Postponing algebra teaching did not benefit more vulnerable students

In order to try to improve the performance and the number of black and Hispanic students enrolled in exact subjects in high school, the city of San Francisco, California (USA), decided, in 2015, to stop offering the subject of algebra before the ninth grade elementary school, in addition to placing low-, medium-, and high-performing students in the same classes. The initiative failed: a study by professors at Stanford University concluded that delaying the teaching of the subject did not improve performance and did not encourage the most vulnerable students to follow careers related to advanced mathematics, which bring better professional prospects.

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In 2021, enrollment of whites and Asians in the Intro to Calculus course (important for entering university in the US), in the first year of high school, was still more than double that of their black and Hispanic peers. Enrollment of black and Hispanic students in Calculus remained below 10%, both before and after the reform, and the proportion of these students who chose not to enroll in any mathematics course in their final year remained virtually unchanged. .

The measure also displeased the families, who united against the decision of the authorities, claiming that it causes inequality for the poorest. Parents with more resources ended up hiring private algebra tutors for their children, to ensure that they were prepared for high school exact subjects and could compete for a place at universities.