AIM 6th Grade Math - Can you catch-up over summer if not in compacted math?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is 6+ an option in your school? AIM is really fast and challenging even for a math loving kid. 6+ will give him acceleration

Also, don’t underestimate the new challenges of middle school for a kid with ADHD. Much bigger demand on executive functioning skills. Ask me how I know

+100 This is setting a kid up for failure. The transition into middle school for kids with ADHD and anxiety can be so so tough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The central office recommends kids for AIM (I was just told this by a middle school). Maybe others know if a school is likely to place a child in AIM against the recommendation of the central office, if the parent requests it and shows something like additional math progress over the summer.

This is only partially true. Central office recommends which kids should automatically go to AIM based on the universal review for the middle school magnet lottery. If your child was not placed in the lottery but is in compacted 5/6, the middle school will review the pathway that your child’s 5th grade teacher recommended and will likely use that recommendation. You can ask the teacher what she recommended (you won’t otherwise be notified). I don’t think teachers generally put recommendations for students to skip levels in math pathways unless data is super compelling (strong performance on class assessments and MAP this year) PLUS parent advocacy. I recommend you get in touch with the mccpta gifted Ed committee (they have a Facebook page) because they have a document with contacts and steps to advocate for math placement. There are absolutely supposed to be on ramps for kids to move up levels but mcps is super murky about this and you can’t count on the school to drive the process.

There is no clear explanation anywhere, but there are many kids who have been put in AIM from regular 5th grade math over the years since AIM became a thing. If you have high MAP scores to back up your request, middle school counsellors may be more receptive

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The central office recommends kids for AIM (I was just told this by a middle school). Maybe others know if a school is likely to place a child in AIM against the recommendation of the central office, if the parent requests it and shows something like additional math progress over the summer.

This is only partially true. Central office recommends which kids should automatically go to AIM based on the universal review for the middle school magnet lottery. If your child was not placed in the lottery but is in compacted 5/6, the middle school will review the pathway that your child’s 5th grade teacher recommended and will likely use that recommendation. You can ask the teacher what she recommended (you won’t otherwise be notified). I don’t think teachers generally put recommendations for students to skip levels in math pathways unless data is super compelling (strong performance on class assessments and MAP this year) PLUS parent advocacy. I recommend you get in touch with the mccpta gifted Ed committee (they have a Facebook page) because they have a document with contacts and steps to advocate for math placement. There are absolutely supposed to be on ramps for kids to move up levels but mcps is super murky about this and you can’t count on the school to drive the process.

There is no clear explanation anywhere, but there are many kids who have been put in AIM from regular 5th grade math over the years since AIM became a thing. If you have high MAP scores to back up your request, middle school counsellors may be more receptive

What are considered high MAP scores for purposes of AIM?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The central office recommends kids for AIM (I was just told this by a middle school). Maybe others know if a school is likely to place a child in AIM against the recommendation of the central office, if the parent requests it and shows something like additional math progress over the summer.

This is only partially true. Central office recommends which kids should automatically go to AIM based on the universal review for the middle school magnet lottery. If your child was not placed in the lottery but is in compacted 5/6, the middle school will review the pathway that your child’s 5th grade teacher recommended and will likely use that recommendation. You can ask the teacher what she recommended (you won’t otherwise be notified). I don’t think teachers generally put recommendations for students to skip levels in math pathways unless data is super compelling (strong performance on class assessments and MAP this year) PLUS parent advocacy. I recommend you get in touch with the mccpta gifted Ed committee (they have a Facebook page) because they have a document with contacts and steps to advocate for math placement. There are absolutely supposed to be on ramps for kids to move up levels but mcps is super murky about this and you can’t count on the school to drive the process.

There is no clear explanation anywhere, but there are many kids who have been put in AIM from regular 5th grade math over the years since AIM became a thing. If you have high MAP scores to back up your request, middle school counsellors may be more receptive

What are considered high MAP scores for purposes of AIM?

Nobody knows. There are actual criteria given to 5th grade teachers that they use to determine their recommendations, but the MAP cut-offs have not been communicated or published for parents. It is also normed by school in some cases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Talk to parents of high school seniors applying to colleges: there is absolutely no reason to rush your child through a math program. None whatsoever.

To clarify, I am not interested in rushing my kid. In fact, I would be happy if he was happy to stay on his current path and get easy As. The concept of my child doing college level calculus in high school actually frightens me.

