Algebra in private schools

[Anonymous]

What year do they teach algebra at your school? Ours starts in 8th but I am wondering if that is typical, or late or what.

[Anonymous]

In our Catholic School(VA) we split and there are a few with Algebra in 7/ Geometry in 8th, more with pre-alg in 7 and Alg in 8th, and others in reg math in 7/8(but it's same teacher who works to cover as much of the pre-alg/alg work as she can.

[Anonymous]

I've been researching schools with that in mind (only DC and MD) and have discovered (I was surprised) that most private and parish schools customarily offer Algebra I in 8th or even pre-Algebra in 8th. A couple of private schools will let a 7th grader take Algebra I with 8th graders but what then? I was dismayed. Most luck with schools thru 12th so kid can keep progressing. The private school folks keep harping that it is because they want the kids to have a solid math foundation - and I agree - but if math is a strong point for your child you don't want them repeating the same stuff. And, it may not always be a strong point - some kids may not do well in Geometry but did fine in Algebra. The thought is that Algebra success is a determining factor of success in higher math and that younger kids are not developmentally ready for Algebra. I think you ought to place child in the right fit like anything else concerning schools; but tough to find.

[Anonymous]

OP, It's as if you read my mind. Great thread. I am looking forward to reading more replies.

[Anonymous]

Algebra I is offered in 7, 8 and 9
Algebra II is offered in 8 and in HS.
Geometry is only in HS.

[Anonymous]

Holton-Arms has a full accelerated math track.

[Anonymous]

Our DCPS middle school has a third of the class taking Algebra in 7th grade and Geometry in 8th. But yeah, keep telling yourself that you're paying $30,000 a year for "depth."

[Anonymous]

Majority of catholic schools in VA/DC/MD that are k-8 will offer ALG in 7th or 8th and Geometry as well.

[Anonymous]

Our private offers Algebra in 7th and Geometry in 8th.

[Anonymous]

The larger K-12 schools (GDS, Sidwell, NCS, StAs, Holton) have option for 7th grade algebra. The smaller do not. The publics mostly have the 7th grade algebra option, however, MCPS have recently realized they (and pushy parents) had been putting far too many kids in 7th grade algebra that weren't ready and ended up having large gaps in their knowledge/mastery. Really vast majority of kids are not ready for algebra in 7th (and are not really going to be appropriate for multivariate calc in 12th and BC Calc in 11th) unless they are going to be math/engineering majors places like MIT. My DD went to a small K-8th and thus was in calc in 12th because in algebra in 8th not 7th, and she is a STEM major at HYPS school, and doing very well, really the obsession with acceleration is all about the parents most of the time

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DCPS middle school has a third of the class taking Algebra in 7th grade and Geometry in 8th. But yeah, keep telling yourself that you're paying $30,000 a year for "depth."

With DCPS you need to very careful about how they label their courses. We recently had the experience of a DCPS 8th grader applicant shadowing my DD in her 9th grade Geometry class. She expressed surprise that my DD's class was doing proofs in Geometry because her teacher "did not believe" in proofs. Just because they are both called Geometry may or may not mean that the experience and what the kids learn is comparable.

[Anonymous]

Our DCPS 8th grade Geometry class included extensive work on proofs, including weeks on geometry proofs as well as some work on algebraic proofs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The larger K-12 schools (GDS, Sidwell, NCS, StAs, Holton) have option for 7th grade algebra. The smaller do not. The publics mostly have the 7th grade algebra option, however, MCPS have recently realized they (and pushy parents) had been putting far too many kids in 7th grade algebra that weren't ready and ended up having large gaps in their knowledge/mastery. Really vast majority of kids are not ready for algebra in 7th (and are not really going to be appropriate for multivariate calc in 12th and BC Calc in 11th) unless they are going to be math/engineering majors places like MIT. My DD went to a small K-8th and thus was in calc in 12th because in algebra in 8th not 7th, and she is a STEM major at HYPS school, and doing very well, really the obsession with acceleration is all about the parents most of the time

Agreed. In addition, do you really want to take SATs junior year on material you may or may not have mastered in 7th and 8th grade? Three years is a long time.
The gaps are enormous, as well, and the kids come to high school being able to solve an equation, but can't add fractions, do long division, do percentages etc.
They pay the price when they get further into math and get turned off when they are behind the other kids.

[Anonymous]

What some 8th grade (not all) programs call Geometry is not a true high school Geometry course.

[Anonymous]

A number of accelerated math kids take the SAT at age 12 and score over 700 in math - look up Johns Hopkins SET. I sincerely doubt that those kids are going to be stressed out by not remembering how to complete the Math problems on the SAT in 11th grade.