City Heights Teens Beef Up Math Skills at SDSU Algebra Camp
45 Students Participate in Program Sponsored by
National Council for Community and Education Partnerships and SBC

CONTACT: Jason Foster
SDSU Marketing & Communications
Phone (619) 594-2585 Pager (619) 620-1184
foster@mail.sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO, January 11, 2005 – Classes at Monroe Clark Middle School don’t resume until January 18, but this week 45 eighth-graders from the City Heights school are already hard at work boosting their math skills at Algebra Camp at San Diego State University.

Algebra Camp (formally titled the City Heights Algebra Achievement Program), is a pilot project that aims to boost the number of students from the school who are ready for high-school level math. It is part of the City Heights Educational Collaborative, an ongoing partnership to improve student success in City Heights Schools. The partners include SDSU, the San Diego Unified School District, Price Charities and the San Diego Education Association.

“We’re trying to help kids succeed at a crucial stage in their education,” said Ian Pumpian, chief education officer for the Collaborative. “Algebra failure rates for 8th and 9th graders across San Diego exceed 75 percent. We know this rate of failure becomes an early roadblock for high school success, high school graduation, and college admission. Our goal is to turn this around and have 80 percent of our students succeed instead of fail, and reaching that goal begins with these 45 students. Each of them is on the cusp of performing at or above state-determined proficiency levels, and we are hoping Algebra Camp can help them reach those levels. Devoting half a day just to algebra is beyond what we can provide during the school year.”

The two-week camp began last week and ends Thursday, January 13. Students rotate between two classrooms, one featuring instructor-led sessions aided by hands-on tools that help explain visually the elements of algebra, and a computer lab where students apply algebra principles on interactive programs. Teams of student teachers studying to be math specialists in SDSU’s College of Education run each classroom. The computer technology and small-group instruction, coordinated by doctoral student and City Heights math resource teacher Chuck Podhorsky, are designed to be fun and engaging while targeting important algebraic concepts and standards. Classes take place each day from shortly after 8 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.

In addition to the math work, Algebra Camp students get a pizza party each week and also are given guided tours of the SDSU campus. SDSU President Stephen Weber has visited the program and will host the awards banquet and closing ceremonies.

“We want them to enjoy learning, because we realize they could be spending their time off from school on other things,” Pumpian said. “We also hold the classes here, and show them the campus, so they can see higher education as an achievable reality that’s here and waiting for them when they succeed in school.”

Algebra Camp is funded by the SBC Foundation, which is providing dozens of grants for education programs across the country that are part of the federal GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) initiative. GEAR UP’s goal is to help more youths from low-income communities attain postsecondary education.

“SBC continues to build upon its Foundation philosophy to support programs that integrate new technologies to enhance educational opportunities for students in San Diego County,” said Ignacio De La Torre, Executive Director, SBC External Affairs. “In supporting GEAR UP, we are able to provide students with the tools they need that will prepare them for lifelong achievement.”

Pumpian said additional Algebra Camps will be offered during the spring break week and this summer. After that, the success rates of the camp students will be evaluated to see if additional camps should be conducted next year.

San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor’s degrees in 81 areas, master’s degrees in 72 areas and doctorates in 16 areas. SDSU’s nearly 33,000 students participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.

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Editor's Note: Still photos from Algebra Camp are available upon request.