Montgomery schools to cut back on early acceleration in math courses

[SAM2]

Montgomery schools to cut back on early acceleration in math courses: http://goo.gl/19SnQ

Can anyone with more info about Montgomery County schools system please comment?

Also, there are some interesting nuggets here.

(1) "This year, more than half of fifth-graders are taking what the county deems sixth grade math or above." I've always been amazed at the people posting on DCUM about how their child is working two grades ahead in various subjects. This quotation helps explain that there is some general level of inflation, which makes some sense since the school district is strong in comparison to other school districts around the nation.

(2) "The very top students will still skip ahead. But many more will stay at grade level and be taught in differentiated groups within classes." That's good.

(3) "ilchberg said the prevalence of math tutors in the county suggests that many students are overstretched. One estimate found that in the 2009-10 school year there were 72 Montgomery public school teachers available for hire as tutors." I had not realized there was so much tutoring in public schools.

[Anonymous]

I don't think most students are equipped to handle two years worth of acceleration. On the other hand, it's an unfortunate reality that in some schools being on grade level can equate to being in a classroom where there's a lot of remediation going on. I also think MoCo is very sensitive to the idea that Latino and AA students are not represented more in higher level math classes. They may be trying to solve that problem the same way they've solved it with Language Arts-shove everybody toward the middle and reduce the amount of differentiation. I'm not sure I understand all the hand wringing over the 72 math tutors. We have 144,000 students in the MoCo system-it's one of the largest in the entire US. That's one tutor for every 2,000 students. Are they tutoring advanced math? Or more basic math? Also, are some of these tutors helping students move from B to A, rather than keeping them from flunking? The WaPo doesn't like to get bogged down with too many details in its reports. If MoCo moves toward the LangArts approach, where classrooms are heterogeneous and much instruction is group instruction with a small amount of "individual" (small group) instruction, then I think it's not a good approach. I predict it won't fly in the green zone, but will be imposed on all the red zone.

[SAM2]

Anonymous wrote:... I'm not sure I understand all the hand wringing over the 72 math tutors. We have 144,000 students in the MoCo system-it's one of the largest in the entire US. That's one tutor for every 2,000 students. ...

I apologize if my post above came across as hand wringing -- that's not what I intended. I was just commenting that I had not realized there was so much tutoring in local public schools. FWIW, I thought the Post was just noting the number of tutors as evidence that some children are struggling to keep up with the accelerated across-the-board pace, and thus that a change is proper.

[Anonymous]

Great. They do this after they've already screwed up my DC's.

[Anonymous]

I was told that MoCo teachers weren't allowed to tutor during the school year. I'm not even talking about my own DC's teachers. Is this incorrect?

[Anonymous]

SAM2 wrote:

Anonymous wrote:... I'm not sure I understand all the hand wringing over the 72 math tutors. We have 144,000 students in the MoCo system-it's one of the largest in the entire US. That's one tutor for every 2,000 students. ...

I apologize if my post above came across as hand wringing -- that's not what I intended. I was just commenting that I had not realized there was so much tutoring in local public schools. FWIW, I thought the Post was just noting the number of tutors as evidence that some children are struggling to keep up with the accelerated across-the-board pace, and thus that a change is proper.

I wasn't intending to accuse you of hand wringing, I meant MoCo is hand wringing.

[Anonymous]

MC teachers can tutor kids as long as they do not attend the school the teacher is at..

[Anonymous]

Yes, not all kids can handle double year acceleration. BUT some kids can. I worry about kids like my son who need the math acceleration. I've often worried about the kids in his classes over the years who struggle with the acceleration. But he's a kid who is two years ahead, who does his homework in less than 10 minutes with no explanation and is acing every test.

Is the county going to move so far away from acceleration that kids like him lose out?

[Anonymous]

There is nothing wrong with the concept of acceleration in mathematics education. There is a problem with inappropriate acceleration for individuals incapable of the task. The solution for the County is to learn who will benefit from acceleration and not to dispense with acceleration. Unfortunately, many of my children's math teachers are wholly inadequate and incompetent regarding the education of bright and advance kids in mathematics. It is no wonder some math teachers are confused over who may benefit from acceleration and capitulate to demands of similarly math challenged parents. There are children in the County that desparately need and will thrive with acceleration...and not just in Mathematics! There are many who do not and will not thrive. Unfortunately, it's the blind leading the blind with respect to challenged teachers and parents. And when these children ultimately and predictably fail, many challenged parents are quick to assign blame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, not all kids can handle double year acceleration. BUT some kids can. I worry about kids like my son who need the math acceleration. I've often worried about the kids in his classes over the years who struggle with the acceleration. But he's a kid who is two years ahead, who does his homework in less than 10 minutes with no explanation and is acing every test.

