MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment

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Anonymous wrote:So admittedly I am far removed from my own high school experience and my kids are still in ES, but the MS/HS math pathways surprised me a bit- do kids no longer take geometry and trig?

Pre-calc in 9th also seems a bit crazy to me (again this is coming from someone who graduated in the 90s where "accelerated" meant pre-calc in 11th and AP Calc in 12th). But I don't understand what some of these students are meant to take in 12th if they've already had two years of calculus by then.

Acceleration looks like this:

Alg 7th
Geometry 8th
Alg2/Trig 9th
Precalc 10th
Calc 11th
MVC/Diffeq/Stats 12th

That's the route both my kids took (now in college, one about to go). The one in college is a dual math major. They easily passed all their accelerated math classes including MVC/Diffeq. MAPS scores always at highest %ile, PARCC scores always exceeding expectations, 5 on AP cal, 800 on SAT math. Kid would've been incredibly bored in ES without HGC (former name of CES) and compacted math. No, we did not ever tutor DC.

There are a lot of highly educated parents around here, so it's no surprise that there are a lot advanced learners here.

MCPS really is racing to the bottom. We had intentionally moved here for the magnets and acceleration programs. So glad to be done with MCPS before they killed every program that made it great.

On the link provided in the OP, it looks like starting in 2027-2028, there are three potential math pathways students will take (slide 14) where pre-calc may be taken anywhere from 9th-11 grade. Am I understanding this correctly? What is the difference between Math 6, Accel Math 6, and Grade 6 Pre-Alg?

I am partly asking this because we are currently overseas and I've been trying to keep track of where my kids (who currently attend an international school) will land when we return in a couple years. Which is hard when MCPS keeps making changes!

Math 6 = 6th grade math, on track to start algebra in 9th
Accel Math 6/AMP 6+ = 6th & half of 7th grade math (with the other half of 7th+8th taken in 7th grade), on track to start algebra in 8th-- for strong kids in grade-level 5th grade math or kids who did compacted 5/6 who could use a slowdown/reinforcement
Grade 6 Pre-Alg = 7th & 8th grade math (with 6th grade math completed in grade 5 as part of compacted math), on track to start algebra in 7th

Algebra in..

7th - advanced
8th - on track
9th - behind

No.

9th - on-level
8th - advanced / gifted&talented, including most of "selective college" prep.
7th - highly advanced, likely STEM-focused, "UMC" stereotype
6th - math-contest culture, "Asian immigrant scientist parent" stereotype

I don't disagree that Algebra I is a high school level course and some of it may be a result of the current curriculum.

But students taking Algebra I in high school are likely struggling students.

Just look at the MCAP Algebra I proficiency rates on mdreportcard for MCPS. Middle schools top the list.

The highest high school is Churchill, ranked at number 32 out of schools listed with Algebra I test takers, and with a proficiency of 22.2 percent. Followed by Poolesville at 20.8 percent, Whitman is two spots below that with 16.5 percent.

Students are capable of taking Algebra I in middle school and students will raise to the level they're pushed to.

Look at the charter school in DC that won the math competition recently:
https://wtop.com/dc/2026/03/how-students-in-southeast-outperformed-peers-in-some-of-dcs-wealthiest-neighborhoods-on-citywide-math-test/

And it's what the main character was saying in the film Stand and Deliver, which is based on a true story.

There's nothing wrong with taking Algebra I in high school and I believe that students should be placed appropriately at their level to make sure they fully learn what's being taught.

But it seems like MCPS's solution is to try to lower the bar instead of raising the bottom to reach the bar.

At our MS you can't even get into AMP 6+ (which would get you to Algebra in 8th) unless you completed compacted math at your ES. So my 80th percentile MAP-M kid and her similarly scoring peers will all be taking Algebra 1 in 9th.

Is this common?

I wouldn't think so but it may just be in the area or groups I'm in.

I do believe that Algebra I is indeed a high school course and is why the state assessment is a high school graduation requirement. But that's like bare minimum.

The count of 2025 MCAP Algebra I test takers is below, sorted by test taker count. Keep in mind that the middle school counts, goes across all grade levels. (guess it's true for high schools) And let's assume about 30 kids per class. For high schools a good number of students might not be taking the class but need to retake the exam for whatever reason.

You do have high schools near the top of the list with around 400 students taking the test. But there are also high schools at the bottom end with less then 100 students taking the test, so maybe two or three classes? You have to factor in overall high school size too.

Which one is common is hard to say. But as you can see in the list, there are elementary school students taking Algebra I. And using the previous poster's descriptions, for me those students would be the "math-content culture, "Asian immigrant scientist parent" stereotype" And everything else shifts down at least one grade level too.

