New APS Middle School Math Pathways

[Anonymous]

When my daughter was a rising 6th I was told that 25% of incoming students enrolled into math 7 for 6th. This new mod advanced offering (more advanced because students are taking a higher SOL at end of course) will have fewer students. However the curriculum will be he same for 6th and 7th since the SOL at the end is the same. Even if they go down to 15% of 6th graders, it’s still enough to hold classes because the teachers don’t need to be restricted to a single team for math. One teacher can teach the advanced class for multiple teams at different periods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To those of you whose child(ren) went from Math 7 for 6th graders to Intensified Algebra as 7th graders: did your students feel prepared for Algebra? That’s the recommendation we’re looking at now.

My son just finished Intensified Algebra at Swanson in 7th and did really well. I was pleasantly surprised. I really think it depends on the kid. There’s no easy answer.

My DD was also recommended for Intensified Alegebra in 7th at Kenmore. She was in Math 7 this year, and pulled for extra math enhancement all year in a group with the math coach, partially to make sure they were all ready for it, and also to "do extra math for fun" ! (Sounds like water boarding to me). Not sure how many of her friends are taking the class next year; I know that there were around 20 kids pulled for the extra work with the math coach (the kids that were pulled for it were told that they might want extra enrichment because Math 7 might be a little boring -- DD is identified as gifted in math and had a 600 on her math SOL in 5th grade).

She says that she's been prepping all year for it and really wants to do it, so we're going to see how it goes.

So your child took math 7 this year as a 6th grader? Did she do 5th grade math as a 5th grader? Sorry for the stupid question, I am just trying to figure out what gets "skipped over"!

At least in 4th and 5th, she was being tracked for math with other kids similarly situated. I don't think anything was skipped over, just that they moved faster through units than other sections. I remember asking something about it, and was told that she was prepared and she would be fine. All A's in Math all year, so I think she was okay.

[Anonymous]

Our fifth grade class (last year, so rising-6th now) had 6 classes in it. Two of the 6 were advanced math, so I would figure that's 40-50 kids. The teachers said they would be recommending fewer than 10 kids for the new 6-7-8 math. I don't know what that means for the other 40 or so kids who've been tracked in higher level math for years.

[Anonymous]

Why was this change made? I have a kid who just finished math 7 for 6th graders. I thought it was the right class for her. She would have been bored with a less challenging class, and probably was not ready for a harder class, so it it's too bad they are taking away this option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why was this change made? I have a kid who just finished math 7 for 6th graders. I thought it was the right class for her. She would have been bored with a less challenging class, and probably was not ready for a harder class, so it it's too bad they are taking away this option.

Because the students going into Alg 1 after Math 7, basically missed a year of math (Math 8). So now they will get Math 6,7,8 in one year before going into Algebra 1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why was this change made? I have a kid who just finished math 7 for 6th graders. I thought it was the right class for her. She would have been bored with a less challenging class, and probably was not ready for a harder class, so it it's too bad they are taking away this option.

Because the students going into Alg 1 after Math 7, basically missed a year of math (Math 8). So now they will get Math 6,7,8 in one year before going into Algebra 1.

But only a small fraction of the kids who have been in advanced math for years. Most GT math kids aren't going to be in 6.7.8.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why was this change made? I have a kid who just finished math 7 for 6th graders. I thought it was the right class for her. She would have been bored with a less challenging class, and probably was not ready for a harder class, so it it's too bad they are taking away this option.

Because the students going into Alg 1 after Math 7, basically missed a year of math (Math 8). So now they will get Math 6,7,8 in one year before going into Algebra 1.

But only a small fraction of the kids who have been in advanced math for years. Most GT math kids aren't going to be in 6.7.8.

I’m not sure I understand your comment. Is it a bad thing that fewer kids are going into the advanced class? 3 years of math in one year is a lot for any kid.

[Anonymous]

My son was recommended for the new 6-7-8 class. I’m going to keep him there but keep an open mind to repeat in 7th if we don’t feel he’s ready for Alg 1 intensified in 7th. He’s excited about being in the advanced class but the transition to MS can be hard. We’ll see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why was this change made? I have a kid who just finished math 7 for 6th graders. I thought it was the right class for her. She would have been bored with a less challenging class, and probably was not ready for a harder class, so it it's too bad they are taking away this option.

