Math Track

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Math is not a race. Many kids have high MAP-M scores. It’s fine to take Calc BC in 11th grade and then MVC and start college there. Even for a math major.

What are you thinking is the long game here? I know everyone likes to talk about what math class their kid is in but think ahead.

Because some kids with math brains WANT more math, and they're miserable if they have to rehash the same old same old while their peers need things repeated.

Have some respect, PP. Maybe your kid is a star athlete. He or she wouldn't be happy in the rec league.

Actually my kid was a star math student had a MAP-M score in the 260s in 3rd grade. I am offering my experience as a parent who has gone through this already. Things were certainly boring for him before HS but there is plenty of challenge then, especially in the SMCS programs.

So what about the star athlete who, due to there being more star athletes than roster spots, is relegated to JV (i.e., not SMCS)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also please use the search function for the 345,654 threads on this same issue with the same old arguments being rehashed every time.

This website is virtually unsearchable! The search function is random, it’s not by date, you can’t filter, it misses things, it’s a mess. Big fail.

So untrue. Search “algebra in 6th grade” and look at the results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Math is not a race. Many kids have high MAP-M scores. It’s fine to take Calc BC in 11th grade and then MVC and start college there. Even for a math major.

What are you thinking is the long game here? I know everyone likes to talk about what math class their kid is in but think ahead.

Because some kids with math brains WANT more math, and they're miserable if they have to rehash the same old same old while their peers need things repeated.

Have some respect, PP. Maybe your kid is a star athlete. He or she wouldn't be happy in the rec league.

Then they can use all that extra time they don't need to work on math in order to learn to read deeply (at a college level) and write effectively. I know plenty of successful students and professionals who don't need much math, but I don't know any who don't benefit from highly developed literacy skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have two children, one in second and one in eighth. The eighth grader is currently taking Geometry. The second grader has pretty high Map-M scores. I have heard of children in 6th grade taking Algebra. What would be the process of getting my second grader on track for Algebra in 6th? Lastly, is there any possible way for my eighth grader to somehow skip Algebra 2 (I'm pretty confident that they are capable)?

There's no track per se but you need to be at a WPES for this to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:18:25 again. Do NOT have your 8th grader skip any math class! MCPS won't let you anyway. However, you may ask whether your kid can take a summer class and have that validated as Algebra 2. It's not usually allowed. Math gets harder and faster in high school.

I'd been told this too but also saw on one or two rare instances kids get jumped up a year without taking the class. This leads me to believe that it's a function of parental pressure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s no process for your kid getting to take algebra in 6th. This will be another thread with 10 pages of Pole arguing about allegedly some wealthy schools where maybe you can do it and others saying it’s not just wealthy schools and others saying it only happens if parents wear down administration.

Your 8th grader can skip algebra 2 if they get into the Blair magnet. If they don’t get in then drop the idea. There is no reason to do it and also no benefit to algebra in 6th grade and plenty of reasons not to including having to be bussed to high school for algebra 2 in 8th and running out of math classes in high school.

Blair Magnet kids do not skip Algebra II, they just take Algebra II and precalc in 3 semesters (or 2 semesters for a smaller group)

[Anonymous]

If you aren't in an ES that is already preparing kids for Algebra in 6, the principal may not be accommodating. My kid's friend doubled up on Algebra II and Geometry in 8th. I've known other kids who did this. Talk to the principal directly. This is not something to bring up at a PTA meeting.

What ES is your kid zoned to? If you share, people might be able to offer some of their own experiences. MCPS has tinkered with the math track A LOT since 2011, so, people will have a lot of different experiences with acceleration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:18:25 again. Do NOT have your 8th grader skip any math class! MCPS won't let you anyway. However, you may ask whether your kid can take a summer class and have that validated as Algebra 2. It's not usually allowed. Math gets harder and faster in high school.

I'd been told this too but also saw on one or two rare instances kids get jumped up a year without taking the class. This leads me to believe that it's a function of parental pressure.

There are ALWAYs exceptions in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:18:25 again. Do NOT have your 8th grader skip any math class! MCPS won't let you anyway. However, you may ask whether your kid can take a summer class and have that validated as Algebra 2. It's not usually allowed. Math gets harder and faster in high school.

I'd been told this too but also saw on one or two rare instances kids get jumped up a year without taking the class. This leads me to believe that it's a function of parental pressure.

There are ALWAYs exceptions in MCPS.

The student in question is a grade behind DC and was placed in their math class. They had a 99% MAP-M, which was lower than DCs in that grade, but they had strong parental advocacy.

My point is that it isn't fair or consistent. You won't automatically be considered for these things unless you ask and persist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:18:25 again. Do NOT have your 8th grader skip any math class! MCPS won't let you anyway. However, you may ask whether your kid can take a summer class and have that validated as Algebra 2. It's not usually allowed. Math gets harder and faster in high school.

I'd been told this too but also saw on one or two rare instances kids get jumped up a year without taking the class. This leads me to believe that it's a function of parental pressure.

There are ALWAYs exceptions in MCPS.

+1. My experience there is more flexibility in MS than ES.

[Anonymous]

Again, it's ok to take Calc BC in 11th grade and MVC in 12th and be MORE than ahead of the game math-wise for college. Eye on the end game people.