AMP6+ versus 7th grade math in 6th Grade

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think what we are seeing is preliminary - in most cases it doesn't include the information from the letters that just came out. I'm thinking it is the first step in the planning process. My guess is things for AIM and HIGH may shift in the coming weeks.

The FAQs say the middle school can place students in the enriched courses, but the course catalogs say they can only be placed by "MCPS".... weird, aren't they all part of MCPS? Is that saying it's not a parent request?

I suspect schools do have the ability to place students but are implying they don’t do they don’t get lobbied by parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think what we are seeing is preliminary - in most cases it doesn't include the information from the letters that just came out. I'm thinking it is the first step in the planning process. My guess is things for AIM and HIGH may shift in the coming weeks.

The FAQs say the middle school can place students in the enriched courses, but the course catalogs say they can only be placed by "MCPS".... weird, aren't they all part of MCPS? Is that saying it's not a parent request?

I suspect schools do have the ability to place students but are implying they don’t do they don’t get lobbied by parents.

Actually this should say “stating” rather than “implying.”

[Anonymous]

OP, is your school offering to let 6th graders who don’t qualify for AIM but have done compacted math in elementary the ability to take math 7 in 6th grade? That seems great, especially if they create a class of 6th graders taking 7th-grade math together.

6+ Is appropriate for for kids who took math 5 and need to move faster. But for those who were in 5/6, they have to repeat too much ci tent they already know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm new to this. My kid did not get recommended to the magnet for math but is making As in compacted 5/6. His recommendation under Course Request is Applied Investig Math 6/Teacher Recommended

Is that AIM? What is AMP? What's the differences between 6 and 6+? (is there a difference?)

So many acronyms and I haven't been able to find a page on MCPS that defines them all!

In middle school, from 6th grade to 8th,

"Normal" course: Math 6 => Math 7. => Math 8 (prep for Algebra 1 in 9th grade)

Advanced course: AMP 6+ (6th & 1/2 of 7th) => AMP 7÷ (1/2 of 7th & 8th) => Algebra 1

Highly-advanced course: AIM (7th & 8th) => Algebra 1 => Geometry

There are support courses for those who have difficulty with the on-grade-level material. There are also smaller minorities of highly-advanced students who take an even more accelerated set of classes. That's supposed to be for one-off exceptions with tremendous ability, but, from various DCUM discussions, it looks like certain schools caved to large numbers of parent advocates, getting whole classes of Algebra in 6th, for instance, or even in 5th, if you believe them. They are always circumspect about the particular schools, though Frost has been mentioned and "a DCC school" (in response to all this being available only to those in Potomac).

Glad your teacher rec says AIM. If your kid did not get into the magnet but was in the lottery pool, that's where they are supposed to be. If they didn't make the pool but were recommended for AIM, I'd jump on that (as long as your kid is doing swimmingly in 5/6). Monitor to be sure they get that, and advocate with the teacher rec in case they don't.

My daughter was supposed to be in ALG 1 in 6th grade (we moved to MoCo in fifth and she had completed 6/7 and was supposed to take Pre-Alg in 5th). MoCo wouldn't allow her to go to the middle school (on the same campus) for AIM in fifth, yet my other kid was bussed to a high school for Alg 2 in 8th. Every school handles it differently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm new to this. My kid did not get recommended to the magnet for math but is making As in compacted 5/6. His recommendation under Course Request is Applied Investig Math 6/Teacher Recommended

Is that AIM? What is AMP? What's the differences between 6 and 6+? (is there a difference?)

So many acronyms and I haven't been able to find a page on MCPS that defines them all!

