APS Middle School Math Pathways - 6th grade this fall
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Anonymous
| The elephant in this room is that many "GT" kids are not actually GT. An actually GT in math kid will romp through even the most intensified path in APS. It is not that advanced. Your kids are high-achieving, not GT. |
Anonymous
+1 It's really hard to say without knowing the specific kid. I do think that if your kid requires regular tutoring to handle the advanced track, he shouldn't be on it. If everyone actually followed that advice they wouldn't have had so much trouble later on and had to re-do the paths. Both mine went through the old accelerated track and had no issues, never used a tutor, got solid As, and been fine on that track in HS. One of the two is absolutely gifted in math (based on neuropsych evaluation) while the other one isn't as much of a stand-out math student but she didn't have to work that hard IMO. |
Anonymous
Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing until you've already put them on the path, then. It's not an easy decision. I don't want my child to struggle too much unnecessarily; and I don't want my child to be bored by taking the same class two years in a row - pre-algebra in 7th and then again in 8th. |
Anonymous
| How many students in APS stay on the advanced track and make it through Multivariable/Vector Calculus, Linear Algebra or Differential Equations? What would look best for college applications? |
Anonymous
It seems to be a pretty small group. My DS was on track for that but has opted, following his teacher's recommendation, to spread out calculus with AB in 11th and BC in 12th, she told me that's the more common path for the kids who are in pre-calculus in 10th. He did have the OK to take BC in 11th if he wanted to but decided the 1 hour+ of homework each night on top of AP English and APUSH was going to be a lot. He thinks he wants to major in math and the slower, more solid foundation in calculus is probably a better approach for him. He'll also take AP Stats + AP Computer Science in 12th. He's not going to be applying to top-20 type colleges (not in our budget) so I can't imagine he'll be hurt by not taking the post-calculus math classes. I still don't know how I feel about pushing the faster path in MS. On the one hand, he found it fairly easy and I'm glad he wasn't bored in math but there is no need IMO for HS students to be going past calculus. |
Anonymous
|
From the class size report...
1 class of Linear Algebra/Vector Calculus at W-L with 12 students 1 class each of Multivariable Calculus at Wakefield - 13 students Yorktown- 24 H-B - 21 |
Anonymous
| Math teachers in middle school aren't good. Swanson. |
Anonymous
Shit. These schools have over 2500 students and 12-24?!?!!! That tells you all you need to know only 12 out of over 600 kids. |
Anonymous
AWFUL! I think some kids would be ahead if there was better instruction in 6th/7th. |
Anonymous
Well, the size of the senior class is the only thing that's relevant, about 500 at W-L this year and of that 12 taking the offered post-calculus class. It seems like, regardless of how well the students are doing in 9th-10th on the accelerated pathway, the math teachers are encouraging a slower path for calculus. I was surprised when they told me their most common path is AB in 11th / BC in 12th. Even with DS getting a high A in Pre-Calc, that's what they recommended although said he could take BC if he really wanted to but definitely discouraged it. |
Anonymous
So about 2%-3% of the students stay on track for advanced math senior year. Most of you parents (especially NA parents) are crazy...no wonder all of the Drinking and Drug use at Williamsburg/Yorktown. This really is a race to nowhere....poor Larla and Larlo. |
Anonymous
| Yup...parents who have unrealistic expectations. Welcome to NA! |
Anonymous
| My son just did the 6-7-8 class with a final A grade though he did not coast through. I’m not worrying now about whether he will want to do multi variable. Maybe he will, maybe he won’t. But he will have the option to do so, if he pleases. if at some point he wants to take a different AP math class that’s okay too. |
Anonymous
Maybe that's more like what it should be. Or maybe it would be a little higher naturally if APS didn't push it too early on so many kids. It will be interesting to see how many seniors are still on it in 6 years - when this year's 6th graders are seniors, since they are the first class with fewer pushed into Math 678 in 6th. I'm the PP who kept asking about going from Math 6 to pre-algebra in 7th. I still have a number of questions for APS; but after talking with my child last night, I've started leaning the other way back to staying with Math 7. I think there's something to be said when the student doesn't think they're ready despite APS' criteria indicating they are, and when a discussion about math and math options brings the student to tears. If just discussing it causes that much upset, geez! It's not worth that! Yet after our discussion, I do believe my child is more capable and better prepared than they think they are. But maybe just not ready to be pushed or to prove it to themself? Funny, the only factor NOT a part of the placement recommendation seems to be the student's perspective. |
Anonymous
| Good for you, 07:23! Honestly, kids would are on the regular math path will do just fine and I can't believe some of the topics people are worried about a HS student taking! My kid will be taking pre-algebra in 7th, but if the idea of math placement was bringing him to tears, I'd think long and hard before pushing. There are going to be a lot of AP and Intensified classes in the future and I don't think we need to be stressing them out at the age of 12. |