Algebra 1 in high school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All MCPS schools offer Algebra I in high school. It is basically remedial math.

It is not remedial math.

Doing Algebra I in 8th grade is considered on-level for MCPS. At many (most) MCPS schools the advanced kids will come into HS taking Algebra II in 9th (or even higher for a small percentage). While the content for 9th grade Algebra I is not remedial, the reality is, most of the students who are taking it are considered "behind" and not the best students.

Bullshit. Many are pushed through and don’t know algebra 1 with a solid understanding. It is not because they are not the best students. It is simply a matter of getting students to higher levels is math quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All MCPS schools offer Algebra I in high school. It is basically remedial math.

It is not remedial math.

Doing Algebra I in 8th grade is considered on-level for MCPS. At many (most) MCPS schools the advanced kids will come into HS taking Algebra II in 9th (or even higher for a small percentage). While the content for 9th grade Algebra I is not remedial, the reality is, most of the students who are taking it are considered "behind" and not the best students.

Bullshit. Many are pushed through and don’t know algebra 1 with a solid understanding. It is not because they are not the best students. It is simply a matter of getting students to higher levels is math quickly.

*of math quickly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All MCPS schools offer Algebra I in high school. It is basically remedial math.

It is not remedial math.

Doing Algebra I in 8th grade is considered on-level for MCPS. At many (most) MCPS schools the advanced kids will come into HS taking Algebra II in 9th (or even higher for a small percentage). While the content for 9th grade Algebra I is not remedial, the reality is, most of the students who are taking it are considered "behind" and not the best students.

They could be "the best students" in areas like writing, languages, fine and performing arts, or media, and rather than being "behind" be prioritizing what matters for them and _their_ careers. "The best" students don't all go into STEM, nor should they.

The best students tend to be the best students across the board. Algebra in 9th puts them two years behind the top cohort (ignoring the few how are even further ahead) and one year behind the normal honors kids

[Anonymous]

I’ve never understood this but I was always in “on level” math courses. Algebra in 9th, geometry in 10th, algebra 2 in 11th, trig and advanced algebra in 12th and I got into better colleges than my classmates who took calculus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All MCPS schools offer Algebra I in high school. It is basically remedial math.

It is not remedial math.

Doing Algebra I in 8th grade is considered on-level for MCPS. At many (most) MCPS schools the advanced kids will come into HS taking Algebra II in 9th (or even higher for a small percentage). While the content for 9th grade Algebra I is not remedial, the reality is, most of the students who are taking it are considered "behind" and not the best students.

"Behind" what, exactly? A moving line labeled "fastest possible exposure to greatest quantity of math"? An aspirational race towards a top 20 computer science program in college? Parental bragging rights? Other classmates who genuinely love math and are good at it and deserve to have classes that support them - while those who are "behind" pursue what they are differently passionate about? I honestly don't understand this obsession with forcing so many students through so much mathematics that is beyond most career requirements and also beyond many students' ability to truly understand it anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All MCPS schools offer Algebra I in high school. It is basically remedial math.

It is not remedial math.

Doing Algebra I in 8th grade is considered on-level for MCPS. At many (most) MCPS schools the advanced kids will come into HS taking Algebra II in 9th (or even higher for a small percentage). While the content for 9th grade Algebra I is not remedial, the reality is, most of the students who are taking it are considered "behind" and not the best students.

They could be "the best students" in areas like writing, languages, fine and performing arts, or media, and rather than being "behind" be prioritizing what matters for them and _their_ careers. "The best" students don't all go into STEM, nor should they.

Taking Algebra I in 8th grade is not preparing students for a STEM career, but if this is how you want to look at it, go ahead. That isn't how MCPS is looking at it. My kids' MS only had one section of Math 8. I wouldn't be surprised if a school like pyle had no sections of math 8.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All MCPS schools offer Algebra I in high school. It is basically remedial math.

It is not remedial math.

