Algebra 1 in 9th grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This article is from 2014.

TJ (a fcps public) had the highest SAT scores in the nation.

Sidwell (a DC private) was #16.

http://www.businessinsider.com/high-schools-with-highest-sat-scores-2014-1

Magnet schools are effectively publicly funded privates. Instead of paying for your child's exclusive program yourself, all of the taxpayers in your district are paying for it.

Magnet school are a politically correct way to implement bussing of smart kids into bad school to bring up test scores for real estate purposes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had no idea how snobbish and elitist private school moms were around here until I read this thread.

Really, I think both sides sound equally horrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a huge difference in math curriculum for public and private schools so in many respects this set of posts is comparing apples to oranges. I teach accelerated math (honors, TAG and super-TAG) in a Northern Virginia middle school. I also have taught high school math in a private school frequently mentioned in these forums.

In general, the Algebra I taught in private high schools for most 9th grade students encompasses the Alg I plus Alg II that is taught in public schools. A good rule of thumb is that the amount of material covered in a public school in a year is about 1/3 to 1/2 of what is covered in a good or acceptable private school.

Message to OP: many children entering private high schools, whether from private or public, are routed into Alg I after the results of their placement tests. If your child takes Alg I in 8th grade in public school, s/he still probably will end up taking it again in 9th grade at the private school. And chances are your son/daughter will see that many of the students in Alg I at the private also are re-taking the course, even if they took Alg I in 8th grade at a private. It won't hurt. It never hurts to have strong Algebra skills.

Also, don't panic at the breathless cries and hysterics of others that your child will be behind taking Alg I in 9th grade in a private school. Your child won't be behind and and those people don't know enough about the schools and curriculum to be able say much that could be helpful. As I said in my first paragraph, it is apples and oranges.

My DS and I have had 3 children progress through private elementary and secondary schools frequently mentioned in these forums. Over the years, for 9th grade, one was placed in Honors Algebra I, one in Honors Alg I/Geo, and one in Honors Geometry, based on the results of the schools' own placement tests. It all worked out. 2 of our children are now in Ivy schools and the third will be in the fall. For admissions, no one even blinked at the kid who was in Alg I in 9th grade.

I teach high school math at what is regarded as one of the best non-TJ public high schools in Northern Virginia, have children in private, and wholeheartedly agree. Apples and oranges. And don't worry for a second about spending the time to firm up those Algebra skills in 8th or 9th grade.

Can you explain? I have seen this "apples and oranges" comment a lot but I don't really get it. How is private school math and public school math different? If a public kid and a private kid both get 800 on SAT, is private kid's score somehow better??

Of course the public school student earning an 800 score on the math SAT is just as strong as the private 800 student. My comment applies to the overall program. The typical course in the public school (at least the pyramid I'm familiar with) is focused on following a particular strategy. For instance, when learning about subtraction regrouping, they learn exactly how to do it and can execute it very well. The approach in my children's private is much deeper. They can all perform the subtraction problem using several different strategies, can choose which strategy makes the most sense for the problem, and can explain the math behind the strategy. The exceptional math student--public or private--typically pulls out those nuances on her own. In high school, we explore the "why" a bit more in honors/AP classes, but not so much in the regular classes.

My kids a e in private but attended public elementary. You need to familiarize yourself with the common core math standards which Markets land and I suspect Virginia have been following before the standards even existed. Kids are required to explain, in words, how they are solving a math problem starting in second grade.

In Maryland, not Marketland. Anyway, the way math taught in publics today is the opposite of memorization.

Like I said, in my Virginia pyramid that is not the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So once you public school/TJ parents see this thread on "Recent Topics" and realize it has NOTHING to do with you, just please go on your merry way. I am not the OP, but your comments do not help that parent at all.... You just post them to makes yourselves feel better about your own decisions. Let's all just respect the choices we all have made.

#1. A discussion of whether to delay Algebra has a lot to do with
Public school parents, who face this decision too

#2. I'll "go along my merry way" when Jeff says that public school parents can't post here. Until then, this is a public forum. You know, like public school. Anyone can be here, and you don't get to control it. Sorry, I know it's a shock. If you need to be protected from people who have a different point of view from you, ask your private school to set up a closed discussion forum. In the meantime STFU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This article is from 2014.

TJ (a fcps public) had the highest SAT scores in the nation.

