Did they change 3rd grade advanced math?

[Anonymous]

I could have sworn when I looked at this curriculum pacing guide last spring, the advanced math for grade 3 was acceleration over gen Ed math. But this graph is basically identical as gen Ed for pacing, and with only a few more bullet points (extensions) for each unit. Am I crazy?

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary/third-grade/year-at-a-glance/advanced-math

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I could have sworn when I looked at this curriculum pacing guide last spring, the advanced math for grade 3 was acceleration over gen Ed math. But this graph is basically identical as gen Ed for pacing, and with only a few more bullet points (extensions) for each unit. Am I crazy?

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary/third-grade/year-at-a-glance/advanced-math

Third Grade Advanced Math had been third grade math with extensions that covered some of fourth grade math. I never fully understood how it worked but that is how it was explained. We deferred LIV placement in favor of language immersion.

DS’s math class was not divided by regular math and advanced math in third grade, the Teacher taught the entire class the lesson. As I understand it, the advanced math kids were expected to complete the extension worksheets and the like while the regular math kids did not. There was advanced math material on the tests. The idea was that all the kids would be exposed to the higher math so that everyone had an opportunity for acceleration in fifth grade. The Teachers kept track of the students progress in regular and advanced math.

In fifth grade, the advanced math class became it’s own class and the kids skipped to sixth grade math in class. The kids selected for that class were the ones who had been completing the advanced math material in third and fourth grade, had high iReady scores, and high SOL scores. I believe 1/3 of the kids in DS grade were in the Advanced Math group.

I am not going to lie, I really like MS were we see packets sent home and can look at assignments online. It is so much easier to understand what the heck my kid is doing then ES. ES felt like this weird place where we had no insight into what the kids were studying or learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I could have sworn when I looked at this curriculum pacing guide last spring, the advanced math for grade 3 was acceleration over gen Ed math. But this graph is basically identical as gen Ed for pacing, and with only a few more bullet points (extensions) for each unit. Am I crazy?

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary/third-grade/year-at-a-glance/advanced-math

FCPS has always advertised a "spiral" curriculum. That means they cover a lot of the same broad categories of math each year. But as far as I know these extensions actually get you to half of 4th grade math by the end of 3rd grade. By the end of 5th grade they are taking the 6th grade math SOL.

[Anonymous]

Yes 3rd and 4th is supposed to be compacted so that a student has learned *most* of 5th grade math by the end of fourth and is just about ready for 6th grade Math in 5th.

Not all FCPS schools use compacted math schedules.

Also there is a new E3 Math that has even less acceleration but is meant for all students.

So it really depends on the school.

[Anonymous]

My 3rd grade AAP kid came with work sheets that already have multiplication and it's only been 2 weeks. I think most of his classmates are learning ahead at home, he said so-and-so knows 9 to the power of 8, and so and so are doing division with decimal points.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 3rd grade AAP kid came with work sheets that already have multiplication and it's only been 2 weeks. I think most of his classmates are learning ahead at home, he said so-and-so knows 9 to the power of 8, and so and so are doing division with decimal points.

My experience with my AAP kids is that when their classmates were bragging about doing math a few grades ahead they were usually being incredibly generous about how well they could do the skill named. And it all comes out about even in the end, except for a small few.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes 3rd and 4th is supposed to be compacted so that a student has learned *most* of 5th grade math by the end of fourth and is just about ready for 6th grade Math in 5th.

Not all FCPS schools use compacted math schedules.

Also there is a new E3 Math that has even less acceleration but is meant for all students.

So it really depends on the school.

+1

There seems to be 2 Advanced Math tracks, one with 3rd grade teaching 3rd and 4th grade math (which are similar concepts with more digits) and 4th and 5th grade math in 4th grade (same) so that in 5th grade, the 6th grade SOL is not a stretch. And the other track has regular 3rd and 4th grade math and then 5th grade is 5th and 6th grade math in one year.

Math in elementary school spirals so each year covers similar concepts with more digits or slightly more complicated problems. So math acceleration is very doable, when it's appropriate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 3rd grade AAP kid came with work sheets that already have multiplication and it's only been 2 weeks. I think most of his classmates are learning ahead at home, he said so-and-so knows 9 to the power of 8, and so and so are doing division with decimal points.

