This two-part series examines how area school districts plan to address new state standards requiring all Minnesota juniors to pass the MCA-II GRAD exam to graduate. And starting with the class of 2015, all students must take algebra I by eighth grade and algebra II or its equivalent by 11th grade.

Aug. 28: Making math scores count [1]
Today: A change in how schools educate

Climbing the stairs to receive a high school diploma is a proud walk for a student.

But that long walk across the stage started 13 years earlier in kindergarten.

Education has always been about giving students the building blocks to succeed at the next level. But now, more than ever, those building blocks have to do with tests, standards and a watchful eye from the state.

While next spring’s MCA-II GRAD test is the current emphasis, area schools also are discussing long-term mathematics curriculum changes that will affect more than just high schools.

Beginning with the class of 2015 — this fall’s sixth-graders — all students must take algebra I before or during their eighth-grade year. They must also take algebra II by 11th grade.
Today, approximately 35 to 40 percent of area eighth-graders meet the standard, according to numbers provided by the schools.

Getting students ready for eighth-grade algebra starts in the elementary schools, local educators say. Eden Valley-Watkins School District established a kindergarten through 12th grade math group last school year aimed at developing a coordinated curriculum from elementary to senior high, EV-W Principal Bruce Kiehn said.

Still in the discussion and research stage, the group already has decided to restructure its upper elementary curriculum to include more pre-algebra, as well as be more conscious about the algebraic standards taught in the primary grades.

Read more about local school preparations in the Sept. 4 Independent Review.