New APS Middle School Math Pathways
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Anonymous
My son just finished Intensified Algebra at Swanson in 7th and did really well. I was pleasantly surprised. I really think it depends on the kid. There’s no easy answer. |
Anonymous
Both my kids did well in intensified Algebra in 7th. DS struggled somewhat with getting the homework in but he had that issue in all his classes (later diagnosed with ADD) and so ended up with a B (As on all tests) but went on to get As in Intensified Geometry and Intensified Algebra 2/Trig and will take Dual Enrollment Pre Calculus next year. DD just finished intensified algebra with a 96 average for the year, she had no trouble with it and even had a 100 average in Q4. Her confidence in her math ability also grew a lot this year. |
Anonymous
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When my daughter entered 6th (now rising 8th) I was told that 25% were going to math 7 for 6th, and the rest to math 6. She went to math h 6 (had a perfect SOL math in 5th but not gifted identified). She did well and just finished math 8 for 7th and will be in intensified algebra in 8th.
I have a rising 6th as well and they tried to temper expectations this year for middle school. Said many fewer students would be recommended for pre-algebra. I’m not sure what the actual percentage will be. The math 7 for 6th and math 8 for 7th are both being renamed “pre algebra”. |
Anonymous
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One of the things to consider is what is the "end game" with respect to HS Math. For truly gifted math students (and 20% of a class isn't truly gifted in math), Int. Algebra in 7th and Int. Geometry in 8th make sense. They go onto take Int. Alg/Trig in 9th, Calc BC in 10th and Multi-variable Calc in 11th and I'm not even sure what they call the 12 grade class which I think is duel enrollment and only has a very small handful of kids each year. Even with "only" taking Int. Algebra in 8th grade you can easily get to Calc BC as a Senior. For a lot of kids, taking those higher level math classes in college makes a lot more sense.
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Anonymous
| It also seems pretty unusual how APS has pushed Algebra down to 7th for the advanced students and expecting it of most students in 8th. I'm part of a discussion group of parents all over the country and I asked that group about the math levels and universally they all said the advanced math students do algebra in 8th. A student would have to be highly gifted and parents petition the principal to get an exception to take algebra in 7th. |
Anonymous
According to the Pathways listed at https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/HS-POS-Pathways-2018-2019.pdf this puts kids who complete Int. Geometry in 8th grade on track for Calc BC in 11th grade (not 10th) with a variety of options for senior year. |
Anonymous
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Anonymous
My DD was also recommended for Intensified Alegebra in 7th at Kenmore. She was in Math 7 this year, and pulled for extra math enhancement all year in a group with the math coach, partially to make sure they were all ready for it, and also to "do extra math for fun" ! (Sounds like water boarding to me). Not sure how many of her friends are taking the class next year; I know that there were around 20 kids pulled for the extra work with the math coach (the kids that were pulled for it were told that they might want extra enrichment because Math 7 might be a little boring -- DD is identified as gifted in math and had a 600 on her math SOL in 5th grade). She says that she's been prepping all year for it and really wants to do it, so we're going to see how it goes. |
Anonymous
As I understand it, the issue wasn't successful completion of Intensified Algebra I in Grade 7. Kids made their way through that course as well as Intensified Geometry, as both are (relatively) basic. Many kids were floundering as they went to Intensified Algebra II in 9th grade. Math 8 is essentially a deeper run through Math 7, and is really what is supposed to be a pre-algebra course. You're applying the mathematical properties in a far more complex fashion, combining with more complicated applications of exponents, fractions, and other mathematical concepts. The upper-level kids who were selected into Math 7 for Sixth Graders could make their way through that class, even with a sub-standard teacher (more on that later). They then could pick up the relatively introductory concepts that make up Algebra I. Geometry tends to be a breather class anyway, and doesn't require as deep a familiarity with mathematical concepts. Tutors helped to fill in any gaps problem-by-problem. When you get to Algebra II, though, you're building upon the deeper understanding of mathematical properties that you developed in Math 8. You're working through how to take a