From the post: “The report states that while 80% of all students have access to Algebra I in middle school, only 24% enroll.” A solution is to enroll all stude

From the post: “The report states that while 80% of all students have access to Algebra I in middle school, only 24% enroll.” A solution is to enroll all students in schools that offer the course by default, but let some opt out if they have a very good reason to do so (ie, nudging in behavioral economics term.) A potential problem is the pressure to water down the course for unwilling students but many countries have already solved that by having different streams/versions of the course. Another objection is that it could be too hard for some students. I’d say it should be possible for a majority of students to understand Algebra I if they are taught properly, as in the case of many countries with high PISA Math score. In these countries/regions, to my knowledge, much of Algebra I is taught in math courses compulsory for ALL middle school students. PISA 2018 results: https://www.oecd.org/pisa/PISA-results_ENGLISH.png https://www.oecd.org/pisa/PISA-results_ENGLISH.png I grew up in Asia, taught math there for several years, and have run a tutoring school specializing in math tutoring there for over a decade. I was quite surprised when I saw how easy the American math curriculum/textbook is for a given grade. (I’d say 1-3 grades easier than Asian counterparts) Others in Quora have expressed the same sentiment. Math is a skill that requires a great deal of time to master. Those who start properly sooner tend to have an advantage. US schools should offer more advanced math courses to all students at a younger age, rather than the reverse.