The E-Source Report (2009), entitled “Algebra Policy in California: Great Expectations and Serious Challenges,” argues that “most California policymakers and educators would likely agree that all students need to take and master algebra – and that they need to do so as early as possible in their school careers” (1). The report goes on to discuss different aspects of the content and standards taught in California schools, proficiency scoring in regard to math in California schools and algebra specifically, and discusses the test scores of students in the state. Each point brought up by the report itself is backed up by factual data. While the logic of the E-Source report appears sound at first glance, and the highlights of the reading are based in fact, the fact of the matter is that this is nothing more than a well-orchestrated piece of propaganda.
Persuasive writing works to use certain turns of phrase and specific word choices as a means of attempting to enforce its own message. These messages of persuasion turn in to propaganda, however, when they offer a biased or misleading slant to the facts themselves. It is this bias that is present in the E0Source report and it is this bias that indicates that the report itself is nothing more than a piece of propaganda designed to work to further the agenda of those who created it. Propaganda utilizes faulty logic in order “to spread ideas that further a political, commercial, religious, or civil cause” (Cuesta College, 1). It is not that the message of the report itself is negative, far from it. The report attempts to push others into being of the perception that algebra is a necessary part of life after school and that in order for students to succeed, steps must be taken to increase their overall understanding and “mastery” of this particular branch of math (E-Source Report, 1). In order for the report to be effective, instead of attempting to argue that teachers and policy makers would agree that these changes need to take place, it should have simply stated the facts of the matter, allowing them to speak for themselves and thus proving the necessary point without attempting to slant the data.
California is one state that has attempted to make changes regarding their current content standards, curriculum, and accountability policies in order to work to increase the overall success rates of its students in regard to their algebra proficiencies. Test scores have shown that these changes have had a positive effect on student knowledge levels in spite of the fact that the state’s national testing data has shown that its students have fallen consistently short in this regard. The investigation into this particular matter of California’s policies regarding algebra education has caused other issues and areas of concern to be brought to light, including issues regarding credentialing and a lack of overall support for increased professional development. While these lacks are serious matters, the true fact of the matter is that they are not directly pertinent to the issue at hand; at best they could be described as having a moderate correlation due to the fact that poor credentialing leads to poor teaching which results in low test scores. This type of supposition, however, is faulty logic at best. It would require additional testing and research in order to determine conclusively whether or not these are contributing factors as each teacher has a different method of teaching and all students are different in their learning processes.
Ultimately, though the main premise of the report is that the current state of the school system has issues in regard to teaching certain mathematical curriculum, like the learning and retention of algebra, the manner in which the report was written and the conclusions made based on the information present are rife with propaganda and serve only as a means of working to further the political agenda of policymakers.
- Cuesta College. ‘Recognizing Propaganda–Guide To Critical Thinking–Academic Support’. 1, 2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.
- E-Source Report. ‘Algebra Policy In California Great Expectations And Serious Challenges’. 1-20, 2009. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.
