“Families with resources turn to fee-required online algebra 1 courses in eighth grade, outside the public school system, or enroll their kids in private schools”
San Francisco pushed algebra to ninth grade in 2015 to close racial gaps. A Stanford study found the gaps in advanced math did not change, and Hispanic AP enrollment rose by one percentage point. The district’s falling failure rates came from dropping the end-of-course exam. One grandmother paid two summers and nearly $2,000 to keep her kid on track. An equity policy that only the rich can route around is a tax on everyone else.