MCPS math placement question

Anonymous
Has anyone had a child complete the math curriculum for one grade level and then been asked to repeat it the next year even though the child met or exceeded all targets on the assessments/report card? As an example: say your child was in 1st grade but was placed in above grade level/2nd grade math and did well last year, and then now as a 2nd grader has been put in on-grade-level math (and thus will repeat the 2nd grade curriculum). Has this happened to anyone? It just happened to my kid, and I'm truly stumped. I'm guessing she blew whatever assessment they did during the first week of school, but shouldn't the assessments from last year play a part in the placement decision? I plan to follow up with the school next week, but I'm curious if other parents have dealt with this (and how the school responded). Thanks!
Anonymous
Review the achives I thought I saw parents talking about MCPS trying not to get kids too far ahead in math and perhaps this is more what is happening and not your child failing an assessment.
Anonymous
There was talk of some schools slowing down math acceleration because kids weren't arriving prepared in middle school and high school math classes.

See http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/103744.page

Not sure if this is relevant in your child's case or not.
Anonymous
I was concerned that this would happen to my child and was debating how to handle it. I would make an appointment with the principal or his delegate. At our school we have a staff person who handles teacher training and professional development. Sometimes she steps in to handle these issues. I'd bring all last year's assessments and ask for a review of the placement. Tell them that you don't feel it's appropriate. If you feel strongly that it's the wrong placement, keep following up. MCPS may be concerned about too much acceleration, but I don't think one level ahead is what they're concerned about.
Anonymous
OP here. I don't think this has anything to do with not accelerating kids since the school has split the 4 second grade teachers to have 2 teach on grade level/2nd grade math and 2 teaching above level/3rd grade math --- and it seems like my kid ended up in a class comprised of kids who were/are on grade level and her peers from her above-level math class went on to the above level class again this year. I heard from one MCPS teacher (not at my kid's school, but at another school) that this would not be allowed at her school --- that you don't have a kid repeat the same curriculum unless the kid failed miserably the year before and needed to repeat it --- but that's not the case for my kid.
Anonymous
Related question - when/how does the school tell you about placements for math instruction at this level? I have a 1st grader and just presumed that they still remained all in the same class for all subjects, just subdivided by group. But then another parent mentioned her child would have my daughter's teacher for math, and only because I asked my daughter admitted that she goes somewhere else. Parent-teacher conferences aren't till November. It kind of bugs me that they're not communicating about this from the start.
Anonymous
At our school the teachers sent home a note indicating which teachers are teaching which levels (on grade level and above grade level) and which class our child would be in, and we received that info earlier this week (based on assessments done last week).
Anonymous
I'm wondering this myself, but I figured I'd wait and see if it was explained at back to school night.
Anonymous
Our school notified parents in the spring which math there child would take in the fall. Some children were repeating due to lack of retention of the material learned during the year (regardless of how they did on the assessments at the time) based on testing at the end of lastr year. I would ask the child's py teacher who probably made the recommendation. I doubt they did it just based on what the cy classroom teacher happened to be teaching. Ask what the basis for the repeat was..you have a right to know/question it..
Anonymous
OP here: I have my kid's final end of the year math assessments --- she aced almost everything (perfect scores) and what she didn't ace she did very well in (high numbers, just not perfect scores). On her report card, the teacher's comments were along the lines of "math is really her strongest subject area." I'm truly stumped.
Anonymous
Definitely contact the school (as you said you would). Sounds like this could a mistake.
Anonymous
We were in the same situation a few years ago: DC had straight A's the previous year and stellar (98-99th percentile) scores on the CTBS. Yet DC was put in on-grade math. We talked to the school VP and they admitted they made a mistake (we also suspect they were gatekeeping, trying to limit the number of accelerated kids). Several years on and DC is actually in the Takoma math magnet and doing fine. So go ahead and ask the relevant person at your school for a meeting.
Anonymous
Take the math assessment from last year that you have, as well as each unit test, if you still have (if not, teacher should). Also ask specifically how DC did on incoming assessment for the math you want her in and how she did on math she is currently assigned to.

Discuss. Don't be hostile. Everyone makes mistakes. Could also be some other scheduling issue -- i.e. how does math placement affect her reading group?

Anonymous
Funny, at our school's Back to School Night, the first thing the teacher said was that MCPS is now having early elementary grades (K-2 anyway) work ONE FULL GRADE LEVEL above, including using a text one grade level above. Although my child works above level, this concerned me. Not every child is ready to be 'challenged' (imo, pushed) Seems to vary from school to school? Our school is no longer using Everyday Math, btw.
Anonymous
If it were me, I'd write a note or send an email to the teacher asking what was up. I wouldn't bring it up at Back to School Night, though. That's such a hectic time and not really the place to discuss an individual child's situation.
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