Why the push for accelerated math?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The loudest voices against acceleration are those with kids who couldn’t qualify for 7th grade algebra. Holding other kids back makes their kid look comparatively stronger. They’ve never had a kid bored out of their mind in math class, so they don’t understand the need to accelerate

I’m not against acceleration. I’m against excessive acceleration for all. Save it for the true math geniuses with a high bar for entry.

My youngest qualified for algebra in 6th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid will take AP Lang, AP Lit, AP Seminar, and AP research. They also will have AP Government, AP European history, and AP USH. I’m not seeing a problem with doing multivariable also.

PP who wants to set up math tracks seems to think that kids who are perfectly capable of doing matrix multiplication (and mind you, matrix math underlies both modern communications and large language models aka AI) in high school should be stuck doing algebra based physics extensions because...reasons. PP has yet to answer the question "why limit acceleration."

Because the increasing levels of acceleration are creating a toxic environment that doesn't provide a significant benefit for the vast majority of kids.

It's a race to nowhere. There is very little value in accelerating beyond a year (or two on a limited basis).

I think some people have a hard time accepting that there are always going to be smarter kids and more nurturing families. And it is a social issue for them, not an educational one.

Acceleration isn’t meant to benefit the vast majority of kids. Acceleration is meant to benefit those who need it and currently it’s about 10-15% of kids.

Algebra in 7th is such a low bar too.

Education isnt a race to nowhere; it’s an endless journey, but some just walk faster.

Some acceleration is great. Having some calculus in HS is helpful.

10-15% is too large of a cohort for exceptionally gifted. It will include many bright kids who would have been just fine with algebra in 8th.

Limit the hyper acceleration to the truly gifted kids. There should be a very high bar for entry.

The unnecessary over-acceleration is the race to nowhere.

Kids don’t need to be exceptionally gifted to handle algebra in 7th. The exceptionally gifted kids are taking algebra in 4th or even earlier.

Overaccelerating kids can be bad. But holding kids back and turning math into a tedious slog is also bad. The right track for a kid depends on the kid’s natural aptitude, interest, and personality. That’s best decided by the kids, parents, and teachers, rather than some internet rando who just doesn’t like math acceleration.

"To handle algebra." There is the mindset that we should push as fast as possible, even without any real benefit, just to see what they can "handle". Race to nowhere.

For truly gifted kids (not 10-15%), offering extra acceleration makes sense. Have a high bar of entry and provide this for the kids who actually need it.

For the rest of the "gifted" kids, one year of calculus in HS will serve them just fine.

OP listed several potential benefits right in the initial post.

As I've said multiple times, one year of calculus in HS would be good to prepare kids for college.

Looks good for college applications? That is the root of the arms race that is driving unnecessary acceleration.

There it is, the root of your obstinate opinion. You are concerned your child won't be able to compete on the college application because they aren't as advanced in math. I'm sure you'll happily point out other ways they were allowed to stand out though. Hypocrite.
So many kids easily ace Algebra in 7th grade. It is not two years advanced. And even if it were, they are getting A's and not struggling. There is no reason not to allow them to take those classes. It is not a "road to nowhere." That means nothing. Come up with actual arguments why it's bad or stop reposting the same dumb opinion.

My kids are fine. But I’ve seen many of their peers get pushed into higher math too soon and end up miserable.

There is no benefit for most kids to take more than one year of calculus in HS.

Over acceleration is just one aspect to the race to nowhere.

It’s toxic.

That some parents are toxic and push their kids beyond their level is not a reason to limit acceleration for everyone else. This still isn't an issue with an acceleration, just with these parents.

Which is why I think there should be a very high bar for 2+ years acceleration.