School Name--Assessment--Tested Count--Proficient Pct
Gaithersburg High--Algebra 1 --437--6.2
Thomas W. Pyle Middle--Algebra 1 --405--80.5
Montgomery Blair High--Algebra 1 --393--10.4
John F. Kennedy High--Algebra 1 --323--<= 5.0
Julius West Middle--Algebra 1 --309--64.4
Cabin John Middle--Algebra 1 --304--55.3
Seneca Valley High--Algebra 1 --302--<= 5.0
Argyle Middle--Algebra 1 --297--8.4
Tilden Middle--Algebra 1 --281--38.8
Wheaton High--Algebra 1 --279--<= 5.0
North Bethesda Middle--Algebra 1 --276--65.6
Herbert Hoover Middle--Algebra 1 --275--57.8
Takoma Park Middle--Algebra 1 --273--62.3
Robert Frost Middle School--Algebra 1 --262--67.6
White Oak Middle--Algebra 1 --259--5.4
Kingsview Middle--Algebra 1 --254--46.5
Hallie Wells Middle--Algebra 1 --249--55.8
Clarksburg High--Algebra 1 --233--5.6
Quince Orchard High--Algebra 1 --230--<= 5.0
Col. Zadok Magruder High--Algebra 1 --225--<= 5.0
Northwood High--Algebra 1 --215--<= 5.0
Richard Montgomery High--Algebra 1 --212--5.2
Eastern Middle--Algebra 1 --211--46.0
Westland Middle--Algebra 1 --199--57.3
Lakelands Park Middle--Algebra 1 --198--54.0
Albert Einstein High--Algebra 1 --196--5.1
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High--Algebra 1 --193--15.0
Walter Johnson High--Algebra 1 --190--11.6
Parkland Middle--Algebra 1 --190--26.3
Rosa M. Parks Middle--Algebra 1 --179--38.0
William H. Farquhar Middle--Algebra 1 --175--29.7
Springbrook High--Algebra 1 --174--6.9
Rocky Hill Middle--Algebra 1 --159--36.5
Earle B. Wood Middle--Algebra 1 --156--54.5
Northwest High--Algebra 1 --153--7.8
Silver Creek Middle--Algebra 1 --149--47.7
Damascus High--Algebra 1 --148--5.4
Silver Spring International Middle--Algebra 1 --145--37.2
Briggs Chaney Middle--Algebra 1 --143--22.4
Sherwood High--Algebra 1 --141--13.5
Ridgeview Middle--Algebra 1 --140--26.4
Roberto W. Clemente Middle--Algebra 1 --138--34.1
Watkins Mill High--Algebra 1 --137--<= 5.0
John T. Baker Middle School--Algebra 1 --136--34.6
A. Mario Loiederman Middle--Algebra 1 --133--15.0
Sligo Middle--Algebra 1 --119--36.1
Redland Middle--Algebra 1 --114--32.5
John Poole Middle--Algebra 1 --110--52.7
Martin Luther King Jr. Middle--Algebra 1 --109--56.9
Neelsville Middle--Algebra 1 --103--16.5
Walt Whitman High--Algebra 1 --103--16.5
Shady Grove Middle--Algebra 1 --93--16.1
Francis Scott Key Middle--Algebra 1 --89--15.7
Forest Oak Middle--Algebra 1 --88--8.0
Gaithersburg Middle--Algebra 1 --88--28.4
Newport Mill Middle--Algebra 1 --86--50.0
Odessa Shannon Middle--Algebra 1 --85--25.9
James Hubert Blake High--Algebra 1 --74--<= 5.0
Winston Churchill High--Algebra 1 --72--22.2
Thomas S. Wootton High--Algebra 1 --55--5.5
Paint Branch High--Algebra 1 --55--9.1
Poolesville High--Algebra 1 --53--20.8
Benjamin Banneker Middle--Algebra 1 --43--46.5
Montgomery Village Middle--Algebra 1 --42--<= 5.0
Rockville High--Algebra 1 --35--<= 5.0
John L Gildner Regional Inst for Children & Adol--Algebra 1 --13--<= 5.0
Ritchie Park Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*
Cold Spring Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*
Alternative Programs--Algebra 1 --*--*
Bells Mill Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*

How are there high schools with less than 100 kids taking Algebra 1? Are there middle schools where they put all (or virtually all) of the kids on the advanced track (not the double-advanced track with Algebra 1 in 7th, just the single-advanced track where you do compacted 6-8 math in two years)?

Yes.
Some of those middle schools have almost the entire school taking Algebra, as the chart shows. Even kids from non-compacted Math 5 can hop up to AMP 6+ -> 7+ -> Algebra if they are doing very well.

Most people who can afford $500K+ houses can get their kids to Algebra by 8th grade

We're in a medium, but not super well off MCPS MS and when I moved in I was told that roughtly a 1/3 of kids would take Algebra in 7th grade, 1/3 in 8th grade and only the bottom 1/3 would do it in 9th grade.

My 6th grader is in a mainstream private in MoCo. She said about 1/3 of the class is in pre-algebra (on track for algebra 1 in 7th grade, 1/3 is on track for algebra 1 in 8th grade, and 1/3 on track for algebra 1 in 9th grade (absent any summer courses). I can't imagine how you have a majority of kids in compacted math in so many public schools who are truly able to handle the material and succeed long-term. (FWIW my kid's pre-algebra homework looks like what I did in 9th grade.)

Some areas have higher concentration of smarter kids who test well. Why is it hard to believe?

Yup. Lots of kids with highly educated parents in my kids’ cluster. Half are in compacted math. I don’t hear of kids failing, presumably they would have been moved down a level if so.

No they never more kids down. Parents with means help their kids succeed or get a tutor. There is absolutely no way half the kids are any school need to take calculus in 11th grade. From what I see at my kids school, plenty of these kids then just take calculus AB then stats. For a stem major then they have to take calculus in college anyways after having a gap since they last took it. Not doing these kids any favors.

Taking Calculus in college is not a problem or an issue. In fact some colleges would prefer it that way which is why they have a math placement test to ensure that kids actually meet their standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So admittedly I am far removed from my own high school experience and my kids are still in ES, but the MS/HS math pathways surprised me a bit- do kids no longer take geometry and trig?

Pre-calc in 9th also seems a bit crazy to me (again this is coming from someone who graduated in the 90s where "accelerated" meant pre-calc in 11th and AP Calc in 12th). But I don't understand what some of these students are meant to take in 12th if they've already had two years of calculus by then.

Acceleration looks like this:

Alg 7th
Geometry 8th
Alg2/Trig 9th
Precalc 10th
Calc 11th
MVC/Diffeq/Stats 12th

That's the route both my kids took (now in college, one about to go). The one in college is a dual math major. They easily passed all their accelerated math classes including MVC/Diffeq. MAPS scores always at highest %ile, PARCC scores always exceeding expectations, 5 on AP cal, 800 on SAT math. Kid would've been incredibly bored in ES without HGC (former name of CES) and compacted math. No, we did not ever tutor DC.

There are a lot of highly educated parents around here, so it's no surprise that there are a lot advanced learners here.

MCPS really is racing to the bottom. We had intentionally moved here for the magnets and acceleration programs. So glad to be done with MCPS before they killed every program that made it great.

On the link provided in the OP, it looks like starting in 2027-2028, there are three potential math pathways students will take (slide 14) where pre-calc may be taken anywhere from 9th-11 grade. Am I understanding this correctly? What is the difference between Math 6, Accel Math 6, and Grade 6 Pre-Alg?