Sidwell (a DC private) was #16.

http://www.businessinsider.com/high-schools-with-highest-sat-scores-2014-1

Magnet schools are effectively publicly funded privates. Instead of paying for your child's exclusive program yourself, all of the taxpayers in your district are paying for it.

True. But private kids can't compete with magnet kids. Not even close.

True dat. DH judges a MS academic competition that pulls kids from MOCo, gunning for Blain, and Longfellow, RR and Carson, gunning for TJ, and some top DC area private schools, and has remarked how the TJ and Blair candidate kids are blowing the Sidwell et al. crew out of the water. Certainly it shows up in final team placements. His theory from judging is that the public school kids may not be smarter, but they work much, much harder. They certainly appear to take it more seriously, and I know that the kids from DC's school (including DC) often put 20+ hours a week into this one extracurricular, outside of a heavy AAP academic load.

On the TJ side, at least, it is also interesting how much higher the admit rate is from a RR/ Carson/Longfellow vs private schools, which have a very tough time getting kids into TJ.

If the competition is debate, the judging is ridiculously subjective - I have seen Sidwell and other schools get marked down by judges from Carson, for example, so their own kids will benefit. It is pretty sick actually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sad thing -- regardless of SAT scores and advanced math -- is that at the end of the day, the vast majority of public school students will be working for the private school students. So keep plugging away, kids! Signed, middle class mom.

That's a truly obnoxious statement. Showing your true color.

The FACT that there is no social mobility in this country is obnoxious, not my statement. I guess they really don't teach critical reading skills in public school.

Really? There is no social mobility n that country?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The sad thing -- regardless of SAT scores and advanced math -- is that at the end of the day, the vast majority of public school students will be working for the private school students. So keep plugging away, kids! Signed, middle class mom.

That's a truly obnoxious statement. Showing your true color.

The FACT that there is no social mobility in this country is obnoxious, not my statement. I guess they really don't teach critical reading skills in public school.

Really? There is no social mobility n that country?

Not "no" social mobility. But it is very limited, and getting more so. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/07/america-social-mobility-parents-income/399311/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had no idea how snobbish and elitist private school moms were around here until I read this thread.

Really, I think both sides sound equally horrible.

Because you don't want to hear that precious won't be getting into Harvard with 9th grade algebra and Bs on his/her report card? That's just a fact of life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had no idea how snobbish and elitist private school moms were around here until I read this thread.

Really, I think both sides sound equally horrible.

Because you don't want to hear that precious won't be getting into Harvard with 9th grade algebra and Bs on his/her report card? That's just a fact of life.

You don't want to hear my UmD and Georgetown grads are doing just as well as the Harvard grads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So once you public school/TJ parents see this thread on "Recent Topics" and realize it has NOTHING to do with you, just please go on your merry way. I am not the OP, but your comments do not help that parent at all.... You just post them to makes yourselves feel better about your own decisions. Let's all just respect the choices we all have made.

#1. A discussion of whether to delay Algebra has a lot to do with
Public school parents, who face this decision too

#2. I'll "go along my merry way" when Jeff says that public school parents can't post here. Until then, this is a public forum. You know, like public school. Anyone can be here, and you don't get to control it. Sorry, I know it's a shock. If you need to be protected from people who have a different point of view from you, ask your private school to set up a closed discussion forum. In the meantime STFU.

Please be forewarned, I am posting about Public content even though this is the Private forum. Anyone who is bothered by this should stop reading, and the moderator, Jeff(?), should move it if necessary. This is a LONG post.

I think that what most folks are forgetting, public and private, is that until 5-10 years ago, it was not common for 7th and 8th grade students to take Algebra I in public middle schools. Any readers who had ms students in public schools 10 years ago will remember this.

So the angst about Alg I, while not new, is involving quite a few more people because there are A LOT more children taking Algebra I in middle school. Background: until the very recent past, Alg I in public middle schools was reserved for the few, the mighty, the TAG; everyone else took it in 9th grade. (Side note and editorial: since most TAG placement testing stops in 4th grade in public, that meant that the determination of a student's math class in 8th grade was/is made by 5th grade placement. An egalitarian system it is not.)

Those parents of students in Common Core states and districts most likely know that the Common Core is not supportive of Alg I in 7th and 8th grade. CC documents indicate a preference for Alg I in the 9th grade and are CC documents are becoming more explicit every time they release something. If you doubt this, please read their documents and then contact them not me with questions. There also are some recent articles in WaPo on the subject.

