Which SF schools get Algebra 1 next school year
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Aptos Middle School is one of the schools implementing eighth-grade algebra next school year. Photo: Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
Beginning next school year, 10 San Francisco public schools will offer eighth-grade algebra as the district gears up to implement the course in all middle schools by the 2026-27 school year.
Why it matters: Offering algebra in middle school enables students to take higher levels of math in high school, without needing to take additional courses either in the summer or during the school year.
State of play: The San Francisco Unified School District is experimenting with three versions of Algebra 1 across 10 schools, the school district announced last week.
- In one version, all 8th grade students at Alice Fong Yu Alternative School and Roosevelt and A.P. Giannini middle schools will be enrolled automatically in Algebra 1.
- The second prototype, with enrollment based on readiness or interest, will be implemented at Rooftop K-8 School.
- The third version, which offers Algebra 1 as a second math class during the school day, will be piloted at Aptos, Willie Brown Jr., Everett, Francisco, Marina and Presidio middle schools.
Zoom in: In the second and third versions, students who show proficiency in math will be enrolled automatically but will be able to opt-out. Students will also be able to opt-in to the course.
- Students enrolled at schools without Algebra 1 pilots will be able to take online algebra courses or a summer course.
What they're saying: The district sees next school year as "a learning year," but it is "committed to being responsive to the needs of our school communities" as it works to determine which version to permanently implement, SFUSD superintendent Matt Wayne said in a press release.
Flashback: San Francisco's public schools used to teach algebra in the eighth grade, but a controversial shift in the state's academic standards in 2014 resulted in the city's public school students waiting until high school to learn algebra.
Of note: While San Francisco residents this month largely voted in favor of a ballot measure urging the school board to bring back eighth-grade algebra, the district had already decided to do so in February.
Between the lines: SFUSD sent out school assignment notifications on Friday and parents can access them online through ParentVue.
- The district received 14,133 applications overall for the upcoming school year, compared to 14,080 for the previous one, according to SFUSD.
What to watch: Schools without the Algebra 1 pilots will still be able to offer a new math curriculum that covers the foundations of algebra, geometry, statistics and more.