Doing Algebra I in 8th grade is considered on-level for MCPS. At many (most) MCPS schools the advanced kids will come into HS taking Algebra II in 9th (or even higher for a small percentage). While the content for 9th grade Algebra I is not remedial, the reality is, most of the students who are taking it are considered "behind" and not the best students.

They could be "the best students" in areas like writing, languages, fine and performing arts, or media, and rather than being "behind" be prioritizing what matters for them and _their_ careers. "The best" students don't all go into STEM, nor should they.

The best students tend to be the best students across the board. Algebra in 9th puts them two years behind the top cohort (ignoring the few how are even further ahead) and one year behind the normal honors kids

"The best students tend to be the best students across the board": based on what, exactly? Yes, there are outliers where the kid is a D1-level athlete who has also founded a nonprofit to recycle all plastics in their county and scored 1600 on the SAT and won the Intel science search and plays first violin in the state youth orchestra, but there is a reason we hear about and celebrate kids like that: they are supremely rare. And even they have to choose a career pathway that does not require all of those things, and even they are better at some of those things than others. Excellence comes in many forms, including in areas that are manifestly not STEM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All MCPS schools offer Algebra I in high school. It is basically remedial math.

It is not remedial math.

Doing Algebra I in 8th grade is considered on-level for MCPS. At many (most) MCPS schools the advanced kids will come into HS taking Algebra II in 9th (or even higher for a small percentage). While the content for 9th grade Algebra I is not remedial, the reality is, most of the students who are taking it are considered "behind" and not the best students.

They could be "the best students" in areas like writing, languages, fine and performing arts, or media, and rather than being "behind" be prioritizing what matters for them and _their_ careers. "The best" students don't all go into STEM, nor should they.

The best students tend to be the best students across the board. Algebra in 9th puts them two years behind the top cohort (ignoring the few how are even further ahead) and one year behind the normal honors kids

"The best students tend to be the best students across the board": based on what, exactly? Yes, there are outliers where the kid is a D1-level athlete who has also founded a nonprofit to recycle all plastics in their county and scored 1600 on the SAT and won the Intel science search and plays first violin in the state youth orchestra, but there is a reason we hear about and celebrate kids like that: they are supremely rare. And even they have to choose a career pathway that does not require all of those things, and even they are better at some of those things than others. Excellence comes in many forms, including in areas that are manifestly not STEM.

The kids taking AP history and AP English literature will be the same kids taking AP chem and Calc BC. Taking the hardest courses across the board and doing well is not rare; it's the norm for the best students. That's how the best students have GPA's well above 4- all of their classes in every subject are honors and AP where possible and they do well in all of them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All MCPS schools offer Algebra I in high school. It is basically remedial math.

It is not remedial math.

Doing Algebra I in 8th grade is considered on-level for MCPS. At many (most) MCPS schools the advanced kids will come into HS taking Algebra II in 9th (or even higher for a small percentage). While the content for 9th grade Algebra I is not remedial, the reality is, most of the students who are taking it are considered "behind" and not the best students.

They could be "the best students" in areas like writing, languages, fine and performing arts, or media, and rather than being "behind" be prioritizing what matters for them and _their_ careers. "The best" students don't all go into STEM, nor should they.

The best students tend to be the best students across the board. Algebra in 9th puts them two years behind the top cohort (ignoring the few how are even further ahead) and one year behind the normal honors kids

The top cohort doesn’t mean that those in algebra 1 are behind in any way. Additionally, plenty of the “honors” kids should not be in honors and a lot of other students in privates are teaching algebra 1 in grade 9 at a greater level than the kids receiving algebra 1 in grade 8. A lot of those kids would have to retake algebra in 9th grade if they had to take a placement test at privates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All MCPS schools offer Algebra I in high school. It is basically remedial math.

It is not remedial math.

Doing Algebra I in 8th grade is considered on-level for MCPS. At many (most) MCPS schools the advanced kids will come into HS taking Algebra II in 9th (or even higher for a small percentage). While the content for 9th grade Algebra I is not remedial, the reality is, most of the students who are taking it are considered "behind" and not the best students.

