Middle school course options

[Anonymous]

I have an upper Elementary kid in the non-AAP track. I am told that all students regardless of AAP status will be able to enroll for the same honors courses, is this true? My impression was that some courses were reserved only for the AAP students. Asking for clarity, please help, TIA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have an upper Elementary kid in the non-AAP track. I am told that all students regardless of AAP status will be able to enroll for the same honors courses, is this true? My impression was that some courses were reserved only for the AAP students. Asking for clarity, please help, TIA

There are classes only for AAP kids. But there are also honors classes, which anyone can sign up for. This should be on the course selection sheet which you should have already filled out and was due back in February.

[Anonymous]

Honors is open to everyone. AAP kids can enroll in AAP classes but they have to take all AAP Core classes. Kids not in AAP can choose which honors classes they want to take, it is not all or nothing.

The AAP classes are similar to honors, some offer additional extensions. The kids take all AAP to make it easier to set schedules. Most schools have a smaller number of AAP students so grouping allows easier scheduling.

[Anonymous]

There are three sets of each of the core courses (English, History, Science): regular, honors, AAP. Your child can take regular or honors. Teachers at our middle school (Carson) have said that the honors and AAP curriculum are largely (but not completely) the same. The regular curriculum is easier - the regular classes get to take open note tests in history while honors and AAP don't, for example. My child has dyslexia so LA has always been a challenge. He took regular English this year and has an A+ literally for just turning in his work and participating in class. He is switching to honors next year because this was too easy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honors is open to everyone. AAP kids can enroll in AAP classes but they have to take all AAP Core classes. Kids not in AAP can choose which honors classes they want to take, it is not all or nothing.

The AAP classes are similar to honors, some offer additional extensions. The kids take all AAP to make it easier to set schedules. Most schools have a smaller number of AAP students so grouping allows easier scheduling.

This is a school specific rule. It's not the case at my child's school. He was able to sign up for any mix of AAP and honors or regular classes each year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honors is open to everyone. AAP kids can enroll in AAP classes but they have to take all AAP Core classes. Kids not in AAP can choose which honors classes they want to take, it is not all or nothing.

The AAP classes are similar to honors, some offer additional extensions. The kids take all AAP to make it easier to set schedules. Most schools have a smaller number of AAP students so grouping allows easier scheduling.

This is a school specific rule. It's not the case at my child's school. He was able to sign up for any mix of AAP and honors or regular classes each year.

This is the first time I am hearing of this. Interesting

[Anonymous]

Thank you all, this is very helpful knowing what choices to make in 6th grade.
For those with children in Advanced Math, is Math also limited to Honors only? I’m assuming kids in MS Honors courses do just as well in the HS AP courses, but it is always reassuring to hear from parents in a similar situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all, this is very helpful knowing what choices to make in 6th grade.
For those with children in Advanced Math, is Math also limited to Honors only? I’m assuming kids in MS Honors courses do just as well in the HS AP courses, but it is always reassuring to hear from parents in a similar situation.

Kids in advanced math can choose honors math or non honors math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all, this is very helpful knowing what choices to make in 6th grade.
For those with children in Advanced Math, is Math also limited to Honors only? I’m assuming kids in MS Honors courses do just as well in the HS AP courses, but it is always reassuring to hear from parents in a similar situation.

Many schools don't have AAP specific math sections because there is so much variability in math levels in middle school. They generally only offer honors to make scheduling easier, unless there is a large mass of both AAP and non AAP (like 5+ sections of each) in a class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all, this is very helpful knowing what choices to make in 6th grade.
For those with children in Advanced Math, is Math also limited to Honors only? I’m assuming kids in MS Honors courses do just as well in the HS AP courses, but it is always reassuring to hear from parents in a similar situation.

Many schools don't have AAP specific math sections because there is so much variability in math levels in middle school. They generally only offer honors to make scheduling easier, unless there is a large mass of both AAP and non AAP (like 5+ sections of each) in a class.

