Compacted math or not: implications for MS/HS?
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Anonymous
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Can someone walk me through the implications of taking compacted math (or not) for future math pathways? I have heard several times now that the decision you make for 4th grade affects you all the way through high school, which is very overwhelming as a parent of a 9 year old! My daughter is fairly strong but not super-advanced in math (also doesn't enjoy math much, although she does like science)-- I think she could handle compacted math, but part of me thinks it would be better to make sure she has a strong foundation rather than speed through. But if this is going to have negative implications for middle and high school then maybe compacted is the best choice.
What are the middle school math options and how does taking compacted math affect that? Can you still take somewhat advanced math in middle school without having done compacted math, or is your only option to take math with the general population of on and below-grade level kids? And then for high school it sounds like there might be certain programs/magnets you can only get into having taken compacted math in elementary school, is that right? If so, which ones? And if she turns out to be interested in science as she gets older, are there high school classes she won't be able to take because she's not far enough ahead in math because we didn't accelerate her now? Thanks so much for helping out a confused elementary school parent out! |
Anonymous
| Based on your description, your child should not take compacted math. It is only for kids who enjoy math and are bored with the pacing in the general class. There are different pathways that she can still do to get advanced later if she chooses. |
Anonymous
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CM does move faster and from DC’s description, many students have trouble keeping up if they’re not self-motivated or a very engaged parent. Agree with PP that from your description, I would not push for it.
She can still do accelerated math in MS. |
Anonymous
| What are her MAP M scores? |
Anonymous
As a teacher, this should not be the only factor. Compacted math moves quickly. Kids who score high but take forever are not a good fit and get frustrated. PP’s above are correct. |
Anonymous
| Just skip it. Two kids one did compacted math the other did not. The one who did not, still took calculus senior year. |
Anonymous
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The common path if you take compacted math is to do Algebra 1 in 7th and Geometry in 8th. Geometry takes some spacial thinking and reasoning and is kind of a "readiness" course. (Every kid will find it hard to envision what a 'plane' is, etc. at a certain age and that age varies by kid. That means you don't want to take it before you're "ready.")
If you take Geometry in 8th, you take Alg II in 9th, pre-calc (honors pre-calc) in 10th and are ready for calculus in 11th. Lots of different choices and directions at that point, but those aren't really relevant for your decision. If you don't take compacted math, you're typically a year behind that. You can still take calc in 12th if you want it. One other consideration might be what the rest of your kid's cohort does. It shouldn't matter, technically, but it kind of does if you don't want to "feel" behind. My kid was on the bubble and then we found out that 60% of kids at her school were taking compacted so we opted in (and it worked splendidly-- she's fantastic in HS math). |
Anonymous
| My son’s friend wasn’t in compacted math or AIM, but was moved into algebra 1 in 7th grade based on test scores and possibly grades. |
Anonymous
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I'm going to repeat what PP said, but lay it out in a way that my brain processes easily, since some people learn better that way:
Compacted Math Pathway 4th - Math 4/5 5th - Math 5/6 6th - Pre-Algebra/IM/AIM/AMP 6+ (all basically names for the same thing) 7th - Algebra 1 8th - Honors Geometry 9th - Honors Algebra II 10th (first offramp year) Either Pre-Calculus or Honors Pre-Calculus 11th (if did regular Pre-Calculus) - Calculus with Applications or AP Calculus AB with teacher permission 11th (if did Honors Pre-Calculus) - Calculus with Applications, AP Calculus AB or AP Calculus BC 12th - AP Calculus BC or AP Statistics On Level Math Pathway 4th - Math 4 5th - Math 5 6th - Math 6 OR AMP 6+ OR IM (in which case you can move to the schedule above) 7th - Math 7 8th - Algebra 1 9th - Honors Geometry 10th - Honors Algebra II 11th Either Pre-Calculus or Honors Pre-Calculus 12th - Calculus with Applications or AP Calculus AB |
Anonymous
| OP, this is not a choice you get to make - unless your child's school thinks she is ready for CM, she will be placed in regular math. You don't say, "I think she could handle it." |
Anonymous
| Do what feels right for kids right now. The secondary math pathways are changing anyway. Currently, each HS decides for themselves whether Geometry happens after Alg 1 or Alg 2. |
Anonymous
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If you want to learn more about how the MS math pathway is changing read this thread:
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1253352.page |
Anonymous
| As a compacted math teacher, please don’t put your kid in if they don’t enjoy math. It is SO DIFFICULT to teach at an accelerated pace to students who do not enjoy it. They struggle unnecessarily, rush through material to get through 3 grade levels in 2 years and end up struggling later down the line…. Also, then the kids who really enjoy math and thrive off challenge don’t get the quality enrichment they deserve. |
Anonymous
This is correct but with the exception that kids can take Calc BC in 12th in the “On Level” pathway. As others said, I would not put a kid that does not like math on the compacted pathway. MCPS is doing these kids no favors by pushing them into Calc in 11th. |
Anonymous
Both my kids took it and were recommended/placed in it. My older one has test anxiety and erratic standardized test scores but 3rd grade teacher still recommended them to CM and they are doing really well in Honors Geometry in 8th. Kid loves math. My point is that teachers are best positioned to make the decision, not parents. They observe the students math work/understanding/thought process for an entire school year. They know which kids can handle the accelerated pace and which ones don’t. Test scores aren’t the only indicator they look at. O |