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Will C. Wood serves about 2400 students, and is one of two high schools in Vacaville, a city of
about 90,000 in eastern Solano County. The neighborhood around Wood is suburban and middle-class.
I teach Algebra I and II, but this study will focus on the Algebra II class. It consists mostly of
juniors, with a few sophomores and seniors as well. Graphing calculators are permitted, frequently
used, and occasionally required. A few students have no graphing calculators, a few have Casios,
and the rest have TI-83s or -84s. The classroom holds a dozen school-owned TI-83s for students
to borrow for use during class.