of LaVerne COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP 1950 Third Street La Verne, CA 91750 Call toll free: (877) GO-TO-ULV or email: degreeinfo@ulv.edu www.ulv.edu/welcome february 2009 | www.cta.org 29