In middle school, from 6th grade to 8th,

"Normal" course: Math 6 => Math 7. => Math 8 (prep for Algebra 1 in 9th grade)

Advanced course: AMP 6+ (6th & 1/2 of 7th) => AMP 7÷ (1/2 of 7th & 8th) => Algebra 1

Highly-advanced course: AIM (7th & 8th) => Algebra 1 => Geometry

There are support courses for those who have difficulty with the on-grade-level material. There are also smaller minorities of highly-advanced students who take an even more accelerated set of classes. That's supposed to be for one-off exceptions with tremendous ability, but, from various DCUM discussions, it looks like certain schools caved to large numbers of parent advocates, getting whole classes of Algebra in 6th, for instance, or even in 5th, if you believe them. They are always circumspect about the particular schools, though Frost has been mentioned and "a DCC school" (in response to all this being available only to those in Potomac).

Glad your teacher rec says AIM. If your kid did not get into the magnet but was in the lottery pool, that's where they are supposed to be. If they didn't make the pool but were recommended for AIM, I'd jump on that (as long as your kid is doing swimmingly in 5/6). Monitor to be sure they get that, and advocate with the teacher rec in case they don't.

THANK YOU so much, PP! This is so much clearer than anything I've gotten from MCPS so far.

Another rising 6th SSIMS parent here. I heard that SSIMS is moving from AIM to AMP7+ next year, which keeps kids on track for Algebra I in 7th. It’s a curriculum change. From googling and reading past DCUM, it sounds like other middle schools got rid of AIM last year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm new to this. My kid did not get recommended to the magnet for math but is making As in compacted 5/6. His recommendation under Course Request is Applied Investig Math 6/Teacher Recommended

Is that AIM? What is AMP? What's the differences between 6 and 6+? (is there a difference?)

So many acronyms and I haven't been able to find a page on MCPS that defines them all!

In middle school, from 6th grade to 8th,

"Normal" course: Math 6 => Math 7. => Math 8 (prep for Algebra 1 in 9th grade)

Advanced course: AMP 6+ (6th & 1/2 of 7th) => AMP 7÷ (1/2 of 7th & 8th) => Algebra 1

Highly-advanced course: AIM (7th & 8th) => Algebra 1 => Geometry

There are support courses for those who have difficulty with the on-grade-level material. There are also smaller minorities of highly-advanced students who take an even more accelerated set of classes. That's supposed to be for one-off exceptions with tremendous ability, but, from various DCUM discussions, it looks like certain schools caved to large numbers of parent advocates, getting whole classes of Algebra in 6th, for instance, or even in 5th, if you believe them. They are always circumspect about the particular schools, though Frost has been mentioned and "a DCC school" (in response to all this being available only to those in Potomac).

Glad your teacher rec says AIM. If your kid did not get into the magnet but was in the lottery pool, that's where they are supposed to be. If they didn't make the pool but were recommended for AIM, I'd jump on that (as long as your kid is doing swimmingly in 5/6). Monitor to be sure they get that, and advocate with the teacher rec in case they don't.

THANK YOU so much, PP! This is so much clearer than anything I've gotten from MCPS so far.

Another rising 6th SSIMS parent here. I heard that SSIMS is moving from AIM to AMP7+ next year, which keeps kids on track for Algebra I in 7th. It’s a curriculum change. From googling and reading past DCUM, it sounds like other middle schools got rid of AIM last year?

If they went to WPES, they'd be in algebra in 6th!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm new to this. My kid did not get recommended to the magnet for math but is making As in compacted 5/6. His recommendation under Course Request is Applied Investig Math 6/Teacher Recommended

Is that AIM? What is AMP? What's the differences between 6 and 6+? (is there a difference?)

So many acronyms and I haven't been able to find a page on MCPS that defines them all!

In middle school, from 6th grade to 8th,

"Normal" course: Math 6 => Math 7. => Math 8 (prep for Algebra 1 in 9th grade)

Advanced course: AMP 6+ (6th & 1/2 of 7th) => AMP 7÷ (1/2 of 7th & 8th) => Algebra 1

Highly-advanced course: AIM (7th & 8th) => Algebra 1 => Geometry

There are support courses for those who have difficulty with the on-grade-level material. There are also smaller minorities of highly-advanced students who take an even more accelerated set of classes. That's supposed to be for one-off exceptions with tremendous ability, but, from various DCUM discussions, it looks like certain schools caved to large numbers of parent advocates, getting whole classes of Algebra in 6th, for instance, or even in 5th, if you believe them. They are always circumspect about the particular schools, though Frost has been mentioned and "a DCC school" (in response to all this being available only to those in Potomac).

