How does NCS deal with girls who are ahead in math?

[Anonymous]

Just wanted to know how NCS deals with girls who are ahead of their grade in math? We have a DD in 2nd grade and are considering applying to NCS next year for 4th grade. Would love to get information from current LS and US NCS parents. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

They differentiate within the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just wanted to know how NCS deals with girls who are ahead of their grade in math? We have a DD in 2nd grade and are considering applying to NCS next year for 4th grade. Would love to get information from current LS and US NCS parents. Thanks.

US has many levels of math. NCS would love a top TJ style math kid.

[Anonymous]

Make sure she is able to take the most advanced math courses, which (I've heard) are only offered at St. Alban's. It is my understanding that there are just a few slots available to NCS girls in these classes. Doesn't sound fair to me.

[Anonymous]

Above poster - thats completely untrue. I am an US parent and NCS offers through BC Calculus. Girls who finish that junior year can take a course that is taught at STA, the course is never filled and is open to all students from NCS who qualify. Some girls opt not to take it because of scheduling conflicts - i.e. it runs the same period as an AP or an art they really want to take. But, to be clear, the # spots for NCS girls is not limited. Realistically only 7-8 girls per year even qualify to take that course.

[SAM2]

The spreadsheet linked from the FAQ page has a summary of how NCS students have done at the last few MAA mathematics competitions: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AnukIDABt_JKdDdZYXlQbnFUQ0VfMHRpTFp1SUIxS2c&hl=en&pli=1#gid=11 . Results are very respectable, so at least based on that narrow results-oriented metric, it seems NCS is doing something right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Above poster - thats completely untrue. I am an US parent and NCS offers through BC Calculus. Girls who finish that junior year can take a course that is taught at STA, the course is never filled and is open to all students from NCS who qualify. Some girls opt not to take it because of scheduling conflicts - i.e. it runs the same period as an AP or an art they really want to take. But, to be clear, the # spots for NCS girls is not limited. Realistically only 7-8 girls per year even qualify to take that course.

7-8 girls out of about 75 is a lot. The majority of students at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology would NOT be able to take that course. For the class of 2011 STA has 12 National Merit Semi-Finalists. There is also high volume of commended students. Over 40% of the grade combined.

[Anonymous]

It's not a contest.

[Anonymous]

This is OP. Thanks very much for some very useful feedback.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Above poster - thats completely untrue. I am an US parent and NCS offers through BC Calculus. Girls who finish that junior year can take a course that is taught at STA, the course is never filled and is open to all students from NCS who qualify. Some girls opt not to take it because of scheduling conflicts - i.e. it runs the same period as an AP or an art they really want to take. But, to be clear, the # spots for NCS girls is not limited. Realistically only 7-8 girls per year even qualify to take that course.

7-8 girls out of about 75 is a lot. The majority of students at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology would NOT be able to take that course. For the class of 2011 STA has 12 National Merit Semi-Finalists. There is also high volume of commended students. Over 40% of the grade combined.

Just to clarify the class of 2011 STA has 14 National Merit Semi-Finalists. It is on their website.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just to clarify the class of 2011 STA has 14 National Merit Semi-Finalists. It is on their website.

Just to be clear, I think St Albans had 12 merit semifinalists, and two achievement semifinalists (http://goo.gl/FJvQ). Both are high honors, but there is a slight distinction between the two categories.

Sam2 (not logged in right now)

[Anonymous]

The point about TJ was a joke, right? Because if you look at TJ's curriculum for even "average" TJ kids, the statement above would appear to be a joke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just to clarify the class of 2011 STA has 14 National Merit Semi-Finalists. It is on their website.

Just to be clear, I think St Albans had 12 merit semifinalists, and two achievement semifinalists (http://goo.gl/FJvQ). Both are high honors, but there is a slight distinction between the two categories.

Sam2 (not logged in right now)

The slight distinction is that the National Achievement program recognizes nationally the 1300 highest-scoring black students who take the PSAT out of about 160,000 entrants. Very proud of our boys! I'm sure that they'll have killer SAT scores. My DD (NCS) was a finalist (only about 800 nationally).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just to clarify the class of 2011 STA has 14 National Merit Semi-Finalists. It is on their website.

Just to be clear, I think St Albans had 12 merit semifinalists, and two achievement semifinalists (http://goo.gl/FJvQ). Both are high honors, but there is a slight distinction between the two categories.

Sam2 (not logged in right now)

You are right. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Why is the most advanced math class offered at St. Alban's and not at NCS?