Raising MAP-M score

[Anonymous]

My sixth grader does well on MAP-M currently - 95% and score of 242 un the fall. He is getting an A in AMP7+.

But he wants to go into CS, and one of the magnets would help him, so we have a year to get his scores into magnet range. His school is low performing, so they have no bandwidth to help high achieving students.

What helped your student raise MAP-M score from good to great? Preference for in-person programs

[Anonymous]

My kid did much better once he started going to RSM. They move much more quickly than MCPS's advanced options.

[Anonymous]

Khan is easy to access and gives a good foundation and measurements.

Artofproblemsolving videos and Alcumus are a good source of free training and advanced practice.

Is he getting an 90% average or 98% average in class?
If you want to go to STEM magnet, you should be practicing until you have near 100% in math.

242 is a good score for a 6th grader, but not very solid for winter of prealgebra year.

Does he like math? If he doesn't like math a lot but likes programming, focus on doing programming in/out of school, and write the magnet essay about that.

[Anonymous]

Beast Academy 5 book / online is good too.

[Anonymous]

They key to scoring higher on map-m is (a) concentrating and taking your time on answering questions and (b) understanding higher math.

So, as others have suggested, take steps to learn math that is beyond that covered in the school curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They key to scoring higher on map-m is (a) concentrating and taking your time on answering questions and (b) understanding higher math.

So, as others have suggested, take steps to learn math that is beyond that covered in the school curriculum.

This, MAP scores reward coverage of above grade level comprehension.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Khan is easy to access and gives a good foundation and measurements.

Artofproblemsolving videos and Alcumus are a good source of free training and advanced practice.

Is he getting an 90% average or 98% average in class?
If you want to go to STEM magnet, you should be practicing until you have near 100% in math.

242 is a good score for a 6th grader, but not very solid for winter of prealgebra year.

Does he like math? If he doesn't like math a lot but likes programming, focus on doing programming in/out of school, and write the magnet essay about that.

242 is 77th percentile nationally for 8th graders in the winter. That is among a majority (nationally) finishing up pre-Algebra in that grade, and many others in Algebra and beyond.

The MCPS majority may be in Algebra or beyond in that grade, but 242 still would represent 75th percentile nationally for 9th graders in the winter.

Please refrain from characterizing such a score as "not very solid" for pre-Algebra. It may not be among the very highest in MCPS, and those taking a push approach to elevate scores may track a concern in that regard, but outside exposure to more advanced topics is the main driver, there, and this is among the reasons that high school program admissions are a bit more flexible in seeking interest/ability, with a slightly more holistic evaluation and a lack of strict cutoffs based on test scores.

That said, the recommendations for outside enrichment tools available to math-interested kids are good, as is the thought about programming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Khan is easy to access and gives a good foundation and measurements.

Artofproblemsolving videos and Alcumus are a good source of free training and advanced practice.

Is he getting an 90% average or 98% average in class?
If you want to go to STEM magnet, you should be practicing until you have near 100% in math.

242 is a good score for a 6th grader, but not very solid for winter of prealgebra year.

Does he like math? If he doesn't like math a lot but likes programming, focus on doing programming in/out of school, and write the magnet essay about that.

That's a good option if you can't afford RSM or AoPS, but you kind of get what you pay for as in most things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They key to scoring higher on map-m is (a) concentrating and taking your time on answering questions and (b) understanding higher math.

So, as others have suggested, take steps to learn math that is beyond that covered in the school curriculum.

This, MAP scores reward coverage of above grade level comprehension.

OP here- that’s what motivated my question! It’s a test that responds well to outside programming but just wasn’t sure what kind would be most helpful.

He is getting 98% in math on most things. And taking a lot of programming/AI/animation classes outside of school because that’s fun for him - the MAP piece will be the weakest part of the magnet application, I expect.

[Anonymous]

OP- You don’t have to go to a magnet school to major in CS in college. Also, your kid is some about 5-6 years away from needing to make a college major decision. Let him continue to work hard in school making sure he gets a good foundation. Let him explore CS in after school and enrichment activities. If he is interested in doing more math, great. But if not don’t push it. While math is part of CS there are other fields that are equally as important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP- You don’t have to go to a magnet school to major in CS in college. Also, your kid is some about 5-6 years away from needing to make a college major decision. Let him continue to work hard in school making sure he gets a good foundation. Let him explore CS in after school and enrichment activities. If he is interested in doing more math, great. But if not don’t push it. While math is part of CS there are other fields that are equally as important.

Op here. I will push it, thanks! He is on the cusp of magnet eligibility, so if a class once a week pushes him over the edge into being a strong candidate, why not? He would love and thrive in the HS magnet programs, so I don’t see a problem in preparing him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Khan is easy to access and gives a good foundation and measurements.

Artofproblemsolving videos and Alcumus are a good source of free training and advanced practice.

Is he getting an 90% average or 98% average in class?
If you want to go to STEM magnet, you should be practicing until you have near 100% in math.

242 is a good score for a 6th grader, but not very solid for winter of prealgebra year.

Does he like math? If he doesn't like math a lot but likes programming, focus on doing programming in/out of school, and write the magnet essay about that.

242 is 77th percentile nationally for 8th graders in the winter. That is among a majority (nationally) finishing up pre-Algebra in that grade, and many others in Algebra and beyond.

The MCPS majority may be in Algebra or beyond in that grade, but 242 still would represent 75th percentile nationally for 9th graders in the winter.

Please refrain from characterizing such a score as "not very solid" for pre-Algebra. It may not be among the very highest in MCPS, and those taking a push approach to elevate scores may track a concern in that regard, but outside exposure to more advanced topics is the main driver, there, and this is among the reasons that high school program admissions are a bit more flexible in seeking interest/ability, with a slightly more holistic evaluation and a lack of strict cutoffs based on test scores.

That said, the recommendations for outside enrichment tools available to math-interested kids are good, as is the thought about programming.

Friend, I have bad news for you about the Algebra proficiency of 75% of 9th graders in USA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My sixth grader does well on MAP-M currently - 95% and score of *242 in the fall*[b]. He is getting an A in AMP7+.

But he wants to go into CS, and one of the magnets would help him, so we have a year to get his scores into magnet range. His school is low performing, so they have no bandwidth to help high achieving students.

What helped your student raise MAP-M score from good to great? Preference for in-person programs

Your timing fooled us. What's the winter MAP score, after leaping from Math 5/6 to AMP 7+?
If your kid didn't check their own score, you'll get the report in a few weeks or less.

For a student not doing outside enrichment, you should expect large gains from exposure to pre-algebra concepts (variables and graphs of linear functions), which extend into Algebra.

[Anonymous]

Montgomery college has math summer camps that also can be helpful

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Khan is easy to access and gives a good foundation and measurements.

Artofproblemsolving videos and Alcumus are a good source of free training and advanced practice.

Is he getting an 90% average or 98% average in class?
If you want to go to STEM magnet, you should be practicing until you have near 100% in math.

242 is a good score for a 6th grader, but not very solid for winter of prealgebra year.

Does he like math? If he doesn't like math a lot but likes programming, focus on doing programming in/out of school, and write the magnet essay about that.

That's a good option if you can't afford RSM or AoPS, but you kind of get what you pay for as in most things.

If you are able and can teach your kid yourself, that is many times better than those classes. My kid is always the top MAP scorer in a class full of kids whose parents are doctors, etc, who are sticking them in those type of programs.