Glad your teacher rec says AIM. If your kid did not get into the magnet but was in the lottery pool, that's where they are supposed to be. If they didn't make the pool but were recommended for AIM, I'd jump on that (as long as your kid is doing swimmingly in 5/6). Monitor to be sure they get that, and advocate with the teacher rec in case they don't.

THANK YOU so much, PP! This is so much clearer than anything I've gotten from MCPS so far.

Another rising 6th SSIMS parent here. I heard that SSIMS is moving from AIM to AMP7+ next year, which keeps kids on track for Algebra I in 7th. It’s a curriculum change. From googling and reading past DCUM, it sounds like other middle schools got rid of AIM last year?

SSIMS is still considering whether to do this (track to Algebra in 7th) as AIM or as AMP 7+ in 6th. They lost budget and that might impact thier flexibility across Math teaching; training plays a role. 7+ may be the current thinking, but they would need to figure out the bridge for early Math 7 content, as the way they costructed 5/6 may not have allowed coverage of that on which they may be relying to fill the gap (precursor material reviewed/expanded in early Math 7).

We probably won't know until later in the summer. I hope in time to get families whatever they might need to prepare.

[Anonymous]

The curriculum spirals.

Compacted Math is Math 4 + 5 Math+ Math 6. They spiral 3 times in 2 years. (But they run out of time and I suspect they end up skipping part of Math 4 and part of Math 5 to keep up.)

AIM and AMP spirally once per year. They do one tour of math per year. AIM does 2x the content per module (skipping the Math 6)

AIM does 1.5x per year (including Math 6)

But the content is highly related.
The little bit of Math 7 that they miss by skipping AMP 6+ (but having taking CM 4/5/6 in ES), they can squeeze in as enrichment packets during each module. (AMP 7+ plus infill is still slower pace than what AIM would be.

Reviewing the material over the summer wouldn't hurt. At a minimum, make sure they don't summer slide after CM 5/6.

https://im.kendallhunt.com/MS_ACC/teachers/1/index.html

https://im.kendallhunt.com/MS_ACC/teachers/2/index.html


https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/math/middle/investigations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The curriculum spirals.

Compacted Math is Math 4 + 5 Math+ Math 6. They spiral 3 times in 2 years. (But they run out of time and I suspect they end up skipping part of Math 4 and part of Math 5 to keep up.)

AIM and AMP spirally once per year. They do one tour of math per year. AIM does 2x the content per module (skipping the Math 6)

AIM does 1.5x per year (including Math 6)

But the content is highly related.
The little bit of Math 7 that they miss by skipping AMP 6+ (but having taking CM 4/5/6 in ES), they can squeeze in as enrichment packets during each module. (AMP 7+ plus infill is still slower pace than what AIM would be.

Reviewing the material over the summer wouldn't hurt. At a minimum, make sure they don't summer slide after CM 5/6.

https://im.kendallhunt.com/MS_ACC/teachers/1/index.html

https://im.kendallhunt.com/MS_ACC/teachers/2/index.html


https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/math/middle/investigations

Thanks for the additional insight/links!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm new to this. My kid did not get recommended to the magnet for math but is making As in compacted 5/6. His recommendation under Course Request is Applied Investig Math 6/Teacher Recommended

Is that AIM? What is AMP? What's the differences between 6 and 6+? (is there a difference?)

So many acronyms and I haven't been able to find a page on MCPS that defines them all!

