Rising 8th grader - Summer Geometry honors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those kids and more specifically, their parents are trying to get a leg up to get into TJ. TJ admissions has caught on and won't admit all of them. Most of them would do better by just taking geometry in 8th grade. Then they struggle to do the same in HS. There are very few math geniuses but everyone wants to look like one. It's a race to nowhere.

Your argument doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t take a math genius to take Algebra 2 in 8th. The math geniuses are not taking Algebra 2 in 8th, they’re probably taking linear algebra or differential equations or something even higher.

Splitting hairs about "genius" misses the point.

TJ takes 500 of 25000 students per year: 2%.

That's substantially more than the number of students taking Algebra 2 in 8th and doing well in it. A lot of students (parents) push into that level and don't do well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those kids and more specifically, their parents are trying to get a leg up to get into TJ. TJ admissions has caught on and won't admit all of them. Most of them would do better by just taking geometry in 8th grade. Then they struggle to do the same in HS. There are very few math geniuses but everyone wants to look like one. It's a race to nowhere.

Your argument doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t take a math genius to take Algebra 2 in 8th. The math geniuses are not taking Algebra 2 in 8th, they’re probably taking linear algebra or differential equations or something even higher.

Splitting hairs about "genius" misses the point.

TJ takes 500 of 25000 students per year: 2%.

That's substantially more than the number of students taking Algebra 2 in 8th and doing well in it. A lot of students (parents) push into that level and don't do well.

Not sure what you're basing that on. Generally at least three quarters of kids taking Algebra 2 in 8th grade score pass advanced on their SOL and virtually all pass. They are the highest performing of all SOL cohorts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those kids and more specifically, their parents are trying to get a leg up to get into TJ. TJ admissions has caught on and won't admit all of them. Most of them would do better by just taking geometry in 8th grade. Then they struggle to do the same in HS. There are very few math geniuses but everyone wants to look like one. It's a race to nowhere.

Your argument doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t take a math genius to take Algebra 2 in 8th. The math geniuses are not taking Algebra 2 in 8th, they’re probably taking linear algebra or differential equations or something even higher.

No, that is my point but these families think they need to separate themselves from the rest of the pack anyway by accelerating as much as they can even though they are not math geniuses.

We agree that math geniuses are taking higher math, but there is a spectrum in math abilities, and it’s not a stretch to take A2 in 8th.

Maybe those parents are trying for an edge, but their kids can handle it, and parents are advocating for the best most productive use of the kids’ time.

It’s painful to see your capable child waste their time away.

[Anonymous]

^ and don’t forget, it’s worse for the kid to take outside classes instead of fruitfully spending their time in school, because they will go to school anyway.

I’d feel worse for kids taking math outside of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those kids and more specifically, their parents are trying to get a leg up to get into TJ. TJ admissions has caught on and won't admit all of them. Most of them would do better by just taking geometry in 8th grade. Then they struggle to do the same in HS. There are very few math geniuses but everyone wants to look like one. It's a race to nowhere.

Your argument doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t take a math genius to take Algebra 2 in 8th. The math geniuses are not taking Algebra 2 in 8th, they’re probably taking linear algebra or differential equations or something even higher.

Splitting hairs about "genius" misses the point.

TJ takes 500 of 25000 students per year: 2%.

That's substantially more than the number of students taking Algebra 2 in 8th and doing well in it. A lot of students (parents) push into that level and don't do well.

Not sure what you're basing that on. Generally at least three quarters of kids taking Algebra 2 in 8th grade score pass advanced on their SOL and virtually all pass. They are the highest performing of all SOL cohorts.

I’m told that at DD’s school (was a TJ feeder), there is not going to be a large enough cohort of kids to have Algebra 2 in 8th. So those kids that are doing Geometry in the summer will be doing Algebra 2 online. This sounds like a really bad idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those kids and more specifically, their parents are trying to get a leg up to get into TJ. TJ admissions has caught on and won't admit all of them. Most of them would do better by just taking geometry in 8th grade. Then they struggle to do the same in HS. There are very few math geniuses but everyone wants to look like one. It's a race to nowhere.

Your argument doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t take a math genius to take Algebra 2 in 8th. The math geniuses are not taking Algebra 2 in 8th, they’re probably taking linear algebra or differential equations or something even higher.

Splitting hairs about "genius" misses the point.

TJ takes 500 of 25000 students per year: 2%.

That's substantially more than the number of students taking Algebra 2 in 8th and doing well in it. A lot of students (parents) push into that level and don't do well.