Because the students going into Alg 1 after Math 7, basically missed a year of math (Math 8). So now they will get Math 6,7,8 in one year before going into Algebra 1.

But only a small fraction of the kids who have been in advanced math for years. Most GT math kids aren't going to be in 6.7.8.

I’m not sure I understand your comment. Is it a bad thing that fewer kids are going into the advanced class? 3 years of math in one year is a lot for any kid.

THey've taken away an option that would work for the advanced kids who aren't elite. Like I said above, we had 40-50 kids in advanced math last year (so, they were already doing 5/6 math). Less than 10 were going to be recommended for the 6-7-8 class. Unless they cluster the kids who were already doing some 6th grade math last year, those kids aren't going to be getting what they should.

[Anonymous]

I am also puzzled as to why this change was made so that acceleration/differentiation is provided for such a small contingent of 6th grade students rather than providing an accelerated option for all math students identified as gifted.

DD was recommended for the 6/7/8 class by her teacher, but the middle school math coach placed her in Math 6. Now I am struggling with whether I push to have her enrolled in the 6/7/8 class against the middle school's recommendation or leave her in Math 6. With the former option I worry that she could end up beyond her depth and with the latter option I worry that she will be bored. I also wonder how limiting it is in the long term to not be on the most accelerated track for math. Does it matter significantly for college admissions (can't believe I am already thinking about that with a rising 6th grader) that you did not take multivariable calculus in high school? I have no idea.

I also wonder whether this makes it less likely that DD will have other classes (English, Science, Social Studies, etc.) with students from the 6/7/8 class simply based on scheduling (if Math 6 is offered at different times from Math 6/7/8 for example). I know there is no accelerated option for those other classes, but I would like to be sure that DD is clustered with other gifted students for those classes. Does anyone have any insight into this issue?

[Anonymous]

Reading this thread has me very sad. I took multi-variable calculus as a freshman in college. I'm an engineer, I turned out fine. I don't think I could have handled calc 3 in highschool, and it would have been really bad if I had not fully gotten it since its a foundation class for everything in the sciences. Maybe they *should* be taking it in college.
Can't you opt to take summer classes to catch up if you want in college? It seems strange that a placement in sixth grade should have any sort of lasting effect on your life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reading this thread has me very sad. I took multi-variable calculus as a freshman in college. I'm an engineer, I turned out fine. I don't think I could have handled calc 3 in highschool, and it would have been really bad if I had not fully gotten it since its a foundation class for everything in the sciences. Maybe they *should* be taking it in college.
Can't you opt to take summer classes to catch up if you want in college? It seems strange that a placement in sixth grade should have any sort of lasting effect on your life.

Sorry I meant summer classes in highschool.

[Anonymous]

The math teacher at our ES told kids that, if she were a rising 6th grader, she wouldn’t enroll in 6-7-8 even if it were recommended. She said this to the gifted class.

[Anonymous]

Hmm. The 5th grade teachers in our school said we should trust the recommendations that emerged from the 5 (or was it 6?) data points that they gathered and sent on to the middle schools. They said that those recommended for 6-7-8 would be ready for it, but not to push your child up into it if it wasn't recommended. My husband and I said we'd accept whatever they recommended--at least to see how it goes for a few weeks. That's what we're doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reading this thread has me very sad. I took multi-variable calculus as a freshman in college. I'm an engineer, I turned out fine. I don't think I could have handled calc 3 in highschool, and it would have been really bad if I had not fully gotten it since its a foundation class for everything in the sciences. Maybe they *should* be taking it in college.
Can't you opt to take summer classes to catch up if you want in college? It seems strange that a placement in sixth grade should have any sort of lasting effect on your life.

I took multivariable in HS and repeated it first semester freshman year. I think this is a typical path. From what I've seen looking at the math department at my oldest kid's college, it's tough to place out of multivariable in college. Just taking the class in HS isn't enough...you would likely need to take a placement exam at the school.