In middle school, from 6th grade to 8th,

"Normal" course: Math 6 => Math 7. => Math 8 (prep for Algebra 1 in 9th grade)

Advanced course: AMP 6+ (6th & 1/2 of 7th) => AMP 7÷ (1/2 of 7th & 8th) => Algebra 1

Highly-advanced course: AIM (7th & 8th) => Algebra 1 => Geometry

There are support courses for those who have difficulty with the on-grade-level material. There are also smaller minorities of highly-advanced students who take an even more accelerated set of classes. That's supposed to be for one-off exceptions with tremendous ability, but, from various DCUM discussions, it looks like certain schools caved to large numbers of parent advocates, getting whole classes of Algebra in 6th, for instance, or even in 5th, if you believe them. They are always circumspect about the particular schools, though Frost has been mentioned and "a DCC school" (in response to all this being available only to those in Potomac).

Glad your teacher rec says AIM. If your kid did not get into the magnet but was in the lottery pool, that's where they are supposed to be. If they didn't make the pool but were recommended for AIM, I'd jump on that (as long as your kid is doing swimmingly in 5/6). Monitor to be sure they get that, and advocate with the teacher rec in case they don't.

THANK YOU so much, PP! This is so much clearer than anything I've gotten from MCPS so far.

Another rising 6th SSIMS parent here. I heard that SSIMS is moving from AIM to AMP7+ next year, which keeps kids on track for Algebra I in 7th. It’s a curriculum change. From googling and reading past DCUM, it sounds like other middle schools got rid of AIM last year?

AIM should still be offered; the county is getting rid of IM. The option is now 6+ and 7+, which compacts three years into two and puts kids on the path for algebra in 8th. AIM is for 6th graders and puts them on the path to algebra in 7th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm new to this. My kid did not get recommended to the magnet for math but is making As in compacted 5/6. His recommendation under Course Request is Applied Investig Math 6/Teacher Recommended

Is that AIM? What is AMP? What's the differences between 6 and 6+? (is there a difference?)

So many acronyms and I haven't been able to find a page on MCPS that defines them all!

In middle school, from 6th grade to 8th,

"Normal" course: Math 6 => Math 7. => Math 8 (prep for Algebra 1 in 9th grade)

Advanced course: AMP 6+ (6th & 1/2 of 7th) => AMP 7÷ (1/2 of 7th & 8th) => Algebra 1

Highly-advanced course: AIM (7th & 8th) => Algebra 1 => Geometry

There are support courses for those who have difficulty with the on-grade-level material. There are also smaller minorities of highly-advanced students who take an even more accelerated set of classes. That's supposed to be for one-off exceptions with tremendous ability, but, from various DCUM discussions, it looks like certain schools caved to large numbers of parent advocates, getting whole classes of Algebra in 6th, for instance, or even in 5th, if you believe them. They are always circumspect about the particular schools, though Frost has been mentioned and "a DCC school" (in response to all this being available only to those in Potomac).

Glad your teacher rec says AIM. If your kid did not get into the magnet but was in the lottery pool, that's where they are supposed to be. If they didn't make the pool but were recommended for AIM, I'd jump on that (as long as your kid is doing swimmingly in 5/6). Monitor to be sure they get that, and advocate with the teacher rec in case they don't.

THANK YOU so much, PP! This is so much clearer than anything I've gotten from MCPS so far.

Another rising 6th SSIMS parent here. I heard that SSIMS is moving from AIM to AMP7+ next year, which keeps kids on track for Algebra I in 7th. It’s a curriculum change. From googling and reading past DCUM, it sounds like other middle schools got rid of AIM last year?

AIM should still be offered; the county is getting rid of IM. The option is now 6+ and 7+, which compacts three years into two and puts kids on the path for algebra in 8th. AIM is for 6th graders and puts them on the path to algebra in 7th.

The MCPS line has been that all schools will have AIM. The exigent reality is that some will offer the path to Algebra in 7th by utilizing AMP7+, instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm new to this. My kid did not get recommended to the magnet for math but is making As in compacted 5/6. His recommendation under Course Request is Applied Investig Math 6/Teacher Recommended

Is that AIM? What is AMP? What's the differences between 6 and 6+? (is there a difference?)

