has the curriculum for AAP 4th grade changed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Disappointed at how the FCPS is going about this. So does that mean next year, when they’re in 5th grade, they will sit the 5th grade SOL instead of 6th grade SOL?

No, they will skip the 5th grade SOL. They are covering half of 5th this year, and the remaining half next year. Essentially doing a year and a half of math in 4th and 5th. And then 6th can be 7th grade math or algebra.

Thats not what the grade 4 advanced math pacing guide on the website says

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one is holding advanced kids back. The reason for the change is that too many kids were failing advanced math/required extensive tutoring or enrichment to keep up. This change to 3rd and 4th gets them to where they need to be in 6th and 7th without too many children falling behind.

Why are there kids who aren't strong in math in a program that accelerates math? Sounds like the wrong kids are getting into the program....

Yup. This is the crux of the problem with AAP. They let too many kids in and the vast majority of them are not actually advanced enough to deal with the curriculum. FCPS really needs to go back to a true gifted and talented program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one is holding advanced kids back. The reason for the change is that too many kids were failing advanced math/required extensive tutoring or enrichment to keep up. This change to 3rd and 4th gets them to where they need to be in 6th and 7th without too many children falling behind.

Why are there kids who aren't strong in math in a program that accelerates math? Sounds like the wrong kids are getting into the program....

Yup. This is the crux of the problem with AAP. They let too many kids in and the vast majority of them are not actually advanced enough to deal with the curriculum. FCPS really needs to go back to a true gifted and talented program.

This was our experience. We had one kid really strong in math in AAP and one kid who kept up with the curriculum just fine (did not need remedial help at school or anything more than occasional parent help at home - no tutoriting). However both kids reported the math specialist coming in and working with other kids in class who were falling behind. Not just a kid or two, but groups of kids.

Now admittedly I'd guess that some of this was the gaps from online school during Covid. Not sure it's still an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one is holding advanced kids back. The reason for the change is that too many kids were failing advanced math/required extensive tutoring or enrichment to keep up. This change to 3rd and 4th gets them to where they need to be in 6th and 7th without too many children falling behind.

Why are there kids who aren't strong in math in a program that accelerates math? Sounds like the wrong kids are getting into the program....

Because there is no option for advanced LA or social studies or science where the kids might be strong in and benefit from material going a bit deeper.

Kids who are strong in math but on grade level in other subjects can take advanced math, so they are less likely to be placed in AAP. Kids that are strong in other subjects but on grade level in math are placed in AAP because there are no other options. The issue is that the deep dives in the other subjects really are not that deep, LA is required to follow the same curriculum regardless of AAP or regular class, and the only area with any real acceleration is in math. The kids who are on grade level in math struggle with the accelerated math in AAP while the math kids who would benefit from it have to hope their school places then in advanced math. Even though most of those kids could handle the other subjects because they are not accelerated.

It's kind of stupid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one is holding advanced kids back. The reason for the change is that too many kids were failing advanced math/required extensive tutoring or enrichment to keep up. This change to 3rd and 4th gets them to where they need to be in 6th and 7th without too many children falling behind.

Why are there kids who aren't strong in math in a program that accelerates math? Sounds like the wrong kids are getting into the program....

Yup. This is the crux of the problem with AAP. They let too many kids in and the vast majority of them are not actually advanced enough to deal with the curriculum. FCPS really needs to go back to a true gifted and talented program.

This was our experience. We had one kid really strong in math in AAP and one kid who kept up with the curriculum just fine (did not need remedial help at school or anything more than occasional parent help at home - no tutoriting). However both kids reported the math specialist coming in and working with other kids in class who were falling behind. Not just a kid or two, but groups of kids.

Now admittedly I'd guess that some of this was the gaps from online school during Covid. Not sure it's still an issue.

It's still an issue. They really should do subject-specific advanced academics - our school groups kids for math and language arts (they switch teachers/classrooms for both subjects). Very similar to how it was when I was a kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one is holding advanced kids back. The reason for the change is that too many kids were failing advanced math/required extensive tutoring or enrichment to keep up. This change to 3rd and 4th gets them to where they need to be in 6th and 7th without too many children falling behind.

Why are there kids who aren't strong in math in a program that accelerates math? Sounds like the wrong kids are getting into the program....

Because there is no option for advanced LA or social studies or science where the kids might be strong in and benefit from material going a bit deeper.

Kids who are strong in math but on grade level in other subjects can take advanced math, so they are less likely to be placed in AAP. Kids that are strong in other subjects but on grade level in math are placed in AAP because there are no other options. The issue is that the deep dives in the other subjects really are not that deep, LA is required to follow the same curriculum regardless of AAP or regular class, and the only area with any real acceleration is in math. The kids who are on grade level in math struggle with the accelerated math in AAP while the math kids who would benefit from it have to hope their school places then in advanced math. Even though most of those kids could handle the other subjects because they are not accelerated.

It's kind of stupid.

