This article is about the subject of Algebra and the challenges it poses for many Texas freshmen.  One particular teacher's class from Holmes High School in San Antonio was focused on in this article, but things said here probably ring true for freshmen all over the country.  Along with the struggles of simply understanding Algebra, the article also talks about what a crazy time of life the ninth grade is for teenagers who are experiencing some major changes.   According to this, many educators refer to ninth grade as "the critical year."  As a former ninth grade teacher, I can't help but agree.  I saw so much development in my students between their ninth and tenth grade years.  If they could just get through that crazy freshman year, they seemed to really grow up and be okay.  The ones that fail too many classes their freshman year though and do not move on  face serious challenges.  Will they be able to stay focused long enough to get through that year of school so that they can progress or will they get stuck there and eventually give up?  What this article says is that Algebra may be one of the classes prompting many students to do just that--give up.  I saw it many times.  When a student tries and still cannot succeed, they feel defeated and often eventually just decide the class isn't worth their time.  A child at this level often cannot seem to see past their daily lives down the road to the future which means they often miss out on the importance of their education.  According to this article, abstract thinking might not even be developed at this stage.  That means Algebra would be awfully tough.