Didn't make it to Compacted Math!

[Anonymous]

For next year, 5/6 math is still held at middle school. Not sure what happens after next year. Depends on numbers going into 5/6 and staffing at local school, whether next year 4/5 stay at local school for 5/6.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son will do compacted math next year, but I probably won't send him to the local middle school for math each morning when he's in 5th grade.

Is rather have him do well in math in ms and HS than be pushed too hard and struggle.

I never took calculus--not even in college. It's not necessary.

Huh. All of the college students out there who have been told that they can't graduate without passing calculus must have been given erroneous information. It's going to be quite the endeavor changing all those course catalogs before more students are tricked into taking unnecessary courses.

My BA at UMCP didn't require calculus. Went on to law school, and the only math I use is basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

[Anonymous]

College decisions? Really, these are 4th graders. I can't imagine one math grade is the difference between getting into an elite college or not. And by the same token which would a college prefer a "B" if in the highest math versus an "A" in the on track group. in a world where 6 out of every 100 applicants to the top schools get in, I really doubt whether you took AB Calc in 11th or 12th grade is going to make a difference.

[Anonymous]

Think a lot this: if your kid does compacted math and goes to the middle school for math in 5th grade, then what do they do during the math block while their counterparts do regular math?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son will do compacted math next year, but I probably won't send him to the local middle school for math each morning when he's in 5th grade.

Is rather have him do well in math in ms and HS than be pushed too hard and struggle.

I never took calculus--not even in college. It's not necessary.

Huh. All of the college students out there who have been told that they can't graduate without passing calculus must have been given erroneous information. It's going to be quite the endeavor changing all those course catalogs before more students are tricked into taking unnecessary courses.

My BA at UMCP didn't require calculus. Went on to law school, and the only math I use is basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

There's a difference between "it's not necessary for all majors" and "it's not necessary."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son will do compacted math next year, but I probably won't send him to the local middle school for math each morning when he's in 5th grade.

Is rather have him do well in math in ms and HS than be pushed too hard and struggle.

I never took calculus--not even in college. It's not necessary.

Huh. All of the college students out there who have been told that they can't graduate without passing calculus must have been given erroneous information. It's going to be quite the endeavor changing all those course catalogs before more students are tricked into taking unnecessary courses.

My BA at UMCP didn't require calculus. Went on to law school, and the only math I use is basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

There's a difference between "it's not necessary for all majors" and "it's not necessary."

It's not necessary in HS.

It's not necessary for most college majors.

It's not necessary for real life.

And it's certainly not necessary to worry about it in 3rd grade.

[Anonymous]

During the local school math block, the kids in compacted math have the option to complete compacted math homework or participate in the class lessons. This is helpful for those children in immersion, because it still provides them exposure to the immersion language. Compacted math at the local school will not allow children to continue with math in the immersion language, since it is currently only taught in English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son will do compacted math next year, but I probably won't send him to the local middle school for math each morning when he's in 5th grade.

Is rather have him do well in math in ms and HS than be pushed too hard and struggle.

I never took calculus--not even in college. It's not necessary.

Huh. All of the college students out there who have been told that they can't graduate without passing calculus must have been given erroneous information. It's going to be quite the endeavor changing all those course catalogs before more students are tricked into taking unnecessary courses.

My BA at UMCP didn't require calculus. Went on to law school, and the only math I use is basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

There's a difference between "it's not necessary for all majors" and "it's not necessary."

It's not necessary in HS.

It's not necessary for most college majors.

It's not necessary for real life.

And it's certainly not necessary to worry about it in 3rd grade.

Very inaccurate statement.

Any physical or biological science, engineering, math major will absolutely require calculus.

At my land-grant university ag & mech school, calculus was required for the liberal arts majors, too.

So maybe for an art major at a liberal arts college your statement is true... but that your "most college majors" blanket statement is way off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Think a lot this: if your kid does compacted math and goes to the middle school for math in 5th grade, then what do they do during the math block while their counterparts do regular math?

Remember: not all schools require kids to be bused to MS for the 5th/6th math block.