Not sure what you're basing that on. Generally at least three quarters of kids taking Algebra 2 in 8th grade score pass advanced on their SOL and virtually all pass. They are the highest performing of all SOL cohorts.

I’m told that at DD’s school (was a TJ feeder), there is not going to be a large enough cohort of kids to have Algebra 2 in 8th. So those kids that are doing Geometry in the summer will be doing Algebra 2 online. This sounds like a really bad idea.

A feeder teaching it online? Surprising!

Can’t they go to the HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those kids and more specifically, their parents are trying to get a leg up to get into TJ. TJ admissions has caught on and won't admit all of them. Most of them would do better by just taking geometry in 8th grade. Then they struggle to do the same in HS. There are very few math geniuses but everyone wants to look like one. It's a race to nowhere.

Your argument doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t take a math genius to take Algebra 2 in 8th. The math geniuses are not taking Algebra 2 in 8th, they’re probably taking linear algebra or differential equations or something even higher.

Splitting hairs about "genius" misses the point.

TJ takes 500 of 25000 students per year: 2%.

That's substantially more than the number of students taking Algebra 2 in 8th and doing well in it. A lot of students (parents) push into that level and don't do well.

Not sure what you're basing that on. Generally at least three quarters of kids taking Algebra 2 in 8th grade score pass advanced on their SOL and virtually all pass. They are the highest performing of all SOL cohorts.

I’m told that at DD’s school (was a TJ feeder), there is not going to be a large enough cohort of kids to have Algebra 2 in 8th. So those kids that are doing Geometry in the summer will be doing Algebra 2 online. This sounds like a really bad idea.

A feeder teaching it online? Surprising!

Can’t they go to the HS?

Carson is about a 20 minute drive from South Lakes High School. I am not sure how far it is from the other HS that it sends kids to.

[Anonymous]

It's hard to find good Alg 2 teachers willing to teach in MS. Better to wait and have a good teacher in high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those kids and more specifically, their parents are trying to get a leg up to get into TJ. TJ admissions has caught on and won't admit all of them. Most of them would do better by just taking geometry in 8th grade. Then they struggle to do the same in HS. There are very few math geniuses but everyone wants to look like one. It's a race to nowhere.

Your argument doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t take a math genius to take Algebra 2 in 8th. The math geniuses are not taking Algebra 2 in 8th, they’re probably taking linear algebra or differential equations or something even higher.

Splitting hairs about "genius" misses the point.

TJ takes 500 of 25000 students per year: 2%.

That's substantially more than the number of students taking Algebra 2 in 8th and doing well in it. A lot of students (parents) push into that level and don't do well.

Not sure what you're basing that on. Generally at least three quarters of kids taking Algebra 2 in 8th grade score pass advanced on their SOL and virtually all pass. They are the highest performing of all SOL cohorts.

One quarter of them aren't higher performing than the students who pass advanced in 9th
grade.

I don't believe a student should be taking Alg 2 an extra year early if they aren't passing advanced. That's not a good foundation for 4 more years of math after Algebra 2.

Whats the value in "advancing" faster by skipping learning some of the material?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those kids and more specifically, their parents are trying to get a leg up to get into TJ. TJ admissions has caught on and won't admit all of them. Most of them would do better by just taking geometry in 8th grade. Then they struggle to do the same in HS. There are very few math geniuses but everyone wants to look like one. It's a race to nowhere.

Your argument doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t take a math genius to take Algebra 2 in 8th. The math geniuses are not taking Algebra 2 in 8th, they’re probably taking linear algebra or differential equations or something even higher.

Splitting hairs about "genius" misses the point.

TJ takes 500 of 25000 students per year: 2%.

That's substantially more than the number of students taking Algebra 2 in 8th and doing well in it. A lot of students (parents) push into that level and don't do well.

Not sure what you're basing that on. Generally at least three quarters of kids taking Algebra 2 in 8th grade score pass advanced on their SOL and virtually all pass. They are the highest performing of all SOL cohorts.

One quarter of them aren't higher performing than the students who pass advanced in 9th
grade.

I don't believe a student should be taking Alg 2 an extra year early if they aren't passing advanced. That's not a good foundation for 4 more years of math after Algebra 2.

Whats the value in "advancing" faster by skipping learning some of the material?

I don't know if this site is legit, but if it's an accurate SOL test, I'd expect a top student, taking Honors Algebra 2 in 8th, who is on track for post-MVCalc(!) in high school, to get nearly 100% on these questions, which are basic exercise, not hard multi-step problems.

