Algebra and College Readiness - A Slippery Slope

On the NJ school performance reports, one of the indicators of college and career readiness is the number of 7th and 8th grade students who are enrolled in algebra. This seems to contradict the idea of mastery of math standards that underlies the Common Core State Standards. In the CCSS, the standards are set as a progression that leads to algebra. In essence, students should master the standards for 7th grade before they move on to the 8th grade standards. If students haven't mastered the 7th grade standards, teachers would continue to address those within the context of the 8th grade standards.

If students are taking algebra in 7th or 8th grade, how are districts addressing the 7th and 8th grade standards?  Based on the idea of mastery and a progression of standards rather than a spiral that repeats each year, students need to be taught the 7th and 8th grade standards before moving into algebra. One way to address this would be to compact the curriculum in the 6th and 7th grades to cover all of the 6th - 8th grade math standards. By doing this, students would have the background knowledge and skills to successfully complete algebra in 8th grade. 

What are you doing in your district or school to prepare students for algebra?