Is the county going to move so far away from acceleration that kids like him lose out?

Do you intend for him to apply to the HGC?

[Anonymous]

Not to poster you are referring to but you would be surprised to learn some kids in the HGC need acceleration too.

[Anonymous]

My DC was bored out of his mind until he accelerated one year in 3rd grade. He was actually asking me to get moved up in 1st grade. From 3rd grade, he seems to handle the 5th grade unit tests with no problem an he handles the homework with no problem. He also just loves math. We have applied to HGC, but that is no guarantee since that is a fixed number of spots in a county with a growing population. Like 20:59 I worry about kids that really need some form of acceleration. If you are in a school with 3 or 4 teachers per grade, will they really dedicate one teacher to acceleration or will they allow the scheduling in a way that your child can move up to the next higher grade level class. I agree that they push too many people right now, but I can see situations that could come up where the resources aren't available for the kids that need it. We will have to see how it works out, but I am not optimistic for gifted kids. It's a tough problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think most students are equipped to handle two years worth of acceleration. On the other hand, it's an unfortunate reality that in some schools being on grade level can equate to being in a classroom where there's a lot of remediation going on. I also think MoCo is very sensitive to the idea that Latino and AA students are not represented more in higher level math classes. They may be trying to solve that problem the same way they've solved it with Language Arts-shove everybody toward the middle and reduce the amount of differentiation. I'm not sure I understand all the hand wringing over the 72 math tutors. We have 144,000 students in the MoCo system-it's one of the largest in the entire US. That's one tutor for every 2,000 students. Are they tutoring advanced math? Or more basic math? Also, are some of these tutors helping students move from B to A, rather than keeping them from flunking? The WaPo doesn't like to get bogged down with too many details in its reports. If MoCo moves toward the LangArts approach, where classrooms are heterogeneous and much instruction is group instruction with a small amount of "individual" (small group) instruction, then I think it's not a good approach. I predict it won't fly in the green zone, but will be imposed on all the red zone.

I agree with this poster!!! I have not seen differentiated instruction done successfully in Language Arts .... the majority of the curriculum has been watered down to accomodate "everyone". I appreciated the fact that they grouped students by ability level in math now and I'm concerned about the move to the heterogenous classroom with differentiation because I haven't seen differentiation work in our MCPS elementary school. I think they are moving in the wrong direction.

[Anonymous]

The worst outcome would be if MoCo reduces acceleration, but doesn't add spots in the HCGs and magnets for the kids who really do need acceleration.

The first problem with this outcome is that the Takoma magnet has 6 or 7 applicants for every slot, and many of the kids who are turned away are highly qualified. My kid is in the magnet, but we know other kids who didn't get in who could also do very well there.

A second problem with this outcome (an outcome of pushing everybody to the middle?) is that ambitious MoCo parents will still want their kids to be in "advanced" math as long as "advanced" math exists. In a way you can't blame these parents - as long as there are just 2-3 magnets in MS and HS, you can't blame parents for thinking that their kids' college hopes will be dimmer if they don't compete in this crazy, all-or-nothing race for the "MoCo magnet stamp of approval." But what does this mad rush lead to? Parents pushing kids who aren't ready into accelerated math. And ugly, really ugly, lobbying of teachers, VPs and principals to get kids into advanced math. Also, parents who can't navigate the bureaucracy and do their own lobbying are at a huge disadvantage.

The problem of parents pushing kids into advanced math, when the kids aren't ready, could be helped by a good entrance testing system that is impervious to parental lobbying. Unlike the current one, which is a leaky sieve when it comes to parental lobbying. (I've seen a mom get a school to change the quarterly math placement test for her kid, and parents lobbying the magnet test all the way to Rockville.)

I also think MoCo should be increasing the number of "boutique" programs like Loiederman and others, instead of reducing them and slashing their funding. By limiting the number of MS and HS programs, MoCo itself has created a mad race to get into a few magnets. Why not give kids and families options that are different but also attractive? Don't make it a winner-takes-all race for the magnets -- instead create a lot of programs with appeal and cachet. Well, there's the issue of money. But also some weird priorities in Rockville.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know if this 'cut back' includes the lower elementary grades? I know that first graders are currently working out of a second grade text and are being pushed to rote learn math facts.