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Program need and population we serve

During the last quarter of the 20th century, the US began to incorporate information technology into the workplace, introducing the Information Age and bringing us to our current Global and Knowledge Economy of the 21st century. This rapid transformation elevated the educational requirements for people to access economic opportunities to fully participate in their citizenship; it also prompted the country to introduce legislation that encouraged standards of “universally available schooling.” As a result, algebra has become a gatekeeper of higher learning, career, and economic opportunities.

America is lagging behind in the delivery of appropriate education for our youth to succeed in their “pursuit of happiness” guaranteed in the Constitution; not only are US students ranking lower in international academic performance reports, but worse, the student dropout rate is rising. These problems disproportionately impact low-income rural and urban youth, particularly African American, Native American, and Hispanic youth.

According to the Urban Institute, 50% of African American 9th graders, 49% of Native Americans, and 47% of Latinos/as do not graduate from high school in four years. In some poor urban and rural schools, drop-out rates approach 80%. Of those who remain in school, nearly half of African American and more than half of Latino/a 12th graders test at below Basic on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. These students are more likely to be assigned the least qualified and most inexperienced teachers, and their schools are largely segregated and under-resourced.

Recent statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, and reports from educational research across the nation reveal the alarming rates of overrepresentation of minority youth in special education and the juvenile court system. Minority students continue to be disproportionately labeled and “dumped” into non-inclusive, special education classes, carrying the stigma of this label throughout their entire education and often adult life. In 2000, some 3.9 million children, or 8 percent of those enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools, were classified as having mental retardation, an emotional disturbance, or a specific learning disability. In an analysis of this population, African American females were twice as likely to be classified as Mentally Retarded, and African American males three times more likely than white students.

In mathematics, the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) reported in 2005 that U.S. 15-year-olds, on average, scored below the international average for participating OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) industrialized countries in combined mathematics literacy, specific mathematics skill areas, and problem solving (US ranked 24th out of 40 countries). In 1999, teachers without a degree or certification in the subject instructed 68% of 8th grade students in mathematics. Reports released by the National Center for Education and Economy and by the National Institutes, urge the government to seriously address the declining quality in American education that prevent graduates from competing in the global market.

For over 24 years, the Algebra Project has been on the frontlines of the struggle for educational equity and access for our nation’s youth and families. We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors who demanded and won voting rights for all Americans. In the same way, we now work to empower students to demand quality education by first committing themselves to the fact that they can and will successfully learn mathematics. We recognize that in order for students to realize their full potential, communities and schools must create an environment that supports students in their effort. AP’s support to create such an environment is the cornerstone of our nationally acclaimed models of education service delivery.

During the 2006 and 2007 school year, the Algebra Project implementation and development sites include: Yuma, AZ; New Orleans, LA; Halifax County, NC; Orangeburg, SC; Jackson, MS; Petersburg, VA; Harlem, NY; Summerton, SC; Ithaca, NY; Springfield, MA. These sites are comprised of predominantly low-income, African American, Latino/a, and white families.

The Algebra Project is passionate about strengthening communities and empowering youth to access full citizenship.