Author: Nichole Addeo

From algebra to calculus (or stats!): Connecting the math pipeline

As outlined in a new EdResearch for Action brief that summarizes the research and history of Algebra I, auto-enrollment policies mark a meaningful shift from past practices. Historically, access to early Algebra I often relied on parent advocacy or teacher discretion, two mechanisms that often underidentified capable students from underrepresented and low-income backgrounds. By using objective criteria, automatic enrollment expands access to rigorous coursework while also avoiding the pitfalls of “one-size-fits-all” policies that either push all students into early Algebra I or delay access in middle school entirely.

Untangling Who Should Take Algebra — And When

"With district and school leaders clamoring for more meaningful guidance about who should take the class, when, and with what types of support, a new report from EdResearch for Action and the Annenberg Institute at Brown University tackles those issues head-on. “Over the past few decades, the research that has come out of those policy swings — from everyone should take it in eighth grade to no, we should make everyone take it in ninth grade — has kind of shown that that one-size-fits-all uniform push to algebra one is not meeting the needs of all students,” says Elizabeth Huffaker, a fellow at Stanford University’s Center for Education Policy Analysis and author of the report. “A lot of states and districts are experimenting with new models, and we wanted to bring to bear what we do know as states and districts try to do that.” Here’s what the report found and what state, district and school leaders should examine as they think about the most effective ways to set students up for success with Algebra I and beyond…"

The gender gap in math is back. The pandemic isn’t the only reason.

Enrollment in eighth grade algebra has been declining for years, said Elizabeth Huffaker, a research fellow at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education and author of a brief on algebra access and placement. Curriculum changes saw more algebra content incorporated into middle school integrated math courses, making it harder to move some students ahead earlier. And “algebra for all” policies have not had the results advocates hoped for…

A Subset of Math Skills Predicts Algebra 1 Success. What Are They?

"States and districts have proposed a host of different solutions to improve Algebra 1 enrollment and pass rates—accelerating all students into the class in 8th grade, requiring all students to wait until 9th grade, and offering a double dose math of periods, among others. The report signals that instructional choices are just as important as these policy decisions, said Elizabeth Huffaker, an assistant professor of education at the University of Florida, and the author of a recent brief on evidence-based policy approaches to improve Algebra 1 outcomes. “All of our policies kind of need to be downstream of some really core teaching and learning principles,” she said."

Marshall Memo 1087

Ohio State provides tutors to help central Ohio K-12 students improve math, literacy skills

High-dosage tutoring is defined as one-on-one or small-group tutoring that takes place more than three days per week or at a rate of at least 50 hours over 36 weeks, according to the Annenberg Institute at Brown University. That research shows high-dosage tutoring can produce large learning gains for a wide range of students, including those who have fallen behind academically.

New Jersey Tutoring Corps Opens 2025 with Thirty-two Tutoring Sites Across NJ

"Tutors are often embedded in classrooms during the school day and receive support from instructional coaches and site coordinators. Tutors serve scholars in 30 to 60-minute embedded sessions during the school day, after school, or in summer programs two to three times per week. The program provides a 1:1 up to 1:3 tutor-to-scholar ratio, with the same tutor working with the same scholars throughout a program cycle, following the recommendations of the Annenberg Institute."

NJ nonprofit reports success of high-impact tutoring

"The tutoring model works, Bassett said, 'primarily because of the one-to-one relationships that we form with our scholars. We follow the Annenberg Institute’s tenets for high-impact tutoring. One of them is consistency, the same scholar working with the same tutor throughout the program, two to three times a week, 30 to 60 minutes a session and the ratios are so small, they make a huge difference.'" Katherine Bassett, chief executive officer of New Jersey Tutoring Corps Video mentions Annenberg around 4:12