I am partly asking this because we are currently overseas and I've been trying to keep track of where my kids (who currently attend an international school) will land when we return in a couple years. Which is hard when MCPS keeps making changes!

Math 6 = 6th grade math, on track to start algebra in 9th
Accel Math 6/AMP 6+ = 6th & half of 7th grade math (with the other half of 7th+8th taken in 7th grade), on track to start algebra in 8th-- for strong kids in grade-level 5th grade math or kids who did compacted 5/6 who could use a slowdown/reinforcement
Grade 6 Pre-Alg = 7th & 8th grade math (with 6th grade math completed in grade 5 as part of compacted math), on track to start algebra in 7th

Algebra in..

7th - advanced
8th - on track
9th - behind

No.

9th - on-level
8th - advanced / gifted&talented, including most of "selective college" prep.
7th - highly advanced, likely STEM-focused, "UMC" stereotype
6th - math-contest culture, "Asian immigrant scientist parent" stereotype

I don't disagree that Algebra I is a high school level course and some of it may be a result of the current curriculum.

But students taking Algebra I in high school are likely struggling students.

Just look at the MCAP Algebra I proficiency rates on mdreportcard for MCPS. Middle schools top the list.

The highest high school is Churchill, ranked at number 32 out of schools listed with Algebra I test takers, and with a proficiency of 22.2 percent. Followed by Poolesville at 20.8 percent, Whitman is two spots below that with 16.5 percent.

Students are capable of taking Algebra I in middle school and students will raise to the level they're pushed to.

Look at the charter school in DC that won the math competition recently:
https://wtop.com/dc/2026/03/how-students-in-southeast-outperformed-peers-in-some-of-dcs-wealthiest-neighborhoods-on-citywide-math-test/

And it's what the main character was saying in the film Stand and Deliver, which is based on a true story.

There's nothing wrong with taking Algebra I in high school and I believe that students should be placed appropriately at their level to make sure they fully learn what's being taught.

But it seems like MCPS's solution is to try to lower the bar instead of raising the bottom to reach the bar.

At our MS you can't even get into AMP 6+ (which would get you to Algebra in 8th) unless you completed compacted math at your ES. So my 80th percentile MAP-M kid and her similarly scoring peers will all be taking Algebra 1 in 9th.

Is this common?

I wouldn't think so but it may just be in the area or groups I'm in.

I do believe that Algebra I is indeed a high school course and is why the state assessment is a high school graduation requirement. But that's like bare minimum.

The count of 2025 MCAP Algebra I test takers is below, sorted by test taker count. Keep in mind that the middle school counts, goes across all grade levels. (guess it's true for high schools) And let's assume about 30 kids per class. For high schools a good number of students might not be taking the class but need to retake the exam for whatever reason.

You do have high schools near the top of the list with around 400 students taking the test. But there are also high schools at the bottom end with less then 100 students taking the test, so maybe two or three classes? You have to factor in overall high school size too.

Which one is common is hard to say. But as you can see in the list, there are elementary school students taking Algebra I. And using the previous poster's descriptions, for me those students would be the "math-content culture, "Asian immigrant scientist parent" stereotype" And everything else shifts down at least one grade level too.

School Name--Assessment--Tested Count--Proficient Pct
Gaithersburg High--Algebra 1 --437--6.2
Thomas W. Pyle Middle--Algebra 1 --405--80.5
Montgomery Blair High--Algebra 1 --393--10.4
John F. Kennedy High--Algebra 1 --323--<= 5.0
Julius West Middle--Algebra 1 --309--64.4
Cabin John Middle--Algebra 1 --304--55.3
Seneca Valley High--Algebra 1 --302--<= 5.0
Argyle Middle--Algebra 1 --297--8.4
Tilden Middle--Algebra 1 --281--38.8
Wheaton High--Algebra 1 --279--<= 5.0
North Bethesda Middle--Algebra 1 --276--65.6
Herbert Hoover Middle--Algebra 1 --275--57.8
Takoma Park Middle--Algebra 1 --273--62.3
Robert Frost Middle School--Algebra 1 --262--67.6
White Oak Middle--Algebra 1 --259--5.4
Kingsview Middle--Algebra 1 --254--46.5
Hallie Wells Middle--Algebra 1 --249--55.8
Clarksburg High--Algebra 1 --233--5.6
Quince Orchard High--Algebra 1 --230--<= 5.0
Col. Zadok Magruder High--Algebra 1 --225--<= 5.0
Northwood High--Algebra 1 --215--<= 5.0
Richard Montgomery High--Algebra 1 --212--5.2
Eastern Middle--Algebra 1 --211--46.0
Westland Middle--Algebra 1 --199--57.3
Lakelands Park Middle--Algebra 1 --198--54.0
Albert Einstein High--Algebra 1 --196--5.1
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High--Algebra 1 --193--15.0
Walter Johnson High--Algebra 1 --190--11.6
Parkland Middle--Algebra 1 --190--26.3
Rosa M. Parks Middle--Algebra 1 --179--38.0
William H. Farquhar Middle--Algebra 1 --175--29.7
Springbrook High--Algebra 1 --174--6.9
Rocky Hill Middle--Algebra 1 --159--36.5
Earle B. Wood Middle--Algebra 1 --156--54.5
Northwest High--Algebra 1 --153--7.8
Silver Creek Middle--Algebra 1 --149--47.7
Damascus High--Algebra 1 --148--5.4
Silver Spring International Middle--Algebra 1 --145--37.2
Briggs Chaney Middle--Algebra 1 --143--22.4
Sherwood High--Algebra 1 --141--13.5
Ridgeview Middle--Algebra 1 --140--26.4
Roberto W. Clemente Middle--Algebra 1 --138--34.1
Watkins Mill High--Algebra 1 --137--<= 5.0
John T. Baker Middle School--Algebra 1 --136--34.6
A. Mario Loiederman Middle--Algebra 1 --133--15.0
Sligo Middle--Algebra 1 --119--36.1
Redland Middle--Algebra 1 --114--32.5
John Poole Middle--Algebra 1 --110--52.7
Martin Luther King Jr. Middle--Algebra 1 --109--56.9
Neelsville Middle--Algebra 1 --103--16.5
Walt Whitman High--Algebra 1 --103--16.5
Shady Grove Middle--Algebra 1 --93--16.1
Francis Scott Key Middle--Algebra 1 --89--15.7
Forest Oak Middle--Algebra 1 --88--8.0
Gaithersburg Middle--Algebra 1 --88--28.4
Newport Mill Middle--Algebra 1 --86--50.0
Odessa Shannon Middle--Algebra 1 --85--25.9
James Hubert Blake High--Algebra 1 --74--<= 5.0
Winston Churchill High--Algebra 1 --72--22.2
Thomas S. Wootton High--Algebra 1 --55--5.5
Paint Branch High--Algebra 1 --55--9.1
Poolesville High--Algebra 1 --53--20.8
Benjamin Banneker Middle--Algebra 1 --43--46.5
Montgomery Village Middle--Algebra 1 --42--<= 5.0
Rockville High--Algebra 1 --35--<= 5.0
John L Gildner Regional Inst for Children & Adol--Algebra 1 --13--<= 5.0
Ritchie Park Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*
Cold Spring Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*
Alternative Programs--Algebra 1 --*--*
Bells Mill Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*

