Which privates have the most challenging math curriculum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid came from DCPS to private and the math has been MUCH harder in private. He took Algebra 2 in DCPS middle school but it was a joke--very surface level class. He took Algebra 2 honors (as a do-over) in 9th grade in private and it was like he had never seen the material before. Now as an upperclassmen what he is learning in math is much harder than what his friends are doing at Jackson Reed. They study together.

MCPS and FCPS are probably much different but in our experience, DCPS math instruction is a joke.

Was this during Covid? Not sure I agree with it being a joke. Perhaps it was the particular school or particular teacher. I have found my kid’s math instruction to be good. I occasionally will provide extended explanation because I have a PhD in mathematics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If zoned for Yorktown, then maybe try for TJ with Yorktown as the backup. Supplement outside school if desired - Kumon, RSM, or Mathnasium.

At least, GDS and StA/NCS and Potomac all have several very advanced math classes in their official curriculum, but those are not offered every year. Only offered if several students at a given school are both interested in taking the course and also are well-prepared.

yes, the problem with the small classes is that it doesn't have the economies of scale to provide advanced courses every year. You have to have the demand to offer it, even in private school.

If you really want advanced math courses with a strong peer group, I would move to a highly rated public. More than likely, that school will have advanced math courses in high demand.

Serious question. Why are public schools so much stronger than privates in math? I’m assuming that the parents of private school don’t want to pay $50k a year so that their kid can get just basic, grade level math instruction… Or maybe they do? What am I missing?

IMHO, most kids shouldn't be in advanced math, period, public or private. Coupled with the smaller population in privates, you won't have a large demand.

Large public schools in well educated areas will have more higher achieving students, and thus, more demand for advanced math courses.

It's a numbers game.

Also, it just kind of seems like private school parents care more about ELA instruction than math instruction. Lots of parents complain about ELA instruction in public schools being poor, so they go to private. They don't seem to complain as much about math instruction being really bad in public.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid came from DCPS to private and the math has been MUCH harder in private. He took Algebra 2 in DCPS middle school but it was a joke--very surface level class. He took Algebra 2 honors (as a do-over) in 9th grade in private and it was like he had never seen the material before. Now as an upperclassmen what he is learning in math is much harder than what his friends are doing at Jackson Reed. They study together.

MCPS and FCPS are probably much different but in our experience, DCPS math instruction is a joke.

Was this during Covid? Not sure I agree with it being a joke. Perhaps it was the particular school or particular teacher. I have found my kid’s math instruction to be good. I occasionally will provide extended explanation because I have a PhD in mathematics.

It was Covid but also now.
My kid's BFF is taking pre-calculus at JR and my son is taking honors pre-calculus at a Big3 private. The tests are light years more difficult at the private ---there'e nothing on the tests that was seen before in class--it's all application of things at a deeper level. I've compared and contrasted these exams all year (the kids are neighbors are study together and the other parent and I are friends--and we were both math majors so have personal interest).

This is no dig on DCPS--I have 2 kids who attend there, including one who will start JR next fall. But what is being asked of kids in the private is just very different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP there is no private that has better accelerated math than public.

No comparison at all.

meh - our kids took multivariable, linear algebra and number theory after taking BC Calc at their private school. They could have also taken differential equations. I don't see accelerated public math students going much further.

the science/engineering side is a totally different story though.

OP here: where was this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If zoned for Yorktown, then maybe try for TJ with Yorktown as the backup. Supplement outside school if desired - Kumon, RSM, or Mathnasium.

At least, GDS and StA/NCS and Potomac all have several very advanced math classes in their official curriculum, but those are not offered every year. Only offered if several students at a given school are both interested in taking the course and also are well-prepared.

Actually, Potomac offers as advanced classes as needed in math and will even do one on one classes w/ just one student and a teacher. My children have also found that the kids who were top in math in public struggled a bit in math at potomac even though on paper the classes were not at as high a level. The way you are tested is different (you have to do things multiple ways, think outside of the box, etc.). Theyve had friends who struggled b/c they could no longer get by on memorization and essentially regurgitating problems the way they learn them. I'm not explaining it correctly, but basically don't assume that math at a private is a lower level b/c of the name of the class.

