Math acceleration?

[Anonymous]

Hi, everyone. We will be moving to MCPS this fall, and we are finding ourselves thoroughly confused about the curriculum switch, especially in math. My son is in an accelerated program in our current public schools, so he'll be finished with 6th grade math by the end of this year (4th grade). He's a real math guy, so we are especially concerned about him being bored and having to repeat a ton of stuff. Can anyone help us understand what our options are for next year and into middle school? Are there schools that seem to have an especially good track record with acceleration? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Do you know what school he will be at next fall? I think that your best bet is to talk to the counselor at that school.

From DCUM, you'll get speculation at best, and at worst the usual stuff about Curriculum 2.0. If you want to know what the "usual stuff" is, I suggest you start here:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/323446.page

[Anonymous]

Are you not coming for a common core state?

[Anonymous]

We haven't decided yet on a neighborhood, so we are open to finding a home to get him into a school that can accommodate him. (We'll be renting.) It's such a huge district, I was hoping for a little guidance from this community.

Thanks for the link - I'll give that a look!

[Anonymous]

PP: common core is being implemented next year.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Sorry, I meant to write that common core is being implemented in our home state next year.

[Anonymous]

Since your child has not been exposed to common core, you are going to have trouble showing the need for acceleration. My suggestion is to buy a 5th grade common core math workbook and have him go through it. Then, once you have a neighborhood school you need to immediately ask that he be evaluated for compacted math prior to the school year starting. That will have him complete 6th grade math at the end of 5th grade which is the best you can do. As for picking a school, all schools offer the same curriculum, but the compacted class can be implemented differently. In sone schools it is a separate class within the school, in others the kids have to go to the middle school to take the class, and still in others regular 5th grade teachers need to teach the class while Los teaching the grade level curriculum. In my opinion, option 1 is best, so I would look for schools that teach it as a separate class. If you give a general area where you are looking, others can probably chime in with how compacted is being taught at the local schools.

[Anonymous]

The main "acceleration" option available to 5th graders would be the second year of a "compacted" math sequence in which they complete part of 5th grade math and do all of 6 th grade math. Some elementary schools have this in house at others the accelerated kids go to the middle school for their math class.
There are still kids further accelerated under the old system who have been allowed to continue on their path, but I'm not sure if that is the case for any kids as young as your child.

I'm not sure if they would be helpful, but you might try contacting the MCPS Advanced Enriched Instruction office
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/enriched/

Good luck figuring out something appropriate for your child.

[Anonymous]

He can apply to takoma park magnet for 6th grade which will offer the highest math...it is very competitive though. For this year try for compacted 5/6 math

[Anonymous]

You should try to live in the Takoma Park Middle School boundary area. The Math & Science Magnet at the school is a county-wide program and is highly competitive as the PP said. However, there are about 20 seats reserved for in-boundary kids, so the odds shift into your favor.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry OP but your child will be pushed back in math for a few years. Math is HORRIBLE in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry OP but your child will be pushed back in math for a few years. Math is HORRIBLE in MCPS.

Snort.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/323446.page

[Anonymous]

I would choose your neighborhood based on a combination of commute and overall quality of school. Not at all on your son's need for higher math. The implementation of the new curriculum has basically ended math tracking within elementary schools.

Your best bet is to pick a neighborhood that works for you financially, provides acceptable commutability, and provides an overall school environment you are comfortable with.

Once you've bought/rented you can go to the school and explain that you'd like your son to be tested for compacted math. My daughter did not qualify for compacted math but did qualify for a once a week "enrichment" pullout. It is better than nothing. MCPS's math curriculum normal track is to have kids taking algebra in 8th grade. What is your son currently on track to do? Maybe he is only year ahead rather than two? Still frustrating, but a little less bitter pill to swallow.

One more thought, when you are looking at houses, you can call the ES to make sure they offer the compacted math onsite (my understanding is that a handful don't).

Fairfax County in Virginia is the school system with the most resources put into gifted education, so it might be another county to look in as you're househunting.

[Anonymous]

You may want to look into Howard County. They have in-school gifted programs and are more flexible with instruction plans for kids that need acceleration. Fairfax, Arlington or other VA counties are doing better in math too.

When MCPS rolled out 2.0 they pushed back all the kids who had been in accelerated math. MCPS used to offer the same accelerated programs that your previous school did but they ended it. Now, everyone does the same thing and math is completely watered down. These kids all had to repeat math that they had learned a year or more prior to 2.0 in MCPS. If MCPS is willing to throw all these kids back, there is no way they will make any special arrangements for your kids.

[Anonymous]

Keep in mind that even though people are saying it is watered down..kids are still ending up in mostly the same place by high school. Most kids have taken algebra and a good number geometry. If that is where your son would have been in your old school then he is probably fine in MoCo.