Algebra I in MS ... standard reqs?
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Anonymous
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Students at the FCPS MS my kid attends had a final project for Algebra I...to be done by a certain date but included at-home work time and a due date. He worked hard over a period of time, my partner who is a math person helped him check his thinking, etc.
Algebra I students at the MS I work at had a final exam to be completed in one class period, more than 50 questions. I know b/c I subbed in the class. How is it fair that it's different at different schools? I know it's for HS credit...so shouldn't it be standard across schools offering this class and final? And don't they also have an SOL - does that count toward final grade since it's a full-course test of knowledge? |
Anonymous
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SOL has no bearing on grades
Final projects/tests vary by school in all courses. I agree it should be more standardized, but it’s not. |
Anonymous
| *shrug* Different schools and jurisdictions do things differently. A friend in MD said they have no finals at all for their HS classes. My daughter’s school has a cumulative finals for Algebra I. I haven’t heard of final projects for math classes, but that sounds interesting. In the end, these things matter so little. |
Anonymous
| How different is it than Algebra I taken in HS? Wouldn't things like final exams be same (at least type of exam if not questions) across schools, middle or high same course? Asking b/c not sure if my 6th grade AAP daughter should take Algebra in 7th grade, did not realize it was so different in schools. |
Anonymous
It does matter because some kids would do well on project (esp with at home help), others in on traditional exam. Why is it allowed to be different? Or shouldn't all Algebra I students have choice of same options (exam, project, etc.)? Seems very different expectations and grades but then same words on transcript for college. At least within FCPS should be same? |
Anonymous
| I don't know about other schools but my Longfellow kid had a final and got a C ... after getting an A- so far in the course and doing all review packs from teacher. Also got pass advanced on SOL. Doesn't seem like the final matched the prep. WTH. |
Anonymous
She can take Algebra in 8th grade. It’s no big deal. |
Anonymous
Is there a standard Algebra I course/exam in 8th grade? Different than taking in 7th grade? or 9th grade? Not sure what you are saying. |
Anonymous
| To original point it seems very different to have traditional college-esque timed final versus "final project" done at home with help. How is that OK for same class, unless everyone is offered both choices? How about equity FCPS? Not that this is the point (but is it for some), but these kids fro different schools are now all competing for same spots at TJ, right? Yikes. |
Anonymous
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Anonymous
To her it is/will be...why would you write that? |
Anonymous
| Longfellow parent I wish you could say teacher name but I know you can't...we had similar thing last year with advanced kids very into math doing badly on crazy hard final. Now have kid in 5th who loves math but not sure if we will chance having him take Algebra when there is no support for 7th graders they are treated as high school students. So he will have to take math he already know just not to get punished, very sad. |
Anonymous
DC is at a different middle school and had a similar experience, good grade through the year, did well on the SOL, studied for the (very long, very hard) final and got a much lower grade on it. Puzzling. |
Anonymous
The final assesses what they retained, so it does seem like some material was forgotten. |
Anonymous
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Often the school department is fairly inline for tests and projects but not the county. The county has no way to enforce day-to-day standardization in the classroom, so they don’t. For example, you’re calling it a” “final,” other teachers would just call it an assessment, there a lots of semantics and loopholes - so the county don't standardize it.
- MS Algebra Teacher |