How are there high schools with less than 100 kids taking Algebra 1? Are there middle schools where they put all (or virtually all) of the kids on the advanced track (not the double-advanced track with Algebra 1 in 7th, just the single-advanced track where you do compacted 6-8 math in two years)?

Yes.
Some of those middle schools have almost the entire school taking Algebra, as the chart shows. Even kids from non-compacted Math 5 can hop up to AMP 6+ -> 7+ -> Algebra if they are doing very well.

Most people who can afford $500K+ houses can get their kids to Algebra by 8th grade

We're in a medium, but not super well off MCPS MS and when I moved in I was told that roughtly a 1/3 of kids would take Algebra in 7th grade, 1/3 in 8th grade and only the bottom 1/3 would do it in 9th grade.

My 6th grader is in a mainstream private in MoCo. She said about 1/3 of the class is in pre-algebra (on track for algebra 1 in 7th grade, 1/3 is on track for algebra 1 in 8th grade, and 1/3 on track for algebra 1 in 9th grade (absent any summer courses). I can't imagine how you have a majority of kids in compacted math in so many public schools who are truly able to handle the material and succeed long-term. (FWIW my kid's pre-algebra homework looks like what I did in 9th grade.)

Some areas have higher concentration of smarter kids who test well. Why is it hard to believe?

Yup. Lots of kids with highly educated parents in my kids’ cluster. Half are in compacted math. I don’t hear of kids failing, presumably they would have been moved down a level if so.

No they never more kids down. Parents with means help their kids succeed or get a tutor. There is absolutely no way half the kids are any school need to take calculus in 11th grade. From what I see at my kids school, plenty of these kids then just take calculus AB then stats. For a stem major then they have to take calculus in college anyways after having a gap since they last took it. Not doing these kids any favors.

Taking Calculus in college is not a problem or an issue. In fact some colleges would prefer it that way which is why they have a math placement test to ensure that kids actually meet their standards.

Moving to the next level calculus class with over a year between covering the first part sounds awful to me! My point is that these kids would be better off going at slower pace and ending in calc BC, versus rushing through only to not end with taking the most advanced calc class. This will never make sense to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So admittedly I am far removed from my own high school experience and my kids are still in ES, but the MS/HS math pathways surprised me a bit- do kids no longer take geometry and trig?

Pre-calc in 9th also seems a bit crazy to me (again this is coming from someone who graduated in the 90s where "accelerated" meant pre-calc in 11th and AP Calc in 12th). But I don't understand what some of these students are meant to take in 12th if they've already had two years of calculus by then.

Acceleration looks like this:

Alg 7th
Geometry 8th
Alg2/Trig 9th
Precalc 10th
Calc 11th
MVC/Diffeq/Stats 12th

That's the route both my kids took (now in college, one about to go). The one in college is a dual math major. They easily passed all their accelerated math classes including MVC/Diffeq. MAPS scores always at highest %ile, PARCC scores always exceeding expectations, 5 on AP cal, 800 on SAT math. Kid would've been incredibly bored in ES without HGC (former name of CES) and compacted math. No, we did not ever tutor DC.

There are a lot of highly educated parents around here, so it's no surprise that there are a lot advanced learners here.

MCPS really is racing to the bottom. We had intentionally moved here for the magnets and acceleration programs. So glad to be done with MCPS before they killed every program that made it great.

On the link provided in the OP, it looks like starting in 2027-2028, there are three potential math pathways students will take (slide 14) where pre-calc may be taken anywhere from 9th-11 grade. Am I understanding this correctly? What is the difference between Math 6, Accel Math 6, and Grade 6 Pre-Alg?

I am partly asking this because we are currently overseas and I've been trying to keep track of where my kids (who currently attend an international school) will land when we return in a couple years. Which is hard when MCPS keeps making changes!

Math 6 = 6th grade math, on track to start algebra in 9th
Accel Math 6/AMP 6+ = 6th & half of 7th grade math (with the other half of 7th+8th taken in 7th grade), on track to start algebra in 8th-- for strong kids in grade-level 5th grade math or kids who did compacted 5/6 who could use a slowdown/reinforcement
Grade 6 Pre-Alg = 7th & 8th grade math (with 6th grade math completed in grade 5 as part of compacted math), on track to start algebra in 7th

Algebra in..

7th - advanced
8th - on track
9th - behind

No.

9th - on-level
8th - advanced / gifted&talented, including most of "selective college" prep.
7th - highly advanced, likely STEM-focused, "UMC" stereotype
6th - math-contest culture, "Asian immigrant scientist parent" stereotype

I don't disagree that Algebra I is a high school level course and some of it may be a result of the current curriculum.

But students taking Algebra I in high school are likely struggling students.

Just look at the MCAP Algebra I proficiency rates on mdreportcard for MCPS. Middle schools top the list.

The highest high school is Churchill, ranked at number 32 out of schools listed with Algebra I test takers, and with a proficiency of 22.2 percent. Followed by Poolesville at 20.8 percent, Whitman is two spots below that with 16.5 percent.

