What is the first step when rewriting y = 3x2 + 9x – 18 in the form y = a(x – h)2 + k?

Astudent draws two parabolas on graph paper. both parabolas cross the x-axis at (–4, 0) and (6, 0). the y-intercept of the first parabola is (0, –12). the y-intercept of the second parabola is (0, –24). what is the positive difference between the a values for the two functions that describe the parabolas? write your answer as a decimal rounded to the nearest tenth