A double dose takes time to work

A study in Education Next looks at the impact of double dose algebra in Chicago Public Schools. In double dose algebra, students are given twice as much instructional time as normal. Starting in 2003 in Chicago Public Schools, students who scored below the national median in their 8th-grade math exam had double dose algebra during 9th grade, with the extra class providing support and extra practice. An initial study found little short-term effect, but this study follows the further progress of students just above the median (who did not receive double-dose algebra) and those just below (who did receive the double dose). It found that students who had received the double dose had increased rates of high school graduation and college enrollment. In particular, the intervention was most effective for students with relatively high math skills, but relatively low reading skills. This may be a result of the intervention's focus on reading and writing skills in the context of learning algebra.