So many acronyms and I haven't been able to find a page on MCPS that defines them all!

In middle school, from 6th grade to 8th,

"Normal" course: Math 6 => Math 7. => Math 8 (prep for Algebra 1 in 9th grade)

Advanced course: AMP 6+ (6th & 1/2 of 7th) => AMP 7÷ (1/2 of 7th & 8th) => Algebra 1

Highly-advanced course: AIM (7th & 8th) => Algebra 1 => Geometry

There are support courses for those who have difficulty with the on-grade-level material. There are also smaller minorities of highly-advanced students who take an even more accelerated set of classes. That's supposed to be for one-off exceptions with tremendous ability, but, from various DCUM discussions, it looks like certain schools caved to large numbers of parent advocates, getting whole classes of Algebra in 6th, for instance, or even in 5th, if you believe them. They are always circumspect about the particular schools, though Frost has been mentioned and "a DCC school" (in response to all this being available only to those in Potomac).

Glad your teacher rec says AIM. If your kid did not get into the magnet but was in the lottery pool, that's where they are supposed to be. If they didn't make the pool but were recommended for AIM, I'd jump on that (as long as your kid is doing swimmingly in 5/6). Monitor to be sure they get that, and advocate with the teacher rec in case they don't.

THANK YOU so much, PP! This is so much clearer than anything I've gotten from MCPS so far.

Another rising 6th SSIMS parent here. I heard that SSIMS is moving from AIM to AMP7+ next year, which keeps kids on track for Algebra I in 7th. It’s a curriculum change. From googling and reading past DCUM, it sounds like other middle schools got rid of AIM last year?

AIM should still be offered; the county is getting rid of IM. The option is now 6+ and 7+, which compacts three years into two and puts kids on the path for algebra in 8th. AIM is for 6th graders and puts them on the path to algebra in 7th.

The MCPS line has been that all schools will have AIM. The exigent reality is that some will offer the path to Algebra in 7th by utilizing AMP7+, instead.

So you are saying that 6th graders would take 7+ and miss the first half of 7th grade math?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm new to this. My kid did not get recommended to the magnet for math but is making As in compacted 5/6. His recommendation under Course Request is Applied Investig Math 6/Teacher Recommended

Is that AIM? What is AMP? What's the differences between 6 and 6+? (is there a difference?)

So many acronyms and I haven't been able to find a page on MCPS that defines them all!

In middle school, from 6th grade to 8th,

"Normal" course: Math 6 => Math 7. => Math 8 (prep for Algebra 1 in 9th grade)

Advanced course: AMP 6+ (6th & 1/2 of 7th) => AMP 7÷ (1/2 of 7th & 8th) => Algebra 1

Highly-advanced course: AIM (7th & 8th) => Algebra 1 => Geometry

There are support courses for those who have difficulty with the on-grade-level material. There are also smaller minorities of highly-advanced students who take an even more accelerated set of classes. That's supposed to be for one-off exceptions with tremendous ability, but, from various DCUM discussions, it looks like certain schools caved to large numbers of parent advocates, getting whole classes of Algebra in 6th, for instance, or even in 5th, if you believe them. They are always circumspect about the particular schools, though Frost has been mentioned and "a DCC school" (in response to all this being available only to those in Potomac).

Glad your teacher rec says AIM. If your kid did not get into the magnet but was in the lottery pool, that's where they are supposed to be. If they didn't make the pool but were recommended for AIM, I'd jump on that (as long as your kid is doing swimmingly in 5/6). Monitor to be sure they get that, and advocate with the teacher rec in case they don't.

THANK YOU so much, PP! This is so much clearer than anything I've gotten from MCPS so far.

Another rising 6th SSIMS parent here. I heard that SSIMS is moving from AIM to AMP7+ next year, which keeps kids on track for Algebra I in 7th. It’s a curriculum change. From googling and reading past DCUM, it sounds like other middle schools got rid of AIM last year?