[Anonymous]

Anything above Algebra 2 in 8th grade should require counselor approval. Algebra 1 in 6th should an option to select if student wants

[Anonymous]

In FCPS, around 10% take Algebra 1 in 7th, around 40 kids take it in 6th, and around 1-3 kids take it before 6th. Those numbers seem appropriate. FCPS already strongly gatekeeps the paths leading to Algebra before 7th. There isn’t a problem with math acceleration in FCPS. They’re pretty spot on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid will take AP Lang, AP Lit, AP Seminar, and AP research. They also will have AP Government, AP European history, and AP USH. I’m not seeing a problem with doing multivariable also.

PP who wants to set up math tracks seems to think that kids who are perfectly capable of doing matrix multiplication (and mind you, matrix math underlies both modern communications and large language models aka AI) in high school should be stuck doing algebra based physics extensions because...reasons. PP has yet to answer the question "why limit acceleration."

Because the increasing levels of acceleration are creating a toxic environment that doesn't provide a significant benefit for the vast majority of kids.

It's a race to nowhere. There is very little value in accelerating beyond a year (or two on a limited basis).

I think some people have a hard time accepting that there are always going to be smarter kids and more nurturing families. And it is a social issue for them, not an educational one.

Acceleration isn’t meant to benefit the vast majority of kids. Acceleration is meant to benefit those who need it and currently it’s about 10-15% of kids.

Algebra in 7th is such a low bar too.

Education isnt a race to nowhere; it’s an endless journey, but some just walk faster.

Some acceleration is great. Having some calculus in HS is helpful.

10-15% is too large of a cohort for exceptionally gifted. It will include many bright kids who would have been just fine with algebra in 8th.

Limit the hyper acceleration to the truly gifted kids. There should be a very high bar for entry.

The unnecessary over-acceleration is the race to nowhere.

Kids don’t need to be exceptionally gifted to handle algebra in 7th. The exceptionally gifted kids are taking algebra in 4th or even earlier.

Overaccelerating kids can be bad. But holding kids back and turning math into a tedious slog is also bad. The right track for a kid depends on the kid’s natural aptitude, interest, and personality. That’s best decided by the kids, parents, and teachers, rather than some internet rando who just doesn’t like math acceleration.

"To handle algebra." There is the mindset that we should push as fast as possible, even without any real benefit, just to see what they can "handle". Race to nowhere.

For truly gifted kids (not 10-15%), offering extra acceleration makes sense. Have a high bar of entry and provide this for the kids who actually need it.

For the rest of the "gifted" kids, one year of calculus in HS will serve them just fine.

OP listed several potential benefits right in the initial post.

As I've said multiple times, one year of calculus in HS would be good to prepare kids for college.

Looks good for college applications? That is the root of the arms race that is driving unnecessary acceleration.

There it is, the root of your obstinate opinion. You are concerned your child won't be able to compete on the college application because they aren't as advanced in math. I'm sure you'll happily point out other ways they were allowed to stand out though. Hypocrite.
So many kids easily ace Algebra in 7th grade. It is not two years advanced. And even if it were, they are getting A's and not struggling. There is no reason not to allow them to take those classes. It is not a "road to nowhere." That means nothing. Come up with actual arguments why it's bad or stop reposting the same dumb opinion.

My kids are fine. But I’ve seen many of their peers get pushed into higher math too soon and end up miserable.

There is no benefit for most kids to take more than one year of calculus in HS.

Over acceleration is just one aspect to the race to nowhere.

It’s toxic.

That some parents are toxic and push their kids beyond their level is not a reason to limit acceleration for everyone else. This still isn't an issue with an acceleration, just with these parents.

Which is why I think there should be a very high bar for 2+ years acceleration.

But aside from this year, there already has been a very high bar. For kids to take Algebra before 6th, they need sky high scores, teacher recommendation, and then a lot of extra testing. For 6th grade Algebra, they need a 145+ CogAT Q score, a very high score on the 4th grade math SOL, and teacher approval just to be tested again by Gatehouse for the skip. They then still need the IAAT and SOL scores the next year. 7th grade algebra has the IAAT and SOL requirements. The bar seems adequately high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In FCPS, around 10% take Algebra 1 in 7th, around 40 kids take it in 6th, and around 1-3 kids take it before 6th. Those numbers seem appropriate. FCPS already strongly gatekeeps the paths leading to Algebra before 7th. There isn’t a problem with math acceleration in FCPS. They’re pretty spot on.

