Lynn Narasimhan, 
Director of the Interdisciplinary
Science & Technology Center

DePaul helps close the “algebra gap” in Chicago Public Schools

The numbers were dismal.

In 2003, just seven percent of eighth-grade students in the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) took high school algebra, compared to 34 percent of their peers nationwide. 

Without algebra, the other 93 percent were at greater risk of failing high school.

“Algebra in high school is a huge drop-out course. Students don’t only drop the class; they drop out altogether,” explains Lynn Narasimhan, associate dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and director of the Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Center.

Research shows that students who complete algebra in eighth grade are far more likely to stay in school. And those who pass the class in middle school are on track to take Advanced Placement (AP) calculus by the time they’re seniors.

“There’s a huge correlation between students who take AP calculus and get into college, and then who do well when they’re there,” says Narasimhan.

Not enough teachers

The problem for CPS wasn’t a lack of willing students—it was a lack of qualified teachers. So Narasimhan and colleagues from the University of Chicago and University of Illinois at Chicago partnered with the Chicago Public Schools to create the Algebra Initiative, a three-course sequence that qualifies middle-school instructors to teach the subject.

In the five years since the initiative enrolled its first cohort, 245 teachers have completed the sequence. High-school algebra courses have been introduced in about 150 schools, roughly 25 percent of the CPS total, and 15 percent of CPS eighth-graders now complete the class.

Diane Bryniarski, assistant principal at Belding School, participated in the Algebra Initiative in 2008 and taught eighth-grade algebra last year. She says the program changed her students’ lives in many ways:

“Because they took Algebra, many were able to go to the high school of their choice. The ISAT was easier for them, and many ended up in the ‘exceeds’ category. Also, having had algebra prepared them for the rigor of a high school class, where the focus is not on students per se but on teaching subjects in depth.”

Mari Jo Hanson, who teaches algebra at Disney School, says an added value of the CPS initiative was the opportunity to compare techniques with other aspiring algebra teachers and to learn best practices from seasoned professionals. “By gaining a deep understanding of the concepts, I’m now able to meet the needs of all my students, especially the struggling ones,” she says.

Ripple effect improves CPS system-wide

The steady increase in the number of teachers qualified to teach algebra in middle school — and the growing number of students taking it — is having a widening positive impact throughout the K-12 system.

Narasimhan explains: “Teachers of lower grades are ramping up their curriculum to prepare their students for the class, while high schools are adding sections of honors geometry, advanced algebra, pre-calculus, and AP calculus to serve students who complete algebra in eighth grade.”

Bolstered by success, the team continues to refine the algebra program. CPS recently began offering the sequence on-site at the home schools of interested teachers, eliminating travel time for participants and enticing more to enroll in the program.

“Our goal is to make it possible for every school that offers eighth-grade math to offer algebra to qualified students,” Narasimhan says.

The Algebra Initiative complements other programs sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Center which aim to increase the number of first-generation and minority students earning collage degrees in math, science, and technology.