He is just so bored and unhappy in his current math class that after two years of his frustration, I am ready to advocate for him to be challenged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is 6+ an option in your school? AIM is really fast and challenging even for a math loving kid. 6+ will give him acceleration

Also, don’t underestimate the new challenges of middle school for a kid with ADHD. Much bigger demand on executive functioning skills. Ask me how I know

+100 This is setting a kid up for failure. The transition into middle school for kids with ADHD and anxiety can be so so tough.

-100 It sounds like OP’s son was previously undiagnosed and untreated. Now she’s getting him treatment. Plenty of kids with those diagnoses are in advanced pathways and do well, particularly if the get the help they need.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think you realize that most kids who get into accelerated classes are doing extra math work and taking extra math classes like kumon, mathnaseum, beast academy/AOPS year round. While certainly there are some kids who are naturally really good at math, never supplement outside of school, and are able to qualify for advanced math and do well in those classes, but it isn’t as common.

If your child has adhd and anxiety it isn’t going to be good for them to be in classes where most if the kids have already seen the material they are learning and he hasn’t. You need to start supplementing now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I don’t think you realize that most kids who get into accelerated classes are doing extra math work and taking extra math classes like kumon, mathnaseum, beast academy/AOPS year round. While certainly there are some kids who are naturally really good at math, never supplement outside of school, and are able to qualify for advanced math and do well in those classes, but it isn’t as common.

If your child has adhd and anxiety it isn’t going to be good for them to be in classes where most if the kids have already seen the material they are learning and he hasn’t. You need to start supplementing now.

Most kids? I have two that had absolutely no extra training/classes and most of their friends parents have no indicated they have either. I’m sure a few kids do but I don’t think “most” do. OP, don’t feed into this.

[Anonymous]

Start math tutoring now, not this summer. If your 5th grader hasn’t been in compacted math, he’s going to be a full grade behind other kids in AIM in terms of instruction. At least give him the next 6 months to catch up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was a few years ago but AIM is a lot of review and putting things together so if he's already strong in math it should be fine. A lot of word problems.
Assuming he's good at basic operations, fractions, decimals, percentages, basic graphing of xy coordinates and that kind of thing. It does not get hard or confusing for most kids if you have a strong foundation until Q4 when they do functions and point-slope form if memory serves.

Are you sure you aren’t thinking of IM? AIM was new last year I think.

In our MS AIM was introduced several years ago. The current 9th graders were the first group in AIM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is 6+ an option in your school? AIM is really fast and challenging even for a math loving kid. 6+ will give him acceleration

Also, don’t underestimate the new challenges of middle school for a kid with ADHD. Much bigger demand on executive functioning skills. Ask me how I know

+100 This is setting a kid up for failure. The transition into middle school for kids with ADHD and anxiety can be so so tough.

While I completely agree that the transition can be tough she's saying her child is really unhappy and has high math ability. He can always drop down but why not try to actually provide some intellectual stimulation for a child who is clearly 2e?
Kids who are 2e can have a hard time because people are just really focused on their weaknesses that no one helps with their strengths which make them feel more confident and be happier. I think OP is great for thinking about how to help her child in this way. I don't know if skipping a year of math is the solution but it could be helpful.

[Anonymous]

Landon has math summer classes. He can absolutely catch up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: I don’t think you realize that most kids who get into accelerated classes are doing extra math work and taking extra math classes like kumon, mathnaseum, beast academy/AOPS year round. While certainly there are some kids who are naturally really good at math, never supplement outside of school, and are able to qualify for advanced math and do well in those classes, but it isn’t as common.

If your child has adhd and anxiety it isn’t going to be good for them to be in classes where most if the kids have already seen the material they are learning and he hasn’t. You need to start supplementing now.

Most kids? I have two that had absolutely no extra training/classes and most of their friends parents have no indicated they have either. I’m sure a few kids do but I don’t think “most” do. OP, don’t feed into this.

I agree - my kids are both on the "fast track" math pathway for MCPS and they have never done outside tutoring and very few people I know, at least in our area, who have kids in advanced math are doing any outside tutoring.

[Anonymous]

While I completely agree that the transition can be tough she's saying her child is really unhappy and has high math ability. He can always drop down but why not try to actually provide some intellectual stimulation for a child who is clearly 2e?

I mean, OP says her child has high math ability but also says the child's grades, coursework, and MAP scores were all below the threshold for compacted math. I'm not trying to be unkind, but the MAP threshold is not that high, and OP is basically basing her assessment on her child saying that he is bored but while explaining away all of the metrics that would normally be referenced.

[Anonymous]

What are his MAP scores? At our MS there are definitely kids that get moved to AIM that were not in compacted math.

Just be aware that you are putting him on a track to take Calculus in 11th grade. Despite this being a common track, this is generally a mistake for most kids.