That sounds fine to me. Kids who don't accelerate, the majority, take Calculus senior year. Perfectly appropriate.

[Anonymous]

Algebra 1 in 7th grade is a snoozefest for many, including our DC. To stay engaged, they worked on geometry after school through the year—so when the summer course came around, it was just more of the same yawn. Now they're wrapping up Algebra 2 in 8th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anything above Algebra 2 in 8th grade should require counselor approval. Algebra 1 in 6th should an option to select if student wants

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid will take AP Lang, AP Lit, AP Seminar, and AP research. They also will have AP Government, AP European history, and AP USH. I’m not seeing a problem with doing multivariable also.

PP who wants to set up math tracks seems to think that kids who are perfectly capable of doing matrix multiplication (and mind you, matrix math underlies both modern communications and large language models aka AI) in high school should be stuck doing algebra based physics extensions because...reasons. PP has yet to answer the question "why limit acceleration."

Because the increasing levels of acceleration are creating a toxic environment that doesn't provide a significant benefit for the vast majority of kids.

It's a race to nowhere. There is very little value in accelerating beyond a year (or two on a limited basis).

I think some people have a hard time accepting that there are always going to be smarter kids and more nurturing families. And it is a social issue for them, not an educational one.

Acceleration isn’t meant to benefit the vast majority of kids. Acceleration is meant to benefit those who need it and currently it’s about 10-15% of kids.

Algebra in 7th is such a low bar too.

Education isnt a race to nowhere; it’s an endless journey, but some just walk faster.

Some acceleration is great. Having some calculus in HS is helpful.

10-15% is too large of a cohort for exceptionally gifted. It will include many bright kids who would have been just fine with algebra in 8th.

Limit the hyper acceleration to the truly gifted kids. There should be a very high bar for entry.

The unnecessary over-acceleration is the race to nowhere.

Kids don’t need to be exceptionally gifted to handle algebra in 7th. The exceptionally gifted kids are taking algebra in 4th or even earlier.

Overaccelerating kids can be bad. But holding kids back and turning math into a tedious slog is also bad. The right track for a kid depends on the kid’s natural aptitude, interest, and personality. That’s best decided by the kids, parents, and teachers, rather than some internet rando who just doesn’t like math acceleration.

"To handle algebra." There is the mindset that we should push as fast as possible, even without any real benefit, just to see what they can "handle". Race to nowhere.

For truly gifted kids (not 10-15%), offering extra acceleration makes sense. Have a high bar of entry and provide this for the kids who actually need it.

For the rest of the "gifted" kids, one year of calculus in HS will serve them just fine.

OP listed several potential benefits right in the initial post.

As I've said multiple times, one year of calculus in HS would be good to prepare kids for college.

Looks good for college applications? That is the root of the arms race that is driving unnecessary acceleration.

There it is, the root of your obstinate opinion. You are concerned your child won't be able to compete on the college application because they aren't as advanced in math. I'm sure you'll happily point out other ways they were allowed to stand out though. Hypocrite.
So many kids easily ace Algebra in 7th grade. It is not two years advanced. And even if it were, they are getting A's and not struggling. There is no reason not to allow them to take those classes. It is not a "road to nowhere." That means nothing. Come up with actual arguments why it's bad or stop reposting the same dumb opinion.

My kids are fine. But I’ve seen many of their peers get pushed into higher math too soon and end up miserable.

There is no benefit for most kids to take more than one year of calculus in HS.

Over acceleration is just one aspect to the race to nowhere.

It’s toxic.

That some parents are toxic and push their kids beyond their level is not a reason to limit acceleration for everyone else. This still isn't an issue with an acceleration, just with these parents.