So why are CC areas like Maryland (and the District?) moving Alg 'down'? It is the observation of many MoCo math teachers that MD joined in the push to teach Alg I earlier because otherwise there would be the perception that the MD students would be comparatively behind. Behind to whom, you ask? Virginia.

And, what, pray tell, is driving Virginia? NCLB. Here's how.

The NCLB ties pass rates of standardized tests to accreditation and federal funding. This places great emphasis on SOL scores in Virginia. 5-10 years ago, the 8th grade math SOL pass rates at many Virginia middle schools were low. Admin of many schools and districts noticed that the pass rate of 8th grade TAG students taking the Alg I SOL was really high and substantially higher than the 8th grade math SOL pass rate. Admin looked at the tests and recognized that the 8th grade SOL was and IS significantly MORE difficult than the Alg I test. (If you doubt this, go to the VDOE website and look at the sample tests.) A couple schools and districts experimented by widening their pool of Alg I students in 8th grade beyond TAG kids. Those non-TAG students were considerably more successful on the Alg I test than anyone would have predicted in their wildest dreams. It was startling.

So, then, the big beta. Some VA schools and/or districts took entire grade levels and shifted them from 8th grade math to Alg I. The schools and districts 'sold' the concept to teachers with two inalienable truths:
1) The 8th grade math curriculum in VA is a virtual re-hash of 7th grade math, with only a couple small additions. In order to graduate hs in VA a student must pass the Alg I SOL. It is better for a student to repeat Alg I in 9th grade and have a much better footing in Alg than it would be to have a student 'repeat' 7th grade math with the 8th grade curriculum in 8th grade.
2) Taking and passing the Alg I SOL in 8th grade means that the student is finished with math earlier in hs, effectively freeing up a year's worth of time for another course whether that be math or not.

The results speak for themselves. The beta was successful. Pass rates improved dramatically when students took the Alg I test and not the 8th grade math test. Middle schools with marginal pass rates, those on the cusp, and those just below the line reaped huge benefits when their overall scores improved.

Does this mean that Alg I is 'easier'? No, it means that the Virginia SOL for Alg I is easier.

So, why so many 7th grade students now taking Alg I? Well, primarily, those are the TAG students who, before, were taking it in 8th grade.

So that's it. Right or wrong, that's how we got to today with almost all public middle schools and districts in VA teaching Alg I as a gen ed curriculum in 8th grade and an accelerated curriculum in 7th grade. And private schools having the bulk of their students taking Alg I in 9th grade.

Will the public move impact private? Will the public status quo be affected by the Common Core? Is it right or wrong to teach Alg I in the 7th or 8th grade? Are the publics doing the only sensible thing? Are privates missing the boat? I don't know but I'm betting that many of you think you do, so have at it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So once you public school/TJ parents see this thread on "Recent Topics" and realize it has NOTHING to do with you, just please go on your merry way. I am not the OP, but your comments do not help that parent at all.... You just post them to makes yourselves feel better about your own decisions. Let's all just respect the choices we all have made.

#1. A discussion of whether to delay Algebra has a lot to do with
Public school parents, who face this decision too

#2. I'll "go along my merry way" when Jeff says that public school parents can't post here. Until then, this is a public forum. You know, like public school. Anyone can be here, and you don't get to control it. Sorry, I know it's a shock. If you need to be protected from people who have a different point of view from you, ask your private school to set up a closed discussion forum. In the meantime STFU.

Please be forewarned, I am posting about Public content even though this is the Private forum. Anyone who is bothered by this should stop reading, and the moderator, Jeff(?), should move it if necessary. This is a LONG post.

I think that what most folks are forgetting, public and private, is that until 5-10 years ago, it was not common for 7th and 8th grade students to take Algebra I in public middle schools. Any readers who had ms students in public schools 10 years ago will remember this.

So the angst about Alg I, while not new, is involving quite a few more people because there are A LOT more children taking Algebra I in middle school. Background: until the very recent past, Alg I in public middle schools was reserved for the few, the mighty, the TAG; everyone else took it in 9th grade. (Side note and editorial: since most TAG placement testing stops in 4th grade in public, that meant that the determination of a student's math class in 8th grade was/is made by 5th grade placement. An egalitarian system it is not.)

