Determining math class for sixth grader transfer

[Anonymous]

If a child is transferring into MCPS for sixth grade, how do they determine what math class they put them in if they haven’t done a lot of standardized testing? Do they give them a test? thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If a child is transferring into MCPS for sixth grade, how do they determine what math class they put them in if they haven’t done a lot of standardized testing? Do they give them a test? thanks

One way would be to have the transfer take the MAP-M and use that score to determine placement. Last I knew scoring over 240 put you in AIM at some of the wealthy schools you can be placed in Algebra for >250.

[Anonymous]

I wish you good luck finding an actual answer to this question. MCPS is very disorganized about this and you can ask 5 ppl and get 5 different answers. It’s a different process and cut off for each different school, which I personally think is confusing, inequitable and unnecessary. I’d start by contacting the math department head at the specific middle school where your child is headed. I imagine they’ll look a what level math your child completed at the previous school and may administer a MAP test and/or solicit a teacher recommendation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a child is transferring into MCPS for sixth grade, how do they determine what math class they put them in if they haven’t done a lot of standardized testing? Do they give them a test? thanks

One way would be to have the transfer take the MAP-M and use that score to determine placement. Last I knew scoring over 240 put you in AIM at some of the wealthy schools you can be placed in Algebra for >250.

STOP with the "wealthy schools" nonsense. My kids are in two different wealthy school districts (one is in a special program) and it is NEVER automatic to get into Algebra 1 in 6th grade. My friend in a upper county school district had an easier time of it than I did, even though my child had well above a 260 on her MAP-M AND completed a nearly perfect ad hoc test to place into Algebra 1. The math coordinator at her school still wouldn't let her in. We left MCPS for another reason that year, she completed a year of Algebra 1 in 6th at a different school, and when we returned, they let her in Honors Geometry in 7th based on the fact she had done Algebra 1 in 6th.

To answer your question, OP, they will look at your child's overall school record and give them a placement test. As noted above, the math coordinator at the school has discretion. There is no central policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a child is transferring into MCPS for sixth grade, how do they determine what math class they put them in if they haven’t done a lot of standardized testing? Do they give them a test? thanks

One way would be to have the transfer take the MAP-M and use that score to determine placement. Last I knew scoring over 240 put you in AIM at some of the wealthy schools you can be placed in Algebra for >250.

You can do Algebra at non-wealthy schools too. I think the target is also 250. I don't think you have to score that high for AIM, which is now a new name (pre-algebra) but they watn compacted math except sometimes they make exceptions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a child is transferring into MCPS for sixth grade, how do they determine what math class they put them in if they haven’t done a lot of standardized testing? Do they give them a test? thanks

One way would be to have the transfer take the MAP-M and use that score to determine placement. Last I knew scoring over 240 put you in AIM at some of the wealthy schools you can be placed in Algebra for >250.

STOP with the "wealthy schools" nonsense. My kids are in two different wealthy school districts (one is in a special program) and it is NEVER automatic to get into Algebra 1 in 6th grade. My friend in a upper county school district had an easier time of it than I did, even though my child had well above a 260 on her MAP-M AND completed a nearly perfect ad hoc test to place into Algebra 1. The math coordinator at her school still wouldn't let her in. We left MCPS for another reason that year, she completed a year of Algebra 1 in 6th at a different school, and when we returned, they let her in Honors Geometry in 7th based on the fact she had done Algebra 1 in 6th.

To answer your question, OP, they will look at your child's overall school record and give them a placement test. As noted above, the math coordinator at the school has discretion. There is no central policy.

Exactly. My child did it at a non-wealthy school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish you good luck finding an actual answer to this question. MCPS is very disorganized about this and you can ask 5 ppl and get 5 different answers. It’s a different process and cut off for each different school, which I personally think is confusing, inequitable and unnecessary. I’d start by contacting the math department head at the specific middle school where your child is headed. I imagine they’ll look a what level math your child completed at the previous school and may administer a MAP test and/or solicit a teacher recommendation.

