07/08/2008 GAAS:510:08 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Print Version | Email / Share
Governor Schwarzenegger Proposes Nation-Leading Education Testing Goal: Algebra I for Every California 8th Grader
In the attached letter sent today to the State Board of Education (SBE), Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger urged board members to adopt his ambitious goal of ensuring every California 8th grader is held to the highest education standard in mathematics in the nation: Algebra I testing. The Board will vote tomorrow regarding assessment of content standards for 8th grade mathematics at its regular meeting.
"I have always been a staunch supporter of high academic
standards in California," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "I
am asking the State Board to do away with the below grade-level General
Mathematics test and chart California's course to lead the nation in
8th grade math. I stand committed to ensuring schools have the
resources needed to prepare every 8th grader to take an Algebra I
standardized test."
California is the
only state in the nation to use Algebra I as the official standard for 8th grade
mathematics. Since 2003, the number of California 8th graders taking
Algebra I has increased from 34 to 52 percent, compared with just 30 percent of
8th graders nationwide.
