Can a sixth grader take algebra 1?

[Anonymous]

My DC, arising sixth grader found out today that her classmate is registered to take Algebra 1 as a rising sixth grader. My DC and the classmate were in the same elementary school math program and class last school year (compacted math). So can my child also take algebra 1 and if so how to talk with the counselor to make the change (she is currently registered for AIM6)?

[Anonymous]

Yes. Every year, I have at minimum 2-3 students who have a different lunch from their other 6th classmates because they are taking Algebra I. If they do well, they take Geometry as 7th graders and then Algebra II as 8th graders.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but it's not just based on what classes were taken--it's based on test scores primarily. Perhaps the other student did better on the MAP.

[Anonymous]

It depends on the school. Reach out to the counselor.

[Anonymous]

Not at my child's school. But I know Frost allows it in some cases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not at my child's school. But I know Frost allows it in some cases.

Consistently high scores from K to 5th grade with all As and 288 in MAP-M - Does this allow student to take Algebra 1? What score qualifies them?

[Anonymous]

Yes you can. Some schools administrate a qualify test to get pass AIM. Parents need to get in contact with school's counselor and math teacher (maybe MS principal as well) ASAP as it's pretty late now. This is your last chance to skip a grade in math. Once in Algebra 1, you are not allowed to skip any grade until hitting the AP level.

I'd say if your 5th grader MAP-M is 288, there's a good chance to persuade the MS to skip AIM, especially if your kid is not attending TPMS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes you can. Some schools administrate a qualify test to get pass AIM. Parents need to get in contact with school's counselor and math teacher (maybe MS principal as well) ASAP as it's pretty late now. This is your last chance to skip a grade in math. Once in Algebra 1, you are not allowed to skip any grade until hitting the AP level.

I'd say if your 5th grader MAP-M is 288, there's a good chance to persuade the MS to skip AIM, especially if your kid is not attending TPMS.

You can take summer classes for credit to skip ahead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC, arising sixth grader found out today that her classmate is registered to take Algebra 1 as a rising sixth grader. My DC and the classmate were in the same elementary school math program and class last school year (compacted math). So can my child also take algebra 1 and if so how to talk with the counselor to make the change (she is currently registered for AIM6)?

They only allow this at a few affluent schools. Usually it requires exceeding a specific mapm score. A kid with a much higher score at a different MS doesn't even have this option.

[Anonymous]

Keep in mind that everyone is required to take math all 4 years in his regardless of the level. I know families where algebra in 6th seemed like a good idea but by the time they were a junior and thinking about pursuing a journalism or another non tech major...MV Calc was not how they wanted to spend Jr or Sr year. They ended up slowing it down taking Calc ab and then calc bc and then ap stats.

[Anonymous]

What’s the rush?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s the rush?

What's the rush? These kids are not average joes in the classroom who struggle with adding two three digit numbers. They get bored easily and lose interest if not challenged at appropriate level. Yes some groups in MoCo does not like others to progress because they cannot compete

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind that everyone is required to take math all 4 years in his regardless of the level. I know families where algebra in 6th seemed like a good idea but by the time they were a junior and thinking about pursuing a journalism or another non tech major...MV Calc was not how they wanted to spend Jr or Sr year. They ended up slowing it down taking Calc ab and then calc bc and then ap stats.

I think this is a very good point and I was thankful someone explained the high school requirements to me as my rising 6th grader was registering for math. She loves it now - but will she utilize it in a career 10 years from now? Knowing my kid and looking at the 6th grade schedule, for her AIM is the right choice because she already is very hard on herself with regards to academics. I want to set her up for a win with all the changes that come with transitioning to middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the rush?

What's the rush? These kids are not average joes in the classroom who struggle with adding two three digit numbers. They get bored easily and lose interest if not challenged at appropriate level. Yes some groups in MoCo does not like others to progress because they cannot compete

Yes, some kids can handle algebra in 6th. But it’s not necessarily a good idea. Some things I wish we’d asked in advance:

1) Does your school have a cohorted algebra class for kids who were in AIM? If so, will 6th graders be in the cohorted class? If there is one and your child would not be placed in it as a 6th grader, they might be more challenged in AIM & cohorted algebra, where the teacher can move faster and introduce extra material and projects. If your 6th grader is in with 8th graders, who are in the standard MCPS track, the algebra class will likely move too slowly & not be sufficiently challenging for a kid who is very good at math.

2) Are there enough 6th graders taking algebra 1 at your school for the MS to offer algebra 2? If not, what is the plan for your child in 8th grade? Will ghey take algebra 2 at the HS? Will MCPS provide transportation, or will you need to provide it yourself?

3) What classes are offered at the HS? If your child takes PreCalc in 9th and BC Calc in 10th, what’s left for them in 11th/12th? AP Stats is a good choice and is offered broadly. What about MV Calc / Linear Algebra? Does your HS have enough students to offer these, or would your child need to go to Montgomery College for math? If they do that, what are the implications for the rest of their schedule? (You’ll need to ask the HS math chair these questions. Your MS won’t know.)

Good luck making the best choice for your child.

[Anonymous]

Some schools really discourage it, some welcome it. Your kid can take a placement test. I had to do all sorts of things so that my kid could get into that track, coming from a CES and compacted math, with a 280 on her MAP-M. That plus an advanced orchestra class keeps her not entirely miserable in her home school.

This is what happens when MCPS does a stupid lottery for magnets: gifted kids end up not having anything to do at their level at their home school. At what point my kid wrote “I want to kill myself” in her notebook.