This is not exactly true…Common Core is doing MORE algebra in middle school, but it is called “8th Grade Math.” Topics you would traditionally associate with Algebra 1 (sets of inequalities, graphing, functions) are now the PREREQUISITES of Algebra 1 in the 9th grade. The CC Algebra 1 course requires a much more mature understanding of the mathematics, such that it can be applied to real world scenarios. Throughout academia, basic algebra is now considered a middle-school subject.