When I was going to school, if you took algebra by the 9th grade, you were considered to be very smart. Nowadays, if you DON'T take algebra by 8th grade, it's unusual. It keeps going younger and younger. Also, when I was going to school, if you read a chapter book by 3rd grade, that was considered an accomplishment. Now a good portion of my FIRST graders are doing just that.
Yeah, me too, and yet the educational system just keeps getting better and better, eh? With all of the giant minds guiding public education for the last 40 years, you'd think every kid in the system should be the functional equivalent of a doctoral graduate of the last century.
Not.
The administrator article that said "There is no question in our minds that this will position New York state well internationally..." reveals the intent - i.e., looking good as a district or city to the rest of the world.
Like any bell curve, some kids can handle advanced work and some take longer than their peers. IMO, pushing too much too soon is moot as far as benefits go, and quite possibly detrimental. Like the manic craze to push computer literacy early, I tend to think of this clamor as more faddism in the face of systemic failure.
Of course, EVERYONE will be herded into these algebra classes. So EVERYONE can do well on the SAT, and EVERYONE can go to college.
What a waste of national resources.
Most of the children I've observed have not memorized their basic addition and subtraction facts in fourth grade and count on their fingers. Virtually none have memorized the multiplication tables. I am not impressed....
Kids can take algebra, doesn't mean they are learing it, and as for kids reading whole books, alot of kids can't read, period.
In NYC, its a disgrace, when schools brag about just having literacy scores over 50%.
There's a website, on school scoring in NYC (I know Corcoran group has a link to it, or its avalable to download). Its pathetic, the easiest way to boost scores now, is simply ending social promotion, which is a start, but in this city, it'll also probably be an end.
Doesn't mean they learn it. My wife's niece is in the 11th grade and is barely literate; passed up the ladder. She didn't care till it came time for her DL and she found out that CA delays issuance of a DL if grades are not sat.