A new study is sounding the alarm: Even when Black students are at the top of their class, they’re still being shut out of Algebra 1 — the early gateway to every advanced math, college, and STEM opportunity that comes after it.
A study by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) analyzed data from 162,000 eighth-graders across 22 states and found significant racial disparities in access to Algebra 1.
Only 58% of schools in the sample even offered Algebra 1 by the eighth grade. That percentage dropped to 46% in high-poverty schools and 52% for rural schools. In schools with a large share of Black and Latino students, access gets even more limited: just 45% of them offered the course at all.
Even when Algebra 1 is available, Black students are still far less likely to be enrolled compared to their non-Black peers. Only 17% of Black students enrolled in an Algebra class when it was offered compared to 55% of Asian American students, 36% of white students, and 22% of Latino students.
The study makes it clear: a lack of academic preparation isn’t the problem. Even among the nation’s high-achieving fifth-graders, only 60% of Black students later took an Algebra 1 class. That’s compared to 68% of white and Latino students, and 84% of Asian American students.
According to the researchers, the real problem is how schools decide which kids are “ready” for Algebra 1. “When algebra access depends on subject or inconsistent criteria, even students who are ready for advanced math can be left out,” the study’s authors wrote.
Most schools use a mix of standardized test scores, teacher recommendations, and parent requests to decide who gets placed in Algebra 1. But research shows that those methods can make it harder for Black and Latino students who are well-prepared for advanced mathematics to access Algebra 1.
“Early Algebra is a launchpad – it sets students up for advanced coursework in high school and opens doors to STEM in college and beyond,” Dr. Daniel Long, a senior research scientist at NWEA, said in a statement. “Our analysis shows many students, including high-achieving Black students, are being shut out of that launch because of how placement decisions are made. The good news: there is a practical fix through universal screening.”
Universal screening sorts students into Algebra 1 classes based on demonstrated readiness instead of referrals and resources. States that use this model, such as North Carolina and Texas, which automatically place top scorers on state math tests into advanced classes, have seen gains in the number of Black students participating in advanced math classes.
Researchers say policymakers can begin to close the racial gaps in who takes Algebra 1 in middle school by backing universal screening, particularly in rural and high-poverty school districts. That may require using more resources to hire math teachers and expanding professional development.
Meanwhile, school and district leaders can also expand tutoring services or double the amount of instruction time in a class, strategies proven to improve students’ ability in learning new Algebra 1 concepts.
