Algebra I and College Preparatory Diploma Outcomes among Virginia Students Who Completed Algebra I in Grades 7–9

Oct 15, 2026

Education leaders in Virginia use early access to Algebra I in middle school to increase students’ chances of graduating prepared for college and careers, yet limited evidence exists on the approach’s effectiveness. This study analyzed administrative data for a Virginia cohort of students who completed Algebra I in grades 7–9, examining Algebra I state assessment passage and college preparatory diploma attainment, including differences by proficiency level and subgroups.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Why this study?

What this study examined

Regional Educational Laboratory Appalachia At SRI International REL 2021–038 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION A Publication of the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance at IES Algebra I and College Preparatory Diploma Outcomes among Virginia Students Who Completed Algebra I in Grades 7–9 Algebra I and College Preparatory Diploma Outcomes among Virginia Students Who Completed Algebra I in Grades 7–9 Ryoko Yamaguchi, Deborah Lynne Jonas, Rebecca Anne Schmidt, Mark Sieber, Pam Buffington, Jill Neumayer DePiper, and Carmen Araoz October 2020 Education leaders in Virginia use early access to Algebra I as one method to provide students more time to take college preparatory courses in high school, thereby increasing students’ likelihood of graduating prepared for college and careers. Yet, little data are available for these leaders to examine whether their approach is warranted. Members of the Regional Educational Laboratory Appalachia Student Success in Mathematics partnership are interested in learning more about students who complete Algebra I in grades 7–9 and their outcomes. This study examined whether these students passed the Algebra I state assessment and whether they earned a college preparatory diploma. The study used administrative data to calculate descriptive statistics for one cohort of Virginia grade 5 students who completed Algebra I in grades 7–9. The results for the overall study population are presented by students’ proficiency level on the grade 5 math state assessment and disaggregated for economically disadvantaged students and English learner students. Among students in the overall study population who scored at the advanced proficient level in grade 5 math and completed Algebra I in grade 7, 90 percent passed Algebra I, and 80 percent earned a college preparatory diploma. The percentage of economically disadvantaged students who passed Algebra I was 10 percentage points lower than the percentage of the overall study population, and the percentage who earned a college preparatory diploma was 18 percentage points lower. There were similar differences in performance for students who completed Algebra I in grade 8 or 9. The study findings suggest the need to better understand Algebra I placement policies and practices and whether they unintentionally contribute to differences in student access to Algebra I and subsequent outcomes. Why this study? Education leaders in Virginia use early access to Algebra I as one method to increase students’ likelihood of graduating from high school prepared for college and careers. Studying Algebra I in middle school is intended to offer students the opportunity to take more advanced math courses in high school, with the aim of increasing the number of students who graduate with a college-ready diploma (Allensworth & Easton, 2005, 2007; Matthews & Farmer, 2008; Watson & Carlivati McCarroll, 2010) . However, these outcomes are not always realized. Thus, members of the Regional Educational Laboratory Appalachia Student Success in Mathematics partnership are interested in learning more about students who complete Algebra I in grades 7–9 and their outcomes. Of particular interest are outcomes for economically disadvantaged students, who represent a large percentage of the students whom those leaders serve, and for English learner students, who represent a growing percentage of the students they serve. On average, these populations have not achieved the same high school outcomes as the overall population. In 2019, 52 percent of Virginia high school graduates overall earned a college preparatory diploma compared with 31 percent of economically disadvantaged graduates and 15 percent of English learner graduates (Virginia Department of Education, n.d. d) . This study sheds light on the importance of two factors in student success in Algebra I and college readiness: students’ level of preparedness when they take For additional informati

FAQs

What question does the study investigate about Algebra I completion in grades 7–9?

It examines whether students who completed Algebra I in grades 7–9 passed the Algebra I state assessment and whether they earned a college preparatory diploma.

How do results differ by grade 5 math proficiency level?

For the overall population, students at the advanced proficient level in grade 5 math who completed Algebra I in grade 7 showed high passage and diploma attainment rates.

Why focus on economically disadvantaged and English learner students?

These groups represent many of the students served by the partnership, and the study highlights outcome gaps compared with the overall population.

Oct 15, 2026

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