Math acceleration

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's different for every kid. There are kids who take summer school in high school to skip ahead.

I recall precalc being a really hard class, much harder than Calc BC or MVC for me. I think I'd really discourage my kid from taking summer geometry to skip ahead to precalc as a freshman. They'll still have time for both BC and MVC if they don't take geometry over the summer and wait to take precalc as a sophomore. There's no need to make freshman year so hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My STEM PhD husband didn't do all the math our daughter is doing in high school, simply because it wasn't offered. You cannot compare generations like this when it comes to education. Decades ago there wasn't all this acceleration available to most kids.

DD is in precalc in 9th, OP. She got there because she tested into algebra 1 in 6th. In 8th grade she was bused to her high school for algebra 2. She will take AP Calc BC next year, and then MVC and another math class. Also AP Physics C, both semesters. She has a list of 14 or so APs that she's working through - she's the competitive type.

Ok? This is not typical and honestly not necessary. Students like this can have major problems when they’re at MIT or another top university and there are students on her level or higher who went the normal route.

About 15% of FCPS students will take Algebra 1 H in 7th grade. Some of them find it easy, my son never has homework and has a 102% in the class. Some of them find it challenging. Some will earn B's and their parents have to decide to let them continue on or expunge the grade and retake the class to make sure that their kid really knows that material. Some of his classmates are taking Geometry this summer because they want to be in Precalc as 9th graders, most of those kids are applying to TJ and think there is a benefit. Most of those kids will do fine in Geometry. The ones that might struggle have parents who will get them tutors for any math class they need the support in.

But no one thinks that it is typical to be in precalc as a 9th grader and the vast majority of families, ours included, don't think it is necessary.

Where's the cite for it being 15%? Coming from 6th grade advanced math, it felt like it was about 50% of that class who tested into Algebra 1 H in 7th, but I never got a sense of what it was like county-wide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I read about high school freshman placing into geometry, but when does the math acceleration start? Everything right now is at grade level and there is no grouping. Are people working ahead in 3rd grade, or is everyone really waiting until 6th and 7th? It seems like they need to start in elementary a year ahead in order to be a year or two ahead for high school, unless people are working ahead during middle school summers.

This varies by school system - in privates it varies by school.

My school, back in the day, split the class based on the 7th grade math teacher’s arbitrary decisions. Her pets were put on fast track, Others on the slow track. I had the top math test score my year, but she did not like me, so slow track. However, karma, her grandchild has dyscalculia. I feel sorry for the grandchild, but not for the math teacher.

What test did you have the top score in and how do you know everyone else’s score?

[Anonymous]

In our elementary, advanced math tracks began at the end of 2nd grade. They were decided by the AP specialists, and no one was told we even had such a thing. I learned about it when a friend mentioned their kid switching to "advanced math" during math period in 3rd grade. I knew my child would be overlooked because he had an IEP for a disability (that did not affect his math or his behavior) even though he was good at math. I had to push hard for him to be in advanced math the following year, but I managed to get him in and he did great. He's in high school now and 2 years ahead in math (and never gotten anything but A's), but if I hadn't happened to find out about the "secret" advanced classes in elementary he would have been too far behind by the time we figured it out and would probably be in regular math classes today. Which would be sad because he is planning to be an engineering major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My STEM PhD husband didn't do all the math our daughter is doing in high school, simply because it wasn't offered. You cannot compare generations like this when it comes to education. Decades ago there wasn't all this acceleration available to most kids.

DD is in precalc in 9th, OP. She got there because she tested into algebra 1 in 6th. In 8th grade she was bused to her high school for algebra 2. She will take AP Calc BC next year, and then MVC and another math class. Also AP Physics C, both semesters. She has a list of 14 or so APs that she's working through - she's the competitive type.

Ok? This is not typical and honestly not necessary. Students like this can have major problems when they’re at MIT or another top university and there are students on her level or higher who went the normal route.

About 15% of FCPS students will take Algebra 1 H in 7th grade. Some of them find it easy, my son never has homework and has a 102% in the class. Some of them find it challenging. Some will earn B's and their parents have to decide to let them continue on or expunge the grade and retake the class to make sure that their kid really knows that material. Some of his classmates are taking Geometry this summer because they want to be in Precalc as 9th graders, most of those kids are applying to TJ and think there is a benefit. Most of those kids will do fine in Geometry. The ones that might struggle have parents who will get them tutors for any math class they need the support in.

But no one thinks that it is typical to be in precalc as a 9th grader and the vast majority of families, ours included, don't think it is necessary.

Where's the cite for it being 15%? Coming from 6th grade advanced math, it felt like it was about 50% of that class who tested into Algebra 1 H in 7th, but I never got a sense of what it was like county-wide.

It depends on the school. Some schools prepare their kids better for the test, and push for kids who are able to get in to that class. Others think it's too hard and try to keep kids back as much as possible. Ours was the latter. Kid ended up in private, took algebra in 7th anyway, and did fine, even though FCPS said he couldn't take it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My STEM PhD husband didn't do all the math our daughter is doing in high school, simply because it wasn't offered. You cannot compare generations like this when it comes to education. Decades ago there wasn't all this acceleration available to most kids.

DD is in precalc in 9th, OP. She got there because she tested into algebra 1 in 6th. In 8th grade she was bused to her high school for algebra 2. She will take AP Calc BC next year, and then MVC and another math class. Also AP Physics C, both semesters. She has a list of 14 or so APs that she's working through - she's the competitive type.

Ok? This is not typical and honestly not necessary. Students like this can have major problems when they’re at MIT or another top university and there are students on her level or higher who went the normal route.

About 15% of FCPS students will take Algebra 1 H in 7th grade. Some of them find it easy, my son never has homework and has a 102% in the class. Some of them find it challenging. Some will earn B's and their parents have to decide to let them continue on or expunge the grade and retake the class to make sure that their kid really knows that material. Some of his classmates are taking Geometry this summer because they want to be in Precalc as 9th graders, most of those kids are applying to TJ and think there is a benefit. Most of those kids will do fine in Geometry. The ones that might struggle have parents who will get them tutors for any math class they need the support in.

But no one thinks that it is typical to be in precalc as a 9th grader and the vast majority of families, ours included, don't think it is necessary.

Where's the cite for it being 15%? Coming from 6th grade advanced math, it felt like it was about 50% of that class who tested into Algebra 1 H in 7th, but I never got a sense of what it was like county-wide.

20% of ES kids are in AAP, I don’t know what percentage are in Advanced Math but it isn’t that high. If half that group, or a bit higher then that, qualifies for Algebra 1 H so about 15%. You can also run the total SOL numbers which is about 3,000 per year but that is based on memory.