Students are capable of taking Algebra I in middle school and students will raise to the level they're pushed to.

Look at the charter school in DC that won the math competition recently:
https://wtop.com/dc/2026/03/how-students-in-southeast-outperformed-peers-in-some-of-dcs-wealthiest-neighborhoods-on-citywide-math-test/

And it's what the main character was saying in the film Stand and Deliver, which is based on a true story.

There's nothing wrong with taking Algebra I in high school and I believe that students should be placed appropriately at their level to make sure they fully learn what's being taught.

But it seems like MCPS's solution is to try to lower the bar instead of raising the bottom to reach the bar.

At our MS you can't even get into AMP 6+ (which would get you to Algebra in 8th) unless you completed compacted math at your ES. So my 80th percentile MAP-M kid and her similarly scoring peers will all be taking Algebra 1 in 9th.

Is this common?

I wouldn't think so but it may just be in the area or groups I'm in.

I do believe that Algebra I is indeed a high school course and is why the state assessment is a high school graduation requirement. But that's like bare minimum.

The count of 2025 MCAP Algebra I test takers is below, sorted by test taker count. Keep in mind that the middle school counts, goes across all grade levels. (guess it's true for high schools) And let's assume about 30 kids per class. For high schools a good number of students might not be taking the class but need to retake the exam for whatever reason.

You do have high schools near the top of the list with around 400 students taking the test. But there are also high schools at the bottom end with less then 100 students taking the test, so maybe two or three classes? You have to factor in overall high school size too.

Which one is common is hard to say. But as you can see in the list, there are elementary school students taking Algebra I. And using the previous poster's descriptions, for me those students would be the "math-content culture, "Asian immigrant scientist parent" stereotype" And everything else shifts down at least one grade level too.

School Name--Assessment--Tested Count--Proficient Pct
Gaithersburg High--Algebra 1 --437--6.2
Thomas W. Pyle Middle--Algebra 1 --405--80.5
Montgomery Blair High--Algebra 1 --393--10.4
John F. Kennedy High--Algebra 1 --323--<= 5.0
Julius West Middle--Algebra 1 --309--64.4
Cabin John Middle--Algebra 1 --304--55.3
Seneca Valley High--Algebra 1 --302--<= 5.0
Argyle Middle--Algebra 1 --297--8.4
Tilden Middle--Algebra 1 --281--38.8
Wheaton High--Algebra 1 --279--<= 5.0
North Bethesda Middle--Algebra 1 --276--65.6
Herbert Hoover Middle--Algebra 1 --275--57.8
Takoma Park Middle--Algebra 1 --273--62.3
Robert Frost Middle School--Algebra 1 --262--67.6
White Oak Middle--Algebra 1 --259--5.4
Kingsview Middle--Algebra 1 --254--46.5
Hallie Wells Middle--Algebra 1 --249--55.8
Clarksburg High--Algebra 1 --233--5.6
Quince Orchard High--Algebra 1 --230--<= 5.0
Col. Zadok Magruder High--Algebra 1 --225--<= 5.0
Northwood High--Algebra 1 --215--<= 5.0
Richard Montgomery High--Algebra 1 --212--5.2
Eastern Middle--Algebra 1 --211--46.0
Westland Middle--Algebra 1 --199--57.3
Lakelands Park Middle--Algebra 1 --198--54.0
Albert Einstein High--Algebra 1 --196--5.1
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High--Algebra 1 --193--15.0
Walter Johnson High--Algebra 1 --190--11.6
Parkland Middle--Algebra 1 --190--26.3
Rosa M. Parks Middle--Algebra 1 --179--38.0
William H. Farquhar Middle--Algebra 1 --175--29.7
Springbrook High--Algebra 1 --174--6.9
Rocky Hill Middle--Algebra 1 --159--36.5
Earle B. Wood Middle--Algebra 1 --156--54.5
Northwest High--Algebra 1 --153--7.8
Silver Creek Middle--Algebra 1 --149--47.7
Damascus High--Algebra 1 --148--5.4
Silver Spring International Middle--Algebra 1 --145--37.2
Briggs Chaney Middle--Algebra 1 --143--22.4
Sherwood High--Algebra 1 --141--13.5
Ridgeview Middle--Algebra 1 --140--26.4
Roberto W. Clemente Middle--Algebra 1 --138--34.1
Watkins Mill High--Algebra 1 --137--<= 5.0
John T. Baker Middle School--Algebra 1 --136--34.6
A. Mario Loiederman Middle--Algebra 1 --133--15.0
Sligo Middle--Algebra 1 --119--36.1
Redland Middle--Algebra 1 --114--32.5
John Poole Middle--Algebra 1 --110--52.7
Martin Luther King Jr. Middle--Algebra 1 --109--56.9
Neelsville Middle--Algebra 1 --103--16.5
Walt Whitman High--Algebra 1 --103--16.5
Shady Grove Middle--Algebra 1 --93--16.1
Francis Scott Key Middle--Algebra 1 --89--15.7
Forest Oak Middle--Algebra 1 --88--8.0
Gaithersburg Middle--Algebra 1 --88--28.4
Newport Mill Middle--Algebra 1 --86--50.0
Odessa Shannon Middle--Algebra 1 --85--25.9
James Hubert Blake High--Algebra 1 --74--<= 5.0
Winston Churchill High--Algebra 1 --72--22.2
Thomas S. Wootton High--Algebra 1 --55--5.5
Paint Branch High--Algebra 1 --55--9.1
Poolesville High--Algebra 1 --53--20.8
Benjamin Banneker Middle--Algebra 1 --43--46.5
Montgomery Village Middle--Algebra 1 --42--<= 5.0
Rockville High--Algebra 1 --35--<= 5.0
John L Gildner Regional Inst for Children & Adol--Algebra 1 --13--<= 5.0
Ritchie Park Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*
Cold Spring Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*
Alternative Programs--Algebra 1 --*--*
Bells Mill Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*

How are there high schools with less than 100 kids taking Algebra 1? Are there middle schools where they put all (or virtually all) of the kids on the advanced track (not the double-advanced track with Algebra 1 in 7th, just the single-advanced track where you do compacted 6-8 math in two years)?