Sure there are a lot of uninformed parents but there are recognized diagnostics and guidelines as a PP pointed out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a child is transferring into MCPS for sixth grade, how do they determine what math class they put them in if they haven’t done a lot of standardized testing? Do they give them a test? thanks

One way would be to have the transfer take the MAP-M and use that score to determine placement. Last I knew scoring over 240 put you in AIM at some of the wealthy schools you can be placed in Algebra for >250.

STOP with the "wealthy schools" nonsense. My kids are in two different wealthy school districts (one is in a special program) and it is NEVER automatic to get into Algebra 1 in 6th grade. My friend in a upper county school district had an easier time of it than I did, even though my child had well above a 260 on her MAP-M AND completed a nearly perfect ad hoc test to place into Algebra 1. The math coordinator at her school still wouldn't let her in. We left MCPS for another reason that year, she completed a year of Algebra 1 in 6th at a different school, and when we returned, they let her in Honors Geometry in 7th based on the fact she had done Algebra 1 in 6th.

To answer your question, OP, they will look at your child's overall school record and give them a placement test. As noted above, the math coordinator at the school has discretion. There is no central policy.

Exactly. My child did it at a non-wealthy school.

It's such a disgrace that only wealthy schools offer enrichment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a child is transferring into MCPS for sixth grade, how do they determine what math class they put them in if they haven’t done a lot of standardized testing? Do they give them a test? thanks

One way would be to have the transfer take the MAP-M and use that score to determine placement. Last I knew scoring over 240 put you in AIM at some of the wealthy schools you can be placed in Algebra for >250.

You can do Algebra at non-wealthy schools too. I think the target is also 250. I don't think you have to score that high for AIM, which is now a new name (pre-algebra) but they watn compacted math except sometimes they make exceptions.

Not true. DC scored 290s in 5th and 280s at the beginning of 6th and because they were in Silver Spring did not have this option. It is only common in Western moco. Schools like Frost will allow anyone with 250+ take Algebra in 6th, but at schools like TPMS you have to take AIM regardless of your score before you are eligible for Algebra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish you good luck finding an actual answer to this question. MCPS is very disorganized about this and you can ask 5 ppl and get 5 different answers. It’s a different process and cut off for each different school, which I personally think is confusing, inequitable and unnecessary. I’d start by contacting the math department head at the specific middle school where your child is headed. I imagine they’ll look a what level math your child completed at the previous school and may administer a MAP test and/or solicit a teacher recommendation.

Sure there are a lot of uninformed parents but there are recognized diagnostics and guidelines as a PP pointed out.

Don’t you dare blame it on uninformed parents. If there were published cut offs, it would be an easy question to answer. There aren’t. Parents ask and it’s like pulling teeth and watching a political debate seeing administrators deflect and redirect. They have a whole “local norming” algorithm to take MAP test data and manipulate it up or down depending on the socioeconomic status of a student’s school. And then individual schools have discretion on top of that, and some are quite rigid and others are quite flexible/inclusive. No amount of parental involvement will change these systemic inconsistencies within the district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a child is transferring into MCPS for sixth grade, how do they determine what math class they put them in if they haven’t done a lot of standardized testing? Do they give them a test? thanks

One way would be to have the transfer take the MAP-M and use that score to determine placement. Last I knew scoring over 240 put you in AIM at some of the wealthy schools you can be placed in Algebra for >250.

You can do Algebra at non-wealthy schools too. I think the target is also 250. I don't think you have to score that high for AIM, which is now a new name (pre-algebra) but they watn compacted math except sometimes they make exceptions.

Not true. DC scored 290s in 5th and 280s at the beginning of 6th and because they were in Silver Spring did not have this option. It is only common in Western moco. Schools like Frost will allow anyone with 250+ take Algebra in 6th, but at schools like TPMS you have to take AIM regardless of your score before you are eligible for Algebra.

Again, you are not being accurate. The school YOU were at didn't allow it. There are several silver spring schools that do allow it. Our children did it and we are not at Frost, TMPS, etc. And, there are several MS in SS that isn't TPMS. TPMS has a magnet program. The other schools don't and are trying to keep kids there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish you good luck finding an actual answer to this question. MCPS is very disorganized about this and you can ask 5 ppl and get 5 different answers. It’s a different process and cut off for each different school, which I personally think is confusing, inequitable and unnecessary. I’d start by contacting the math department head at the specific middle school where your child is headed. I imagine they’ll look a what level math your child completed at the previous school and may administer a MAP test and/or solicit a teacher recommendation.