I'd expect an Honors Algebra 1 student to solve most of them (But I don't know what the "pass advanced" cutoff is)

https://www.solpass.org/released_sol_tests/Algebra2SOL2015.pdf?section=study-2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those kids and more specifically, their parents are trying to get a leg up to get into TJ. TJ admissions has caught on and won't admit all of them. Most of them would do better by just taking geometry in 8th grade. Then they struggle to do the same in HS. There are very few math geniuses but everyone wants to look like one. It's a race to nowhere.

Your argument doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t take a math genius to take Algebra 2 in 8th. The math geniuses are not taking Algebra 2 in 8th, they’re probably taking linear algebra or differential equations or something even higher.

Splitting hairs about "genius" misses the point.

TJ takes 500 of 25000 students per year: 2%.

That's substantially more than the number of students taking Algebra 2 in 8th and doing well in it. A lot of students (parents) push into that level and don't do well.

Not sure what you're basing that on. Generally at least three quarters of kids taking Algebra 2 in 8th grade score pass advanced on their SOL and virtually all pass. They are the highest performing of all SOL cohorts.

One quarter of them aren't higher performing than the students who pass advanced in 9th
grade.

I don't believe a student should be taking Alg 2 an extra year early if they aren't passing advanced. That's not a good foundation for 4 more years of math after Algebra 2.

Whats the value in "advancing" faster by skipping learning some of the material?

1. Just because 1/4 isn’t better you don’t remove the opportunity from the 3/4

2. Just because 1/4 isn’t better doesn’t mean that they are bad and don’t ‘deserve’ to be advanced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those kids and more specifically, their parents are trying to get a leg up to get into TJ. TJ admissions has caught on and won't admit all of them. Most of them would do better by just taking geometry in 8th grade. Then they struggle to do the same in HS. There are very few math geniuses but everyone wants to look like one. It's a race to nowhere.

Your argument doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t take a math genius to take Algebra 2 in 8th. The math geniuses are not taking Algebra 2 in 8th, they’re probably taking linear algebra or differential equations or something even higher.

Splitting hairs about "genius" misses the point.

TJ takes 500 of 25000 students per year: 2%.

That's substantially more than the number of students taking Algebra 2 in 8th and doing well in it. A lot of students (parents) push into that level and don't do well.

Not sure what you're basing that on. Generally at least three quarters of kids taking Algebra 2 in 8th grade score pass advanced on their SOL and virtually all pass. They are the highest performing of all SOL cohorts.

One quarter of them aren't higher performing than the students who pass advanced in 9th
grade.

I don't believe a student should be taking Alg 2 an extra year early if they aren't passing advanced. That's not a good foundation for 4 more years of math after Algebra 2.

Whats the value in "advancing" faster by skipping learning some of the material?

At least 75% score pass advanced. Last year (2021-22), 87% of FCPS 8th graders taking Algebra 2 scored pass advanced. (Carson 89%, Cooper 100%, Jackson 92%, Longfellow 83%, Rocky Run 91%).

The 75% was from 2020-21 and thus affected by covid/virtual learning. In order to ensure coverage of algebra concepts, some teachers skipped the statistics sections during covid. That wouldn't affect kids moving on to precalc and calc but would affect their SOL score. For 2018-19 pre-covid, 90% scored pass advanced.

[Anonymous]

are there any statistics about how mnay kids taking Algebra 2 Honors made it to TJ?Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Does summer Geometry HN skip some school year topics?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those kids and more specifically, their parents are trying to get a leg up to get into TJ. TJ admissions has caught on and won't admit all of them. Most of them would do better by just taking geometry in 8th grade. Then they struggle to do the same in HS. There are very few math geniuses but everyone wants to look like one. It's a race to nowhere.

Your argument doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t take a math genius to take Algebra 2 in 8th. The math geniuses are not taking Algebra 2 in 8th, they’re probably taking linear algebra or differential equations or something even higher.

No, that is my point but these families think they need to separate themselves from the rest of the pack anyway by accelerating as much as they can even though they are not math geniuses.

are you a psychic or a sorcerer/ess to know how "families think"? or assessment warlock/witch running around town figuring out kids "are not math geniuses"?

This is called parent on parent grudge, where a parent compares themselves and their kid to others, driven by insecurity, and concludes other parents had to be doing something bad, and other kids can no way be a fast learner than theirs, and starts generalizing crap.