Yes.
Some of those middle schools have almost the entire school taking Algebra, as the chart shows. Even kids from non-compacted Math 5 can hop up to AMP 6+ -> 7+ -> Algebra if they are doing very well.

Most people who can afford $500K+ houses can get their kids to Algebra by 8th grade

We're in a medium, but not super well off MCPS MS and when I moved in I was told that roughtly a 1/3 of kids would take Algebra in 7th grade, 1/3 in 8th grade and only the bottom 1/3 would do it in 9th grade.

My 6th grader is in a mainstream private in MoCo. She said about 1/3 of the class is in pre-algebra (on track for algebra 1 in 7th grade, 1/3 is on track for algebra 1 in 8th grade, and 1/3 on track for algebra 1 in 9th grade (absent any summer courses). I can't imagine how you have a majority of kids in compacted math in so many public schools who are truly able to handle the material and succeed long-term. (FWIW my kid's pre-algebra homework looks like what I did in 9th grade.)

Some areas have higher concentration of smarter kids who test well. Why is it hard to believe?

Yup. Lots of kids with highly educated parents in my kids’ cluster. Half are in compacted math. I don’t hear of kids failing, presumably they would have been moved down a level if so.

No they never more kids down. Parents with means help their kids succeed or get a tutor. There is absolutely no way half the kids are any school need to take calculus in 11th grade. From what I see at my kids school, plenty of these kids then just take calculus AB then stats. For a stem major then they have to take calculus in college anyways after having a gap since they last took it. Not doing these kids any favors.

Taking Calculus in college is not a problem or an issue. In fact some colleges would prefer it that way which is why they have a math placement test to ensure that kids actually meet their standards.

Moving to the next level calculus class with over a year between covering the first part sounds awful to me! My point is that these kids would be better off going at slower pace and ending in calc BC, versus rushing through only to not end with taking the most advanced calc class. This will never make sense to me.

Some kids yes, some no. BC, is a repeat as 1/2 the course is AB, the second half is BC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So admittedly I am far removed from my own high school experience and my kids are still in ES, but the MS/HS math pathways surprised me a bit- do kids no longer take geometry and trig?

Pre-calc in 9th also seems a bit crazy to me (again this is coming from someone who graduated in the 90s where "accelerated" meant pre-calc in 11th and AP Calc in 12th). But I don't understand what some of these students are meant to take in 12th if they've already had two years of calculus by then.

Acceleration looks like this:

Alg 7th
Geometry 8th
Alg2/Trig 9th
Precalc 10th
Calc 11th
MVC/Diffeq/Stats 12th

That's the route both my kids took (now in college, one about to go). The one in college is a dual math major. They easily passed all their accelerated math classes including MVC/Diffeq. MAPS scores always at highest %ile, PARCC scores always exceeding expectations, 5 on AP cal, 800 on SAT math. Kid would've been incredibly bored in ES without HGC (former name of CES) and compacted math. No, we did not ever tutor DC.

There are a lot of highly educated parents around here, so it's no surprise that there are a lot advanced learners here.

MCPS really is racing to the bottom. We had intentionally moved here for the magnets and acceleration programs. So glad to be done with MCPS before they killed every program that made it great.

On the link provided in the OP, it looks like starting in 2027-2028, there are three potential math pathways students will take (slide 14) where pre-calc may be taken anywhere from 9th-11 grade. Am I understanding this correctly? What is the difference between Math 6, Accel Math 6, and Grade 6 Pre-Alg?

I am partly asking this because we are currently overseas and I've been trying to keep track of where my kids (who currently attend an international school) will land when we return in a couple years. Which is hard when MCPS keeps making changes!

Math 6 = 6th grade math, on track to start algebra in 9th
Accel Math 6/AMP 6+ = 6th & half of 7th grade math (with the other half of 7th+8th taken in 7th grade), on track to start algebra in 8th-- for strong kids in grade-level 5th grade math or kids who did compacted 5/6 who could use a slowdown/reinforcement
Grade 6 Pre-Alg = 7th & 8th grade math (with 6th grade math completed in grade 5 as part of compacted math), on track to start algebra in 7th

Algebra in..

7th - advanced
8th - on track
9th - behind

No.

9th - on-level
8th - advanced / gifted&talented, including most of "selective college" prep.
7th - highly advanced, likely STEM-focused, "UMC" stereotype
6th - math-contest culture, "Asian immigrant scientist parent" stereotype

I don't disagree that Algebra I is a high school level course and some of it may be a result of the current curriculum.

But students taking Algebra I in high school are likely struggling students.

Just look at the MCAP Algebra I proficiency rates on mdreportcard for MCPS. Middle schools top the list.

The highest high school is Churchill, ranked at number 32 out of schools listed with Algebra I test takers, and with a proficiency of 22.2 percent. Followed by Poolesville at 20.8 percent, Whitman is two spots below that with 16.5 percent.

Students are capable of taking Algebra I in middle school and students will raise to the level they're pushed to.

Look at the charter school in DC that won the math competition recently:
https://wtop.com/dc/2026/03/how-students-in-southeast-outperformed-peers-in-some-of-dcs-wealthiest-neighborhoods-on-citywide-math-test/

And it's what the main character was saying in the film Stand and Deliver, which is based on a true story.

There's nothing wrong with taking Algebra I in high school and I believe that students should be placed appropriately at their level to make sure they fully learn what's being taught.

But it seems like MCPS's solution is to try to lower the bar instead of raising the bottom to reach the bar.

At our MS you can't even get into AMP 6+ (which would get you to Algebra in 8th) unless you completed compacted math at your ES. So my 80th percentile MAP-M kid and her similarly scoring peers will all be taking Algebra 1 in 9th.

Is this common?

I wouldn't think so but it may just be in the area or groups I'm in.

I do believe that Algebra I is indeed a high school course and is why the state assessment is a high school graduation requirement. But that's like bare minimum.

