Help Wanted

I need some ideas from all of you out there. What do students have to do to pass Algebra at your school? My school requires students to pass both semesters. By pass I mean the average of the two quarters and exam that make up each semester must be 60% or greater. The problem we run into is what to do with students who don't pass the first semester.

When I first started working at this school all students who didn't pass the first semester retook it immediately instead of moving on with the rest of the students who passed. The idea being that if they didn't pass first semester they will would not be able to pass second semester. This was a scheduling nightmare for our counselors. They couldn't complete the final versions of the second semester schedule until the math teachers all turned in the names of the students that didn't pass.

Last year we allowed students who failed first semester to continue on to second semester with the rest of their peers. This made things easier for the counselors and didn't put students behind. However, students would have to take summer school to make up the first semester course.

I'm not sure which way is best or if passing both semesters is the best way of assigning credit for Algebra.

Both teachers and administrators at my school are struggling with how to solve this issue. What do you do at your school? Thanks for your advice!