AIM should still be offered; the county is getting rid of IM. The option is now 6+ and 7+, which compacts three years into two and puts kids on the path for algebra in 8th. AIM is for 6th graders and puts them on the path to algebra in 7th.

The MCPS line has been that all schools will have AIM. The exigent reality is that some will offer the path to Algebra in 7th by utilizing AMP7+, instead.

So you are saying that 6th graders would take 7+ and miss the first half of 7th grade math?

That would be the effect if they went with 7+ instead of AIM, unless they supplemented the curriculum. With the spiral nature, it may be that the concepts get covered again, but since 6+ and 7+ were compacted by the curriculum vendor, I'd hazard a guess that there would still be something missing coming to 7+ not from the natural 6+ predecessor, but from from 5/6 in 5th (MCPS-crafted from both the Eureka elementary and LZ/Illustrative Math middle curricula).

Of course, plenty of DCUM posts indicate that kids skip over elementary material (the oft-cited paths at certain schools to Algebra in 6th) to no ill effect (or so they say), but I think that usually comes with the understanding of considerable outside enrichment to that point. I'd hope that if any MCPS school used 7+ in lieu of AIM, they'd at least provide the missed portion of the curriculum in an easily-ingestible form (and one that made it easy for families to help, too) for review over the summer/early on in the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm new to this. My kid did not get recommended to the magnet for math but is making As in compacted 5/6. His recommendation under Course Request is Applied Investig Math 6/Teacher Recommended

Is that AIM? What is AMP? What's the differences between 6 and 6+? (is there a difference?)

So many acronyms and I haven't been able to find a page on MCPS that defines them all!

In middle school, from 6th grade to 8th,

"Normal" course: Math 6 => Math 7. => Math 8 (prep for Algebra 1 in 9th grade)

Advanced course: AMP 6+ (6th & 1/2 of 7th) => AMP 7÷ (1/2 of 7th & 8th) => Algebra 1

Highly-advanced course: AIM (7th & 8th) => Algebra 1 => Geometry

There are support courses for those who have difficulty with the on-grade-level material. There are also smaller minorities of highly-advanced students who take an even more accelerated set of classes. That's supposed to be for one-off exceptions with tremendous ability, but, from various DCUM discussions, it looks like certain schools caved to large numbers of parent advocates, getting whole classes of Algebra in 6th, for instance, or even in 5th, if you believe them. They are always circumspect about the particular schools, though Frost has been mentioned and "a DCC school" (in response to all this being available only to those in Potomac).

Glad your teacher rec says AIM. If your kid did not get into the magnet but was in the lottery pool, that's where they are supposed to be. If they didn't make the pool but were recommended for AIM, I'd jump on that (as long as your kid is doing swimmingly in 5/6). Monitor to be sure they get that, and advocate with the teacher rec in case they don't.

THANK YOU so much, PP! This is so much clearer than anything I've gotten from MCPS so far.

Another rising 6th SSIMS parent here. I heard that SSIMS is moving from AIM to AMP7+ next year, which keeps kids on track for Algebra I in 7th. It’s a curriculum change. From googling and reading past DCUM, it sounds like other middle schools got rid of AIM last year?

AIM should still be offered; the county is getting rid of IM. The option is now 6+ and 7+, which compacts three years into two and puts kids on the path for algebra in 8th. AIM is for 6th graders and puts them on the path to algebra in 7th.

The MCPS line has been that all schools will have AIM. The exigent reality is that some will offer the path to Algebra in 7th by utilizing AMP7+, instead.

So you are saying that 6th graders would take 7+ and miss the first half of 7th grade math?

That would be the effect if they went with 7+ instead of AIM, unless they supplemented the curriculum. With the spiral nature, it may be that the concepts get covered again, but since 6+ and 7+ were compacted by the curriculum vendor, I'd hazard a guess that there would still be something missing coming to 7+ not from the natural 6+ predecessor, but from from 5/6 in 5th (MCPS-crafted from both the Eureka elementary and LZ/Illustrative Math middle curricula).

