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Stepping Up To Algebra

Hoover Middle School: Getting A Head Start on Algebra

While most 13-year-olds spend their summer on the couch playing video games or watching TV, students at Hoover Middle School in San Jose were getting a head start on eighth grade algebra.

For the second year, the Silicon Valley Education Foundation brought Stepping Up to Algebra (SUTA), a summer math program, to the San Jose Unified School District, preparing approximately 140 underperforming students for eighth grade algebra. A study by the University of Cincinnati shows that proficiency in eighth grade algebra provides a strong foundation for success in high school and college.

The SUTA program, a four-hour-a-day concentrated math course over four weeks, gave students the opportunity to go on a field trip to experience a college campus first-hand. Students and their parents also attended a college information session, which informed them about “A-G requirements,” a set of courses that is required to attend all California public universities.

At the end of the program, students including Michelle Lagunes, Jonathan Cornejo and Arturo Garcia, as well as their families gathered to celebrate their hard work and success. Parents, teachers, and even the students who were initially reluctant to spent their summer learning math, were singing the praises of the SUTA program.

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SUTA | Hoover Middle School | Michelle | Jonathan | Arturo