has the curriculum for AAP 4th grade changed?
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Anonymous
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Our AAP teacher told us in the back to school night that the county changed the curriculum for the 4th grade AAP and the kids do not learn the entire 5th grade anymore. The teachers said they will teach the 4th grade in the first three quarters and and in the last quarter the kids will learn some topics in 5th grade. I assume that means the kid will not take SOL 6th in the 5th grade.
Are all the schools following these guideline? Our 3rd grade teachers thought most of the 4th grade math to our kids last year and my concern is that with the new guideline the kids will not learn anything new in the first 3 quarters. |
Anonymous
As of last year the curriculum changed in a combination of Virginia changing the overall math curriculum as part of their every-7-year review of the subject and FCPS substantially changing advanced math standards in 3rd at the same time. If your teacher actually taught half of 4th grade math last year (like they used to), that teacher went past what the new pacing guide had. The change in 3rd was discussed extensively last year. Example: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1244971.page#28983776 https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/1226968.page#28322960 Sounds like they continue the change this year. The change was first piloted as E3 - which despite what one misinformed poster keeps saying has nothing to do with the E3 Network - at 10 and then 20 schools. At the E3 pilot schools at least, the major year of acceleration was 5th grade and they DID still take the 6th grade SOL at the end of it. I assume that's still the plan, especially with Reid rolling out 6th grade Algebra. How rolling out 6th grade Algebra works with kids not getting through half of 5th grade math in 4th I can't possibly imagine. The entire point of E3 was to make it easier for kids to onramp into advanced math in the later elementary grades, making more kids eligible for earlier Algebra 1. But I think it's going to backfire. |
Anonymous
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Yes, compare the current advanced math curriculum to last year on the wayback machine. It has definitely been revised. For fourth grade, this year is similar to last year, where the curriculum matched 3rd grade gen ed and 3rd grade AAP only had extensions, no acceleration.
The previous 4th grade advanced math curriculum that is found on wayback machine is identical to this year's 5th grade gen ed math curriculum so I dont think its just simple rearrangement of the curriculum. |
Anonymous
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We were at a school without LLIV that started advanced math in 5th grade, DS and his friends did just fine. They all passed the 6th grade SOL in 5th grade, about 1/4 passed advanced. They all passed the 7th grade SOL in 6th grade with the vast majority of the kids qualifying for algebra 1H in 7th grade.
The 5th grade jump is not bad for kids who are advanced in math, it should be fine. |
Anonymous
| Are you talking about math? It's a combination of 4th and 5th grade, but they will take the 4th grade SOL. |
Anonymous
OP's asking if the FCPS advanced math standards for 4th were changed after the 2024-2025 school year and before this, the 2025-2026 school year. Given they changed the 3rd grade advanced math standards before last year, they may well have changed the 4th grade ones this year. |
Anonymous
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It's all on the FCPS website - it shows you the pacing.
If I have a 4th grader starting advanced math this year, will she be behind since she didn't do it last year? |
Anonymous
It shows the current pacing. You have to use the Wayback Machine or similar to get the old pacing and cross reference between the two. I've known many kids to push in to advanced math in 4th. Yes it's some extra work, but it's typically fine. |
Anonymous
But that sort of pushing works directly against equity in FCPS. Pushing students ahead results in maintaining or even increasing the racial achievement gap, not shrinking it. FCPS is on the right pathway by lowering standards back down to grade-level only. |
Anonymous
| It’s absurd to hold advanced kids back to keep racial equity..that’s not the point of AAP. |
Anonymous
| Disappointed at how the FCPS is going about this. So does that mean next year, when they’re in 5th grade, they will sit the 5th grade SOL instead of 6th grade SOL? |
Anonymous
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Plenty of kids schools did not start advanced math until 5th grade and the kids did fine. They took the 6th grade SOL and went on to A1H in 7th grade. My kids school was one that did this, I am guessing 2/3 of the kids qualified for A1H in 7th grade. I know that there were 38 kids in advanced math in 5th grade and I know 10 kids that took A1H and at least 2 that choose M7H. Those are the kids that I know for certain, my kid is friends with them or is on a sports team with them. My kid mainly hangs out with the other boys from his ES, I have no clue how many girls are in A1H but I am going to assume that the number is similar to the boys.
It will be fine. If you kid is really strong in math, they will do fine. |
Anonymous
| No one is holding advanced kids back. The reason for the change is that too many kids were failing advanced math/required extensive tutoring or enrichment to keep up. This change to 3rd and 4th gets them to where they need to be in 6th and 7th without too many children falling behind. |
Anonymous
No, they will skip the 5th grade SOL. They are covering half of 5th this year, and the remaining half next year. Essentially doing a year and a half of math in 4th and 5th. And then 6th can be 7th grade math or algebra. |
Anonymous
Why are there kids who aren't strong in math in a program that accelerates math? Sounds like the wrong kids are getting into the program.... |