Of course, plenty of DCUM posts indicate that kids skip over elementary material (the oft-cited paths at certain schools to Algebra in 6th) to no ill effect (or so they say), but I think that usually comes with the understanding of considerable outside enrichment to that point. I'd hope that if any MCPS school used 7+ in lieu of AIM, they'd at least provide the missed portion of the curriculum in an easily-ingestible form (and one that made it easy for families to help, too) for review over the summer/early on in the year.

In our school 5/6 already leaves out the last 1.5 modules of Eureka. If kid also missed the first half of math 7, I just don’t see how my kid would succeed without covering missed material the summer before. I think MCPS is really setting kids who go from 5/6 to 7+ up for a real struggle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm new to this. My kid did not get recommended to the magnet for math but is making As in compacted 5/6. His recommendation under Course Request is Applied Investig Math 6/Teacher Recommended

Is that AIM? What is AMP? What's the differences between 6 and 6+? (is there a difference?)

So many acronyms and I haven't been able to find a page on MCPS that defines them all!

In middle school, from 6th grade to 8th,

"Normal" course: Math 6 => Math 7. => Math 8 (prep for Algebra 1 in 9th grade)

Advanced course: AMP 6+ (6th & 1/2 of 7th) => AMP 7÷ (1/2 of 7th & 8th) => Algebra 1

Highly-advanced course: AIM (7th & 8th) => Algebra 1 => Geometry

There are support courses for those who have difficulty with the on-grade-level material. There are also smaller minorities of highly-advanced students who take an even more accelerated set of classes. That's supposed to be for one-off exceptions with tremendous ability, but, from various DCUM discussions, it looks like certain schools caved to large numbers of parent advocates, getting whole classes of Algebra in 6th, for instance, or even in 5th, if you believe them. They are always circumspect about the particular schools, though Frost has been mentioned and "a DCC school" (in response to all this being available only to those in Potomac).

Glad your teacher rec says AIM. If your kid did not get into the magnet but was in the lottery pool, that's where they are supposed to be. If they didn't make the pool but were recommended for AIM, I'd jump on that (as long as your kid is doing swimmingly in 5/6). Monitor to be sure they get that, and advocate with the teacher rec in case they don't.

THANK YOU so much, PP! This is so much clearer than anything I've gotten from MCPS so far.

Another rising 6th SSIMS parent here. I heard that SSIMS is moving from AIM to AMP7+ next year, which keeps kids on track for Algebra I in 7th. It’s a curriculum change. From googling and reading past DCUM, it sounds like other middle schools got rid of AIM last year?

AIM should still be offered; the county is getting rid of IM. The option is now 6+ and 7+, which compacts three years into two and puts kids on the path for algebra in 8th. AIM is for 6th graders and puts them on the path to algebra in 7th.

The MCPS line has been that all schools will have AIM. The exigent reality is that some will offer the path to Algebra in 7th by utilizing AMP7+, instead.

So you are saying that 6th graders would take 7+ and miss the first half of 7th grade math?

That would be the effect if they went with 7+ instead of AIM, unless they supplemented the curriculum. With the spiral nature, it may be that the concepts get covered again, but since 6+ and 7+ were compacted by the curriculum vendor, I'd hazard a guess that there would still be something missing coming to 7+ not from the natural 6+ predecessor, but from from 5/6 in 5th (MCPS-crafted from both the Eureka elementary and LZ/Illustrative Math middle curricula).

Of course, plenty of DCUM posts indicate that kids skip over elementary material (the oft-cited paths at certain schools to Algebra in 6th) to no ill effect (or so they say), but I think that usually comes with the understanding of considerable outside enrichment to that point. I'd hope that if any MCPS school used 7+ in lieu of AIM, they'd at least provide the missed portion of the curriculum in an easily-ingestible form (and one that made it easy for families to help, too) for review over the summer/early on in the year.

+100. MCPS and its middle schools really need to plan for covering all the 7/8 material for the compacted students. I have zero faith that all schools will do so on their own unless it’s already included as part of the plan.