Solving the equation for improving graduation rates

Improving high school graduation rates may not be as straightforward as solving for x, but a tutoring program in Madison is focusing on the vital role algebra plays in the overall educational equation.

Achievement Connections – a joint tutoring program between the United Way of Dane County, the Morgridge Center for Public Service, the Madison Metropolitan School District, the Middleton Cross Plains Area School District, and AmeriCorps – estimates that only half of the students who do not pass algebra by 10th grade will ever graduate.

Many high school students struggle with algebra, making this statistic extremely troubling.

“Algebra is the number one course of failure for students in high school,” said Deedra Atkinson, the Executive Vice President of Community Impact and Strategy at the United Way of Dane County. “It is likely to be the number one course for a D or an F.”

Given the fact that students take so many different classes in high school, this raises an important question. Why is algebra so critical?

According to Jason Burke, the Achievement Connections Campus Coordinator at UW Madison, the answer lies in the deeply pervasive nature of algebra.

“Math has been identified as the new subject for teaching the first concepts of critical thinking,” he said. “If students fail the course, it sets them on a path to struggle for the rest of high school because all of the other math courses build off of algebra, and many other courses, even if they’re not math courses, start to use the critical thinking concepts that have been introduced in algebra.”

Atkinson expanded on this by highlighting the everyday importance of critical thinking skills.

“It’s the idea of putting oneself through the process of A plus what equals C,” she said. “We answer that question for ourselves several times a day as we try to figure out what it is we need to do in life or how we’re going to solve a particular problem in front of us.”

The recognition of the stakes associated with algebra drives the work of Achievement Connections. The program places volunteer tutors, usually UW-Madison students, in Madison East, West, and Memorial High Schools and in Middleton High School. After passing an algebra proficiency test, the volunteers are given training to best prepare them for their roles as tutors. This includes practicing on other volunteers and learning helpful teaching techniques. The volunteers then work with their assigned high school student, for a minimum of one semester.

Interestingly, the benefits of algebra can even spread to the tutors themselves.

“Some of the tutors are interested in going into teaching, so they’re using this as a way to see if they want to teach,” said Burke. “I’ve also had a couple students tell me that they haven’t done algebra in so many years that they wanted to relearn the subject. They’re teaching to learn.”

Beyond simply having motivated tutors, Achievement Connections also has the advantage of understanding the psychological aspects of algebra.

“Math already has this stigma against it with a lot of students,” said Burke. “We’re trying to change that perception. We want to tell them that you can be good at math and succeed at math.”

Burke ended this line of thought by revealing the key aspect for improvement.

“It just takes work,” he said.