How do schools decide for math 4 vs math 4/5

[Anonymous]

Hello, my daughter saw placed in fourth grade math while the school provides an accelerated option (math 4/5). Last year when decisions were being made on the gifted and talented program, she was a “yes” on math, so I figured she would get at least the accelerated version in her home school. No such luck. Have I missed some milestone, or how do they decide? Thank you so much in advance for your insights - the MCPS system is so confusing to me.

[Anonymous]

Ask your principal.

[Anonymous]

Her MAP-M scores from last year would have been one factor.

[Anonymous]

If she was a yes on the letter, then you have reason to ask her to be switched to math 4/5. Our school made several administrative errors when placing kids (mistakenly putting some in math 4 rather than 4/5), so I would definitely ask.

What percentile was she on the MAP-M? Generally, kids who are 90th percentile and above in 3rd grade are placed in math 4/5 in 4th.

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much for your helpful replies. It was the MAP-M score that was high enough on the gifted and talented assessment (I don’t remember what it was, and she didn’t do well on her English, it’s her third language). Could it be that they don’t let them accelerate on math only? So instead they provide accelerated instruction for the whole curriculum - including English? This would explain why they kept her back, to not over-exert her in English /social studies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you so much for your helpful replies. It was the MAP-M score that was high enough on the gifted and talented assessment (I don’t remember what it was, and she didn’t do well on her English, it’s her third language). Could it be that they don’t let them accelerate on math only? So instead they provide accelerated instruction for the whole curriculum - including English? This would explain why they kept her back, to not over-exert her in English /social studies?

They definitely let htem accelerate just in math. You can look up her MAP scores in Parentvue; check out the "documents" tab at the bottom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Her MAP-M scores from last year would have been one factor.

I was told you had to have a map-m of 240 at the end of 5th for AIM in 6th so guessing it's a similar percentile for compacted at the end of 3rd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask your principal.

+1. The criteria are actually different in different schools. Principals do have leeway to add students who are close to the line but demonstrate potential. MCPS does a pretty abysmal job communicating all of these pathways and info.