APS middle school math and APS

[Anonymous]

I don't think my kids had a geometry text book at Gunston (at least not one they took home).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Continue with RSM or switch to AoPS. APS middle school math instruction is abysmal.

Not our experience at all. I’d drop the supplementing and see how it goes. My kids have gotten good instruction (Gunston), and when they occasional don’t understand something, I go over it with them.

What curriculum did your child use at Gunston?

(IXL isn’t a curriculum, btw)

APS doesn't use a curriculum. They do have IXL for practice problems.

Well, for geometry they used a physical textbook (I don’t recall the author), but not for pre-algebra & algebra. But it wasn’t/isn’t all IXL.. lots of stuff on paper, too.

Math education shouldn’t be a gamble — whether your child’s teacher found good resources from Teachers Pay Teachers (or not)

It's like this in Virginia because VA doesn't follow common core. So talk to VA, it's APS's fault

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you for the input. I don’t remember what the name of her RSM track is but they started in the lowest level last year, was recommended to move up mid last year and is now in that next level up. They aren’t doing the competition thing (don’t believe thy were invited but wouldn’t do it regardless).

Kid will be going to Swanson. For those suggestion AoPS, would you recommend the books/ self paced online version (believe this is Beast) or something with live (possibly virtual) instructor? We have a Beast subscription for younger DC but haven’t been using it consistently, so I don’t have a sense of how effective it can be.

PP here. We do live virtual instruction. We tried in-person in Vienna but it costs the same, is less convenient, and didn't seem more effective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Continue with RSM or switch to AoPS. APS middle school math instruction is abysmal.

Not our experience at all. I’d drop the supplementing and see how it goes. My kids have gotten good instruction (Gunston), and when they occasional don’t understand something, I go over it with them.

What curriculum did your child use at Gunston?

(IXL isn’t a curriculum, btw)

APS doesn't use a curriculum. They do have IXL for practice problems.

Well, for geometry they used a physical textbook (I don’t recall the author), but not for pre-algebra & algebra. But it wasn’t/isn’t all IXL.. lots of stuff on paper, too.

Math education shouldn’t be a gamble — whether your child’s teacher found good resources from Teachers Pay Teachers (or not)

It's like this in Virginia because VA doesn't follow common core. So talk to VA, it's APS's fault

You can argue who is at fault, but you can’t argue that it’s solid math education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Continue with RSM or switch to AoPS. APS middle school math instruction is abysmal.

Not our experience at all. I’d drop the supplementing and see how it goes. My kids have gotten good instruction (Gunston), and when they occasional don’t understand something, I go over it with them.

What curriculum did your child use at Gunston?

(IXL isn’t a curriculum, btw)

APS doesn't use a curriculum. They do have IXL for practice problems.

Well, for geometry they used a physical textbook (I don’t recall the author), but not for pre-algebra & algebra. But it wasn’t/isn’t all IXL.. lots of stuff on paper, too.

Math education shouldn’t be a gamble — whether your child’s teacher found good resources from Teachers Pay Teachers (or not)

It's like this in Virginia because VA doesn't follow common core. So talk to VA, it's APS's fault

That's just an excuse. Curriculum companies are used to customizing for various state standards. APS may not have the buying power alone, but there's no reason it couldn't team up with other local districts to coordinate and have a Virginia version created of an existing curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Continue with RSM or switch to AoPS. APS middle school math instruction is abysmal.

Not our experience at all. I’d drop the supplementing and see how it goes. My kids have gotten good instruction (Gunston), and when they occasional don’t understand something, I go over it with them.

What curriculum did your child use at Gunston?

(IXL isn’t a curriculum, btw)

APS doesn't use a curriculum. They do have IXL for practice problems.

Well, for geometry they used a physical textbook (I don’t recall the author), but not for pre-algebra & algebra. But it wasn’t/isn’t all IXL.. lots of stuff on paper, too.

Math education shouldn’t be a gamble — whether your child’s teacher found good resources from Teachers Pay Teachers (or not)

It's like this in Virginia because VA doesn't follow common core. So talk to VA, it's APS's fault

I think this is an issue in lower elementary, but by the time you get to algebra and geometry those are pretty standard classes. It's just an APS choice not to buy a curriculum for those older grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Continue with RSM or switch to AoPS. APS middle school math instruction is abysmal.

Not our experience at all. I’d drop the supplementing and see how it goes. My kids have gotten good instruction (Gunston), and when they occasional don’t understand something, I go over it with them.

What curriculum did your child use at Gunston?

(IXL isn’t a curriculum, btw)

APS doesn't use a curriculum. They do have IXL for practice problems.

Well, for geometry they used a physical textbook (I don’t recall the author), but not for pre-algebra & algebra. But it wasn’t/isn’t all IXL.. lots of stuff on paper, too.