Those parents of students in Common Core states and districts most likely know that the Common Core is not supportive of Alg I in 7th and 8th grade. CC documents indicate a preference for Alg I in the 9th grade and are CC documents are becoming more explicit every time they release something. If you doubt this, please read their documents and then contact them not me with questions. There also are some recent articles in WaPo on the subject.

So why are CC areas like Maryland (and the District?) moving Alg 'down'? It is the observation of many MoCo math teachers that MD joined in the push to teach Alg I earlier because otherwise there would be the perception that the MD students would be comparatively behind. Behind to whom, you ask? Virginia.

And, what, pray tell, is driving Virginia? NCLB. Here's how.

The NCLB ties pass rates of standardized tests to accreditation and federal funding. This places great emphasis on SOL scores in Virginia. 5-10 years ago, the 8th grade math SOL pass rates at many Virginia middle schools were low. Admin of many schools and districts noticed that the pass rate of 8th grade TAG students taking the Alg I SOL was really high and substantially higher than the 8th grade math SOL pass rate. Admin looked at the tests and recognized that the 8th grade SOL was and IS significantly MORE difficult than the Alg I test. (If you doubt this, go to the VDOE website and look at the sample tests.) A couple schools and districts experimented by widening their pool of Alg I students in 8th grade beyond TAG kids. Those non-TAG students were considerably more successful on the Alg I test than anyone would have predicted in their wildest dreams. It was startling.

So, then, the big beta. Some VA schools and/or districts took entire grade levels and shifted them from 8th grade math to Alg I. The schools and districts 'sold' the concept to teachers with two inalienable truths:
1) The 8th grade math curriculum in VA is a virtual re-hash of 7th grade math, with only a couple small additions. In order to graduate hs in VA a student must pass the Alg I SOL. It is better for a student to repeat Alg I in 9th grade and have a much better footing in Alg than it would be to have a student 'repeat' 7th grade math with the 8th grade curriculum in 8th grade.
2) Taking and passing the Alg I SOL in 8th grade means that the student is finished with math earlier in hs, effectively freeing up a year's worth of time for another course whether that be math or not.

The results speak for themselves. The beta was successful. Pass rates improved dramatically when students took the Alg I test and not the 8th grade math test. Middle schools with marginal pass rates, those on the cusp, and those just below the line reaped huge benefits when their overall scores improved.

Does this mean that Alg I is 'easier'? No, it means that the Virginia SOL for Alg I is easier.

So, why so many 7th grade students now taking Alg I? Well, primarily, those are the TAG students who, before, were taking it in 8th grade.

So that's it. Right or wrong, that's how we got to today with almost all public middle schools and districts in VA teaching Alg I as a gen ed curriculum in 8th grade and an accelerated curriculum in 7th grade. And private schools having the bulk of their students taking Alg I in 9th grade.

Will the public move impact private? Will the public status quo be affected by the Common Core? Is it right or wrong to teach Alg I in the 7th or 8th grade? Are the publics doing the only sensible thing? Are privates missing the boat? I don't know but I'm betting that many of you think you do, so have at it.

What in the world are you talking about? Most private kids take Algebra in 7th or 8th grade, hence OP's original question. She knows her kid is off track in math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So once you public school/TJ parents see this thread on "Recent Topics" and realize it has NOTHING to do with you, just please go on your merry way. I am not the OP, but your comments do not help that parent at all.... You just post them to makes yourselves feel better about your own decisions. Let's all just respect the choices we all have made.

#1. A discussion of whether to delay Algebra has a lot to do with
Public school parents, who face this decision too

#2. I'll "go along my merry way" when Jeff says that public school parents can't post here. Until then, this is a public forum. You know, like public school. Anyone can be here, and you don't get to control it. Sorry, I know it's a shock. If you need to be protected from people who have a different point of view from you, ask your private school to set up a closed discussion forum. In the meantime STFU.

Please be forewarned, I am posting about Public content even though this is the Private forum. Anyone who is bothered by this should stop reading, and the moderator, Jeff(?), should move it if necessary. This is a LONG post.

I think that what most folks are forgetting, public and private, is that until 5-10 years ago, it was not common for 7th and 8th grade students to take Algebra I in public middle schools. Any readers who had ms students in public schools 10 years ago will remember this.

So the angst about Alg I, while not new, is involving quite a few more people because there are A LOT more children taking Algebra I in middle school. Background: until the very recent past, Alg I in public middle schools was reserved for the few, the mighty, the TAG; everyone else took it in 9th grade. (Side note and editorial: since most TAG placement testing stops in 4th grade in public, that meant that the determination of a student's math class in 8th grade was/is made by 5th grade placement. An egalitarian system it is not.)

