Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools began working with National Training Network to implement the Algebraic Thinking curriculum in the summer of 2003. In the first year, 2003- 2004, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, piloted Algebraic Thinking with 6th and 7th grade students in 15 Middle Schools. All students in Algebraic Thinking were below grade level at the start of the school year. In the second year, 2004-2005, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, implemented Algebraic Thinking with all basic level classes (students were placed in AT classes based on “below grade level” score on the NC End of Grade test) with 6th, 7th and 8th grade students in all 32 Middle Schools.
Data collected after the second year of implementation included the following:
- Raised 55.2% of 6th grade AT students to being on or above grade level
- Raised 44.1% of 7th grade AT students to being on or above grade level
- Raised 41.6% of 8th grade AT students to being on or above grade level
The graph above shows; The Algebraic Thinking Growth Curve for sixth grade students two years prior to AT and including sixth grade Algebraic Thinking, the Algebraic Thinking Growth Curve for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students across three years.
The graph follows sixth grade AT students across three years. The last point of the line is the average score of students in the AT program. Students scores in 4th grade year was 249.56, 5th grade year was 250.31 and 6th grade AT was 254.73. Minimum scores of all three grade levels was between 234 to 236. The maximum score increased from 266 in the 4th grade to 280 by the AT 6th grade.