The count of 2025 MCAP Algebra I test takers is below, sorted by test taker count. Keep in mind that the middle school counts, goes across all grade levels. (guess it's true for high schools) And let's assume about 30 kids per class. For high schools a good number of students might not be taking the class but need to retake the exam for whatever reason.

You do have high schools near the top of the list with around 400 students taking the test. But there are also high schools at the bottom end with less then 100 students taking the test, so maybe two or three classes? You have to factor in overall high school size too.

Which one is common is hard to say. But as you can see in the list, there are elementary school students taking Algebra I. And using the previous poster's descriptions, for me those students would be the "math-content culture, "Asian immigrant scientist parent" stereotype" And everything else shifts down at least one grade level too.

School Name--Assessment--Tested Count--Proficient Pct
Gaithersburg High--Algebra 1 --437--6.2
Thomas W. Pyle Middle--Algebra 1 --405--80.5
Montgomery Blair High--Algebra 1 --393--10.4
John F. Kennedy High--Algebra 1 --323--<= 5.0
Julius West Middle--Algebra 1 --309--64.4
Cabin John Middle--Algebra 1 --304--55.3
Seneca Valley High--Algebra 1 --302--<= 5.0
Argyle Middle--Algebra 1 --297--8.4
Tilden Middle--Algebra 1 --281--38.8
Wheaton High--Algebra 1 --279--<= 5.0
North Bethesda Middle--Algebra 1 --276--65.6
Herbert Hoover Middle--Algebra 1 --275--57.8
Takoma Park Middle--Algebra 1 --273--62.3
Robert Frost Middle School--Algebra 1 --262--67.6
White Oak Middle--Algebra 1 --259--5.4
Kingsview Middle--Algebra 1 --254--46.5
Hallie Wells Middle--Algebra 1 --249--55.8
Clarksburg High--Algebra 1 --233--5.6
Quince Orchard High--Algebra 1 --230--<= 5.0
Col. Zadok Magruder High--Algebra 1 --225--<= 5.0
Northwood High--Algebra 1 --215--<= 5.0
Richard Montgomery High--Algebra 1 --212--5.2
Eastern Middle--Algebra 1 --211--46.0
Westland Middle--Algebra 1 --199--57.3
Lakelands Park Middle--Algebra 1 --198--54.0
Albert Einstein High--Algebra 1 --196--5.1
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High--Algebra 1 --193--15.0
Walter Johnson High--Algebra 1 --190--11.6
Parkland Middle--Algebra 1 --190--26.3
Rosa M. Parks Middle--Algebra 1 --179--38.0
William H. Farquhar Middle--Algebra 1 --175--29.7
Springbrook High--Algebra 1 --174--6.9
Rocky Hill Middle--Algebra 1 --159--36.5
Earle B. Wood Middle--Algebra 1 --156--54.5
Northwest High--Algebra 1 --153--7.8
Silver Creek Middle--Algebra 1 --149--47.7
Damascus High--Algebra 1 --148--5.4
Silver Spring International Middle--Algebra 1 --145--37.2
Briggs Chaney Middle--Algebra 1 --143--22.4
Sherwood High--Algebra 1 --141--13.5
Ridgeview Middle--Algebra 1 --140--26.4
Roberto W. Clemente Middle--Algebra 1 --138--34.1
Watkins Mill High--Algebra 1 --137--<= 5.0
John T. Baker Middle School--Algebra 1 --136--34.6
A. Mario Loiederman Middle--Algebra 1 --133--15.0
Sligo Middle--Algebra 1 --119--36.1
Redland Middle--Algebra 1 --114--32.5
John Poole Middle--Algebra 1 --110--52.7
Martin Luther King Jr. Middle--Algebra 1 --109--56.9
Neelsville Middle--Algebra 1 --103--16.5
Walt Whitman High--Algebra 1 --103--16.5
Shady Grove Middle--Algebra 1 --93--16.1
Francis Scott Key Middle--Algebra 1 --89--15.7
Forest Oak Middle--Algebra 1 --88--8.0
Gaithersburg Middle--Algebra 1 --88--28.4
Newport Mill Middle--Algebra 1 --86--50.0
Odessa Shannon Middle--Algebra 1 --85--25.9
James Hubert Blake High--Algebra 1 --74--<= 5.0
Winston Churchill High--Algebra 1 --72--22.2
Thomas S. Wootton High--Algebra 1 --55--5.5
Paint Branch High--Algebra 1 --55--9.1
Poolesville High--Algebra 1 --53--20.8
Benjamin Banneker Middle--Algebra 1 --43--46.5
Montgomery Village Middle--Algebra 1 --42--<= 5.0
Rockville High--Algebra 1 --35--<= 5.0
John L Gildner Regional Inst for Children & Adol--Algebra 1 --13--<= 5.0
Ritchie Park Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*
Cold Spring Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*
Alternative Programs--Algebra 1 --*--*
Bells Mill Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*

How are there high schools with less than 100 kids taking Algebra 1? Are there middle schools where they put all (or virtually all) of the kids on the advanced track (not the double-advanced track with Algebra 1 in 7th, just the single-advanced track where you do compacted 6-8 math in two years)?

Yes.
Some of those middle schools have almost the entire school taking Algebra, as the chart shows. Even kids from non-compacted Math 5 can hop up to AMP 6+ -> 7+ -> Algebra if they are doing very well.

Most people who can afford $500K+ houses can get their kids to Algebra by 8th grade

We're in a medium, but not super well off MCPS MS and when I moved in I was told that roughtly a 1/3 of kids would take Algebra in 7th grade, 1/3 in 8th grade and only the bottom 1/3 would do it in 9th grade.

My 6th grader is in a mainstream private in MoCo. She said about 1/3 of the class is in pre-algebra (on track for algebra 1 in 7th grade, 1/3 is on track for algebra 1 in 8th grade, and 1/3 on track for algebra 1 in 9th grade (absent any summer courses). I can't imagine how you have a majority of kids in compacted math in so many public schools who are truly able to handle the material and succeed long-term. (FWIW my kid's pre-algebra homework looks like what I did in 9th grade.)

Some areas have higher concentration of smarter kids who test well. Why is it hard to believe?