Sure there are a lot of uninformed parents but there are recognized diagnostics and guidelines as a PP pointed out.

Every school has different rules some MS allow it and some don't. OP isn't necessarily asking about Algebra and asking about placement. They will look at the child's grades, and test scores and talk to the teacher/parent to make the decision. There is no consistency in each of the schools and the poster says that because TMPS doesn't allow Algebra in 6th, so no Silver Spring schools do is making stuff up. We were given a registration form and had to have the ES teacher sign off saying yes and that was it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If a child is transferring into MCPS for sixth grade, how do they determine what math class they put them in if they haven’t done a lot of standardized testing? Do they give them a test? thanks

One way would be to have the transfer take the MAP-M and use that score to determine placement. Last I knew scoring over 240 put you in AIM at some of the wealthy schools you can be placed in Algebra for >250.

STOP with the "wealthy schools" nonsense. My kids are in two different wealthy school districts (one is in a special program) and it is NEVER automatic to get into Algebra 1 in 6th grade. My friend in a upper county school district had an easier time of it than I did, even though my child had well above a 260 on her MAP-M AND completed a nearly perfect ad hoc test to place into Algebra 1. The math coordinator at her school still wouldn't let her in. We left MCPS for another reason that year, she completed a year of Algebra 1 in 6th at a different school, and when we returned, they let her in Honors Geometry in 7th based on the fact she had done Algebra 1 in 6th.

To answer your question, OP, they will look at your child's overall school record and give them a placement test. As noted above, the math coordinator at the school has discretion. There is no central policy.

Exactly. My child did it at a non-wealthy school.

It's such a disgrace that only wealthy schools offer enrichment.

Stop trolling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish you good luck finding an actual answer to this question. MCPS is very disorganized about this and you can ask 5 ppl and get 5 different answers. It’s a different process and cut off for each different school, which I personally think is confusing, inequitable and unnecessary. I’d start by contacting the math department head at the specific middle school where your child is headed. I imagine they’ll look a what level math your child completed at the previous school and may administer a MAP test and/or solicit a teacher recommendation.

Sure there are a lot of uninformed parents but there are recognized diagnostics and guidelines as a PP pointed out.

Every school has different rules some MS allow it and some don't. OP isn't necessarily asking about Algebra and asking about placement. They will look at the child's grades, and test scores and talk to the teacher/parent to make the decision. There is no consistency in each of the schools and the poster says that because TMPS doesn't allow Algebra in 6th, so no Silver Spring schools do is making stuff up. We were given a registration form and had to have the ES teacher sign off saying yes and that was it.

I don't understand why central office cannot create a transparent policy that applies to all MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish you good luck finding an actual answer to this question. MCPS is very disorganized about this and you can ask 5 ppl and get 5 different answers. It’s a different process and cut off for each different school, which I personally think is confusing, inequitable and unnecessary. I’d start by contacting the math department head at the specific middle school where your child is headed. I imagine they’ll look a what level math your child completed at the previous school and may administer a MAP test and/or solicit a teacher recommendation.

Sure there are a lot of uninformed parents but there are recognized diagnostics and guidelines as a PP pointed out.

Every school has different rules some MS allow it and some don't. OP isn't necessarily asking about Algebra and asking about placement. They will look at the child's grades, and test scores and talk to the teacher/parent to make the decision. There is no consistency in each of the schools and the poster says that because TMPS doesn't allow Algebra in 6th, so no Silver Spring schools do is making stuff up. We were given a registration form and had to have the ES teacher sign off saying yes and that was it.

I don't understand why central office cannot create a transparent policy that applies to all MS.

They don't have any transparency or equity in anything so why is this any different? They should offer the same classes, offer real honors classes and have the same standards at every school but they don't. They also need to increase the magnet programs to offer one at every school or at least gifted classes in Math and English at every school (though for English being given more than two online books a year might help too).

We don't know what classes OP is asking about. Someone here just jumped on the Algebra bandwagon. There are at least a handful of schools allowing it and not just the W zones.