What are the standard and advanced MS math pathways, and does it vary by school?

[Anonymous]

What are the math pathways your middle school offers for students who were not in compacted math in ES and are coming out of Math 5? In particular, how hard or easy is it at your MS to get into AMP 6+/AMP 7+ and then Algebra in 8th grade, rather than Math 6, Math 7, and Math 8 (and Algebra 1 in 9th)? Do most kids go from regular fifth grade math into Math 6, or into the faster AMl 6+, or is it a pretty evenly split at your school? Is it true that some middle schools don't even offer Math 6,/7/8 only AMP 6+ and above?

Would love to hear from people whose kids were in regular fifth grade who went through this process and have a sense of the typical placements for your kid's classmates and how their fifth grade math teacher seemed to approach it. I feel like a lot of the commentary comes from people whose kids were in compacted math from the start and aren't very familiar with the grade level math tracks.

(Moving this conversation over here from the UMCP thread where it is off-topic and derailing the thread.)

[Anonymous]

Math tracks are fairly standardized:

Math 6 >Math7> Math 8
AMP6+>Amp7+> Alg1
Pre-Alg>Alg1>Hons Geo
Alg 1 >Hons Geo > Alg2 (Honos or on-level)

A student can on-ramp onto higher places in the path assuming they are willing to do some extra work outside of school and pass placement exams. Students can also off-ramp onto a lower track if desired/needed.

[Anonymous]

At our school, the math 5 teacher either recommends you for AMP 6+ or Grade 6 math, and you then follow that path. Of the kids who don't do compacted math, I'd estimate about 2/3 do on-level math and 1/3 do AMP6+. (And some of the kids who do compacted math also do AMP 6+ rather than pre-algebra.)

[Anonymous]

Oh fifth grade teachers approach it pretty much the same. What course is the student in now? How are they doing in the class(both work and grade wise)? What are there test scores?

Kids who are in compacted 5/6 and doing well and making the cut scores they recommend for Pre-Alg. Kids in compacted who are showing signs of some struggle like barely keeping a B, needing more help, maybe on the cusp score wise they likely recommend to slow down. Kids on grade level showing signs of being able to handle more they recommend for AMp6+. Etc etc.

[Anonymous]

My son was not in compacted math, and ended up doing Alg 1 in 7th, Geometry in 8th, Alg 2 in 9th, precalc in 10th, AP Calc AB in 11th, and AP Calc BC in 12th (big mistake, he was miserable and should have done AP Stats instead). Since that was years ago, I don't actually remember the name of his 6th grade math class (maybe AMP?). So this is just to show you what high school math can look like if you're not on the fastest tracks.

My daughter is on a fast track that is not usually disclosed in MCPS math presentations, did compacted math, took Alg 1 in 6th, and is now doing Calc BC in 10th. She knows a boy who took Calc BC in 9th!

I find it wonderful that MCPS has so many tracks for math. There are very few school systems that have such a portfolio.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son was not in compacted math, and ended up doing Alg 1 in 7th, Geometry in 8th, Alg 2 in 9th, precalc in 10th, AP Calc AB in 11th, and AP Calc BC in 12th (big mistake, he was miserable and should have done AP Stats instead). Since that was years ago, I don't actually remember the name of his 6th grade math class (maybe AMP?). So this is just to show you what high school math can look like if you're not on the fastest tracks.

My daughter is on a fast track that is not usually disclosed in MCPS math presentations, did compacted math, took Alg 1 in 6th, and is now doing Calc BC in 10th. She knows a boy who took Calc BC in 9th!

I find it wonderful that MCPS has so many tracks for math. There are very few school systems that have such a portfolio.

What Math classes will she take in 11th and 12th grade. I know there's often Multivariable, but beyond that?

[Anonymous]

Math pathways are changing. So if you have a 5th grader, it will be different for someone already in middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our school, the math 5 teacher either recommends you for AMP 6+ or Grade 6 math, and you then follow that path. Of the kids who don't do compacted math, I'd estimate about 2/3 do on-level math and 1/3 do AMP6+. (And some of the kids who do compacted math also do AMP 6+ rather than pre-algebra.)

