I had to Google the incident you’re referring to. Sounds like there was a delay in notifications, it only hurt early acceptance applications, and that it won’t happen again because they got a lot of flack. I don’t think this situation is relevant to schools not offering algebra in junior high, because this was specifically a top school that offers advanced classes. You’re bringing up a quite different point about college admissions, and that debate should be focused on colleges, because they themselves have started sometimes discounting or ignoring the academic achievement list of applicants, due to excessive gaming of the application system, and also acknowledgement that meritocracy is living up to its original coined meaning, as a sign that merit is at least as much an outcome of money as it is of talent, in other words so-called talent is a byproduct of having support and we’ve been failing to support people who might have had a chance largely in favor of people lucky enough to have rich parents.

> A slower paced class for lower performing students would actually help them.

Agreed, bingo! If you don’t have the resources to cater to people who are ahead, the only choice to help those who need help is to lower the bar.