[Anonymous]

Public and private schools have completely different approaches to math. I have experience with both. Public covers topics faster. Private goes slower but teaches concepts in depth. There are trade offs to this approach but when you get to very complicated math, kids have a better shot of understanding it when they have been taught concepts many different ways.

[Anonymous]

Public schools are playing catchup from covid for the most part. You are better off in a good Catholic because those schools stayed open and didn't miss a beat. My 9th grader is one of only 2 in her Algebra 2 class. I am told most repeated Algebra 1 in 8th grade because of covid or many just didn't pass the evaluation test. The virtual instruction screwed things up significantly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Public and private schools have completely different approaches to math. I have experience with both. Public covers topics faster. Private goes slower but teaches concepts in depth. There are trade offs to this approach but when you get to very complicated math, kids have a better shot of understanding it when they have been taught concepts many different ways.

Based in the above and basic math of it, sounds like public schools cover way more concepts and material then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Public and private schools have completely different approaches to math. I have experience with both. Public covers topics faster. Private goes slower but teaches concepts in depth. There are trade offs to this approach but when you get to very complicated math, kids have a better shot of understanding it when they have been taught concepts many different ways.

And better shot at being confused and not know any methods well. Deer in headlight

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If zoned for Yorktown, then maybe try for TJ with Yorktown as the backup. Supplement outside school if desired - Kumon, RSM, or Mathnasium.

At least, GDS and StA/NCS and Potomac all have several very advanced math classes in their official curriculum, but those are not offered every year. Only offered if several students at a given school are both interested in taking the course and also are well-prepared.

yes, the problem with the small classes is that it doesn't have the economies of scale to provide advanced courses every year. You have to have the demand to offer it, even in private school.

If you really want advanced math courses with a strong peer group, I would move to a highly rated public. More than likely, that school will have advanced math courses in high demand.

Serious question. Why are public schools so much stronger than privates in math? I’m assuming that the parents of private school don’t want to pay $50k a year so that their kid can get just basic, grade level math instruction… Or maybe they do? What am I missing?

Many who go to private are not interested in accelerated math.
The private schools are generally smaller and don't have enough capacity to teach all these extra math classes. They could move a 6th grader in with the 8th graders, but at some point they run out classes, and it's not worth hiring a teacher to teach maybe 4 kids calculus 2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If zoned for Yorktown, then maybe try for TJ with Yorktown as the backup. Supplement outside school if desired - Kumon, RSM, or Mathnasium.

At least, GDS and StA/NCS and Potomac all have several very advanced math classes in their official curriculum, but those are not offered every year. Only offered if several students at a given school are both interested in taking the course and also are well-prepared.

I love how people talk authoritatively about schools they know next to nothing about. STA offers linear algebra every year. It's the final course for their honors track math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP there is no private that has better accelerated math than public.

No comparison at all.

meh - our kids took multivariable, linear algebra and number theory after taking BC Calc at their private school. They could have also taken differential equations. I don't see accelerated public math students going much further.

the science/engineering side is a totally different story though.

Which private?

[Anonymous]

Our kids have been both happy and quite challenged in the Math I-IV track at Sidwell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If zoned for Yorktown, then maybe try for TJ with Yorktown as the backup. Supplement outside school if desired - Kumon, RSM, or Mathnasium.

At least, GDS and StA/NCS and Potomac all have several very advanced math classes in their official curriculum, but those are not offered every year. Only offered if several students at a given school are both interested in taking the course and also are well-prepared.

Potomac alternates

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If zoned for Yorktown, then maybe try for TJ with Yorktown as the backup. Supplement outside school if desired - Kumon, RSM, or Mathnasium.

At least, GDS and StA/NCS and Potomac all have several very advanced math classes in their official curriculum, but those are not offered every year. Only offered if several students at a given school are both interested in taking the course and also are well-prepared.

Actually, Potomac offers as advanced classes as needed in math and will even do one on one classes w/ just one student and a teacher. My children have also found that the kids who were top in math in public struggled a bit in math at potomac even though on paper the classes were not at as high a level. The way you are tested is different (you have to do things multiple ways, think outside of the box, etc.). Theyve had friends who struggled b/c they could no longer get by on memorization and essentially regurgitating problems the way they learn them. I'm not explaining it correctly, but basically don't assume that math at a private is a lower level b/c of the name of the class.

I am not sure you are talking about Potomac, at least not the high school.