Algebra in 6th grade - new selection process?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just got email today that my kids’ elementary school has been selected as pilot program for 6th graders to take Algebra 1 HN. Criteria seems to be advanced pass on 6th grade SOL and 1125Q quantile iReady score. Class will be graded A-F and appear on official transcript. We have two weeks to opt out.

That iReady Score was weird. I went back and looked at my kids iReadys in 5th grade, he was in the high 99th percentile on the iReady chart with a 561 in the fall and a 581 in the spring. Maybe they combined the fall and the spring scores to make one composite score? Then my kid would have a 1142. He also passed the 6th grade SOL with a 577 that year. He scored in the 99th percentile on the IAAT as a 6th grader with a perfect SOL score on the 7th grade SOL and earned an A in Algebra1 H as a 7th grader. I say that only because I don’t think you can score a 1125 on the iReady.

That said, I don’t think Algebra taught virtually is a good idea. If they are going to teach Algebra to 6th graders, there should be a Teacher in the room teaching the class. Maybe it should only be offered at a Center where there is a higher concentration of kids available to take the class. I don’t think you should be offering a HS level class to 6th graders via a screen.

[Anonymous]

I didn’t read it as only 25 kids but each virtual class has up to 25. Imagine there is more than one.

Pass Advanced and the 1125Q iReady is what was in the email as how they were identified.

[Anonymous]

My email from the Haycock principal does not mention anything about the class being virtual.

[Anonymous]

In Haycock principal's email, it said in-person.

quote=Anonymous]My email from the Haycock principal does not mention anything about the class being virtual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just got email today that my kids’ elementary school has been selected as pilot program for 6th graders to take Algebra 1 HN. Criteria seems to be advanced pass on 6th grade SOL and 1125Q quantile iReady score. Class will be graded A-F and appear on official transcript. We have two weeks to opt out.

That iReady Score was weird. I went back and looked at my kids iReadys in 5th grade, he was in the high 99th percentile on the iReady chart with a 561 in the fall and a 581 in the spring. Maybe they combined the fall and the spring scores to make one composite score? Then my kid would have a 1142. He also passed the 6th grade SOL with a 577 that year. He scored in the 99th percentile on the IAAT as a 6th grader with a perfect SOL score on the 7th grade SOL and earned an A in Algebra1 H as a 7th grader. I say that only because I don’t think you can score a 1125 on the iReady.

That said, I don’t think Algebra taught virtually is a good idea. If they are going to teach Algebra to 6th graders, there should be a Teacher in the room teaching the class. Maybe it should only be offered at a Center where there is a higher concentration of kids available to take the class. I don’t think you should be offering a HS level class to 6th graders via a screen.

It is a math score similar to the Reading Lexile score. It isn't listed on my DC's iready math section - FCPS must have their own scores for the Q number for students that is not on the score sheet sent to parents.

[Anonymous]

Our language was that Terra Centre (where we are) is part of a pilot for virtual Algebra 1 HN

[Anonymous]

OP here. I don’t get a reason for secrecy about the process or when the notifications are supposed to go out. If it is just a cut-off score, that is easy to understand and not a big deal.

But, why no explanation from the county? Any teachers or school staff here who might understand the reasoning?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We got the same email. Virtual classes offered during math block, up to 25 students from across the county in the class. Qualified by SOL and iReady scores.

They’ve set the program up to fail before it even starts, wonder if that’s by design…

Students in the past took 6th grade Algebra virtually. I agree that it's not ideal, but it's not new or special for this new group.

[Anonymous]

6th AAP teacher here. Some schools are piloting this. Some are doing virtual and some are making teachers teach it and they have a year to get certified. It is a mix of all school types doing this. I teach AAP math and am certified in Algebra 1 but our school is not a pilot.

Personally, I don’t agree with this pilot. Are there kids ready to tackle Algebra 1 as a 6th grader? Yes, but the percentage is very small. Not enough to warrant this full blown pilot in 15-20 schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:6th AAP teacher here. Some schools are piloting this. Some are doing virtual and some are making teachers teach it and they have a year to get certified. It is a mix of all school types doing this. I teach AAP math and am certified in Algebra 1 but our school is not a pilot.

Personally, I don’t agree with this pilot. Are there kids ready to tackle Algebra 1 as a 6th grader? Yes, but the percentage is very small. Not enough to warrant this full blown pilot in 15-20 schools.

I posted my kids scores, he should have had the chance to take Algebra in 6th grade but it wasn’t an option. I think that having the class as an option at Center schools where there are enough kids to make a class is appropriate. My concern is that parents will push to get their kid in the class when they are not ready. I wish this had been an option for my kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:6th AAP teacher here. Some schools are piloting this. Some are doing virtual and some are making teachers teach it and they have a year to get certified. It is a mix of all school types doing this. I teach AAP math and am certified in Algebra 1 but our school is not a pilot.

Personally, I don’t agree with this pilot. Are there kids ready to tackle Algebra 1 as a 6th grader? Yes, but the percentage is very small. Not enough to warrant this full blown pilot in 15-20 schools.

I posted my kids scores, he should have had the chance to take Algebra in 6th grade but it wasn’t an option. I think that having the class as an option at Center schools where there are enough kids to make a class is appropriate. My concern is that parents will push to get their kid in the class when they are not ready. I wish this had been an option for my kid.

My concern with not doing this is only those families investing in outside enrichment will continue to learn algebra 1 in 6th grade. This option opens that opportunity within the public school for all qualified including UMR and poor kids. Acceleration should be available to every qualified kid, not just certain families who can facilitate it after school.

[Anonymous]

My kid is a rising 6th grader in a school doing the pilot. I think it's a terrible idea. My eldest is entering high school and so many of their friends suffered throughout geometry last year. I can't imagine a large number doing algebra 2 in 8th grade. Hard pass.

[Anonymous]

This school system is so broken. The last thing we need is more kids accelerating even more.

[Anonymous]

A pass advance on the 6th grade SOL is an invitation to skip 2 years of prealgebra? Ooof.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A pass advance on the 6th grade SOL is an invitation to skip 2 years of prealgebra? Ooof.

Advance pass on 6th grade SOL plus 1125Q on math iReady - based on previous posts here. This is for rising 6th graders who took 6th grade math last year.

It seems no one knows what 1125Q on math iReady corresponds to on the iReady scores released to parents. ~OP