algebra in 6th grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only students transferred to MCPS or homeschooled get a chance to take Algebra in 6th grade. 95% Takoma magnet kids rake IM in 6th grade. Unless you can demonstrate your kid has extraordinary math skill, 99% MCPS students dont get a chance to take Algebra.

As others have pointed out, there are kids in MCPS right now in 4th and 5th grades who are headed for Algebra in 6th.

You are right, though, about the 99%. I would argue that's about right, though. Algebra in 6th puts them in AP Calculus their Sophmore year, and they run out of HS math by their Senior years.

I think 1 out of 100 kids is just about the right ratio for truly gifted math kids who need that kind of enrichment. The bright kids can hit AP Calculus their Junior years and still be a year ahead of most of the country.

They could take AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC, AP Stats, and/or multivariable Calc or Quant Lit (a highly useful class that all students should think about taking). Lots of options. No one will run out of math classes.

[Anonymous]

I thought MCPS was struggling to figure out how to offer Algebra I in MS at all — EVEN FOR 8th GRADERS— with the new math common core curriculum.

This would help with achievement gap by making everyone wait until 9th grade for Algebra but would give no students an opportunity for advanced math in HS.

We need to pay attention to this one. I think it’s a terrible idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son (now a junior) went to one of the HGC programs for 4th & 5th grade. He wasn't accepted to a magnet for MS, so he ended up at his home MS for 6-8th grade. They put him in IM7 for 6th grade, but it became clear very quickly that he already knew all the material (his teacher's opinion). The school agreed to move him into Algebra 1. He did get bussed to the local HS in 8th grade for Algebra 2. It wasn't too bad - he just took the HS bus in the morning, then was bussed back to the MS after 1st period Math. The hardest part was when the HS and MS calendars were mismatched for things like testing days when the HS rearranged the day's schedule. There were 5 other 8th graders doing this at his school as well. He took AP Calc AB in 10th grade and AP Calc BC this year. He got a 5 on his AP Calc AB exam last year. He is signed up for Multivariable Calculus and AP Stats his senior year next year (both are offered at his HS).

Montgomery County seems to accelerate math more elegantly than any other subject. My only wish is that they had realized from the start that my son should have been in Algebra 1. Missing the first quarter that year left him having to catch up.

For reference, my son was at Drew for the HGC program, Key for MS, and is now at Springbrook for HS.

What did your son do in ninth and tenth? (Just wondering about the MCPS math progression.)

Oops - ignore my question. (I misread the post.) I see between Algebra 2 and Calc AB there is only one year, and that would have been precalc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son (now a junior) went to one of the HGC programs for 4th & 5th grade. He wasn't accepted to a magnet for MS, so he ended up at his home MS for 6-8th grade. They put him in IM7 for 6th grade, but it became clear very quickly that he already knew all the material (his teacher's opinion). The school agreed to move him into Algebra 1. He did get bussed to the local HS in 8th grade for Algebra 2. It wasn't too bad - he just took the HS bus in the morning, then was bussed back to the MS after 1st period Math. The hardest part was when the HS and MS calendars were mismatched for things like testing days when the HS rearranged the day's schedule. There were 5 other 8th graders doing this at his school as well. He took AP Calc AB in 10th grade and AP Calc BC this year. He got a 5 on his AP Calc AB exam last year. He is signed up for Multivariable Calculus and AP Stats his senior year next year (both are offered at his HS).

Montgomery County seems to accelerate math more elegantly than any other subject. My only wish is that they had realized from the start that my son should have been in Algebra 1. Missing the first quarter that year left him having to catch up.

For reference, my son was at Drew for the HGC program, Key for MS, and is now at Springbrook for HS.

Unfortunately this is not a uniform policy. From what I can tell its school/teacher specific as to whether this happens or not. Definitely at Poolesville and Blair they seem to do the common sense thing of testing the kids when they come in. No idea why this can't be done earlier!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought MCPS was struggling to figure out how to offer Algebra I in MS at all — EVEN FOR 8th GRADERS— with the new math common core curriculum.

This would help with achievement gap by making everyone wait until 9th grade for Algebra but would give no students an opportunity for advanced math in HS.

We need to pay attention to this one. I think it’s a terrible idea.

That was a DCUM rumor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought MCPS was struggling to figure out how to offer Algebra I in MS at all — EVEN FOR 8th GRADERS— with the new math common core curriculum.

This would help with achievement gap by making everyone wait until 9th grade for Algebra but would give no students an opportunity for advanced math in HS.

We need to pay attention to this one. I think it’s a terrible idea.

That was a DCUM rumor.

Hmm not so sure about that. Heard about it
IRL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My son (now a junior) went to one of the HGC programs for 4th & 5th grade. He wasn't accepted to a magnet for MS, so he ended up at his home MS for 6-8th grade. They put him in IM7 for 6th grade, but it became clear very quickly that he already knew all the material (his teacher's opinion). The school agreed to move him into Algebra 1. He did get bussed to the local HS in 8th grade for Algebra 2. It wasn't too bad - he just took the HS bus in the morning, then was bussed back to the MS after 1st period Math. The hardest part was when the HS and MS calendars were mismatched for things like testing days when the HS rearranged the day's schedule. There were 5 other 8th graders doing this at his school as well. He took AP Calc AB in 10th grade and AP Calc BC this year. He got a 5 on his AP Calc AB exam last year. He is signed up for Multivariable Calculus and AP Stats his senior year next year (both are offered at his HS).

Montgomery County seems to accelerate math more elegantly than any other subject. My only wish is that they had realized from the start that my son should have been in Algebra 1. Missing the first quarter that year left him having to catch up.

For reference, my son was at Drew for the HGC program, Key for MS, and is now at Springbrook for HS.

What did your son do in ninth and tenth? (Just wondering about the MCPS math progression.)

He took Pre-Calc in 9th and AP Calculus AB in 10th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought MCPS was struggling to figure out how to offer Algebra I in MS at all — EVEN FOR 8th GRADERS— with the new math common core curriculum.

This would help with achievement gap by making everyone wait until 9th grade for Algebra but would give no students an opportunity for advanced math in HS.

We need to pay attention to this one. I think it’s a terrible idea.

That was a DCUM rumor.

Hmm not so sure about that. Heard about it
IRL.

The thing that was the rumor was the Compacted Math, which is continuing on next year in its current form for 4th Graders - no solution yet from Eureka. There is also a new Algebra curriculum being tested this year, which is intended for use in 9th Grade in the rest of the country, and a new non-Eureka MS curriculum. These curricula do not all seamlessly blend, thus the connundrum about the compacted track, and the regular, Algebra in 8th track.

Despite complaints to the contrary, we should step back and appreciate that MCPS's current offerings are a year ahead of other strong districts in the country where Algebra in 8th is the fast track.

[Anonymous]

I hope they roll this out better than they did for Curriculum 2.0. So much wasted effort.

I certainly hope that they intend to keep the Algebra by 8th grade track. They need to start early and push the basic math facts over and over in the early grades.