New enriched MS classes
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Anonymous
If the pilot goes well it will lead to an enriched Algebra class similar to TPMS magnet. |
My son is in the math class and said he likes it so far because all of the kids are smart and like math. He is excited about the projects the teacher told him about, which seem to be a cross with computer science, science and real-world application of math. I haven't seen a syllabus or docs, so I dont know if this is true. Beyond that, he hasn't really done anything to make any meaningful assessment or comparison!
Anonymous
| I wonder if the "enriched" version will continue to run parallel to honors through HS? Or will it end when honors geometry starts and the kids will merge with the kids who took regular 7th grade algebra. |
Anonymous
CJMS has at least two sections of each (DC's best friend is in the other two sections), don't know if there are more than that. At BTSN the Hist Inq teacher explained clearly how the enriched class differs from the regular one, but the IM teacher didn't get there due to time constraints. Imo it's too soon to make a judgment, especially in comparison to the magnets, but it all seems fine so far. DC is with smart peers, and the teachers seem strong and experienced. |
Anonymous
| My DS's English class is marked "ADV English." Does that mean that it's coded advanced or is it just regular English? He's in the enriched social studies class. |
Anonymous
Everyone is in Advanced English unless they're below grade level and in a remedial class. The enriched courses are social studies and math only. |
Anonymous
Would you mind sharing what the Hist Inq teacher said about how it's different? I'm interested in what they are going to do. |
Anonymous
At our MS, Advanced and Regular are in the same classroom with slightly different assignments. More than half are advanced but not all. |
Anonymous
"Advanced" is a joke, unfortunately. It's like Lake Wobegon -- where all the kids are above average. My son essentially slept through his W-feeder middle school with straight As. Thankfully he was on the accelerated math track and had decent math teachers, and is now in a challenging program at his high school. But MCPS has an obligation to do so much better for our kids. Middle school should not be a three-year holding tank. |
Anonymous
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I've heard from teachers that there will end up being a lot of variance in how rigorous/difficult the classes will be depending on the school. This was slapped together pretty quickly so teachers have to fill in most of it. Some teachers are very excited to have more control and if they are in a school with reliable very high performing students then the projects, discussions and group work can be very accelerated. If they are in a school that really doesn't have the same amount of high performers but MCPS wants the class there anywhere then those teachers need to dumb it down so the majority of the class doesn't fail.
While all this makes sense, I'm not sure if this a good thing or a bad thing. Its great for schools that truly do have a very high performing cohort but its more of the same for schools that don't. |
Anonymous
| It would be interesting to hear about the reading lists for the enriched humanities course |