Compacted 4/5 math

[Anonymous]

When my child was accelerated to 4th grade math in 2nd grade (pre-2.0 of course) I was asked for permission. The next year, when the school decided to stop all acceleration, I was not told that she was repeating 4th grade math. I was also not told that the plan was to have her repeat it a 3rd time in 5th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my child was accelerated to 4th grade math in 2nd grade (pre-2.0 of course) I was asked for permission. The next year, when the school decided to stop all acceleration, I was not told that she was repeating 4th grade math. I was also not told that the plan was to have her repeat it a 3rd time in 5th grade.

I'm not sure I understand. If the school (?) decided to stop acceleration the year after your child was in second grade, i.e., when she was in third grade, then wouldn't she have been in third grade math? Followed by fourth grade math in fourth grade, and fifth grade math in fifth grade?

[Anonymous]

I guess they luckily decided that while 3 years at the same level was ok..going backwards would be a problem. The kids that were already ahead in the upper grades were just stagnated until everyone caught up. Unfortunately the compacted math was not offered for rising 6th graders who really caught the brunt of the transition problems.

[Anonymous]

I think this problem - kids who were accelerated in lower classes, but then held back due to 2.0 - will resolve itself in a couple of years.

However, there will be kids who will be much too advanced even for the compacted 4/5 math. I only hope that they have enrichment plans for these kids - projects, inter-disciplinary connection - even if it is within the framework of 2.0.

[Anonymous]

Anyone know how your school is implementing this curriculum? The letter indicated that kids could be bussed to another school for math. Is that actually happening?

[Anonymous]

There was discussion of busing on the GTA listserv.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was discussion of busing on the GTA listserv.

It appears that, in some clusters, the 4th graders taking the combined 4/5 class will be expected to ride the local middle school bus to the middle school in the AM, take the combined 4/5 class at the middle school during the first period, and then be transported back to their local elementary school by MCPS. When their 4th grade elementary peers are taking their math class during the regular elementary day, the kids who went to the middle school for the accelerated 4/5 class will just be asked to sit in some kind of study hall type class and do "homework".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was discussion of busing on the GTA listserv.

It appears that, in some clusters, the 4th graders taking the combined 4/5 class will be expected to ride the local middle school bus to the middle school in the AM, take the combined 4/5 class at the middle school during the first period, and then be transported back to their local elementary school by MCPS. When their 4th grade elementary peers are taking their math class during the regular elementary day, the kids who went to the middle school for the accelerated 4/5 class will just be asked to sit in some kind of study hall type class and do "homework".

This seems a little weird since they are still doing elementary school level math. I know some schools will have those students instructed by a math specialist in their home school- it's too bad that not all of the schools have these resources.

[Anonymous]

at our school it was by teacher recommendations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was discussion of busing on the GTA listserv.

It appears that, in some clusters, the 4th graders taking the combined 4/5 class will be expected to ride the local middle school bus to the middle school in the AM, take the combined 4/5 class at the middle school during the first period, and then be transported back to their local elementary school by MCPS. When their 4th grade elementary peers are taking their math class during the regular elementary day, the kids who went to the middle school for the accelerated 4/5 class will just be asked to sit in some kind of study hall type class and do "homework".

This seems a little weird since they are still doing elementary school level math. I know some schools will have those students instructed by a math specialist in their home school- it's too bad that not all of the schools have these resources.

Hmm. I really would like to see a county-wide list showing which schools are able to teach this class at their own elementary schools and which ones will have to bus to a central location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:at our school it was by teacher recommendations.

I don't think that's possible. It's clear that there was a test and a cut off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was discussion of busing on the GTA listserv.

It appears that, in some clusters, the 4th graders taking the combined 4/5 class will be expected to ride the local middle school bus to the middle school in the AM, take the combined 4/5 class at the middle school during the first period, and then be transported back to their local elementary school by MCPS. When their 4th grade elementary peers are taking their math class during the regular elementary day, the kids who went to the middle school for the accelerated 4/5 class will just be asked to sit in some kind of study hall type class and do "homework".

This seems a little weird since they are still doing elementary school level math. I know some s

chools will have those students instructed by a math specialist in their home school- it's too bad that not all of the schools have these resources.

Me too.

Hmm. I really would like to see a county-wide list showing which schools are able to teach this class at their own elementary schools and which ones will have to bus to a central location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was discussion of busing on the GTA listserv.

It appears that, in some clusters, the 4th graders taking the combined 4/5 class will be expected to ride the local middle school bus to the middle school in the AM, take the combined 4/5 class at the middle school during the first period, and then be transported back to their local elementary school by MCPS. When their 4th grade elementary peers are taking their math class during the regular elementary day, the kids who went to the middle school for the accelerated 4/5 class will just be asked to sit in some kind of study hall type class and do "homework".

Why would fourth graders taking Math 4/5 go to the middle school? Where neither Math 4 nor Math 5 is taught?

[Anonymous]

Busing is probably because there were not enough kids being accelerated to make a full class, so they are pulling kids from a few schools to make a full class or set of classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There was discussion of busing on the GTA listserv.

It appears that, in some clusters, the 4th graders taking the combined 4/5 class will be expected to ride the local middle school bus to the middle school in the AM, take the combined 4/5 class at the middle school during the first period, and then be transported back to their local elementary school by MCPS. When their 4th grade elementary peers are taking their math class during the regular elementary day, the kids who went to the middle school for the accelerated 4/5 class will just be asked to sit in some kind of study hall type class and do "homework".

Citation, please.

MCPS says:

MCPS central office staff, in collaboration with stakeholders, developed the following options which are under consideration for implementation in the 2013-2014 school year:

•Implement the course in the local school as a separate class.
•Implement the course as part of a small differentiated group within a Grade 4 classroom.
•Work with another school to establish a class for identified students, which is taught by an itinerant teacher trained to deliver the compacted curriculum.
•Creation of a distance learning class for multiple schools, taught by an itinerant teacher trained to deliver the compacted curriculum.
•Send a small group of students to a nearby middle school where the C2.0 Compacted Grade 4/5 Math Course would be taught during first period.

Implementation options will be selected for each school based on the number of students identified for the compacted curriculum. Central services staff members will collaborate with principals to determine the best implementation strategy for each school. The Fiscal Year 2014 budget includes 10 itinerant teacher positions to support implementation of C2.0 Grade 4 compacted mathematics. It is anticipated that final decisions regarding implementation models at each school will be made in July.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/math/compacted/