Summary
A report from the University of California, San Diego has highlighted a significant increase in students entering without middle school math skills. The percentage of students placing below Algebra 1 in math assessments tripled over five years, raising concerns about student readiness for college. This trend is associated with learning disruptions during the pandemic and changes in admissions practices.
Key Facts
- UCSD report shows a rise in students without Algebra 1 skills from 6% in 2020 to 18% in 2025.
- Pandemic disruptions and the removal of standardized test requirements are linked to the increase.
- Math 2, a course for very basic math skills, now enrolls over 900 students, up from fewer than 100.
- A new course, Math 3B, was introduced to cover high school-level math content.
- Many students placed in remedial courses had high school math grades, including some with straight A's (4.0 GPA).
- The report points to a gap between students' paper qualifications and actual skills.
- Schools with high numbers of low-income students have more students needing remedial courses.
- There is a debate about balancing access to education with preparing students adequately for college.
