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[quote=Anonymous]Trying to find statistics on this is frustratingly hard. Here is the general pattern I saw in my quick research.

Algebra 1 in 8th grade is not common in the US. It seems like the highest percentage I could find was 43% but that study only used data up to 2015. A more recent study found that only 65% of schools even offered Algebra 1 in 8th grade. Another article points to a decline in the number of students taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade. Three articles with the data I quickly gathered are listed below.

Northern Virginia brings together a lot of families who have parents with masters and Doctorates, both degrees are actually uncommon across the US. Stats show that around 14% of Americans have a Masters Professional Certificate or PhD. That number is far higher in this area. We have a lot of parents who are very invested int heir kids education because education is important to them. As such, we have public school systems that offer programs and classes more aggressively. This area is not the norm for the US. I have no problem with kids taking Algebra 1 in 6th or 7th grade if the kids are ready for it, and there are kids ready for it. I don't think we should be pushing Algebra 1 in 8th grade for everyone because there are kids who are simply not ready and that is ok. But Algebra in 8th grade is acceleration as is Calculus in HS. I understand that it is more commonplace in our area, but it is not across the country.

And it is ok for our area to have a different pattern. The population here is different and that influences school offerings, that is appropriate. I am happy that my kid has the chance to take more challenging math. He loves math and is strong in it, why shouldn't he be challenged?

https://www.nwea.org/blog/2025/research-reveals-the-pros-and-cons-of-algebra-in-eighth-grade/

The article above is an interesting read on the subject. For this conversation, I will point to the statistics that the peak percentage of Algebra in 8th grade was 43%.

https://www.chalkbeat.org/2024/02/07/eighth-grade-algebra-access-math-tracking-rand-report/

The above report finds that Algebra in 8th grade is geographically dependent. Only 65% of schools offered an Algebra class for 8th graders but does not present a percentage of kids takign Algebra by 8th grade.

https://www.nagb.gov/naep/mathematics.html

NAEP states that fewer 8th graders are taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade in 2024 compared to 2019 without giving the number. [/quote]

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