Compacted math considerations
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Anonymous
| Does anyone know what the test scores/grades or other considerations or cutoffs are used in determining who is centrally recommended for compacted math in 4th grade? Thanks. |
Anonymous
| I don't have numbers, but I do know that the principals have a lot of leeway in terms of adding to the central recommendations. If you are concerned that DC needs in but might be left out by central, contact your principal. |
Anonymous
| Last year it was based on MAP scores (I think at least a 90th percentile was needed), grades (As in all quarters), and a particular grade on each Eureka assessment. |
Anonymous
| About 30% of the kids at our school we're in compacted. It didn't seem especially fast-paced or challenging though some probably did struggle with it. |
Anonymous
| At DC's school I'd estimate 75% in compacted after all the lobbying by parents was done. |
Anonymous
It's probably about this proportion at our school, too, maybe a little less. DD loves it and has discovered a passion for math, but we know other kids who have struggled with it. DH and I are both math people, and appreciate the deeper structural approach to math that the curriculum offers. I think it's pretty fast-paced--they cover new topics daily. |
Anonymous
| Not all schools have compacted anymore. Ours took it away. |
Anonymous
Which school is that? |
Anonymous
| It seems MAP scores need to be in the 90th percentile or higher, A's on the report card and high scores on the End of Module 3rd grade assessments. |
Anonymous
My school took it away too (feeds into Clemente). As there were not enough kids who qualified for an entire class, they couldn’t offer it. So much for equity in the county- 10 kids have the scores and potential for the class, but are not given the opportunity due to the school they attend. |
Anonymous
Sounds like Germantown ES. That principal is a nightmare. Reach out and tell them they need to explore other options. I know at my son's school they use a part time teacher to do the compact class when she's there in the morning. It's a small class around 13 or 14 kids so not enough to warrant its own homeroom section. |
Anonymous
this made me LOL "parent lobbying". I really wish parents would understand that most kids do not need to be in compact math so they are not doing them any long term favors by pushing for this. Think ahead. Do you really need your kid in honors algebra 2 in 9th grade and Calculus in 11th? Generally, the answer is "no". Certainly there are kids that can handle that (or even more), but this is the minority. |
Anonymous
I agree. My 9th grader is taking Hons algebra 2 because their 4th grade teacher insisted on compacted math when I was thinking this probably was not the best route. They also told me EVERY kid had supplementary help - tutors, mathnasium, whatever. My kid has had tutors every grade so far for Math and we're stuck with that thru 12th I'm sure. |
Anonymous
Parents lobby because there was only one on-ramp, and it is much easier to drop down than speed up later. MCPS has been working on expanding on and off ramps, but I don't think they're there yet. (Lack of Off ramps is a problem because lots of students, even those who admit to being over challenged, have low tolerance for repeating a whole year of a math class that they already had.) |
Anonymous
Compact seemed like a joke. My kids were bored out of their minds. They constantly complained that they were going over basic fractions or multiplication that they had mastered years earlier. |