Algebra One

 

 

Policy

 IEM's Charter schools' graduation requirements for Math include Algebra One and one math course other than Algebra. Our students can meet the Algebra requirement with regular or basic courses. Please keep in mind that if a student takes a basic course to meet this requirement, the basic course may not prepare them for the CAHSEE. With a basic Algebra One course, the student may also need test prep. materials to help him/her prepare for the CAHSEE.

 

Special Education Students

On 11/16/2004, CDE ruled that a school may not request a waiver from the state law requiring every student who receives a high school diploma in California to have passed an Algebra 1 course. This directive includes those students with IEPs. They also stated that schools and school boards may not waive this state law. Please be sure that all of your special ed families understand that they are not exempt from the Algebra I graduation requirement, and that waivers are not a possibility.

 

Seventh and Eighth Graders

·         Students who take and complete Algebra 1 in seventh or eighth grade (not for high school credit), may use that course to meet the High School Algebra 1 graduation requirement, but they must take two math courses at a higher level than Algebra 1 in order to meet our 20 credit HS math requirement (Geometry, Algebra II, Trig, Calculus are all acceptable. Unacceptable would be remedial courses like Math Basics 9A, Pre-Algebra, Consumer Math, etc.).

·         Students may choose to repeat Algebra 1 in high school, and not use an Algebra 1  course 7th/8th grade course to meet the high school requirement.

·         The Algebra 1 course taken in Jr. High can count for the Algebra 1 HS graduation requirement, but will not count towards the 20 credit HS math requirement.

·         An Algebra 1 course taken in 7th/8th grade NOT FOR HS CREDIT that is not completed prior to 9th grade must be totally retaken in HS for HS credits.

·         If your student claims to have taken Algebra I in seventh or eighth grade, please have the office check their cume for verification. If they have a notation on their high school transcript from a prior high school, this should have been noted by the office at the bottom of the credit summary on their transcript in WEBfiles (new process). If the student claims to have taken it and it's not noted on their transcript, contact the office for verification.

·         A 7th/8th grade student may choose to take Algebra 1 for HS credit as long as another HS level core course is taken during the same semester.

 

Seventh and Eighth Grade Algebra 1 ES Webfiles Procedures

·         A high school report card must be "created" for every student taking Algebra 1 (whether or not the student is taking Algebra 1 as an 8th grade course or as a HS course. This RC is then used for ordering correct STAR assessment tests and CALPADS reporting to CDE. Do not delete this RC, but leave in FRED.

·         Every student taking Algebra 1 must have a HQT, regardless of the grade level of the Algebra 1 course. (As with any core course, this may be either the HQT ES,  an approved online course, the community college, or an HQT SME if the ES doesn’t have the certification for math).  BE sure to complete that section of the RC line in ES WEbfiles.

·         The report card is NOT marked ready or done at the end of the course, if the course is being taken as an 8th grade course.  It is marked ready as normal if taken as a HS level course (with at least one other core course taken the same semester.)

·         At the end of the year if the student completed the full year’s course of algebra as a 7th/8th grade student, the grade school report card is also required to be completed as the ES must check the box at the bottom of the  report card that the student has met the high school algebra requirement. Checking this box will hold this information in FRED until this student's first HS transcript is created--then it will transfer to that transcript.  For a student who leaves the school, this RC will be printed and included in their cume file.

 

Repeated Algebra 1 courses

Once a student has earned 10 credits in an Algebra 1 course at the high school level, no more credits may be given towards graduation for Algebra 1 coursework.  If a student has not passed the CAHSEE, they may need more practice in Algebra 1 skills, but that practice, while it should be recorded on the Learning Record and count towards attendance on the Rollsheet, may not be counted towards additional math credits towards graduation. The next math course should either be a higher level math, or a practical math such as Consumer math. (Remember, a student who completed Algebra 1 as a 7th/8th grade student not for HS credit may not choose to do Consumer math, but must do a higher level math course).

 

High School Transfers

Some students may transfer into our school with varying Algebra course titles on their transcripts: i.e. Algebra A and Algebra B, Algebra Essentials 1-6, etc. If the Algebra they have taken equals 1/2 of the Algebra I course requirement, then the student must complete another 5 credits, Algebra IB, even if the previous courses totaled 10+ credits. All Algebra 1 standards must have been attempted. Various high schools break up the required Algebra I course in a variety of ways. If you receive a student with a transcript that is unusual, please contact your advisor for assistance in determining whether the Algebra I requirement has been met.

 

Examples:

If the student has transferred from a school that has assigned 10 credits of Algebra A and 10 credits of Algebra B, this school may have an extended two year Algebra program, and require 30 units of math for graduation. These 20 credits from another school would only count for 10 credits of Algebra 1, and would together meet the Algebra 1 graduation requirement. The other 10 credits would need to be excluded. If only a portion of the credits have been earned at the previous school, the ES should contact their advisor to help determine how many credits the student still needs to complete to meet the Algebra 1 requirement.

 

But, if a school assigns Algebra Essentials 1-6, (we contacted the school for this information) Alg. Essentials 1-4 are equivalent to Pre-Algebra, and Alg. Essentials 5-6 are equivalent to Algebra 1A and 1B, and we would have to assign additional coursework accordingly unless the student had completed all 6 courses. If the student had only completed Algebra Essentials 1-4, then they would still need a year of Algebra with us, or if only 1-5, then they'd need an additional semester of Algebra 1B.

 

If the parent thinks the course was the equivalent of the required Algebra 1 course, and the ES is unsure, the ES should consult with their advisor, and may need to contact the school that awarded the credits for clarification.

 

For a listing of standards to be covered in a high school Algebra course, see http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/mthalgebra1.asp .

 

For a description of several (work in progress) Algebra Vendors, with the level of courses that they offer, whether or not they are standards aligned, and the number of credits per course, see our school curriculum webpage.