If the path forward is to focus just on math, then we should just focus on math and group kids for advanced, mid and remedial math. Everyone would be better off that way*


*Here come the moms who bought cheap homes in "diverse" areas here to complain about AAP provides their children with a safe space away from chair throwers and kids who don't speak English. Sorry mommies, you knew where you were buying a home. Live with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one is holding advanced kids back. The reason for the change is that too many kids were failing advanced math/required extensive tutoring or enrichment to keep up. This change to 3rd and 4th gets them to where they need to be in 6th and 7th without too many children falling behind.

FCPS promotes AAP as serving students working at least a year above grade level. But in practice, the curriculum often doesn’t meet kids where they are, especially now that 4th grade AAP math is aligned with 4th grade standards rather than 5th as in the past. Grouping advanced learners together is still valuable, but it feels like the top quartile ends up underserved, both in K-2 and now even within AAP.

[Anonymous]

I went to the open house. It must vary by school. Our teacher at a center admitted the county changed the advanced math curriculum. However the teacher seemed annoyed and will still have the kids moving at a faster pace covering mainly 5th grade math in order to sit for the 5th grade SOL by year end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to the open house. It must vary by school. Our teacher at a center admitted the county changed the advanced math curriculum. However the teacher seemed annoyed and will still have the kids moving at a faster pace covering mainly 5th grade math in order to sit for the 5th grade SOL by year end.

Pp here. I'm also curious how this will turn out because the teacher last year only did the exact pacing listed on the website (ie minimal fourth grade content).

[Anonymous]

At our school the teacher confirmed that she will teach 4th grade math per the curriculum. This pacing was introduced last year and will apparently continue to follow this cohort. I will not be surprised if the SOL is changed to their grade level next year. I’d be curious to see how this plays out with the selection process for Algebra in 6th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our school the teacher confirmed that she will teach 4th grade math per the curriculum. This pacing was introduced last year and will apparently continue to follow this cohort. I will not be surprised if the SOL is changed to their grade level next year. I’d be curious to see how this plays out with the selection process for Algebra in 6th.

19:01 here. I thought it was odd that our teacher said they will take the 5th grade SOL this year. Last year, 4th grade took 4th grade SOL and then in 5th grade, skipped 5th grade SOL and took 6th grade SOL as is common for AAP. It dawned on me that the school, being a center, is likely one of the algebra pilot sites, though I don't have direct knowledge of it one way or another.

[Anonymous]

Ha. I teach 5th advanced and the word is that we’re going to be asked to teach some 7th grade standards or even a full section of math 7 next year.

This push from Reid really screwed over the math office. They have wanted to move to enrichment/extensions instead of acceleration for elementary advanced math, which would then just be folded into regular math so “everyone gets the advanced content.”

Now they have to figure out how to get 5th graders who have gotten mostly grade level “extensions” competent with the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade standards so they’re ready for algebra 1 in 6th.

Or who am I kidding? They’ll just tell US to figure it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our school the teacher confirmed that she will teach 4th grade math per the curriculum. This pacing was introduced last year and will apparently continue to follow this cohort. I will not be surprised if the SOL is changed to their grade level next year. I’d be curious to see how this plays out with the selection process for Algebra in 6th.

19:01 here. I thought it was odd that our teacher said they will take the 5th grade SOL this year. Last year, 4th grade took 4th grade SOL and then in 5th grade, skipped 5th grade SOL and took 6th grade SOL as is common for AAP. It dawned on me that the school, being a center, is likely one of the algebra pilot sites, though I don't have direct knowledge of it one way or another.

Teacher here— 5th advanced math is still taking the 6th grade SOL this year, unless some schools got exceptions for some reason. I’ve never heard of that but things are so chaotic this year I wouldn’t rule it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ha. I teach 5th advanced and the word is that we’re going to be asked to teach some 7th grade standards or even a full section of math 7 next year.

This push from Reid really screwed over the math office. They have wanted to move to enrichment/extensions instead of acceleration for elementary advanced math, which would then just be folded into regular math so “everyone gets the advanced content.”

Now they have to figure out how to get 5th graders who have gotten mostly grade level “extensions” competent with the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade standards so they’re ready for algebra 1 in 6th.

Or who am I kidding? They’ll just tell US to figure it out.

What is the end game here? IMO even multivariable calculus in 12th is unnecessary for many kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one is holding advanced kids back. The reason for the change is that too many kids were failing advanced math/required extensive tutoring or enrichment to keep up. This change to 3rd and 4th gets them to where they need to be in 6th and 7th without too many children falling behind.

That was the justification for slowing down 3rd-4th advanced. I asked for specifics of this supposed epidemic of kids failing advanced math. What percentage of kids are we talking? At what point was the failing happening? Somehow it never materialized. And why not just have more stringent entry requirements for advanced math then, instead of slowing down everyone?

I think the original plan was to pull 5th advanced back too in a few years. There’s going to be a drop in 5th advanced math scores as the kids currently in 3rd and 4th get to 5th less prepared, which would have been a good excuse.