Which is why I think there should be a very high bar for 2+ years acceleration.

But aside from this year, there already has been a very high bar. For kids to take Algebra before 6th, they need sky high scores, teacher recommendation, and then a lot of extra testing. For 6th grade Algebra, they need a 145+ CogAT Q score, a very high score on the 4th grade math SOL, and teacher approval just to be tested again by Gatehouse for the skip. They then still need the IAAT and SOL scores the next year. 7th grade algebra has the IAAT and SOL requirements. The bar seems adequately high.

Not in my experience. We know several kids who never should have taken algebra in 7th grade. It ruined math for them. Even if they are ready for the content, they may not have the EF skills to manage a HS level class. It just seems unnecessary for most bright kids, even if they can "handle" it. Keep the bar high for 6th/7th algebra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In FCPS, around 10% take Algebra 1 in 7th, around 40 kids take it in 6th, and around 1-3 kids take it before 6th. Those numbers seem appropriate. FCPS already strongly gatekeeps the paths leading to Algebra before 7th. There isn’t a problem with math acceleration in FCPS. They’re pretty spot on.

That sounds fine to me. Kids who don't accelerate, the majority, take Calculus senior year. Perfectly appropriate.

Taking calculus senior year is accelerating one year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In FCPS, around 10% take Algebra 1 in 7th, around 40 kids take it in 6th, and around 1-3 kids take it before 6th. Those numbers seem appropriate. FCPS already strongly gatekeeps the paths leading to Algebra before 7th. There isn’t a problem with math acceleration in FCPS. They’re pretty spot on.

FCPS is terrible. There are lots of kids demonstrating strong geometry and algebra 2 skills at Mathcounts while being stuck in lower classes at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid will take AP Lang, AP Lit, AP Seminar, and AP research. They also will have AP Government, AP European history, and AP USH. I’m not seeing a problem with doing multivariable also.

PP who wants to set up math tracks seems to think that kids who are perfectly capable of doing matrix multiplication (and mind you, matrix math underlies both modern communications and large language models aka AI) in high school should be stuck doing algebra based physics extensions because...reasons. PP has yet to answer the question "why limit acceleration."

Because the increasing levels of acceleration are creating a toxic environment that doesn't provide a significant benefit for the vast majority of kids.

It's a race to nowhere. There is very little value in accelerating beyond a year (or two on a limited basis).

I think some people have a hard time accepting that there are always going to be smarter kids and more nurturing families. And it is a social issue for them, not an educational one.

Acceleration isn’t meant to benefit the vast majority of kids. Acceleration is meant to benefit those who need it and currently it’s about 10-15% of kids.

Algebra in 7th is such a low bar too.

Education isnt a race to nowhere; it’s an endless journey, but some just walk faster.

Some acceleration is great. Having some calculus in HS is helpful.

10-15% is too large of a cohort for exceptionally gifted. It will include many bright kids who would have been just fine with algebra in 8th.

Limit the hyper acceleration to the truly gifted kids. There should be a very high bar for entry.

The unnecessary over-acceleration is the race to nowhere.

Kids don’t need to be exceptionally gifted to handle algebra in 7th. The exceptionally gifted kids are taking algebra in 4th or even earlier.

Overaccelerating kids can be bad. But holding kids back and turning math into a tedious slog is also bad. The right track for a kid depends on the kid’s natural aptitude, interest, and personality. That’s best decided by the kids, parents, and teachers, rather than some internet rando who just doesn’t like math acceleration.

"To handle algebra." There is the mindset that we should push as fast as possible, even without any real benefit, just to see what they can "handle". Race to nowhere.

For truly gifted kids (not 10-15%), offering extra acceleration makes sense. Have a high bar of entry and provide this for the kids who actually need it.

For the rest of the "gifted" kids, one year of calculus in HS will serve them just fine.

OP listed several potential benefits right in the initial post.

