Math cluster letter

[Anonymous]

Came on here expecting there to be a thread already. DS came home with a letter describing MCPS criteria and the cluster that he belongs to. What’s funny is that the description of his assessment (grade level instruction with consistent acceleration) doesn’t cleanly match any of the clusters which are either “grade level instruction with some acceleration” or “acceleration”. The clusters indicate criteria and when the kids would likely take algebra 1.

[Anonymous]

We did not receive any letter like that. What grade? The title of the document is Math Cluster Letter?

[Anonymous]

This is only Nd Reg rising 4th graders. Surprised they sent them before the end of the school year.

[Anonymous]

+1 did not receive a letter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Came on here expecting there to be a thread already. DS came home with a letter describing MCPS criteria and the cluster that he belongs to. What’s funny is that the description of his assessment (grade level instruction with consistent acceleration) doesn’t cleanly match any of the clusters which are either “grade level instruction with some acceleration” or “acceleration”. The clusters indicate criteria and when the kids would likely take algebra 1.

It sounds like your kid is in group 4, which should be enrichment and some acceleration. You can check based on MAP score here:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/curriculum/math/mcps-math-groups-parent-document-05-2026.pdf

[Anonymous]

Cluster 5, OP.

Basically the replacement arrangement for Compacted 4/5, but intended to be for fewer identified students, with a good portion of others who previously might have been in that 4/5 class being assigned to group 4 ("grade level with enrichment and some acceleration"). Likely to continue as Group 5 throughout, including for 5th grade the following year, but that is supposed to be based on quarterly assessment.

Group 5 also is more likely to be assigned to PreAlgebra in 6th when they get to that grade, and then Integrated Algebra 1 & 2 in 7th/8th, with PreCalc in 9th, if selecting the Calc path. Not all students in Group 5 are expected to do that. Some may not be recommended for PreAlgebra and families will be given a choice to go with the next level down even if they are recommended for it.

That next level down would skip less content by covering all of 6th/7th/8th standards in two years (vs. PreAlgebra's 7th & 8th in one), like AMP 6+/7+ have done the past couple of years under the Illustrative Math curriculum (Amplify Desmos, the new curriculum, is reasonably closely related to Illustrative Math). It would see the new 2-year Integrated Algebra sequence finish in 9th, with the 3 post-Algebra pathways beginning in 10th (again, PreCalc for that Calc pathway).

The table showing just "w/Accel" instead of specific cluster groupings is supposed to be illustrative of possibilities, not to be conprehensive or deterministic. Of course, providing that instead of a comprehensive table with full criteria is going to cause some confusion, but they are still working on it and want some flexibility to that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Came on here expecting there to be a thread already. DS came home with a letter describing MCPS criteria and the cluster that he belongs to. What’s funny is that the description of his assessment (grade level instruction with consistent acceleration) doesn’t cleanly match any of the clusters which are either “grade level instruction with some acceleration” or “acceleration”. The clusters indicate criteria and when the kids would likely take algebra 1.

It sounds like your kid is in group 4, which should be enrichment and some acceleration. You can check based on MAP score here:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/curriculum/math/mcps-math-groups-parent-document-05-2026.pdf

From the linked doc, Grade-Level Instruction with
Consistent Acceleration
Students is group 5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Came on here expecting there to be a thread already. DS came home with a letter describing MCPS criteria and the cluster that he belongs to. What’s funny is that the description of his assessment (grade level instruction with consistent acceleration) doesn’t cleanly match any of the clusters which are either “grade level instruction with some acceleration” or “acceleration”. The clusters indicate criteria and when the kids would likely take algebra 1.

It sounds like your kid is in group 4, which should be enrichment and some acceleration. You can check based on MAP score here:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/curriculum/math/mcps-math-groups-parent-document-05-2026.pdf

From the linked doc, Grade-Level Instruction with
Consistent Acceleration
Students is group 5.

You’re right. I misread and thought she said consistent enrichment.

OP you should make sure your kid is receiving daily acceleration in the math block. I’m very doubtful that will actually happen.

[Anonymous]

OP. Rising 4th grader, should’ve clarified. The envelope we got includes the document with the criteria and then a letter stating which cluster DS has been assigned to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP. Rising 4th grader, should’ve clarified. The envelope we got includes the document with the criteria and then a letter stating which cluster DS has been assigned to.

