Wendy Gallimore wants to be sure her fifth and sixth grade students are ready for algebra. She knows all too well the importance of this gatekeeper course and the obstacles students face academically if they cannot master algebra.

“Many students who struggle in math get tracked into remedial classes and never can get out of that track,” said Wendy Gallimore, a teacher at Allison Elementary in Sacramento. “Our project is an attempt to get students to excel at math, have the ability to be in the college prep track for math, and have the whole world of possibilities open to them.”

Nearly 30 percent of students at Allison Elementary are English learners, and 87 percent are low income. Statistics nationwide for similar student populations are not encouraging when looking at algebra completion and college readiness.

So, when Gallimore learned about a novel program that combines a focus on math achievement and social justice—the Algebra Project—she decided she would give it a shot at her school.

Founded in 1982 by Robert Moses, the Algebra Project, Inc. is a national, nonprofit organization that uses mathematics as an organizing tool to ensure quality public  school education for every child in America. Moses argues that “every child has a right to a quality education to succeed in this technology-based society and to exercise full citizenship.”

With support from the School’s CRESS Center, Twin Rivers Unified School District and the California Teachers Association Institute for Teaching (IFT), Gallimore adapted lessons from the Algebra Project and aligned them with the district’s math program. The project is now in the second year as a pilot under evaluation by the CRESS Center.

“We believe that school reform is best nutured when it is teacher driven,” said Marlene Bell, alumna of the School of Education and IFT’s Algebra Project Director.

“Our students are learning about 40 percent of Algebra I standards in fifth and sixth grade. This has come through the integration of the district’s math curriculum (enVision math), the Algebra Project curriculum and state standards in math. It really has benefitted the students in their academic lives. They have learned to work in groups and are learning to see math as a tool rather than as a torture system,” said Gallimore.

The Algebra Project focuses on encouraging active learning of mathematical concepts by engaging students in relevant activities that demonstrate the day-to-day uses of math. For instance, field trips put children in real world situations where they can apply mathematical concepts, such as applying the concept of positive and negative numbers by plotting out paths to and from different locations.

“Our program is unique. It combines math literacy with student advocacy around math,” said Gallimore. “Students learn that it is okay to excel. They learn that together they will make it or not.They have learned skills that enable them to build themselves up in the classroom and out.”

Engaging parents and the larger community are also important aspects of the program. At Allison Elementary, they hold Family Math Nights and an afterschool program for students in fourth through sixth grade. According to Gallimore, “Parents are learning to channel their desire for their children to succeed into a useful place that will help students be more successful in the long run.”

“Having the students practice math in the real world and creating a space for families to be a part of the process can give children a lot of confidence,” said math education professor Rebecca Ambrose. “Confidence and a willingness to try has a lot to do with success in mathematics.”

Ambrose is so interested in how this program works that she has encouraged two of her MA students to conduct their research at Allison. 

“Community college, state college and UC should be an option for all students,” said Gallimore. “According to Bob Moses, students should be prepared to attend. Then we need to give them the dream that college is a real possibility. I’d like to think this is exactly what we are doing for our students.”

For more on the Algebra Project at Allison Elementary, visit the web at www.teacherdrivenchange.org