Those parents of students in Common Core states and districts most likely know that the Common Core is not supportive of Alg I in 7th and 8th grade. CC documents indicate a preference for Alg I in the 9th grade and are CC documents are becoming more explicit every time they release something. If you doubt this, please read their documents and then contact them not me with questions. There also are some recent articles in WaPo on the subject.

So why are CC areas like Maryland (and the District?) moving Alg 'down'? It is the observation of many MoCo math teachers that MD joined in the push to teach Alg I earlier because otherwise there would be the perception that the MD students would be comparatively behind. Behind to whom, you ask? Virginia.

And, what, pray tell, is driving Virginia? NCLB. Here's how.

The NCLB ties pass rates of standardized tests to accreditation and federal funding. This places great emphasis on SOL scores in Virginia. 5-10 years ago, the 8th grade math SOL pass rates at many Virginia middle schools were low. Admin of many schools and districts noticed that the pass rate of 8th grade TAG students taking the Alg I SOL was really high and substantially higher than the 8th grade math SOL pass rate. Admin looked at the tests and recognized that the 8th grade SOL was and IS significantly MORE difficult than the Alg I test. (If you doubt this, go to the VDOE website and look at the sample tests.) A couple schools and districts experimented by widening their pool of Alg I students in 8th grade beyond TAG kids. Those non-TAG students were considerably more successful on the Alg I test than anyone would have predicted in their wildest dreams. It was startling.

So, then, the big beta. Some VA schools and/or districts took entire grade levels and shifted them from 8th grade math to Alg I. The schools and districts 'sold' the concept to teachers with two inalienable truths:
1) The 8th grade math curriculum in VA is a virtual re-hash of 7th grade math, with only a couple small additions. In order to graduate hs in VA a student must pass the Alg I SOL. It is better for a student to repeat Alg I in 9th grade and have a much better footing in Alg than it would be to have a student 'repeat' 7th grade math with the 8th grade curriculum in 8th grade.
2) Taking and passing the Alg I SOL in 8th grade means that the student is finished with math earlier in hs, effectively freeing up a year's worth of time for another course whether that be math or not.

The results speak for themselves. The beta was successful. Pass rates improved dramatically when students took the Alg I test and not the 8th grade math test. Middle schools with marginal pass rates, those on the cusp, and those just below the line reaped huge benefits when their overall scores improved.

Does this mean that Alg I is 'easier'? No, it means that the Virginia SOL for Alg I is easier.

So, why so many 7th grade students now taking Alg I? Well, primarily, those are the TAG students who, before, were taking it in 8th grade.

So that's it. Right or wrong, that's how we got to today with almost all public middle schools and districts in VA teaching Alg I as a gen ed curriculum in 8th grade and an accelerated curriculum in 7th grade. And private schools having the bulk of their students taking Alg I in 9th grade.

Will the public move impact private? Will the public status quo be affected by the Common Core? Is it right or wrong to teach Alg I in the 7th or 8th grade? Are the publics doing the only sensible thing? Are privates missing the boat? I don't know but I'm betting that many of you think you do, so have at it.

Thank you for this post. I'm sure everyone appreciates thoughtful, on-topic comments in this forum regardless of school affiliation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had no idea how snobbish and elitist private school moms were around here until I read this thread.

Really, I think both sides sound equally horrible.

Because you don't want to hear that precious won't be getting into Harvard with 9th grade algebra and Bs on his/her report card? That's just a fact of life.

But that's okay because 99.7% of people I know also did not go to Harvard. The vast majority of them are doing pretty well for themselves despite 9th grade algebra. They are decent, upstanding citizens who are just as content in their careers (vital-to-the-community careers at that) raising decent, upstanding kids. That's really all I want for my children too.

(My longtime friend went to Harvard so the .3% represent the folks I met through him. They are doing fine too but I wouldn't say running circles around the rest.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So once you public school/TJ parents see this thread on "Recent Topics" and realize it has NOTHING to do with you, just please go on your merry way. I am not the OP, but your comments do not help that parent at all.... You just post them to makes yourselves feel better about your own decisions. Let's all just respect the choices we all have made.

