Texas, the second largest state in the United States, voted to drop the Algebra 2 graduation requirement for students in a controversial decision that took place in late January.
Just eight years ago, Texas was the prime supporter of adding Algebra 2 as a graduation requirement with 20 states following its lead.
At Sacred Hearts, students are required to take three years of mathematics, including completing Algebra 2.
“I do not think other states will follow [Texas’ decision]. For example, the state of Arizona, where I moved from, just added a fourth year of math requirement,” said teacher Kimberlee Brown.
According to abclocal.go.com, “Many experts say Algebra 2 is a key prerequisite for success both in college and life beyond.”
When told of Texas’ decision to remove the course from graduation requirements, Academy teachers voiced their opinions in support of Algebra 2.
Head of the Academy’s Math department, Deborah Kula, said, “There is strong evidence that success in Algebra 2 is a reliable predictor for success in college. Hence, a college prep curriculum would be remiss if Algebra 2 were left out. Personally, I would expect students to want to maximize their options for the future. In today’s technological world, having a good understanding of math and science is important for many college majors and many jobs. I have faith that with desire, determination and effort, all students are capable of success in Algebra 2, as well as other math and science courses.”
“I know that Algebra 2 is very commonly taken by the majority of students in high school. If a student is on a Calculus or Pre-calculus track, then Algebra 2 is a prerequisite of both,” said teacher Eric Reppun. “I do think that certain other states will follow this path, but that won’t change the fact that the majority of students will take at least Algebra 2 and it will continue to be a reasonable bellwether of success and preparation for college.”
Elizabeth Gabriel said, “I believe it is essential to take as much math as possible in high school, and Algebra II is essential to the structure. Besides the mathematical content, math courses teach reasoning skills, perseverance, attention to detail and patience. Students have no idea what careers will require of them in 5 to 10 years. Even if their career doesn’t require much mathematical content, thought processes that are used in math courses definitely are.”
The decision to remove Algebra 2 stemmed from a plan to create greater course flexibility for students who want to focus on career-related training.
Texas board member, Ken Mercer, said that he hoped to include an “applied algebra” course among those classes that students pursuing a variety of high school diploma plans could take, suggesting it would teach algebra skills in real-world situations such as accounting.
English teacher Margy O’Kelly said, “I think it is a wise idea because people don’t all have the same academic strengths, and this is good, because we need a variety of occupations to keep things running smoothly. There are many valuable career paths that do not require Algebra 2.”
“True, there are many jobs that do not require a college degree. Many skilled-labor jobs require a training period, internship, or apprenticeship. Lifelong learning will be essential for all – college degree or not,” said Kula, “but I go back to the thought of limiting possibilities by not taking a class that could open other doors. We don’t know what the future holds for us, so we should work to be as ready for it as we can. The limit of our potential is defined only by opportunities we do not pursue.”
“We will always need vocational careers like mechanics, painters, plumbers, truck drivers, etc. that don’t necessarily require a college degree. However, even those vocations are becoming more technological and having a good understanding of math could probably help people who would like to enter those vocations,” said Gabriel. “But, vocational training will teach the exact concepts needed for that vocation instead of a broad range of topics like a traditional math course. The bottom line is every student should take as many upper level courses, in any subject, as she can to be prepared for either college or vocational training programs.”
“Although I do agree with having a focus on vocational training for some students, I stand by my opinion that the critical thinking skills learned and practiced in Alg 2 are necessary in any job,” said teacher Aimee Paa. “Yes, we do have the technology to do calculations for us, but there is still no replacement for intelligent human judgment.”
