APS middle school - accelerated English and Science
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Anonymous
| My kid will be a 6th grader next year. I read somewhere but now can't find it that APS middle schools are going to start offering accelerated English and Science in 6th grade next year. I believe they already offer in 7th or 8th, but could be wrong. My friends with kids in 7th and 8th said that they were able to select the accelerated class when they picked their schedules, but this was not an option for my rising 6th grader. We haven't received any information about anything really. Does anyone have any additional information? If not, who would I email at our middle school to ask about class selection (I heard the accelerated classes were self-selecting unlike Math which the kids are placed in). Thank you in advance for the help. |
Anonymous
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Hi, OP. You have some of this right and some of it a bit wrong. Let me help.
1. They are rolling out intensified English and Science to 7th and 8th graders starting this fall. Social Studies is already considered intensified, at least for 8th grade, I can't recall if social studies is intensified in 7th or not. 2. Intensified options will be available for 6th grade beginning the following year, school year '24-'25. Originally they weren't going to do it at all, but got big pushback, so it will happen but is delayed a year behind the other two grades since they got a later start in planning it. 3. After end of the year Math Inventory and SOL you will get a letter recommending your child's math placement. You have the option to overrule that and self-select which option you think is best for your child. I'd recommend talking to the math coach at your child's middle school in June or July to make that decision. |
Anonymous
| Thank you so much for your help. That is a bummer that they won't have it for 6th grade never year. My kid really wants a more challenging science curriculum. Hopefully MS science is a step up from ES anyway! |
Anonymous
Our experience is that the 6th grade curriculum is very NOT accelerated from elementary school, but it does pick up in 7th grade. I think the focus of APS 6th grade is on "transitioning" the kids from elementary into middle/high and the focus is very much on social/emotional rather than academic. I was panicking and thinking about sending my kid to private, but I've been pleasantly surprised by how much more focus has been shifted to academics now in 7th grade. Kid finally has occasional homework, has to sometimes study up for tests, gets grades. He's been stepping up to the plate after a lackadaisical few years (largely due to the way APS handled Covid). |
Anonymous
Glad things are working out. Also, remember that 6th grade used to be in the elementary schools like in FCPS and elsewhere where middle schools are grades 7 and 8. So it makes sense for that year to be a transition year. |
Anonymous
DP. Transition yes, but it will be good for the intensified to get rolled out. In three academic classes last year my then APS 6th grader had a 99 or 100% all four quarters. Not just an A, but an actual 100%. This is in addition to PE. My child is bright but not a genius, so nothing but perfect scores all year tells me APS could afford to put even a little bit more rigor into the main curriculum. |
Anonymous
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More rigor would be good, but you can roll with what 6th grade currently has to offer in Arlington public schools for an advanced learner if paying for a private doesn't work for you.
My eldest started 6th grade in Arlington playing a wind instrument minimally. She got such good instrumental music instruction in the school band (taken as a daily class) 6th grade, that, here in 7th grade, she plays in a competitive wind ensemble outside school. She also started learning a language, which she really enjoyed. This summer she will attend a 2-week immersion camp in MN. I was impressed with the lively English grammar teaching software Arlington uses for 6th grade ELA - she seems to have learned a lot from it. She tested into the highest 6th grade math level, now takes Algebra in 7th. OK, we hire a writing tutor for extra challenge, and make sure she reads extensively outside the curriculum, but I'm not feeling like 6th grade was a waste of time. Far from it. She made some good buddies, was happy, liked the gardening club at school, happily played on a school sports team four times a week fall and spring. |
Anonymous
| It's a big adjustment to go from ES to MS. I'm OK with the science and English they offer at our APS MS (Jefferson) although DC could handle tougher work. |
Anonymous
Well. So much to say when you say "it's a bummer." Yes it is. but have you ever DONE a thing about it? Many parents pushed for this for years. You're just waking up to it now. |
Anonymous
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Bump.
We are moving from FCPS to APS next year. One kid will be starting in 7th grade. Super bright kid but struggles with EF (ADHD). He will be taking algebra but we are wondering about the intensified classes. It sounds like they cover the same material but just more work/extensions. He can handle the content but not sure we want to push it with additional (unnecessary) assignments/homework. But maybe it’s a social differentiator? What are most 7th grade kids doing next year? Are most of the “smart” kids take intensified? And 8th grade history goes on HS transcript so intensified matters for that class? |
Anonymous
| 8th grade intensified social studies isn't necessarily history. At our MS, Jefferson, it's world geography. |
Anonymous
8th grade is world geography. They haven't released stats on how many kids have selected intensified. APS has a massive goal of ensuring that the sign-ups reflect the demographic makeup of each school, so there is a huge push to traditionally under-represented groups including working with other parent groups like SEPTA and even engaging the local NAACP to help. Yes, the curriculum won't change but the theory is that they will go deeper into the content. I'm curious to see how it all plays out. |
Anonymous
They are not offering intensified for 8th grade history. |
Anonymous
Your right I suck. Congrats for pointing it out. Gold star for you! |
Anonymous
Thank you for clarifying 8th grade. I misremembered what we were told by a friend. Does anyone have kids going into 7th next year? Are your kids taking the intensified classes? Why/why not? |