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The lawsuit was filed because (1) the district refused to allow students accelerated placement based on their prior outside coursework, and (2) used acceleratio

The lawsuit was filed because (1) the district refused to allow students accelerated placement based on their prior outside coursework, and (2) used acceleration exams with a pass threshold that was comically too high (requiring students to know much more than was actually taught in the classes they sought to pass out of). These tests ended up having a wildly disparate impact on girls, who passed at a much lower rate than boys. The district lost on (1) but not on (2) because it is illegal in CA to refuse placement for a student who has completed a course that would qualify for UC/CSU credit — which is what PAUSD was doing.

alephnerd 3y ago
I experienced this first hand. In 9th grade, to accelerate from Geometry to Algebra 1 (10th grade) you needed a 95% on the exam, which was 1 hour long and around 90 questions. And this was despite taking Algebra 1 and 2 at a certified private school with UC/CSU credit that the C-suites of Tech companies send their kids to.
- gnicholas 3y ago
  Why would you accelerate from geometry to algebra 1? Do you mean algebra 2? My understanding is that at PAUSD they had two tests, one part that measured if you understood the core curriculum, and another that was more along the lines of brain teasers/math competition problems. You had to pass both (many passed the first but not the second). One issue was that the district seemed to cherry pick students to let them through; students would get access to accelerated classes even if they scored worse than other students who were blocked.
  - alephnerd 3y ago
    Haha yep, I meant to accelerate to Algebra 2 in 9th grade. > another that was more along the lines of brain teasers/math competition problems. You had to pass both (many passed the first but not the second) Same with my district. I attended a HS that is a peer to Gunn here in the Bay Area.

alephnerd 3y ago

I experienced this first hand. In 9th grade, to accelerate from Geometry to Algebra 1 (10th grade) you needed a 95% on the exam, which was 1 hour long and around 90 questions. And this was despite taking Algebra 1 and 2 at a certified private school with UC/CSU credit that the C-suites of Tech companies send their kids to.

gnicholas 3y ago
Why would you accelerate from geometry to algebra 1? Do you mean algebra 2? My understanding is that at PAUSD they had two tests, one part that measured if you understood the core curriculum, and another that was more along the lines of brain teasers/math competition problems. You had to pass both (many passed the first but not the second). One issue was that the district seemed to cherry pick students to let them through; students would get access to accelerated classes even if they scored worse than other students who were blocked.
- alephnerd 3y ago
  Haha yep, I meant to accelerate to Algebra 2 in 9th grade. > another that was more along the lines of brain teasers/math competition problems. You had to pass both (many passed the first but not the second) Same with my district. I attended a HS that is a peer to Gunn here in the Bay Area.