They could be "the best students" in areas like writing, languages, fine and performing arts, or media, and rather than being "behind" be prioritizing what matters for them and _their_ careers. "The best" students don't all go into STEM, nor should they.

The best students tend to be the best students across the board. Algebra in 9th puts them two years behind the top cohort (ignoring the few how are even further ahead) and one year behind the normal honors kids

The top cohort doesn’t mean that those in algebra 1 are behind in any way. Additionally, plenty of the “honors” kids should not be in honors and a lot of other students in privates are teaching algebra 1 in grade 9 at a greater level than the kids receiving algebra 1 in grade 8. A lot of those kids would have to retake algebra in 9th grade if they had to take a placement test at privates.

it means that, relative to their peers, they are two years behind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All MCPS schools offer Algebra I in high school. It is basically remedial math.

It is not remedial math.

Doing Algebra I in 8th grade is considered on-level for MCPS. At many (most) MCPS schools the advanced kids will come into HS taking Algebra II in 9th (or even higher for a small percentage). While the content for 9th grade Algebra I is not remedial, the reality is, most of the students who are taking it are considered "behind" and not the best students.

They could be "the best students" in areas like writing, languages, fine and performing arts, or media, and rather than being "behind" be prioritizing what matters for them and _their_ careers. "The best" students don't all go into STEM, nor should they.

The best students tend to be the best students across the board. Algebra in 9th puts them two years behind the top cohort (ignoring the few how are even further ahead) and one year behind the normal honors kids

The top cohort doesn’t mean that those in algebra 1 are behind in any way. Additionally, plenty of the “honors” kids should not be in honors and a lot of other students in privates are teaching algebra 1 in grade 9 at a greater level than the kids receiving algebra 1 in grade 8. A lot of those kids would have to retake algebra in 9th grade if they had to take a placement test at privates.

We aren't talking about private school, we are talking about MCPS. It is apples and oranges. If you have a kid in MCPS, and you are putting them in Math 8 in 8th grade rather than Algebra I just because private schools start kids in Algebra I, you are doing your kid a huge disservice when it comes to college admissions. Algebra in 9th grade is "behind" in terms of MCPS. Ask the counselor at your MS how many 8th graders are taking Math 8 vs. Algebra I, Geometry, or even Algebra II. My kids mediocre MS only offered 1 section of Math 8. All other 8th graders were in Algebra I or higher.

[Anonymous]

Re: when this started happening, I graduated MCPS in 2013 and "on level" was taking non-honors/non-AP calc in 12th. It's been this way for well over a decade.

Some kids took a double-period geometry class freshman year and that was considered the remedial option; I don't think I knew anyone taking algebra 1 as a high schooler.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All MCPS schools offer Algebra I in high school. It is basically remedial math.

This is a rude and uncalled for comment. There is no need for you to pass judgement on this question.

DP here. It's the truth. Don't be offended. My kid took Algebra 1 in 6th grade in MCPS. I also have a kid with special needs who needed a resource class in middle and high school. There is no shame or guilt or any reason to be offended by the level your child is at. Algebra 1 in high school is now below the standard level. You need to meet your kid where they are and be realistic about it, that's all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All MCPS schools offer Algebra I in high school. It is basically remedial math.

No, it is on grade level. It is only remedial to DCUM posters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All MCPS schools offer Algebra I in high school. It is basically remedial math.

It is not remedial math.

Doing Algebra I in 8th grade is considered on-level for MCPS. At many (most) MCPS schools the advanced kids will come into HS taking Algebra II in 9th (or even higher for a small percentage). While the content for 9th grade Algebra I is not remedial, the reality is, most of the students who are taking it are considered "behind" and not the best students.

Smith tried to push for Algebra 1 in 8th to be on-level. That was pulled back when he left because it was a year ahead of the common core standards and lots of kids did not do well with it.

On level in MCPS is now aligned with CCSS, which is Algebra 1 in 9th.