Math pathways after compacted math
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| So, our daughter was invited to take compacted math next year, which is what we were hoping for... But now I'm wondering what happens down the line. The math pathways show two AP courses in Math for high school students on this track. Are there options to bail out down the line without repeating a course? Our daughter likes math well enough but seems more of an artsy/writer type and may not want or need the pressure of multiple college level math courses in HS. Is math required all four years of high school or could kids who complete Calc BC in 11th opt out of math senior year and have an extra elective or something? Anyway, I doubt answers to these questions will change our decision to place her in the compacted course for next year but I'm curious how this decision affects kids in the future. My husband and I both were on "advanced" tracks in school and took Algebra in 8th and Calc BC in 12th. Seemed plenty advanced at the time... |
Anonymous
| I have the same concerns. I know my child will be able to handle compacted math (our older child is in it now so I have a pretty good sense) but I question whether Calculus in 11th will be the right path for her. There doesn't seem to be any easy exit though, at least not in middle school. For 6th, the student would have to repeat 6th grade math rather than go into IM, or repeat IM in 7th rather than Algebra. Those aren't great options. |
Anonymous
|
The state of Maryland requires high school students to take 4 years of math, no matter if kids have satisfied math requirements to graduate.
Compacted math will have your child take the following math path in high school: 9th-algebra 2 10th- trigonometry 11th- calculus (not sure if this is always an AP class) 12- some other AP math class, possible statistics or economics if offered at your high school People should also beware that many colleges require/strongly encourage 4 years of foreign language DURING high school. So loading up on high school language classes in middle school will no longer free up high school time to take other classes. |
Anonymous
| I think that's the poin of the question- kids will have to continue to take math. Can a student take something other than calculus in 11th and them take calculus in 12th if the are on this pathway? |
Anonymous
| so in Virginia there is a way to bail. the advance 6th grade math kids have the high pass the SOL and get above 91 on the iowa to take algebra in 7th. if they don't, they take math 7 honors--which is really math 8. there is a lot of talk going around that this may be better for most students, as it gives them more time to prepare for the algebra. and in Virginia, since algebra is considered a high school class, if you take it in 7th, it goes on the high school transcript. many say the kids aren't mature enough for that and my struggle with the discipline. |
Anonymous
The 10th grade class is called precalculus. There are a number of options Very Easiest Bridge to Algebra 2 Algebra 2 Quantitative Literacy Statistics Easyish Bridge to Algebra 2 Algebra 2 precalc Statistics, Honors Calc, AP Statistics or AB Calculus A little harder Algebra 2 PreCalc Statistics, Honors Calc, AP Staistics, AB Calc, BC Calc Even harder Algebra 2 PreCalc AB Calc AP Stats, BC Calc Hardest Algebra 2 PreCalc BC Calc AP Stats, Multivariable Calc There are also IB pathways at certain schools. |
Anonymous
| NP here. Is pre-calc a combo of geometry and pre-calc? That was what I took back in the 1980s in a different state on an accelerated but not math genius type track - algebra II in 9th; geometry/precalc in 10th; calculus in 11th; bc calc/adv math concepts in 12th. |
Anonymous
My DD is in 11th grade this year and the 8 colleges we visited had various requirements for foreign language. None required 4 years in high school. Only 1 required 2 years of a foreign language and they did not specify 2 years in high school. Several said both for math and foreign language, students take placement exams to evaluate their skill level before choosing their courses. If they do not test at the college equivalent of a 200 level of a foreign language course, the student then will have to take a foreign language up to that level as a college graduation requirement. Similarly for math, the placement test determines the student's starting point in college and the student then needs to take up to the level required for his/her major. Also regarding foreign language - larger universities can assess more languages than just Spanish, French and Chinese. So if your child is raised in a bilingual home and can read and write in a second language (or their primary language at home) then a larger institution may be able to evaluate them in that language as well as what they took to fulfill Maryland's high school requirement. |
Anonymous
| OP the courses that you took years ago with the same title probably covered far more material and were more rigorous. One of the problems with 2.0 is that they are keeping the names Algebra, Geometry etc but they aren't covering it well because they are mixing up concepts. Its really a mess but I wouldn't assume that the MCPS version of Calc is very hard. You also shouldn't depend on it covering Calc in college unless your child is going to a community college or planning on being a liberal arts major at a school with a low math requirement. |
Anonymous
|
Since Calculus is an AP class, I would not assume that it is different in MoCo than anywhere else. AP pass rates are published, they are going to be sure to have a curriculum based that gets the kids ready.
That said, I have heard that no one should assume that AP classes are equivalent to the college version and kids should consider retaking their last level of math in college. |
Anonymous
The MCPS version of Calculus is the AP version. Calculus in MCPS is an AP class. I honestly don't understand why people on DCUM keep posting that it's not. |
Anonymous
because they hate 2.0, and especially math under 2.0. |
Anonymous
This makes people get the facts wrong? How about that. |
Anonymous
MCPS offers 4 calculus courses, or at least they do at our high school. Honors Calculus (not AP) AP AB Calculus AP BC Calculus Multivariable Calculus Plus iB classes that include Calculus content. |
Anonymous
|
For calculus, our high school offers:
Calculus with Applications AP AB Calculus AP BC Calculus It also offers AP Statistics. The grade-level math pathway under Curriculum 2.0 is an AP math class in 12th grade (so AP AB Calculus or AP Statistics, at our high school). The above-grade level math pathway under curriculum is an AP math class in 11th grade and another AP math class in 12th grade (so either AP AB/BC Calculus, or AP AB Calculus/AP Statistics). http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/math/math-curriculum-plan.aspx |