Okay, thanks. And the kids who do on-level math 6 in 6th don't take Algebra 1 until 9th, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our school, the math 5 teacher either recommends you for AMP 6+ or Grade 6 math, and you then follow that path. Of the kids who don't do compacted math, I'd estimate about 2/3 do on-level math and 1/3 do AMP6+. (And some of the kids who do compacted math also do AMP 6+ rather than pre-algebra.)

Okay, thanks. And the kids who do on-level math 6 in 6th don't take Algebra 1 until 9th, right?

Yes unless they move up on the track

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our school, the math 5 teacher either recommends you for AMP 6+ or Grade 6 math, and you then follow that path. Of the kids who don't do compacted math, I'd estimate about 2/3 do on-level math and 1/3 do AMP6+. (And some of the kids who do compacted math also do AMP 6+ rather than pre-algebra.)

Okay, thanks. And the kids who do on-level math 6 in 6th don't take Algebra 1 until 9th, right?

Yes unless they move up on the track

Does moving up happen often, do you know, and when do they do it? Is there a way to do it without missing content and if so how? Or do they have to self-study/have to be strong enough that missing content doesn't hold them back?

[Anonymous]

There are dozens of old treads belaboring this topic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Math tracks are fairly standardized:

Math 6 >Math7> Math 8
AMP6+>Amp7+> Alg1
Pre-Alg>Alg1>Hons Geo
Alg 1 >Hons Geo > Alg2 (Honos or on-level)

A student can on-ramp onto higher places in the path assuming they are willing to do some extra work outside of school and pass placement exams. Students can also off-ramp onto a lower track if desired/needed.

Algebra 2 in middle school is honors only. I guess if an 8th grader buses to HS for algebra 2 they could squirm into non honors algebra 2 if needed, but an 8th grader in that situation should just retake algebra 1 instead demolishing their whole future in math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our school, the math 5 teacher either recommends you for AMP 6+ or Grade 6 math, and you then follow that path. Of the kids who don't do compacted math, I'd estimate about 2/3 do on-level math and 1/3 do AMP6+. (And some of the kids who do compacted math also do AMP 6+ rather than pre-algebra.)

Okay, thanks. And the kids who do on-level math 6 in 6th don't take Algebra 1 until 9th, right?

Yes unless they move up on the track

Does moving up happen often, do you know, and when do they do it? Is there a way to do it without missing content and if so how? Or do they have to self-study/have to be strong enough that missing content doesn't hold them back?

I happens occasionally. Usually before 8th in order to get to Alg1 by 8th. The other may be after Alg1 kids will take Geometry in the Summer putting them on track to take Alg 2 in 9th. Kids have to self study. I’m not going to say be strong enough that the missed content doesn’t hold them back because I don’t think they should miss content. Math builds on itself. That said some of it is repetitive, so if they are strong enough, they can essentially enrich to the next level because they aren’t spending loads of time doing work in class or homework. Some families invest in outside classes also.

You see kids jump from Math5 to AMP 6+, Math 6 to PreAlg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son was not in compacted math, and ended up doing Alg 1 in 7th, Geometry in 8th, Alg 2 in 9th, precalc in 10th, AP Calc AB in 11th, and AP Calc BC in 12th (big mistake, he was miserable and should have done AP Stats instead). Since that was years ago, I don't actually remember the name of his 6th grade math class (maybe AMP?). So this is just to show you what high school math can look like if you're not on the fastest tracks.

My daughter is on a fast track that is not usually disclosed in MCPS math presentations, did compacted math, took Alg 1 in 6th, and is now doing Calc BC in 10th. She knows a boy who took Calc BC in 9th!

I find it wonderful that MCPS has so many tracks for math. There are very few school systems that have such a portfolio.

What Math classes will she take in 11th and 12th grade. I know there's often Multivariable, but beyond that?

At RM my DC did BC Calculus in 10th, MVC in 11th, then IB HL Math in 12th.

[Anonymous]

Keep in mind that MSDE is changing the math pathways for all with their 3 year “integrative math” sequence versus the traditional Algebra 1/Geo/Algebra 2 track.

Another thing to note, and ask specifically of MS admin, is combining grades. Principals will combine and advanced math class with the grade level math class of the next grade to stretch their teacher allocations as far as possible. You know your kid and know whether that would be a good fit for them or not. For my advanced math child, they would not want to be in a class with unmotivated kids that dont love math, regardless of their grade. They deal enough with those behaviors in every other subject and they look forward to math being a break from that.