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JGWeissman comments on Mechanics without wrenches - Less Wrong
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I think a High School Algebra I course takes a year because it is designed for students who are not interested in math. The Algebra I students who will go on to take higher level college courses likely would be able to assimilate the early material much faster if it was expected of them. That the advanced classes proceed at a higher speed could reflect that earlier classes have weeded out the students without the ability and interest to do so.
I loved math, and am talented at it, and it still took me a year. It was just a year at a much younger age.
Did it take a year because it really took that long to understand the material, or because the class took a year to present it to you?
Of course, age is also a factor, an adult can concentrate on a subject for longer than a child can. This might be better illuminated by change in the rate of self directed learning.
It really took me roughly that long, although it was more conceptually deep than most algebra courses. I learned most of my math at my own pace, with help from my dad. My non-confident guess is that most mathematically talented people encounter algebra and other subjects long after they're ready for them, and therefore learn them fairly rapidly but at the cost of having wasted time earlier on. But I may just have been slow.
In any case, even restricting to bright college students other than me, I've watched multiple individuals get much faster at learning math over the course of undergrad.
Just how old were you when you studied it?
That might explain my experience in tutoring my cousin in math. I find he is able to catch up quickly once I explain the background material a given concept is based on. So, if he had been ready for some time to learn the background material, then learning it when I present it is not a big deal and doesn't even noticeably detract from the effort and focus he needs to understand the new concept he is supposed to be learning.