Need to complete geometry to take Biology?

[Anonymous]

My daughter came home today and said she could not take Biology in 9th grade (despite a teacher rec) because she is taking algebra not geometry this year (grade 8). I am wondering what will happen in the future with the end of most math acceleration. Will no one take Biology in grade 9 and get to AP science in HS? She is quite disappointed.

[Anonymous]

They said that because, in their infinite wisdom, they assume that she is not capable from an academic standpoint.
That happened to me with chemistry in HS. I was not allowed to take advanced chem because I was not in a high math group. It is their way of tracking. I did get into advanced chemistry after begging. It was tough and I had to work really hard. The upside was that I got to hang out with some really smart kids and learned how they studied and what it took to get better grades. I first got a C, then two Bs, then finally an A! For the year, they gave me a B. Overall, my study skills improved. From then on I was much more studious and went onto a major university and of all things was a math major.
This is an example of why I think that tracking stinks. Had I not begged to get into that class, I am not sure where my confidence would have been.

[Anonymous]

Except her science teacher recommended her for the Biology...

[Anonymous]

I would talk to guidance counselor and override that decision. What course will she take in place of geometry? My daughter transferred into a "W" high school for second semester freshman year. She was taking matter and energy in her private school. The "w" school didn't offered that class and they put her in "Applied Science" which was useless. This year she is taking biology as a sophomore and she is the only sophomore in the biology class. All Freshman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would talk to guidance counselor and override that decision. What course will she take in place of geometry? My daughter transferred into a "W" high school for second semester freshman year. She was taking matter and energy in her private school. The "w" school didn't offered that class and they put her in "Applied Science" which was useless. This year she is taking biology as a sophomore and she is the only sophomore in the biology class. All Freshman.

Same poster: This year she is taking biology and geometry at the same time. Geometry does not seem to be a pre-requisite at all for biology.

[Anonymous]

My daughter took biology and geometry at the same time in MCPS. It seemed pretty standard for her school. I would talk with her counselor.

[Anonymous]

Another example of the dumbing down of the curriculum..I wonder if it will apply at the W schools too. I guess not if Whittman don't offer Energy and Matter at all unless they do now.

[Anonymous]

I think if the teacher recommends her for biology she should take biology.

But as an MCPS grad who got through AP biology, chemistry and physics, I want to point out that you can take more than 1 science class per year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They said that because, in their infinite wisdom, they assume that she is not capable from an academic standpoint.
That happened to me with chemistry in HS. I was not allowed to take advanced chem because I was not in a high math group. It is their way of tracking. I did get into advanced chemistry after begging. It was tough and I had to work really hard. The upside was that I got to hang out with some really smart kids and learned how they studied and what it took to get better grades. I first got a C, then two Bs, then finally an A! For the year, they gave me a B. Overall, my study skills improved. From then on I was much more studious and went onto a major university and of all things was a math major.
This is an example of why I think that tracking stinks. Had I not begged to get into that class, I am not sure where my confidence would have been.

Sorry for the off track comment, but PP, I think this is an example of how tracking worked very well for you. You got into the highest track, where the brightest students were grouped together, and being surrounded by them inspired you to improve your study skills.

If there had been no tracking, those brighter students would have been spread out throughout the classes and they would not have been doing advanced chemistry. There would have been no noticeable effect on you, your study skills would not have improved; in fact, you would probably have just coasted in the easier class, with lower expectations on you. You probably would have gotten straight As but learned much less.

[Anonymous]

My kid is taking Honors Bio and on level Geometry in 9th at BCC.

At the orientation night they had before the rising 9th graders picked classes they made it sound like Bio and Honors Bio were the only choices for 9th grade. There was an "integrated science" option or something on the selection sheet, but they didn't even mention it. They talked about how taking Algebra 1 in ninth is a good option for kids whose foundations aren't secure in math, but implied that even those kids take Bio. I just asked my kid how much math there has been in Bio and he said "nothing, at least not yet".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They said that because, in their infinite wisdom, they assume that she is not capable from an academic standpoint.
That happened to me with chemistry in HS. I was not allowed to take advanced chem because I was not in a high math group. It is their way of tracking. I did get into advanced chemistry after begging. It was tough and I had to work really hard. The upside was that I got to hang out with some really smart kids and learned how they studied and what it took to get better grades. I first got a C, then two Bs, then finally an A! For the year, they gave me a B. Overall, my study skills improved. From then on I was much more studious and went onto a major university and of all things was a math major.
This is an example of why I think that tracking stinks. Had I not begged to get into that class, I am not sure where my confidence would have been.

Sorry for the off track comment, but PP, I think this is an example of how tracking worked very well for you. You got into the highest track, where the brightest students were grouped together, and being surrounded by them inspired you to improve your study skills.

If there had been no tracking, those brighter students would have been spread out throughout the classes and they would not have been doing advanced chemistry. There would have been no noticeable effect on you, your study skills would not have improved; in fact, you would probably have just coasted in the easier class, with lower expectations on you. You probably would have gotten straight As but learned much less.

