Federal

Nine States to Be Partners on Algebra 2 Assessment

By Jessica L. Tonn — April 10, 2007 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Nine states have agreed to share an end-of-course assessment for Algebra 2, officials from Achieve, the education policy group that worked with the states to develop the test, planned to announce this week.

Officials of the Washington-based organization said Ohio has procured an exam on behalf of the group of states—which also includes Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island—from Pearson Educational Management, an assessment company based in Iowa City, Iowa. The collaboration is by far the largest of its kind, and it comes as some policymakers and educators appear to be rekindling the push for national academic standards. (“Panel Report Is Latest Rx for NCLB,” Feb. 21, 2007.)

“This is indicative of states’ willingness to come together in setting requirements for students,” Michael Cohen, the president of Achieve, said of the venture. Several other states also have expressed interest in joining the coalition and purchasing tests from Pearson, he said, which will be possible under the company’s contract.

The cost was unavailable last week.

“I think what we’re developing here will be the forerunner for a much larger buy-in from other states,” said Gene Wilhoit, the executive director of the Washington-based Council of Chief State School Officers, who worked on the test as the commissioner of education in Kentucky. He predicts that more states will begin using it a year or two after the exam is first administered.

According to Achieve, the tests should be ready for implementation next spring, although not all nine states will start using it right away. Mr. Cohen was not sure which states would be the first to use the tests.

The only other such test-sharing agreement is among four New England states—Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont—to write standards and assessments for grades 3-8 as required under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

In 2005, Achieve launched the American Diploma Project, a coalition—now made up of 29 states—committed to raising high school standards, strengthening curricula and assessments, and better aligning high school expectations with the demands of postsecondary education and work. Because studies have shown that students are more successful in college and work if they have taken Algebra 2, one of the diploma project’s goals has been to add the course to the list of high school graduation requirements and ensure the course is sufficiently challenging by devising an end-of-course exam for the subject.

“If it’s just a course name, there’s a danger the course will get watered down,” Mr. Cohen said, explaining states’ desire to craft and administer a rigorous exam.

‘Reality Check’

While states likely will not require students to earn a specific score on the Algebra 2 test to receive a diploma, he said, the scores will probably be used by institutions of higher education to determine which students need to enroll in remedial classes and which can take credit-bearing courses. Mr. Cohen doubts that colleges will use the test to determine which level of credit-bearing math a student should take.

He noted that the scores could influence a student’s grade and could be used by high school teachers interested in monitoring student progress. And if the test is taken before a student’s senior year, a poor score would highlight the areas the student needs to work on before going to college.

“It’s a reality check to see if they’re ready for college work,” said Stanley G. Jones, Indiana’s commissioner of higher education. In Algebra 2 at the high school level, he said, “students may get an A or B, but that doesn’t always mean they’re ready [for college-level courses].”

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the April 11, 2007 edition of Education Week as Nine States to Be Partners on Algebra 2 Assessment

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Schools
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by Panorama Education
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Federal Video Linda McMahon: 5 Things to Know About Trump's Choice for Education Secretary
President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate former pro-wrestling CEO Linda McMahon to lead the education department.
1 min read
Federal The K-12 World Reacts to Linda McMahon, Trump's Choice for Education Secretary
Some question her lack of experience in education, while supporters say her business background is a major asset.
7 min read
Linda McMahon, former Administrator of Small Business Administration, speaks during the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee.
Linda McMahon speaks during the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. McMahon has been selected by President-elect Trump to serve as as the next secretary of education.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Federal What a National School Choice Program Under President Trump Might Look Like
School choice advocates—and detractors—see a second Trump term as the biggest opportunity in decades for choice at the federal level.
8 min read
President Donald Trump listens during a "National Dialogue on Safely Reopening America's Schools," event in the East Room of the White House, on July 7, 2020, in Washington.
President Donald Trump listens during a "National Dialogue on Safely Reopening America's Schools," event in the East Room of the White House on July 7, 2020, in Washington. He returns to power with more momentum than ever behind policies that allow public dollars to pay for private school education.
Alex Brandon/AP
Federal 5 Things to Know About Linda McMahon, Trump's Pick for Education Secretary
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection, the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment has long spoken favorably about school choice.
7 min read
Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington on Oct. 3, 2018.
Linda McMahon speaks during a briefing at the White House in Washington on Oct. 3, 2018, when she was serving as head of the Small Business Administration during President Trump's first administration. McMahon is now President-elect Trump's choice for U.S. secretary of education.
Susan Walsh/AP