As I've said multiple times, one year of calculus in HS would be good to prepare kids for college.

Looks good for college applications? That is the root of the arms race that is driving unnecessary acceleration.

There it is, the root of your obstinate opinion. You are concerned your child won't be able to compete on the college application because they aren't as advanced in math. I'm sure you'll happily point out other ways they were allowed to stand out though. Hypocrite.
So many kids easily ace Algebra in 7th grade. It is not two years advanced. And even if it were, they are getting A's and not struggling. There is no reason not to allow them to take those classes. It is not a "road to nowhere." That means nothing. Come up with actual arguments why it's bad or stop reposting the same dumb opinion.

My kids are fine. But I’ve seen many of their peers get pushed into higher math too soon and end up miserable.

There is no benefit for most kids to take more than one year of calculus in HS.

Over acceleration is just one aspect to the race to nowhere.

It’s toxic.

That some parents are toxic and push their kids beyond their level is not a reason to limit acceleration for everyone else. This still isn't an issue with an acceleration, just with these parents.

Which is why I think there should be a very high bar for 2+ years acceleration.

But aside from this year, there already has been a very high bar. For kids to take Algebra before 6th, they need sky high scores, teacher recommendation, and then a lot of extra testing. For 6th grade Algebra, they need a 145+ CogAT Q score, a very high score on the 4th grade math SOL, and teacher approval just to be tested again by Gatehouse for the skip. They then still need the IAAT and SOL scores the next year. 7th grade algebra has the IAAT and SOL requirements. The bar seems adequately high.

Not in my experience. We know several kids who never should have taken algebra in 7th grade. It ruined math for them. Even if they are ready for the content, they may not have the EF skills to manage a HS level class. It just seems unnecessary for most bright kids, even if they can "handle" it. Keep the bar high for 6th/7th algebra.

That’s a failure on the part of the parents and not at all an indication that the bar is too low. Obviously, if your kid has lower EF skills or has some other reason why 7th grade Algebra is a bad fit, then just opt for M7H. No one is forcing any kids to take Algebra in 7th. You seem to be suggesting that kids who are ready and eager for Algebra should be held back because some parents are incapable of making good decisions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid will take AP Lang, AP Lit, AP Seminar, and AP research. They also will have AP Government, AP European history, and AP USH. I’m not seeing a problem with doing multivariable also.

PP who wants to set up math tracks seems to think that kids who are perfectly capable of doing matrix multiplication (and mind you, matrix math underlies both modern communications and large language models aka AI) in high school should be stuck doing algebra based physics extensions because...reasons. PP has yet to answer the question "why limit acceleration."

Because the increasing levels of acceleration are creating a toxic environment that doesn't provide a significant benefit for the vast majority of kids.

It's a race to nowhere. There is very little value in accelerating beyond a year (or two on a limited basis).

I think some people have a hard time accepting that there are always going to be smarter kids and more nurturing families. And it is a social issue for them, not an educational one.

Acceleration isn’t meant to benefit the vast majority of kids. Acceleration is meant to benefit those who need it and currently it’s about 10-15% of kids.

Algebra in 7th is such a low bar too.

Education isnt a race to nowhere; it’s an endless journey, but some just walk faster.

Some acceleration is great. Having some calculus in HS is helpful.

10-15% is too large of a cohort for exceptionally gifted. It will include many bright kids who would have been just fine with algebra in 8th.

Limit the hyper acceleration to the truly gifted kids. There should be a very high bar for entry.

The unnecessary over-acceleration is the race to nowhere.

Kids don’t need to be exceptionally gifted to handle algebra in 7th. The exceptionally gifted kids are taking algebra in 4th or even earlier.

Overaccelerating kids can be bad. But holding kids back and turning math into a tedious slog is also bad. The right track for a kid depends on the kid’s natural aptitude, interest, and personality. That’s best decided by the kids, parents, and teachers, rather than some internet rando who just doesn’t like math acceleration.

