SK> ->    The College Board's EQUITY 2000 program, which seeks to
SK> -> "redress the gap in success rates and college enrollment between
SK> -> advantaged and disadvantaged youth," will be expanded beyond the
SK> -> original six pilot sites launched in 1990 
SK> ->    The six pilot sites are:  Fort Worth, Texas; Milwaukee,
SK> -> Wis.; Nashville, Tenn.; Prince George's County, Md.; Providence,
SK> -> R.I.; and San Jose, Calif.  EQUITY 2000 is a districtwide K-12
SK> -> program that eliminates tracking at all grade levels and in all
SK> -> subjects.  All students must complete Algebra I by the end of the
SK> -> ninth grade and geometry by the end of the tenth grade.
    Has it occurred to anyone that not 100% of students, rich or poor, will 
be able to complete Algebra I by the end of the 9th grade _and_ learn and 
retain much from it?
    Math is the _sequential_ subject in school.  If a kid doesn't learn a 
year's worth of math every year, he will not have the prealgebra skills 
needed to pass and learn much from Algebra I.  While any program can drag 
kids along into Algebra I by 9th grade, is there any quantitative evidence 
suggesting that this program produces _retained_ algebra skills by HS 
graduation when these kids would enter college?
SK> ->    According to the College Board, an evaluation of EQUITY 2000
SK> -> found that the program is close to achieving its objective of
SK> -> 100% enrollment in Algebra I or higher-level mathematics by the 
SK> ninth
SK> -> grade.  
    Enrollment doesn't guarantee retained learning.
SK> ->    The report also noted that after EQUITY 2000 was introduced
SK> -> at the schools, students passed Algebra I at rates comparable to
SK> -> those before the program was introduced, even though enrollment 
SK> has
SK> -> almost doubled.  
    Nor do grades equal knowledge retained three years later when these kids 
would enter college.
    I'm very skeptical of whether Equity 2000 will make these kids more ready 
for postsecondary study.
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