DMS Ups Ante on Students in Math

All eighth grade students at Dedham Middle School will take algebra beginning next fall and in the future, which means some current seventh graders will skip pre-algebra.

"One of the considerations in looking at this is the idea of preparing our students in the best possible way of raising our student achievement," DMS principal Debra Gately said.

The switch comes as DMS administrators look to improve MCAS test scores and better prepare students for high school, administrators said. The changes are part of plan to align the school for accreditation and with the Common Core standards, which led to other changes in the school's curriculum.

Assistant principal Margo Fraczek said teachers are aware of it this year, and are prepping current seventh grade students who are not in pre-algebra with appropriate concepts, and next year, a student's algebra teacher will know who didn't learn the concepts of pre-algebra.

"They are aware that they are going to have to fill in some gaps," Fraczek said. "What we are looking at is creating a more cohesive program going from elementary to high school."

The school plans to purchase new textbooks to support the change, Gately said.

"We are actually using the MCAS test the way it is supposed to be," said Fraczek. "We can't possibly expect our students be successful on a test in algebra when they haven't taken algebra."

School officials also expect the state to continue to increase the difficulty of the test.

Other changes include the introduction of an engineering and workshop course for eighth grade students. They are the only middle school grade that takes the MCAS science exam, which includes questions on technology and engineering.

The district would have to hire a full-time teacher for the class.

"It has always been a concern, but this is now where the stakes are raised," Gately said. "This will be one of the most hands-on courses at the middle school."