"To handle algebra." There is the mindset that we should push as fast as possible, even without any real benefit, just to see what they can "handle". Race to nowhere.

For truly gifted kids (not 10-15%), offering extra acceleration makes sense. Have a high bar of entry and provide this for the kids who actually need it.

For the rest of the "gifted" kids, one year of calculus in HS will serve them just fine.

OP listed several potential benefits right in the initial post.

As I've said multiple times, one year of calculus in HS would be good to prepare kids for college.

Looks good for college applications? That is the root of the arms race that is driving unnecessary acceleration.

There it is, the root of your obstinate opinion. You are concerned your child won't be able to compete on the college application because they aren't as advanced in math. I'm sure you'll happily point out other ways they were allowed to stand out though. Hypocrite.
So many kids easily ace Algebra in 7th grade. It is not two years advanced. And even if it were, they are getting A's and not struggling. There is no reason not to allow them to take those classes. It is not a "road to nowhere." That means nothing. Come up with actual arguments why it's bad or stop reposting the same dumb opinion.

My kids are fine. But I’ve seen many of their peers get pushed into higher math too soon and end up miserable.

There is no benefit for most kids to take more than one year of calculus in HS.

Over acceleration is just one aspect to the race to nowhere.

It’s toxic.

That some parents are toxic and push their kids beyond their level is not a reason to limit acceleration for everyone else. This still isn't an issue with an acceleration, just with these parents.

Which is why I think there should be a very high bar for 2+ years acceleration.

But aside from this year, there already has been a very high bar. For kids to take Algebra before 6th, they need sky high scores, teacher recommendation, and then a lot of extra testing. For 6th grade Algebra, they need a 145+ CogAT Q score, a very high score on the 4th grade math SOL, and teacher approval just to be tested again by Gatehouse for the skip. They then still need the IAAT and SOL scores the next year. 7th grade algebra has the IAAT and SOL requirements. The bar seems adequately high.

Not in my experience. We know several kids who never should have taken algebra in 7th grade. It ruined math for them. Even if they are ready for the content, they may not have the EF skills to manage a HS level class. It just seems unnecessary for most bright kids, even if they can "handle" it. Keep the bar high for 6th/7th algebra.

This is absolutely ridiculous. There are no special EF skills for Algebra, which is the same course structure as 7H but the next steps of content. They aren't doing multi-week projects and 10page essays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In FCPS, around 10% take Algebra 1 in 7th, around 40 kids take it in 6th, and around 1-3 kids take it before 6th. Those numbers seem appropriate. FCPS already strongly gatekeeps the paths leading to Algebra before 7th. There isn’t a problem with math acceleration in FCPS. They’re pretty spot on.

FCPS is terrible. There are lots of kids demonstrating strong geometry and algebra 2 skills at Mathcounts while being stuck in lower classes at school.

PP here. FCPS is a bit too rigid with who they’re willing to test in the first place. But for the most part, there aren’t that many kids stuck in 7th grade Algebra who would have been better suited for 6th grade.

I wish they had better tests and stronger metrics. If a kid has mastered all of the materials in pre algebra, they should be allowed to move up to algebra, if the parents deem it appropriate, no matter the age of the kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid will take AP Lang, AP Lit, AP Seminar, and AP research. They also will have AP Government, AP European history, and AP USH. I’m not seeing a problem with doing multivariable also.

PP who wants to set up math tracks seems to think that kids who are perfectly capable of doing matrix multiplication (and mind you, matrix math underlies both modern communications and large language models aka AI) in high school should be stuck doing algebra based physics extensions because...reasons. PP has yet to answer the question "why limit acceleration."

Because the increasing levels of acceleration are creating a toxic environment that doesn't provide a significant benefit for the vast majority of kids.

It's a race to nowhere. There is very little value in accelerating beyond a year (or two on a limited basis).

I think some people have a hard time accepting that there are always going to be smarter kids and more nurturing families. And it is a social issue for them, not an educational one.

