Ready, set, algebra

The California Department of Education (CDE) has long asserted that success Algebra I by Grade 8 is the goal for all California public school students. In fact, the state's accountability system penalizes schools that do not require all of their students to take the Algebra I end-of-course examination by Grade 8 (CDE, 2009). In this dissertation, the relationship between increasing the percentage of students in the state of California taking the Algebra I California Standards Test (CST), by Grade 8, and success in Algebra I by Grade 9 and Algebra II by Grade 11 is examined.;In this quantitative study, regressions, box plots, and a path analysis are utilized to examine trends in participation in Algebra I by Grade 8 and success in Algebra I by Grade 8, Algebra I by Grade 9, Algebra II by Grade 10, and Algebra II by Grade 11. These trends are captured from CST test data taken from 152 school districts between 2003 and 2011. It is determined that increasing numbers of students are participating in Algebra I by Grade 8. It is also determined that success over time increased for students in Algebra I by Grade 8, Algebra I by Grade 9, Algebra II by Grade 10 and Algebra II by Grade 11 over this same period. It is confirmed that socioeconomic status is highly correlated with success in Algebra I by Grade 8, Algebra I by Grade 9, Algebra II by Grade 10, and Algebra II by Grade 11. However, it also is concluded that participation in Algebra I by Grade 8 is significantly correlated with higher rates of success in Algebra I by Grade 9 and Algebra II by Grade 11. The practical and theoretical implications of these findings are considered in this dissertation and suggestions are provided for future avenues of research.