#1. A discussion of whether to delay Algebra has a lot to do with
Public school parents, who face this decision too

#2. I'll "go along my merry way" when Jeff says that public school parents can't post here. Until then, this is a public forum. You know, like public school. Anyone can be here, and you don't get to control it. Sorry, I know it's a shock. If you need to be protected from people who have a different point of view from you, ask your private school to set up a closed discussion forum. In the meantime STFU.

Please be forewarned, I am posting about Public content even though this is the Private forum. Anyone who is bothered by this should stop reading, and the moderator, Jeff(?), should move it if necessary. This is a LONG post.

I think that what most folks are forgetting, public and private, is that until 5-10 years ago, it was not common for 7th and 8th grade students to take Algebra I in public middle schools. Any readers who had ms students in public schools 10 years ago will remember this.

So the angst about Alg I, while not new, is involving quite a few more people because there are A LOT more children taking Algebra I in middle school. Background: until the very recent past, Alg I in public middle schools was reserved for the few, the mighty, the TAG; everyone else took it in 9th grade. (Side note and editorial: since most TAG placement testing stops in 4th grade in public, that meant that the determination of a student's math class in 8th grade was/is made by 5th grade placement. An egalitarian system it is not.)

Those parents of students in Common Core states and districts most likely know that the Common Core is not supportive of Alg I in 7th and 8th grade. CC documents indicate a preference for Alg I in the 9th grade and are CC documents are becoming more explicit every time they release something. If you doubt this, please read their documents and then contact them not me with questions. There also are some recent articles in WaPo on the subject.

So why are CC areas like Maryland (and the District?) moving Alg 'down'? It is the observation of many MoCo math teachers that MD joined in the push to teach Alg I earlier because otherwise there would be the perception that the MD students would be comparatively behind. Behind to whom, you ask? Virginia.

And, what, pray tell, is driving Virginia? NCLB. Here's how.

The NCLB ties pass rates of standardized tests to accreditation and federal funding. This places great emphasis on SOL scores in Virginia. 5-10 years ago, the 8th grade math SOL pass rates at many Virginia middle schools were low. Admin of many schools and districts noticed that the pass rate of 8th grade TAG students taking the Alg I SOL was really high and substantially higher than the 8th grade math SOL pass rate. Admin looked at the tests and recognized that the 8th grade SOL was and IS significantly MORE difficult than the Alg I test. (If you doubt this, go to the VDOE website and look at the sample tests.) A couple schools and districts experimented by widening their pool of Alg I students in 8th grade beyond TAG kids. Those non-TAG students were considerably more successful on the Alg I test than anyone would have predicted in their wildest dreams. It was startling.

So, then, the big beta. Some VA schools and/or districts took entire grade levels and shifted them from 8th grade math to Alg I. The schools and districts 'sold' the concept to teachers with two inalienable truths:
1) The 8th grade math curriculum in VA is a virtual re-hash of 7th grade math, with only a couple small additions. In order to graduate hs in VA a student must pass the Alg I SOL. It is better for a student to repeat Alg I in 9th grade and have a much better footing in Alg than it would be to have a student 'repeat' 7th grade math with the 8th grade curriculum in 8th grade.
2) Taking and passing the Alg I SOL in 8th grade means that the student is finished with math earlier in hs, effectively freeing up a year's worth of time for another course whether that be math or not.

The results speak for themselves. The beta was successful. Pass rates improved dramatically when students took the Alg I test and not the 8th grade math test. Middle schools with marginal pass rates, those on the cusp, and those just below the line reaped huge benefits when their overall scores improved.

Does this mean that Alg I is 'easier'? No, it means that the Virginia SOL for Alg I is easier.

So, why so many 7th grade students now taking Alg I? Well, primarily, those are the TAG students who, before, were taking it in 8th grade.

So that's it. Right or wrong, that's how we got to today with almost all public middle schools and districts in VA teaching Alg I as a gen ed curriculum in 8th grade and an accelerated curriculum in 7th grade. And private schools having the bulk of their students taking Alg I in 9th grade.

Will the public move impact private? Will the public status quo be affected by the Common Core? Is it right or wrong to teach Alg I in the 7th or 8th grade? Are the publics doing the only sensible thing? Are privates missing the boat? I don't know but I'm betting that many of you think you do, so have at it.

What in the world are you talking about? Most private kids take Algebra in 7th or 8th grade, hence OP's original question. She knows her kid is off track in math.

Sidwell and the Cathedral schools offer Algebra I in the upper school.

[Anonymous]

but MOST take it in 8th