Does your 1st or 2nd grader go to math class based on achievement level?

[Anonymous]

We do not have this at our school, but I've heard that other FCPS do separate the kids by level for math class. Not only are they grouped by math level, but then they go to different teachers so that one teacher is teaching the upper-level kids, another teaches the middle level kids, and so-on.

I'm wondering if this is typical in FCPS.

Also, wondering how often your 1st or 2nd grader has a small group reading lesson with the teacher.

Thanks,

[Anonymous]

Yes.

In our FCPS school they do this beginning in 1st grade for math and language arts/reading.
In our experience, there are 4 or more reading groups within each reading class and the teacher meets with each group. The top groups get less time with the teacher because they are reading more independently.

[Anonymous]

For what it's worth, my kid was in the middle-to-lower math and reading groups throughout 1st and 2d grade, but still qualified for AAP despite a mediocre GBRS. Scored 136 on CogAT (shocked everyone, including parents and especially teachers) and is doing great at the center (5th grade). Go figure, and don't stress about those early groupings in math/language arts.

[Anonymous]

Yes, this happens at our school, too.

[Anonymous]

I'm not stressing out about groupings... we just don't have them and I was surprised to hear a friend mention that their school did them in first grade. It's curious how different the elementary schools in FCPS are.

In regard to reading small groups... I'm disappointed that my child has not met with his/her teacher yet this year in a small group. Last year it was a once-a-week small group session. This year, they haven't gotten around to it yet. Well, actually, the teacher has met with other groups, just not my child's group. I'm sure they will get around to it, but you'd think small group reading would happen several times each week.

[Anonymous]

Yes, our school does the math groupings. The kids go to different classrooms. They pretest them and then sort them by score and break them up. For instance, in 1st grade, the top group does 2nd grade math. For reading they just break into smaller groups in the classroom.

[Anonymous]

Why is this different per school? Doesn't FCPS have a policy for this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For what it's worth, my kid was in the middle-to-lower math and reading groups throughout 1st and 2d grade, but still qualified for AAP despite a mediocre GBRS. Scored 136 on CogAT (shocked everyone, including parents and especially teachers) and is doing great at the center (5th grade). Go figure, and don't stress about those early groupings in math/language arts.

Allow me to guess the GBRS score. 11?

[Anonymous]

I believe its called level II AAP.
I didn't even know my youngest dc(now 2nd grade) was doing that until later in the year last year.
Then she said she stopped doing it (she was like one of the four in the group)
She said two kids were still doing it. Not sure she's doing it this year. I didn't care. I care about level IV acceptance though.

I have two older kids in AAP just now with exeptional scores.
I dont think they were doing the small group level II thing.
I didn't even know about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is this different per school? Doesn't FCPS have a policy for this?

Site-based management allows for each school's principal to decide what works best at his/her school. FCPS may offer suggestions and guidance, but site-based management ensures that the school principal has the final say.

[Anonymous]

PP. I think that sucks then. You would have to do so much research just to find out what type of teaching goes on at each school and then I guess it might change from year to year with each teacher who comes in. That's kind of a big difference between being stuck in a class where the teacher is not teaching to your level (up or down) verses having an entire year of teaching at a student's level. It's similar to having a class that is standard verses AAP in elementary or AP in high school. Why is there so much fluctuation? It is a little different than choosing a type of book to use. The entire curriculum could be different from school to school. I think whether to alternate or not should be standardized within FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We do not have this at our school, but I've heard that other FCPS do separate the kids by level for math class. Not only are they grouped by math level, but then they go to different teachers so that one teacher is teaching the upper-level kids, another teaches the middle level kids, and so-on.

I'm wondering if this is typical in FCPS.

Also, wondering how often your 1st or 2nd grader has a small group reading lesson with the teacher.

Thanks,

Are you asking in a general sense or is your question specific to this year?

Because I don't think most teachers have yet ascertained levels and done differential groupings.

[Anonymous]

In a general sense.

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

05:59 here. For my kids school, a special teacher, AART? pulled out small number of kids(3-5) for the level II math and reading while the regular teacher was teaching other kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For what it's worth, my kid was in the middle-to-lower math and reading groups throughout 1st and 2d grade, but still qualified for AAP despite a mediocre GBRS. Scored 136 on CogAT (shocked everyone, including parents and especially teachers) and is doing great at the center (5th grade). Go figure, and don't stress about those early groupings in math/language arts.

Allow me to guess the GBRS score. 11?[/quote

You are good, very good . . .yes, 11.