Disagree, I would have sought them out in regular classes if they had been in my classes. I always wanted to do well, just wasn't sure what I needed to do.
Interestingly, I ended up achieving more than they did, both academically and financially. Some of that was drive, the other was that I was determined to prove my school wrong wrt their assumptions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They said that because, in their infinite wisdom, they assume that she is not capable from an academic standpoint.
That happened to me with chemistry in HS. I was not allowed to take advanced chem because I was not in a high math group. It is their way of tracking. I did get into advanced chemistry after begging. It was tough and I had to work really hard. The upside was that I got to hang out with some really smart kids and learned how they studied and what it took to get better grades. I first got a C, then two Bs, then finally an A! For the year, they gave me a B. Overall, my study skills improved. From then on I was much more studious and went onto a major university and of all things was a math major.
This is an example of why I think that tracking stinks. Had I not begged to get into that class, I am not sure where my confidence would have been.

Sorry for the off track comment, but PP, I think this is an example of how tracking worked very well for you. You got into the highest track, where the brightest students were grouped together, and being surrounded by them inspired you to improve your study skills.

If there had been no tracking, those brighter students would have been spread out throughout the classes and they would not have been doing advanced chemistry. There would have been no noticeable effect on you, your study skills would not have improved; in fact, you would probably have just coasted in the easier class, with lower expectations on you. You probably would have gotten straight As but learned much less.

Disagree, I would have sought them out in regular classes if they had been in my classes. I always wanted to do well, just wasn't sure what I needed to do.
Interestingly, I ended up achieving more than they did, both academically and financially. Some of that was drive, the other was that I was determined to prove my school wrong wrt their assumptions.

You may have sought the students out, but you would not have been taking advanced chemistry were it not for tracking. You and they would have been a few kids in a regular chemistry class, and you would probably have all just gotten As. You would not have received feedback that your work was C level, because in regular chemistry, with average students, you would have been top of the class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They said that because, in their infinite wisdom, they assume that she is not capable from an academic standpoint.
That happened to me with chemistry in HS. I was not allowed to take advanced chem because I was not in a high math group. It is their way of tracking. I did get into advanced chemistry after begging. It was tough and I had to work really hard. The upside was that I got to hang out with some really smart kids and learned how they studied and what it took to get better grades. I first got a C, then two Bs, then finally an A! For the year, they gave me a B. Overall, my study skills improved. From then on I was much more studious and went onto a major university and of all things was a math major.
This is an example of why I think that tracking stinks. Had I not begged to get into that class, I am not sure where my confidence would have been.

Sorry for the off track comment, but PP, I think this is an example of how tracking worked very well for you. You got into the highest track, where the brightest students were grouped together, and being surrounded by them inspired you to improve your study skills.

If there had been no tracking, those brighter students would have been spread out throughout the classes and they would not have been doing advanced chemistry. There would have been no noticeable effect on you, your study skills would not have improved; in fact, you would probably have just coasted in the easier class, with lower expectations on you. You probably would have gotten straight As but learned much less.

Disagree, I would have sought them out in regular classes if they had been in my classes. I always wanted to do well, just wasn't sure what I needed to do.
Interestingly, I ended up achieving more than they did, both academically and financially. Some of that was drive, the other was that I was determined to prove my school wrong wrt their assumptions.

You may have sought the students out, but you would not have been taking advanced chemistry were it not for tracking. You and they would have been a few kids in a regular chemistry class, and you would probably have all just gotten As. You would not have received feedback that your work was C level, because in regular chemistry, with average students, you would have been top of the class.

Disagree. They just need to let kids into advanced classes because the kid feels ready. My point is that tracking fails many kids who don't have the guts to do what I did. The school had their minds made up about certain kids. Just because I did not study a lick (zippo) until age 13, does not mean that I should have become a secretary rather than a mathematician. I was straight Cs and Ds in 7th grade, and straight As by HS.

[Anonymous]

Happened to me long time ago as I chaned schools mid HS. Took summer class and was able to take the chemistry class I wanted. See if they will let her do that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Disagree, I would have sought them out in regular classes if they had been in my classes. I always wanted to do well, just wasn't sure what I needed to do.
Interestingly, I ended up achieving more than they did, both academically and financially. Some of that was drive, the other was that I was determined to prove my school wrong wrt their assumptions.

You may have sought the students out, but you would not have been taking advanced chemistry were it not for tracking. You and they would have been a few kids in a regular chemistry class, and you would probably have all just gotten As. You would not have received feedback that your work was C level, because in regular chemistry, with average students, you would have been top of the class.


Disagree. They just need to let kids into advanced classes because the kid feels ready. My point is that tracking fails many kids who don't have the guts to do what I did. The school had their minds made up about certain kids. Just because I did not study a lick (zippo) until age 13, does not mean that I should have become a secretary rather than a mathematician. I was straight Cs and Ds in 7th grade, and straight As by HS.

If the school puts all the kids who are earning Cs and Ds in 7th grade, into the advanced classes in 8th grade, those classes will cease to be "advanced" classes. So I hope you aren't arguing for open access to advanced classes.