California Bill Would Require Schools Offer Algebra I to 8th Graders

A student performs a math assignment at Mathnasium, in Laguna Niguel, Calif., on May 12, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

A California bill that would require public schools to offer an algebra course to eighth graders advanced in the state Senate April 24, after the Senate’s Education Committee voted 7–0 to approve it.

In July, the California Department of Education adopted a new mathematics framework, which has not yet been rolled out, that sparked controversy for shifting its emphasis to “big ideas” and prioritizing equity over algebra and geometry.

Sen. Rosalie Ochoa Bogh, the author of Senate Bill 1410, said she introduced the bill because the state’s newly adopted mathematics framework suggests students take such courses in the ninth grade.

However, she argued that timeframe would give students less time to take more advanced mathematics courses, which may impact their college admissions chances—particularly if they’re applying for a STEM or mathematics-focused major.

Her bill not only asks Algebra 1 be offered but also Integrated Math, which combines algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and more in one course.

Having those options will ensure “students can more seamlessly transition from K-12 to higher education,” the senator said in an April 22 Senate Committee analysis.

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San Francisco voters overwhelmingly approved a measure in the March 5 primary election requiring its school district to again offer Algebra I courses to eighth-grade students.

The bill will now be heard in the Senate Committee on Appropriations in the coming weeks.