MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve had three kids go through compacted math. I think my oldest was one of the first groups.
There are kids who are SO BORED in school by fourth grade. Compacted math was essential to keeping those kids engaged.
I think there are different questions about whether there are enough opportunities for kids to slow down later in the track. There’s a big difference between the math in ES, which is largely arithmetic and extremely basic algebra, and the upper level math — it’s almost like a different subject with a different skill set. So I think a lot of kids who did compacted math might benefit from a slower pace at Algebra 2/precalc — but that doesn’t mean you should drive away the 10-year olds who are good at arithmetic and don’t need to spend another year on multiplication tables.

My oldest did take AB and then BC because she didn’t get much from her math during the pandemic and wanted to make sure she had time to really dig in. It worked well and she is in a stem degree now.

The English curriculum is a disaster top to bottom IME.

Are they also talking about getting rid of the advanced social studies in middle school?

In MCPS, the only math enrichment for decades has been acceleration. It would be possible to conceive of enrichment that is not just acceleration. RSM stops kids at a certain point and does a year or two of non-pathway math enrichment if kids have finished pre-algebra in 5th grade so as not to move them on to HS math too quickly. But I get that parents latch onto acceleration because it seems like a choice between that and utter boredom rather than practical application enrichment projects, logic games, other weird math stuff like calculating in base 12, base 2 etc

[Anonymous]

I don't understand how the teachers will manage this.

[Anonymous]

Does compacted math 4/5 and 5/6 actually skip content? I thought it included it all but faster?

[Anonymous]

If some kids aren't succeeding in compacted math then maybe we need to look at identification rather than eliminating it for the kids who DO SUCCEED

[Anonymous]

Here comes the slide showing that 10-20% of students off-ramp from accelerated pathway, and only middle-class White/Asians stay on highest pathway, as an argument for their claim that "off-ramps don't exist" and "the pathway isn't valuable".

[Anonymous]

60% of non-FARMS White and Asian kids are in compacted 4/5? That's kinda nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If some kids aren't succeeding in compacted math then maybe we need to look at identification rather than eliminating it for the kids who DO SUCCEED

Same logic has been applied to every cohorting/acceleration option, so they need to chop every of those options until we have nothing.

[Anonymous]

This is an argument for having fewer kids in compacted math (which I think is legit), not for having no compacted math.

[Anonymous]

The pie chart only indicates the watered down gating thresholds over the years.

[Anonymous]

Claiming, without evidence, that "top math-path kids don't score highest on state standard tests"

32% scoring at level 2 (not proficient) or below in MCAP grade 7. Not mentioning what the numbers are for non-accelerated students.

The 60% of acclerated kids who are Level 3/4 don't matter.

Notably, they have never said what the cutoff for Level 3 Proficient and Level 4 Outstanding actually are!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:60% of non-FARMS White and Asian kids are in compacted 4/5? That's kinda nuts.

That's the college-prep pathway, and it matches college-prep demographic stats.

[Anonymous]

Claiming that JHU CTY backs up their plan, despite CTY selling calculus classes to middle schoolers!

[Anonymous]

"Some kids need enrichment, not acceleration"

MCPS DOESN'T PROVIDE ENRICHMENT. They hand out a few worthless worksheets!

[Anonymous]

Okay, but that 5% NEEDS real acceleration....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Okay, but that 5% NEEDS real acceleration....

They are in W cluster and can go to AOPS and take Algebra in 6th