complicated problem and apply say the associative, commutative, identity and distributive properties all at once--some with addition/subtraction and others with multiplication/division. You're also doing this within an algebraic equation, rather than with arithmetic (number) terms that you can reverse-engineer. Without Math 8, these kids were expected to process more complex algebraic concepts, while at the same time apply more complicated techniques although they had not undertaken the Math 8 problem sets that would have exposed them to those more complicated examples. A tutor can help work through an algebraic concept, or work through a more complicated application of say the distributive and commutative properties in a multi-term equation. To do both simultaneously, however, means the tutor needs to first patch the kid up on the Math 8 concept. Only then is the deeper algebraic equation approached. The kid can seem like s/he gets it in the tutoring session. But when the kid is alone in an exam room, with a set of problems that aren't EXACTLY like what was worked on with the tutor, things fall apart. Except for those kids who somehow are able to essentially pick things up on their own, and use the math teacher to fill in a bit or two here and there. In other words, the 5% or so who are getting recommended for the Math 6-7-8 (aka "pre-algebra") cycle. Swanson parent, there's a good chance I know the identity of your kid's sixth-grade math teacher. Let's just say that, hypothetically, you wanted to find a spot for a teacher who's really not very effective. A spot where said teacher can do minimal harm. You're best off picking the best group of students, and having that teacher instruct in the lowest-stakes curriculum. That's going to be Math 7 for Sixth Graders. SOLs won't be too bad because the kids are already so bright that they can effectively teach themselves. Math 7 in and of itself is really not that complicated. Plus you have the excuse of the kids being one year younger while not controlling for the fact the kids showed substantial aptitude for math in elementary school. As I've discussed before, the problem doesn't really manifest itself until 9th grade with Algebra II. So Swanson parent, you might want to invest deeply in tutoring support THIS summer, as well as through the year and then NEXT summer. You're looking not at one or two hours a week, but six to eight. Remember, your kid didn't have Math 8--and in practice might not really have had much of Math 7 in terms of explaining the nuance beyond "getting the answer". Make sure your kid gets to a really strong level and works through Math 8, but ALSO Math 7. In other words, review your kid's knowledge of mathematical properties, fractions, decimals, exponents, and so on from soup to nuts. If you DON'T have those resources, well, good luck. |
Anonymous
This is how it worked pre-Pathways as well. My son, who is very strong in math, was with a group that did Int. Algebra in 6th and Int. Geometry in 8th, continuing on through Calc BC in 11th. They did Multivariable Calc as a dual enrollment class in 12th, which turned out to be the first year he had some difficulties in math (still ended with an A, but will retake multivariable in college to get a better understanding of it, though probably on an intensified track that does linear algebra earlier in the year followed by multivariable). |
Anonymous
So your child took math 7 this year as a 6th grader? Did she do 5th grade math as a 5th grader? Sorry for the stupid question, I am just trying to figure out what gets "skipped over"! |
Anonymous
| PP, They have renamed the courses this year. Previously pre-algebra for 6th graders was called “math 7 for 6th graders”. And pre-algebra for 7th was called “math 8 for 7th”. What it was describing was the SOL students were expected to take at the end of the class. It was confusing. Now they are naming the advanced option in 6th as pre-algebra and the advanced (bit non-algebra) option in 7th as pre-algebra as well. Both of these classes will take the Math 8 SOL at the end of the class and students would expect to move on to intensified algebra 1 the following year. For 6th graders, they’d then also do intensified geometry in 8th. |
Anonymous
Ok, I think I follow that. So do the more advanced kids just basically skip 6th math? I assume in ES they do 5th grade math as 5th graders...But clearly I am new to this!! |
Anonymous
| More advanced kids are doing 5/6 in 5th. Previously, they'd go into math 7 for 6. However, they've changed and only abou 5% will be in math 6/7/8. So, our school had about 50 kids in advanced 5th math, but only 5-10 will go into 6/7/8. The rest will be in regular 6th, but they are supposed to be clustered so they are ready to accelerate again in 7th grade. |
Anonymous
| Is it really only 5% in 6th grade pre-Algebra? Is that the official APS line? It seems bizarre to offer this accelerated course to so few kids . . . |