Math Placement Letters APS

[Anonymous]

It is definitely posted now under “course requests”. There were the two options last week—- pre algebra and math 6. Now it’s just down to one. I’m super happy for my kid— he is not a math genius but he’s smart and interested.

[Anonymous]

What ES school is your DC coming from? There is still nothing listed under course requests for my DC.

[Anonymous]

Dorothy Hamm.... I can see his whole schedule for the fall.

[Anonymous]

Oh sorry--- ES was Taylor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is definitely posted now under “course requests”. There were the two options last week—- pre algebra and math 6. Now it’s just down to one. I’m super happy for my kid— he is not a math genius but he’s smart and interested.

Yes we have courses listed here too. I was wondering if the math one would stay (currently says pre-algebra). I am assuming it's the rec the ES pushed to the MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is definitely posted now under “course requests”. There were the two options last week—- pre algebra and math 6. Now it’s just down to one. I’m super happy for my kid— he is not a math genius but he’s smart and interested.

Yes we have courses listed here too. I was wondering if the math one would stay (currently says pre-algebra). I am assuming it's the rec the ES pushed to the MS.

Math placement isn't done by the elementary school. It comes out of Syphax/central APS admin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is definitely posted now under “course requests”. There were the two options last week—- pre algebra and math 6. Now it’s just down to one. I’m super happy for my kid— he is not a math genius but he’s smart and interested.

Yes we have courses listed here too. I was wondering if the math one would stay (currently says pre-algebra). I am assuming it's the rec the ES pushed to the MS.

Math placement isn't done by the elementary school. It comes out of Syphax/central APS admin.

Ok. So I guess central office put it there. Don't the ES give recommendations? Or are the placements all from test scores?

[Anonymous]

Bill 2686 accelerated math

it will affect your kids math placement-much easier to be advanced

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is definitely posted now under “course requests”. There were the two options last week—- pre algebra and math 6. Now it’s just down to one. I’m super happy for my kid— he is not a math genius but he’s smart and interested.

Yes we have courses listed here too. I was wondering if the math one would stay (currently says pre-algebra). I am assuming it's the rec the ES pushed to the MS.

Math placement isn't done by the elementary school. It comes out of Syphax/central APS admin.

Ok. So I guess central office put it there. Don't the ES give recommendations? Or are the placements all from test scores?

Last year the consensus was that placements were purely from test scores.

I think the course request form is controlled by the MS, but could be wrong. My guess is that Syphax already sent a preliminary list of math placements to the MS so they could start scheduling and working on teacher course assignments. The official placement letters should be coming soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bill 2686 accelerated math

it will affect your kids math placement-much easier to be advanced

This is Bill 2686. Wasn't APS already doing all of this? APS is very transparent about math pathways and they allow parents to override the recommendation and enroll (or unenroll) kids. And they've always been transparent about the criteria they are using for math placement. What is the score required on SOL to be at 75th percentile?

This bill requires each school board in Virginia to develop and adopt a policy for advanced or accelerated mathematics enrollment for students in grades five through eight. The policy must automatically enroll students who score in the top quarter of the statewide Standards of Learning (SOL) mathematics assessment into advanced math classes for the following school year, while allowing parents to opt out of this automatic enrollment. Additionally, the policy must establish multiple alternative pathways for students to enroll in advanced mathematics, such as through teacher recommendations, parental input, student preference, or other evaluation methods like grades or standardized testing. Schools must also provide annual notifications to parents about mathematics course enrollment criteria, the importance of middle school math coursework, its impact on high school math sequences, and available mathematics courses. The bill further requires school boards to collect and submit detailed data to the state Department of Education, including enrollment numbers and assessment scores, broken down by various student subgroups like gender, race, income, special education status, and English language learner status. The Department must then publicly post this data in an easily accessible format on its website, promoting transparency in mathematics education opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bill 2686 accelerated math

it will affect your kids math placement-much easier to be advanced

This is Bill 2686. Wasn't APS already doing all of this? APS is very transparent about math pathways and they allow parents to override the recommendation and enroll (or unenroll) kids. And they've always been transparent about the criteria they are using for math placement. What is the score required on SOL to be at 75th percentile?

This bill requires each school board in Virginia to develop and adopt a policy for advanced or accelerated mathematics enrollment for students in grades five through eight. The policy must automatically enroll students who score in the top quarter of the statewide Standards of Learning (SOL) mathematics assessment into advanced math classes for the following school year, while allowing parents to opt out of this automatic enrollment. Additionally, the policy must establish multiple alternative pathways for students to enroll in advanced mathematics, such as through teacher recommendations, parental input, student preference, or other evaluation methods like grades or standardized testing. Schools must also provide annual notifications to parents about mathematics course enrollment criteria, the importance of middle school math coursework, its impact on high school math sequences, and available mathematics courses. The bill further requires school boards to collect and submit detailed data to the state Department of Education, including enrollment numbers and assessment scores, broken down by various student subgroups like gender, race, income, special education status, and English language learner status. The Department must then publicly post this data in an easily accessible format on its website, promoting transparency in mathematics education opportunities.

There's no acceleration in math available in grade 5 right now. And far less than 25% of APS middle schoolers are currently in the advanced track.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bill 2686 accelerated math

it will affect your kids math placement-much easier to be advanced

This is Bill 2686. Wasn't APS already doing all of this? APS is very transparent about math pathways and they allow parents to override the recommendation and enroll (or unenroll) kids. And they've always been transparent about the criteria they are using for math placement. What is the score required on SOL to be at 75th percentile?

This bill requires each school board in Virginia to develop and adopt a policy for advanced or accelerated mathematics enrollment for students in grades five through eight. The policy must automatically enroll students who score in the top quarter of the statewide Standards of Learning (SOL) mathematics assessment into advanced math classes for the following school year, while allowing parents to opt out of this automatic enrollment. Additionally, the policy must establish multiple alternative pathways for students to enroll in advanced mathematics, such as through teacher recommendations, parental input, student preference, or other evaluation methods like grades or standardized testing. Schools must also provide annual notifications to parents about mathematics course enrollment criteria, the importance of middle school math coursework, its impact on high school math sequences, and available mathematics courses. The bill further requires school boards to collect and submit detailed data to the state Department of Education, including enrollment numbers and assessment scores, broken down by various student subgroups like gender, race, income, special education status, and English language learner status. The Department must then publicly post this data in an easily accessible format on its website, promoting transparency in mathematics education opportunities.

There's no acceleration in math available in grade 5 right now. And far less than 25% of APS middle schoolers are currently in the advanced track.

thats top of virginia 25, so in arlington that would be more than half the kids.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think the placement letters are coming soon- my sons placement changed in the course requests (he’s going into algebra), and when u emailed they said that it was because the criteria for placement changed to make it more selective. That’s unfortunate, I’m not sure why they don’t just let kids take the advanced option if they want to

[Anonymous]

It would be nice if the process was more transparent and if the schools communicated with families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would be nice if the process was more transparent and if the schools communicated with families.

The math placement letter typically does have the placement score expectations and who to talk to of you disagree. It's reasonably transparent. It just hasn't been sent out yet.

There's no way they're going to put 25+% of 6th graders in pre-algebra. Kids won't do well. My guess is that they're going to need to start offering Math 6 intensified to satisfy the new law.