There is no AAP math. AAP kids generally take Math 7 Honors, Algebra 1 Honors, or, of they took Algebra in 7th, Geometry Honors. Kids in advanced math but not AAP would be in the same boat. Non-AAP, non-advanced math kids would generally be choosing between Math 7 and Math 7 Honors. Math 7 feeds to Math 8. Math 7 Honors feeds to Algebra 1 Honors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all, this is very helpful knowing what choices to make in 6th grade.
For those with children in Advanced Math, is Math also limited to Honors only? I’m assuming kids in MS Honors courses do just as well in the HS AP courses, but it is always reassuring to hear from parents in a similar situation.

Math is a completely different track. Our ES makes a recommendation - we went with regular Math 7 and it's been a good fit. Advanced math will come with its own recommendations - kids can take 7H or Algebra I or Algebra I H.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all, this is very helpful knowing what choices to make in 6th grade.
For those with children in Advanced Math, is Math also limited to Honors only? I’m assuming kids in MS Honors courses do just as well in the HS AP courses, but it is always reassuring to hear from parents in a similar situation.

Many schools don't have AAP specific math sections because there is so much variability in math levels in middle school. They generally only offer honors to make scheduling easier, unless there is a large mass of both AAP and non AAP (like 5+ sections of each) in a class.

There is no AAP math. AAP kids generally take Math 7 Honors, Algebra 1 Honors, or, of they took Algebra in 7th, Geometry Honors. Kids in advanced math but not AAP would be in the same boat. Non-AAP, non-advanced math kids would generally be choosing between Math 7 and Math 7 Honors. Math 7 feeds to Math 8. Math 7 Honors feeds to Algebra 1 Honors.

This is no longer accurate. The new path has Math 7 feeding into Algebra I unless otherwise noted (kids who get bad grades in Math 7 will take Math 8)

[Anonymous]

Very interesting that kids in advanced Math and AAP Math can choose the same classes in middle school but there are AAP only tracks for English, History and Science.
Most kids good at Math will also be good at Science, but may not be that interested in English/History. I wish the Science courses get treated similarly to Math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you all, this is very helpful knowing what choices to make in 6th grade.
For those with children in Advanced Math, is Math also limited to Honors only? I’m assuming kids in MS Honors courses do just as well in the HS AP courses, but it is always reassuring to hear from parents in a similar situation.

Many schools don't have AAP specific math sections because there is so much variability in math levels in middle school. They generally only offer honors to make scheduling easier, unless there is a large mass of both AAP and non AAP (like 5+ sections of each) in a class.

There is no AAP math. AAP kids generally take Math 7 Honors, Algebra 1 Honors, or, of they took Algebra in 7th, Geometry Honors. Kids in advanced math but not AAP would be in the same boat. Non-AAP, non-advanced math kids would generally be choosing between Math 7 and Math 7 Honors. Math 7 feeds to Math 8. Math 7 Honors feeds to Algebra 1 Honors.

Some center schools have AAP only math classes. I've taught it in the past. It requires a critical mass of kids though, if there are only enough for 2-3 sections of AAP algebra 1 they won't do it. If there are 7 or 8 AAP sections, they'll have AAP only though.

Geometry almost never had enough students to make scheduling work with separate sections, but I suspect that will flip going forward since most AAP kids will take algebra 1 in 6th grade now...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very interesting that kids in advanced Math and AAP Math can choose the same classes in middle school but there are AAP only tracks for English, History and Science.
Most kids good at Math will also be good at Science, but may not be that interested in English/History. I wish the Science courses get treated similarly to Math.

It's because there are 4-5 different math courses taught at a typical middle school (math 7, prealgebra, algebra, geometry, algebra 2), but only 2 science (science 7 and science 8). It's too hard for most schedules to isolate separate sections of geometry honors and geometry AAP when there would only be 10 kids in geometry honors and only 50 in geometry aap.