Acceleration isn’t meant to benefit the vast majority of kids. Acceleration is meant to benefit those who need it and currently it’s about 10-15% of kids.

Algebra in 7th is such a low bar too.

Education isnt a race to nowhere; it’s an endless journey, but some just walk faster.

Some acceleration is great. Having some calculus in HS is helpful.

10-15% is too large of a cohort for exceptionally gifted. It will include many bright kids who would have been just fine with algebra in 8th.

Limit the hyper acceleration to the truly gifted kids. There should be a very high bar for entry.

The unnecessary over-acceleration is the race to nowhere.

Kids don’t need to be exceptionally gifted to handle algebra in 7th. The exceptionally gifted kids are taking algebra in 4th or even earlier.

Overaccelerating kids can be bad. But holding kids back and turning math into a tedious slog is also bad. The right track for a kid depends on the kid’s natural aptitude, interest, and personality. That’s best decided by the kids, parents, and teachers, rather than some internet rando who just doesn’t like math acceleration.

"To handle algebra." There is the mindset that we should push as fast as possible, even without any real benefit, just to see what they can "handle". Race to nowhere.

For truly gifted kids (not 10-15%), offering extra acceleration makes sense. Have a high bar of entry and provide this for the kids who actually need it.

For the rest of the "gifted" kids, one year of calculus in HS will serve them just fine.

OP listed several potential benefits right in the initial post.

As I've said multiple times, one year of calculus in HS would be good to prepare kids for college.

Looks good for college applications? That is the root of the arms race that is driving unnecessary acceleration.

There it is, the root of your obstinate opinion. You are concerned your child won't be able to compete on the college application because they aren't as advanced in math. I'm sure you'll happily point out other ways they were allowed to stand out though. Hypocrite.
So many kids easily ace Algebra in 7th grade. It is not two years advanced. And even if it were, they are getting A's and not struggling. There is no reason not to allow them to take those classes. It is not a "road to nowhere." That means nothing. Come up with actual arguments why it's bad or stop reposting the same dumb opinion.

My kids are fine. But I’ve seen many of their peers get pushed into higher math too soon and end up miserable.

There is no benefit for most kids to take more than one year of calculus in HS.

Over acceleration is just one aspect to the race to nowhere.

It’s toxic.

That some parents are toxic and push their kids beyond their level is not a reason to limit acceleration for everyone else. This still isn't an issue with an acceleration, just with these parents.

Which is why I think there should be a very high bar for 2+ years acceleration.

But aside from this year, there already has been a very high bar. For kids to take Algebra before 6th, they need sky high scores, teacher recommendation, and then a lot of extra testing. For 6th grade Algebra, they need a 145+ CogAT Q score, a very high score on the 4th grade math SOL, and teacher approval just to be tested again by Gatehouse for the skip. They then still need the IAAT and SOL scores the next year. 7th grade algebra has the IAAT and SOL requirements. The bar seems adequately high.

Not in my experience. We know several kids who never should have taken algebra in 7th grade. It ruined math for them. Even if they are ready for the content, they may not have the EF skills to manage a HS level class. It just seems unnecessary for most bright kids, even if they can "handle" it. Keep the bar high for 6th/7th algebra.

So many questions. There are ways to avoid this. Did the kid want to take Algebra and the parents agreed? Did they discuss dropping to M7H when Algebra 1 turned out to be a problem? They had options to change the class and for some reason did not do that.

We have friends whose kids did not want to do Algebra and so they took M7H because the kid doesn’t love math. We have friends whose parents didn’t think that there was a need to take Algebra 1 in 7th grade and so they placed their kid in M7H.

The bar had been high enough, you need to pass advanced on the SOL and in the 91st percentile on the IAAT. That was high enough. I have no clue why they dropped the IAAT requirement. I suspect that not enough kids were passing high enough because this is the group of kids who were in early ES during COVID.