I thought the worksheets and homework had to be aligned with the advanced math curriculum. Multiplication and division is not planned to be introduced until early October.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I could have sworn when I looked at this curriculum pacing guide last spring, the advanced math for grade 3 was acceleration over gen Ed math. But this graph is basically identical as gen Ed for pacing, and with only a few more bullet points (extensions) for each unit. Am I crazy?

https://www.fcps.edu/academics/elementary/third-grade/year-at-a-glance/advanced-math

There is a difference in rigor. The difference in the curriculum is laid out in the same website within the Units and Details section. You'll note there are more bullets for the advanced curriculum, which explain the additional concepts that are covered.

[Anonymous]

OP here from back to school night. I do think the curriculum has changed (teacher said new math curriculum). She explained it that is taking things a step further, ie extensions. For example gen Ed does place value to the hundreds while AAP does place value to the thousands. All math tests are the same for Gen Ed and aap. This sounds distinctly different than what I was told last spring, that AAP would be accelerated at third grade math and half of fourth grade math.

Between this and the language arts curriculum changes- which sounded like extensions for aap would be available to do at home at the end of each unit- I am very underwhelmed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here from back to school night. I do think the curriculum has changed (teacher said new math curriculum). She explained it that is taking things a step further, ie extensions. For example gen Ed does place value to the hundreds while AAP does place value to the thousands. All math tests are the same for Gen Ed and aap. This sounds distinctly different than what I was told last spring, that AAP would be accelerated at third grade math and half of fourth grade math.

Between this and the language arts curriculum changes- which sounded like extensions for aap would be available to do at home at the end of each unit- I am very underwhelmed.

That is the difference between 3rd and 4th grade math (or maybe 4th and 5th grade math).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 3rd grade AAP kid came with work sheets that already have multiplication and it's only been 2 weeks. I think most of his classmates are learning ahead at home, he said so-and-so knows 9 to the power of 8, and so and so are doing division with decimal points.

I thought the worksheets and homework had to be aligned with the advanced math curriculum. Multiplication and division is not planned to be introduced until early October.

But if they are being accelerated at home by mom and dad, they can learn whatever mom and dad think they are capable of learning, independent of the school's pacing. The school cannot stop you from teaching division.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here from back to school night. I do think the curriculum has changed (teacher said new math curriculum). She explained it that is taking things a step further, ie extensions. For example gen Ed does place value to the hundreds while AAP does place value to the thousands. All math tests are the same for Gen Ed and aap. This sounds distinctly different than what I was told last spring, that AAP would be accelerated at third grade math and half of fourth grade math.

Between this and the language arts curriculum changes- which sounded like extensions for aap would be available to do at home at the end of each unit- I am very underwhelmed.

FCPS believes they are advancing equity by lowering the bar and by diminishing the AAP program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here from back to school night. I do think the curriculum has changed (teacher said new math curriculum). She explained it that is taking things a step further, ie extensions. For example gen Ed does place value to the hundreds while AAP does place value to the thousands. All math tests are the same for Gen Ed and aap. This sounds distinctly different than what I was told last spring, that AAP would be accelerated at third grade math and half of fourth grade math.

Between this and the language arts curriculum changes- which sounded like extensions for aap would be available to do at home at the end of each unit- I am very underwhelmed.

Sounds like your DC may be in E3 math. They did a pilot of 20 schools, so you could be at one of those or they rolled out to more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here from back to school night. I do think the curriculum has changed (teacher said new math curriculum). She explained it that is taking things a step further, ie extensions. For example gen Ed does place value to the hundreds while AAP does place value to the thousands. All math tests are the same for Gen Ed and aap. This sounds distinctly different than what I was told last spring, that AAP would be accelerated at third grade math and half of fourth grade math.

Between this and the language arts curriculum changes- which sounded like extensions for aap would be available to do at home at the end of each unit- I am very underwhelmed.

FCPS believes they are advancing equity by lowering the bar and by diminishing the AAP program.

I doubt this will serve the kids well when they get out of the FCPS bubble and encounter students who have been taught to their ability/challenged in math. Only the ones whose parents devote the time and/or money will be prepared to compete in college and in the job market. It's better to include differentiated instruction in public school for the kids who can handle it than to only allow it where parents have the resources to make it happen. That seems the antithesis of equity.