San Francisco Unified School District and County Office of Education
Administrative Regulation 6152.1
Math Placement
This Regulation applies to the San Francisco Unified School District and the County Office of Education.
SFUSD Course Sequence
In alignment with the California Common Core State Standards for Math, the standard sequence of secondary math courses is as follows:
- Math 6
- Math 7
- Math 8
- Algebra I
- Geometry
- Algebra II
In alignment with Board Policy 6152.1, the District will provide all SFUSD students with the opportunity to accelerate completion of this sequence. Following completion of Algebra II, students may access a range of advanced math courses, including but not limited to: Pre-Calculus, Data Science, Statistics and Probability and/or Dual Enrollment.
8th Grade Math
The standard math course for 8th grade students is Math 8. In addition, pursuant to Board Policy 6152.1, all middle and K-8 schools will offer students the opportunity to take Algebra 1 in 8th grade through the pathways described below.
Expanded Math (Math 8 + Algebra 1)
At nineteen middle and K-8 schools, Algebra I will be offered in eighth grade as an expanded math pathway. This is defined as students being concurrently enrolled in Math 8 and Algebra I.
- Automatic Enrollment: Students who meet the following criteria will be automatically enrolled in both Math 8 and Algebra 1:
- Math 7 First Semester Grades (or equivalent course): Grade C or better, and
- Grade 6 Smarter Balanced Math Assessments (SBAC Math): Standards Met or Exceeded (Level 3 or 4)
- Family Choice: Students who are automatically enrolled may choose to opt out of Algebra I.
- Elective Enrollment: Students who do not meet the automatic enrollment criteria may still choose to enroll in Algebra I as an elective.
- Skipping Math 8: Students may be considered for placement into Algebra 1 without concurrent enrollment in Math 8, provided that they satisfy the following criteria with their last administered SBAC or Star scores that are available. Students meeting these criteria will consult with a counselor, and parent/guardian must provide a signed informed consent prior to unenrolling from Math 8:
- For students enrolled in SFUSD during 7th Grade:
- 7th Grade Star Math Winter Assessment: Overall score of Level 4; OR
- 6th Grade SBAC Math Assessment: Overall score of Level 4 (last administered SBAC score available prior to Spring programming/master schedule development)
- For students entering SFUSD in 8th grade:
- 8th Grade Star Math will be administered outside the district assessment window once they are rostered into the assessment system
- Attain 8th Grade Star Math overall score of Level 4
Braided Compression (Math 6, Math 7, Math 8 and Algebra across 6th, 7th and 8th grade)
At two middle and K-8 schools, Algebra I will be offered in eighth grade as part of a multiyear compression pilot beginning in the 2026 – 2027 school year. This is defined as all students at the school site enrolling in the following pathway:
- 6th Grade: Accelerated Math 6, covering standards from both Math 6 and Math 7
- 7th Grade: Accelerated Math 7, covering standards from both Math 7 and Math 8
- 8th Grade: Algebra I, covering standards from Algebra I, with the inclusion of some standards from Math 8.
Data Collection and Review
The aggregate pupil placement and course completion data described in BP 6152.1 will be reported to the Board of Education annually in November.