Originally Posted by BenjaminL
I've been thinking a lot about this article that came out recently:

http://hechingerreport.org/memorizers-are-the-lowest-achievers-and-other-common-core-math-surprises/

Its not so much been the contention that memorizing is less useful than conceptual understanding but the further step argued that

"Some school districts, such as San Francisco Unified, are trying to slow down the math experience, requiring that advanced students go deeper rather than faster. Students still reach calculus but the pathway to calculus consists of deep understanding rather than procedures and memorization. This is an important move. There is no harm in students being introduced to higher-level mathematics earlier, as long as the mathematics is enjoyable and ideas can be explored deeply. Third graders can be fascinated by the notion of infinity, or the fourth dimension, but they do not need a race through procedural presentations of mathematics."

What this means in practice is SFUSD is forcing everyone to delay algebra until 9th grade and detracking at the same time.
And what that really means is that parents with the means and motivation to do so will have their capable children taught algebra before 9th grade, while the children without such parents are out of luck.

My wife has told me that "everyone is sending their children to Russian School of Math" (a math afterschool in our town). Although not literally true, it is close to true for her social circle.

From the RSM site:
Quote
Starting in 6th grade, our curriculum splits into separate algebra and geometry classes. These classes build on our elementary-level foundation to develop formal algebraic and geometric skills. We give students three full years of both subjects that run in parallel in a sensible and coordinated middle school math enrichment program that ensures they will have enough time to understand deeply and enough practice to solve problems quickly and accurately. This head start is an amazing opportunity for all students to get ahead of their peers and set themselves up for success throughout their high school math careers.
Chinese parents create their own afterschools (there is an active one in our town), and many of them are mathematicians, engineers, and scientists well qualified to teach algebra classes. They will not let the public schools retard the progress of their children.