Math education shouldn’t be a gamble — whether your child’s teacher found good resources from Teachers Pay Teachers (or not)

It's like this in Virginia because VA doesn't follow common core. So talk to VA, it's APS's fault

That's just an excuse. Curriculum companies are used to customizing for various state standards. APS may not have the buying power alone, but there's no reason it couldn't team up with other local districts to coordinate and have a Virginia version created of an existing curriculum.

This is not the role of a school division to go and convince private companies to create statewide curriculum. Go lobby VDOE on this. or better yet, why isn't VA common core?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Continue with RSM or switch to AoPS. APS middle school math instruction is abysmal.

Not our experience at all. I’d drop the supplementing and see how it goes. My kids have gotten good instruction (Gunston), and when they occasional don’t understand something, I go over it with them.

What curriculum did your child use at Gunston?

(IXL isn’t a curriculum, btw)

APS doesn't use a curriculum. They do have IXL for practice problems.

Well, for geometry they used a physical textbook (I don’t recall the author), but not for pre-algebra & algebra. But it wasn’t/isn’t all IXL.. lots of stuff on paper, too.

Math education shouldn’t be a gamble — whether your child’s teacher found good resources from Teachers Pay Teachers (or not)

It's like this in Virginia because VA doesn't follow common core. So talk to VA, it's APS's fault

I think this is an issue in lower elementary, but by the time you get to algebra and geometry those are pretty standard classes. It's just an APS choice not to buy a curriculum for those older grades.

This post is about middle school math instruction. Algebra is a high school level class, so is geometry. Those classes do use textbooks as I recall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Continue with RSM or switch to AoPS. APS middle school math instruction is abysmal.

Not our experience at all. I’d drop the supplementing and see how it goes. My kids have gotten good instruction (Gunston), and when they occasional don’t understand something, I go over it with them.

What curriculum did your child use at Gunston?

(IXL isn’t a curriculum, btw)

APS doesn't use a curriculum. They do have IXL for practice problems.

Well, for geometry they used a physical textbook (I don’t recall the author), but not for pre-algebra & algebra. But it wasn’t/isn’t all IXL.. lots of stuff on paper, too.

Math education shouldn’t be a gamble — whether your child’s teacher found good resources from Teachers Pay Teachers (or not)

It's like this in Virginia because VA doesn't follow common core. So talk to VA, it's APS's fault

I think this is an issue in lower elementary, but by the time you get to algebra and geometry those are pretty standard classes. It's just an APS choice not to buy a curriculum for those older grades.

This post is about middle school math instruction. Algebra is a high school level class, so is geometry. Those classes do use textbooks as I recall.

2/3 of APS middle schoolers take Algebra. It's a middle school class in Arlington. And no, there is not a textbook for algebra. I have a kid in Algebra right now and she does not have a textbook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Continue with RSM or switch to AoPS. APS middle school math instruction is abysmal.

Not our experience at all. I’d drop the supplementing and see how it goes. My kids have gotten good instruction (Gunston), and when they occasional don’t understand something, I go over it with them.

What curriculum did your child use at Gunston?

(IXL isn’t a curriculum, btw)

APS doesn't use a curriculum. They do have IXL for practice problems.

Well, for geometry they used a physical textbook (I don’t recall the author), but not for pre-algebra & algebra. But it wasn’t/isn’t all IXL.. lots of stuff on paper, too.

Math education shouldn’t be a gamble — whether your child’s teacher found good resources from Teachers Pay Teachers (or not)

It's like this in Virginia because VA doesn't follow common core. So talk to VA, it's APS's fault

That's just an excuse. Curriculum companies are used to customizing for various state standards. APS may not have the buying power alone, but there's no reason it couldn't team up with other local districts to coordinate and have a Virginia version created of an existing curriculum.

This is not the role of a school division to go and convince private companies to create statewide curriculum. Go lobby VDOE on this. or better yet, why isn't VA common core?

Well, that's completely wrong. School districts are expected to purchase their own curriculum in Virginia. There's not a statewide curriculum. So yes, the school district is expected to speak with curriculum companies to determine what they should purchase. Sometimes a school district can buy something off the shelf, and sometimes they have to buy something that's customized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Continue with RSM or switch to AoPS. APS middle school math instruction is abysmal.

Not our experience at all. I’d drop the supplementing and see how it goes. My kids have gotten good instruction (Gunston), and when they occasional don’t understand something, I go over it with them.

What curriculum did your child use at Gunston?

(IXL isn’t a curriculum, btw)

APS doesn't use a curriculum. They do have IXL for practice problems.

Well, for geometry they used a physical textbook (I don’t recall the author), but not for pre-algebra & algebra. But it wasn’t/isn’t all IXL.. lots of stuff on paper, too.

Math education shouldn’t be a gamble — whether your child’s teacher found good resources from Teachers Pay Teachers (or not)

It's like this in Virginia because VA doesn't follow common core. So talk to VA, it's APS's fault

That's just an excuse. Curriculum companies are used to customizing for various state standards. APS may not have the buying power alone, but there's no reason it couldn't team up with other local districts to coordinate and have a Virginia version created of an existing curriculum.

THIS.
- APS math teachers