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Parent Asks East Penn Board to Reconsider Policy 116.1 Blocking 8th‑Grade Algebra Acceleration
Summary
A parent said Policy 116.1 and district use of I‑Ready cut scores prevent willing 8th graders from taking Algebra 1, leaving seats empty and affecting long‑term math pathways; the board did not take action but a member asked to place the policy on a future agenda.
A parent told the East Penn School District Board on Sept. 9 that Policy 116.1 and the district’s use of I‑Ready cut scores are denying some 8th graders the opportunity to enroll in Algebra 1.
"Please examine policy 116.1 and how it misuses the concept of course exemption between math course 3 and Algebra 1," Autumn Kelly told the board. She said administrators have created rubrics that rely on I‑Ready cut scores that are not communicated to families and that a student below the 85th percentile on I‑Ready can be denied acceleration even when earning As in PowerSchool.
Kelly argued that course 3 and Algebra 1 overlap significantly, that many course‑3 standards are taught in Algebra 1, and that denying acceleration harms students’ opportunities to reach precalculus by 11th grade and prepare for college‑entrance exams.
Board members did not debate the substance at length during the meeting. At adjournment, a board member asked that Policy 116.1 be addressed by the board at a future time, but the chair said the meeting could not accommodate that discussion then.
Why it matters: Access to Algebra 1 in middle school affects students' math trajectories and access to higher‑level coursework in high school. Kelly urged clearer rubrics and communication to families about criteria for acceleration.
No administrative response with changes to the policy was recorded at the Sept. 9 meeting.