Are the criteria they sent the same as these? https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/curriculum/math/mcps-math-groups-parent-document-05-2026.pdf

I think they used the old 2020 MAP percentiles to come up with that list (the lowest group who is supposed to be kept out of the classes with the accelerated kids are those below 10th percentile on winter MAP, "some support" group is 10th-30th percentile, middle group is 30-79th percentile, "some acceleration" group is 80th-93rd percentile, and consistent acceleration is 94+ percentile)-- curious if they have updated it to the newer percentiles or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP. Rising 4th grader, should’ve clarified. The envelope we got includes the document with the criteria and then a letter stating which cluster DS has been assigned to.

Are the criteria they sent the same as these? https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/curriculum/math/mcps-math-groups-parent-document-05-2026.pdf

I think they used the old 2020 MAP percentiles to come up with that list (the lowest group who is supposed to be kept out of the classes with the accelerated kids are those below 10th percentile on winter MAP, "some support" group is 10th-30th percentile, middle group is 30-79th percentile, "some acceleration" group is 80th-93rd percentile, and consistent acceleration is 94+ percentile)-- curious if they have updated it to the newer percentiles or not.

Why would they use the 2020 MAP norms when the 2025 norms are now published?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP. Rising 4th grader, should’ve clarified. The envelope we got includes the document with the criteria and then a letter stating which cluster DS has been assigned to.

Are the criteria they sent the same as these? https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/curriculum/math/mcps-math-groups-parent-document-05-2026.pdf

I think they used the old 2020 MAP percentiles to come up with that list (the lowest group who is supposed to be kept out of the classes with the accelerated kids are those below 10th percentile on winter MAP, "some support" group is 10th-30th percentile, middle group is 30-79th percentile, "some acceleration" group is 80th-93rd percentile, and consistent acceleration is 94+ percentile)-- curious if they have updated it to the newer percentiles or not.

Why would they use the 2020 MAP norms when the 2025 norms are now published?

Could be because 1) the full norms have not been published (I can only find this one which only has 5th/10th...90th/95th); 2) they just went back to the old tables someone has saved somewhere out of laziness or ignorance; or 3) I am wrong and they did use the new norms, in which case they decided to define the lowest group as below 20th percentile, "some support" would be 20th-40th percentile, middle group is 40th percentile to some cutoff somewhere inbetween 80th and 85th, "some acceleration" is that low-80s-percentile up to a low-90s-percentile number, and the cutoff for the top group is somewhere between the 90th and 95th percentile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP. Rising 4th grader, should’ve clarified. The envelope we got includes the document with the criteria and then a letter stating which cluster DS has been assigned to.

Are the criteria they sent the same as these? https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/curriculum/math/mcps-math-groups-parent-document-05-2026.pdf

I think they used the old 2020 MAP percentiles to come up with that list (the lowest group who is supposed to be kept out of the classes with the accelerated kids are those below 10th percentile on winter MAP, "some support" group is 10th-30th percentile, middle group is 30-79th percentile, "some acceleration" group is 80th-93rd percentile, and consistent acceleration is 94+ percentile)-- curious if they have updated it to the newer percentiles or not.

OP. Yes I can confirm that the cutoffs for group 4 and 5 are the same.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone’s child been assigned to the “Course Advancement” cluster (group 6 that has no score criteria listed?) if so, please share their stats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP. Rising 4th grader, should’ve clarified. The envelope we got includes the document with the criteria and then a letter stating which cluster DS has been assigned to.

Are the criteria they sent the same as these? https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/curriculum/math/mcps-math-groups-parent-document-05-2026.pdf

I think they used the old 2020 MAP percentiles to come up with that list (the lowest group who is supposed to be kept out of the classes with the accelerated kids are those below 10th percentile on winter MAP, "some support" group is 10th-30th percentile, middle group is 30-79th percentile, "some acceleration" group is 80th-93rd percentile, and consistent acceleration is 94+ percentile)-- curious if they have updated it to the newer percentiles or not.

Why would they use the 2020 MAP norms when the 2025 norms are now published?

Could be because 1) the full norms have not been published (I can only find this one which only has 5th/10th...90th/95th); 2) they just went back to the old tables someone has saved somewhere out of laziness or ignorance; or 3) I am wrong and they did use the new norms, in which case they decided to define the lowest group as below 20th percentile, "some support" would be 20th-40th percentile, middle group is 40th percentile to some cutoff somewhere inbetween 80th and 85th, "some acceleration" is that low-80s-percentile up to a low-90s-percentile number, and the cutoff for the top group is somewhere between the 90th and 95th percentile.

I'm sure that NWEA provides the full data to school districts and they have the full norms when asked. I mean, MCPS is paying them a LOT. So I'm going to go with your laziness option. Using the 2025 norms would take just a little more effort.