Also: it's possible that the non-CM 5th graders have their math block at the beginning of the day, when the CM 5th graders are arriving to ES.

But MCPS BOE said earlier this year that beginning next year, they don't want any more busing for CM. (I know some people have said in this thread that their ES principals have said otherwise; but if you watched the meeting, this point was brought up to do all instruction within the school.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son will do compacted math next year, but I probably won't send him to the local middle school for math each morning when he's in 5th grade.

Is rather have him do well in math in ms and HS than be pushed too hard and struggle.

I never took calculus--not even in college. It's not necessary.

Huh. All of the college students out there who have been told that they can't graduate without passing calculus must have been given erroneous information. It's going to be quite the endeavor changing all those course catalogs before more students are tricked into taking unnecessary courses.

My BA at UMCP didn't require calculus. Went on to law school, and the only math I use is basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

There's a difference between "it's not necessary for all majors" and "it's not necessary."

It's not necessary in HS.

It's not necessary for most college majors.

It's not necessary for real life.

And it's certainly not necessary to worry about it in 3rd grade.

Very inaccurate statement.

Any physical or biological science, engineering, math major will absolutely require calculus.

At my land-grant university ag & mech school, calculus was required for the liberal arts majors, too.

So maybe for an art major at a liberal arts college your statement is true... but that your "most college majors" blanket statement is way off.

Don't need calculus for most majors...fact.

Don't need it for Government & Politics or Criminal Justice majors.

Don't need it for English, Journalism, History, Hearing & Speech, and pretty much anything that falls under languages or BSOS at UMCP.

And even if your kid's major requires it, why not take it in college? Why bother with it in HS? And why on earth worry about this for your third grader?

[Anonymous]

I think previous poster needs to realize that kids in CM are on track to take AP Calculus in 11th grade. Non CM is on track to take it in 12th grade. Calculus is part of the MCPS curriculum.

Students have the option to take AP Statistics instead of Calculus after finishing pre-calculus.

[Anonymous]

My DD is in third grade and I am not worried about college!!!

SHould I panic?!?!?!?!

GMAFB

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think previous poster needs to realize that kids in CM are on track to take AP Calculus in 11th grade. Non CM is on track to take it in 12th grade. Calculus is part of the MCPS curriculum.

Students have the option to take AP Statistics instead of Calculus after finishing pre-calculus.

NP. Is it a requirement in MCPS that all students need to take Calculus (or statistics) in order to graduate? Are there different tracks of calculus, or of grade-level math in general?

For example, I imagine that even for those kids that are not in CM, that there are some that are fast learners and could use some enrichment, as well as some who are barely keeping up or performing below grade level. Is there any sort of tracking in ES or MS for non-CM students...similar to how there are various levels of reading groups (not just one super-accelerated group and then everyone else)? I am a bit worried that now that all of the highest achievers will be pulled out for CM, that my DC might be stuck in a class where the teacher is spending the majority of the time trying to help the kids that are really struggling to even be at grade level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I do not think it is a big deal.

Your DC can still finish with Calc in HS, and the SAT actually tests content covered upto Geometry and Algebra 2.

Take this golden opportunity of not being in compacted Math to get your child more Math practice (ALEKS and Beestar are good online resources).

Is there any other factor you are concerned about regarding compacted Math?

OP here, I guess what I'm concerned about is being locked in to a certain track so early on. Clearly this won't stop DC from attending college but if our cluster has a relatively high performing highschool will it hurt that she isn't on the fast track and a lot of other kids are? I'm not anticipating Ivy but I hear even University of Maryland is getting harder to get into especially if the school you attend for high school is full of high achieving students.

Don't worry. You have time. It is better that she has thorough content knowledge. The most important things for any college is SAT and GPA. She can take AP exams in Calc to bolster her resume. Really, no need to worry.

[Anonymous]

My kid took calc in 11th after taking precalc in 10th. Went on to do statistics in 12th and is on full scholarship for STEM course in college. Tested out of calc in college, but took it again, because of the one year gap.