Can someone explain the "behind in math" thing?

[Anonymous]

There way too much variability among private schools and public schools to make any comparison. Some private schools have excellent math programs. Some public schools do too. Also what program optimizes learning differs child to child. So this whole conversation is dumb. Do your homework and find a program that works for your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There way too much variability among private schools and public schools to make any comparison. Some private schools have excellent math programs. Some public schools do too. Also what program optimizes learning differs child to child. So this whole conversation is dumb. Do your homework and find a program that works for your kid.

I agree with you. And also, "excellent" math program does not mean "most accelerated."

[Anonymous]

Do private school kids catch up in the math sciences when they attend college? Or, do most private schools students mostly move to non STEM subjects?

[Anonymous]

I can only speak to my area. In our public district, the kids start getting “tracked” into regular, accelerated, and double accelerated. It’s not super advanced… accelerated means algebra before high school, accelerated means algebra in 7th, with 8th and 9th being taken up by algebra II and geometry. Which means they barely reach Calc AB in 12th right?

Anyway, privates vary when it comes to math. DD is in the top level for her grade, but in elementary school they all work out of the same textbook, and the levels correspond to how quickly you go through the material. I’m not sure how this approach leads to Algebra in 7th, unless you do more math outside of school. But we chose private for the reading and writing curriculum, and soft factors such as approach to discipline, emphasis on personal responsibility, and technology/phone policies.

[Anonymous]

Unrelated, but what happened to that bonkers “Serious Question” thread from yesterday?

[Anonymous]

Different public school systems have different "normal" definitions for a math curriculum.

Even within FCPS, in practice some FCPS schools have a de facto "normal" that is ahead or behind other schools in FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unrelated, but what happened to that bonkers “Serious Question” thread from yesterday?

I do not recall it, but sometimes bonkers threads just disappear from DCUM.

[Anonymous]

You don’t need to take every hardest class available to get the “most rigorous” check mark

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Different public school systems have different "normal" definitions for a math curriculum.

Even within FCPS, in practice some FCPS schools have a de facto "normal" that is ahead or behind other schools in FCPS.

+1 to this. At our MS about 20% of kids were double accelerated, though if you were one of them you'd largely been with accelerated kids since 2nd grade so it might seem like a lot more. Another 30% were single accelerated, which is Algebra 1 in 8th, which to most strivers in DC seems "normal." But if you look you realize it's not - the regular math track is actually what's normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do private school kids catch up in the math sciences when they attend college? Or, do most private schools students mostly move to non STEM subjects?

There is no "catching up" needed. Most stem oriented private school students get to BC calc or the equivalent, and anything after that needs to be retaken in college anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In public, standard for Algebra 1 is 7th or 8th, and some start it in 6th for average to smart kids. Kids who struggle start it in 8-9th.

What? No. The standard in public is Alg I in 9th. Pre-Alg is the standard in 8th, with honors math being Alg 1 in 8th, which nearly all middle schools offer. A small percentage of public schools offer Alg 1 in 7th, but not most, and even smaller percentage offer it in 6th.

Private would Alg 1 in 8th as standard. Sometimes Alg 1 in 7th or 6th as accelerated.

Totally wrong

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've seen numerous posts here that the kids coming out of privates in middle school are behind in math compared to their public school counterparts. But what does that mean? What level should graduating 8th graders be? Algebra 1? Geometry? Algebra 2?

Geometry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In public, standard for Algebra 1 is 7th or 8th, and some start it in 6th for average to smart kids. Kids who struggle start it in 8-9th.

That's not true. Common core has Algebra 1 as 9th grade math, Geometry in Grade 10 and Algebra 2 in 11th.

It's true that a good chunk of public school kids will do Algebra 1 in 7th grade or 8th grade, particularly in wealthy areas. A select few will do Algebra 1 in 6th grade.

FCPS is piloting Algebra 1 in 6th grade, it is believed that there are around 500 6th graders at 20 ES taking Algebra 1H this year. As it is, about 15% of FCPS 7th graders take Algebra 1H as 7th graders and 75% of all 8th graders will have completed Algebra 1, some honors some regular, by the end of 8th grade. Algebra 1 in 9th grade is for kids struggling with math. The goal in FCPS is for every student to have Algebra 1 by 8th grade.

Virginia s not a common core state, so there is that. I do think that it is more common for Algebra 1 in 8th grade to be considered accelerated in most of the US but Algebra 1 in 7th grade is not unusual in the NOVA area public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen numerous posts here that the kids coming out of privates in middle school are behind in math compared to their public school counterparts. But what does that mean? What level should graduating 8th graders be? Algebra 1? Geometry? Algebra 2?

Geometry

“Should be” for whom? Kids that are average, or for kids shooting for top 20 colleges?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In public, standard for Algebra 1 is 7th or 8th, and some start it in 6th for average to smart kids. Kids who struggle start it in 8-9th.

That's not true. Common core has Algebra 1 as 9th grade math, Geometry in Grade 10 and Algebra 2 in 11th.

It's true that a good chunk of public school kids will do Algebra 1 in 7th grade or 8th grade, particularly in wealthy areas. A select few will do Algebra 1 in 6th grade.

FCPS is piloting Algebra 1 in 6th grade, it is believed that there are around 500 6th graders at 20 ES taking Algebra 1H this year. As it is, about 15% of FCPS 7th graders take Algebra 1H as 7th graders and 75% of all 8th graders will have completed Algebra 1, some honors some regular, by the end of 8th grade. Algebra 1 in 9th grade is for kids struggling with math. The goal in FCPS is for every student to have Algebra 1 by 8th grade.

Virginia s not a common core state, so there is that. I do think that it is more common for Algebra 1 in 8th grade to be considered accelerated in most of the US but Algebra 1 in 7th grade is not unusual in the NOVA area public schools.

Algebra in 6th?! How does that compare to other nations I wonder. And what does that progression look like, maybe

6 - algebra
7 - geometry
8- algebra 2? Do schools still do this?
9 - precalc
10 - AP Calc I
11 - AP Calc II
12 - AP Stat or a comp sci class