Most Maryland students can’t pass the Algebra I test. Can you?

Do you know how to compare expressions or identify a function’s minimum value?

Maryland students are supposed to learn those skills in algebra class, but few of them do. Today, only 1 in 5 of them pass the state’s Algebra I test, and many must take remedial math courses in college to catch up.

It wasn’t always this way.

The first major sign of trouble emerged nearly a decade ago after Maryland adopted a rigorous set of standards and changed its tests to match.

Algebra I proficiency in 2015 plummeted by nearly 50 percentage points, to 36%. State leaders changed the test and math standards again, but the scores only got worse.

Think you could pass the Algebra I test? Try some sample questions from the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program.

Then read our story about Maryland’s math crisis and how state leaders hope to solve it.

How many questions can you answer correctly?

About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.

This story was produced with support from the Education Writers Association Reporting Fellowship program.