Algebra in 6th grade - new selection process?
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Anonymous
They don't. FCPS identifies kids like that in 1st or 2nd grade, and they're skipped ahead well before 6th grade. |
Anonymous
There are two IB Math tracks, your child could take both and skip multi-variate all together. The bigger issue at IB schools is when they are able to take the IB test. They are not supposed to take the IB tests until Senior year. A kid who completes an IB math sequence as a sophomore has to demand to take the test that year while the material is fresh in their mind. |
Anonymous
Where is link you got this from- interesting to read? And while I agree with you that definitely some are ready for higher math, jumping from 25-30 kids taking algebra 1 in 6th to 500 with 1-2 weeks notice seems wrong execution of a plan. And if the 25-30 kids were physically at MS with a dedicated Algebra teacher, don’t think can compare or anticipate that success rate can or will be the same. |
Anonymous
This is my concern as well. Learning that being advanced in math can actually handicap a student if they pursue a field that doesn’t require much math is eye-opening. My child has known for some time what they want to do, and I don’t see that changing—it’s a career path that requires no more than one year of math in college. However, if they want to earn an advanced diploma, they’ll be forced into the rigorous math sequence, even without a genuine need for those courses. The advanced diploma is practically a requirement for admission to some of Virginia’s more competitive colleges, which makes this a double-edged sword. In high school, instead of focusing on dual enrollment classes that align with their interests, my child will be stuck taking advanced math courses they are unlikely to ever use. |
Anonymous
IB thread from last year had most parents saying no FCPS IB school allows anyone to take test early (even if “demand”), but even for schools outside FCPS that would allow, the problem is cannot take early and get full IB diploma- for IB full diploma, IB test in 12th. Bottom-line, IB schools are already NOT designed for accelerated math kids and reason many move to AP schools. |
Anonymous
AP schools have the same issue as the poster before you mentioned. Kids will now be "forced" into very complex math sequencing that they do not truly need if they want an advanced diploma. |
Anonymous
| Add one more to the list: Did anyone catch that Dr. Reilly (former Mclean HS Principal) noting that high schools are now going to get dinged in their metrics (set by VA Dept of Ed) because they will have kids in 9th through 12 who do not sit for SOLs anymore and apparently there's a metric that captures the % of kids sitting (perhaps passing) for SOLs? She basically said "they'll need to figure out something." Easy for her to say! |
Anonymous
I think this is going to have a ton of waterfall effects. If we are sending 50-100 super accelerated kids to every middle school, we now need algebra 2 courses at all middle schools (or maybe only at the center schools and tell families they must go there to access it?). Then we need multiple years of advanced high school courses beyond the current calculus and AP offerings. The issue is high school teachers aren't certified to teach the dual enrollment classes. I teach at an FCPS high school and we are running into huge problems because in order to be a dual enrollment teacher through NVCC you need a masters *in your subject*. Most of us have undergrad degrees in math, but our masters are in education. So is FCPS going to pay for teachers to get masters degrees in math? Pay for kids to take advanced math off campus? Leave it up to the families to figure it out? This gets $$$, there aren't scholarships for 1 off classes...is continuing the math sequence only for wealthy families? Just so many things are going to have to change because of a plan that was seemingly thrown together in a few weeks. The is |
Anonymous
| Am I reading right that this is new program announced 1 week before school starts? That’s nuts if so! |
Anonymous
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If a lot more kids are taking Calculus in 10th or 11th grade, then it is likely that all of the high schools will expand their math offerings.
Also, at many schools, a humanities oriented kid who takes Calculus in 10th could take AP stats and some sort of computer science class in 11th and 12th. |
Anonymous
| The biggest issue is that now to keep our kids with their math peers we are forced to participate in the 6th grade algebra 1 experiment. |
Anonymous
That's an absurd take. You aren't being "forced" to participate in anything, and your kid doesn't need to be kept with their "math peers." If you want your kid in 7th grade Algebra, they'll be fine with the "lesser" kids who aren't your kid's "math peers."  If other parents want 6th grade Algebra for their kids, and the kids are ready and capable, you don't get to hold other people's kids back to benefit your own kid.
Broadly speaking, this change is a huge positive one. A 1125 Q is a very high score, and kids at that level are ready, content wise, for Algebra. Parents are now being given more choices for their kids. Assuming FCPS can get qualified teachers who won't water down the material, they provide adequate information about the executive functioning level needed to succeed in Algebra in 6th, they provide reasonable off ramps for kids who are struggling, and they increase high school math class offerings, this move is great! All of those assumptions are a huge snag, and who knows whether FCPS is capable of doing any of that. Those issues are the problem -- not your desire to hold back other kids so your kid can take Algebra in 7th but still be in the top group. |
Anonymous
My DC took Algebra Honors in 7th grade and was able to take MV Calc, Linear Algebra and AP Stats in high school. I’m not sure what DE is. You do not need to take it in 6th to be able to take those classes in high school. He had a free class in 11th and 12th, so if there was Data Science offered when he was in school, he probably would have taken it too. |
Anonymous
Exactly. All interested parties (teachers, students, parents, etc.) should’ve been notified in the spring to give ample time to take the SOL seriously, fill gaps, and give time to structure the classrooms and prepare the teachers. |
Anonymous
I agree that the execution is awful. I don't think they are going to have 500 kids in the pilot. There are 11 schools and at least one person has reported 9 kids that were selected for their school. I doubt that there are 491 at the other 10 schools. I would expect that the secondary schools are all in the pilot because 6th graders can attend Algebra 1H in an established class. They could actually be an interesting comparison to the Center schools to the non-Center schools in the pilot. https://p1pe.doe.virginia.gov/apex_captcha/home.do?apexTypeId=306 You can build your own tables. Algebra is listed as an EOC test level and you need to select that to get the Algebra 1 results, or at least that is what I select to get the Algebra 1 levels. All the aggregated SOL data is available for the public to use. I choose the three available years since COVID, Division Level (FCPS), Grade 6,7,8,9, Test level EOC, Test source SOL, subject area Math, test Algebra 1, and all the statistics. There might be another way to build the table but that is how I built mine. You can also run those tables by individual school. These are the schools that have had someone take the Algebra 1 SOL in 6th grade, there are no numbers available because no school has more than 10 kids to report numbers. Archer (2021), Canterbury Woods (2021), Churchill Road (2021, 2022, 2023), Colvin Run (2021, 2023), Daniels Run (2023), Forestville (2022, 2023), Greenbriar West (2021,2022), Haycock (2021, 2022, 2023), Holmes (2022), Hunters Woods (2023), Kent Gardens (2021, 2022, 2023), Lees Corner (2023), Lemon Road (2022, 2023), Mantua (2021), Mosaic (2022, 2023), McNair Upper (2021), Navy (2022, 2023), Oak Hill (2021), Oakton (2022), Sangster (2023), Springfield Estates (2023), Spring Hill (2022), Timber Lane (2022), Stenwood (2021, 2023), Willow Springs (2022), Westbriar (2021, 2023), |