Yup. Lots of kids with highly educated parents in my kids’ cluster. Half are in compacted math. I don’t hear of kids failing, presumably they would have been moved down a level if so.

No they never more kids down. Parents with means help their kids succeed or get a tutor. There is absolutely no way half the kids are any school need to take calculus in 11th grade. From what I see at my kids school, plenty of these kids then just take calculus AB then stats. For a stem major then they have to take calculus in college anyways after having a gap since they last took it. Not doing these kids any favors.

Taking Calculus in college is not a problem or an issue. In fact some colleges would prefer it that way which is why they have a math placement test to ensure that kids actually meet their standards.

Moving to the next level calculus class with over a year between covering the first part sounds awful to me! My point is that these kids would be better off going at slower pace and ending in calc BC, versus rushing through only to not end with taking the most advanced calc class. This will never make sense to me.

I agree with not rushing. Take Calc AB and then Calc BC. Or just slow down earlier and end with Calc AB or BC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So admittedly I am far removed from my own high school experience and my kids are still in ES, but the MS/HS math pathways surprised me a bit- do kids no longer take geometry and trig?

Pre-calc in 9th also seems a bit crazy to me (again this is coming from someone who graduated in the 90s where "accelerated" meant pre-calc in 11th and AP Calc in 12th). But I don't understand what some of these students are meant to take in 12th if they've already had two years of calculus by then.

Acceleration looks like this:

Alg 7th
Geometry 8th
Alg2/Trig 9th
Precalc 10th
Calc 11th
MVC/Diffeq/Stats 12th

That's the route both my kids took (now in college, one about to go). The one in college is a dual math major. They easily passed all their accelerated math classes including MVC/Diffeq. MAPS scores always at highest %ile, PARCC scores always exceeding expectations, 5 on AP cal, 800 on SAT math. Kid would've been incredibly bored in ES without HGC (former name of CES) and compacted math. No, we did not ever tutor DC.

There are a lot of highly educated parents around here, so it's no surprise that there are a lot advanced learners here.

MCPS really is racing to the bottom. We had intentionally moved here for the magnets and acceleration programs. So glad to be done with MCPS before they killed every program that made it great.

On the link provided in the OP, it looks like starting in 2027-2028, there are three potential math pathways students will take (slide 14) where pre-calc may be taken anywhere from 9th-11 grade. Am I understanding this correctly? What is the difference between Math 6, Accel Math 6, and Grade 6 Pre-Alg?

I am partly asking this because we are currently overseas and I've been trying to keep track of where my kids (who currently attend an international school) will land when we return in a couple years. Which is hard when MCPS keeps making changes!

Math 6 = 6th grade math, on track to start algebra in 9th
Accel Math 6/AMP 6+ = 6th & half of 7th grade math (with the other half of 7th+8th taken in 7th grade), on track to start algebra in 8th-- for strong kids in grade-level 5th grade math or kids who did compacted 5/6 who could use a slowdown/reinforcement
Grade 6 Pre-Alg = 7th & 8th grade math (with 6th grade math completed in grade 5 as part of compacted math), on track to start algebra in 7th

Algebra in..

7th - advanced
8th - on track
9th - behind

No.

9th - on-level
8th - advanced / gifted&talented, including most of "selective college" prep.
7th - highly advanced, likely STEM-focused, "UMC" stereotype
6th - math-contest culture, "Asian immigrant scientist parent" stereotype

I don't disagree that Algebra I is a high school level course and some of it may be a result of the current curriculum.

But students taking Algebra I in high school are likely struggling students.

Just look at the MCAP Algebra I proficiency rates on mdreportcard for MCPS. Middle schools top the list.

The highest high school is Churchill, ranked at number 32 out of schools listed with Algebra I test takers, and with a proficiency of 22.2 percent. Followed by Poolesville at 20.8 percent, Whitman is two spots below that with 16.5 percent.

Students are capable of taking Algebra I in middle school and students will raise to the level they're pushed to.

Look at the charter school in DC that won the math competition recently:
https://wtop.com/dc/2026/03/how-students-in-southeast-outperformed-peers-in-some-of-dcs-wealthiest-neighborhoods-on-citywide-math-test/

And it's what the main character was saying in the film Stand and Deliver, which is based on a true story.

There's nothing wrong with taking Algebra I in high school and I believe that students should be placed appropriately at their level to make sure they fully learn what's being taught.

But it seems like MCPS's solution is to try to lower the bar instead of raising the bottom to reach the bar.

At our MS you can't even get into AMP 6+ (which would get you to Algebra in 8th) unless you completed compacted math at your ES. So my 80th percentile MAP-M kid and her similarly scoring peers will all be taking Algebra 1 in 9th.

Is this common?

I wouldn't think so but it may just be in the area or groups I'm in.

I do believe that Algebra I is indeed a high school course and is why the state assessment is a high school graduation requirement. But that's like bare minimum.

The count of 2025 MCAP Algebra I test takers is below, sorted by test taker count. Keep in mind that the middle school counts, goes across all grade levels. (guess it's true for high schools) And let's assume about 30 kids per class. For high schools a good number of students might not be taking the class but need to retake the exam for whatever reason.

You do have high schools near the top of the list with around 400 students taking the test. But there are also high schools at the bottom end with less then 100 students taking the test, so maybe two or three classes? You have to factor in overall high school size too.

Which one is common is hard to say. But as you can see in the list, there are elementary school students taking Algebra I. And using the previous poster's descriptions, for me those students would be the "math-content culture, "Asian immigrant scientist parent" stereotype" And everything else shifts down at least one grade level too.

School Name--Assessment--Tested Count--Proficient Pct
Gaithersburg High--Algebra 1 --437--6.2
Thomas W. Pyle Middle--Algebra 1 --405--80.5
Montgomery Blair High--Algebra 1 --393--10.4
John F. Kennedy High--Algebra 1 --323--<= 5.0
Julius West Middle--Algebra 1 --309--64.4
Cabin John Middle--Algebra 1 --304--55.3
Seneca Valley High--Algebra 1 --302--<= 5.0
Argyle Middle--Algebra 1 --297--8.4
Tilden Middle--Algebra 1 --281--38.8
Wheaton High--Algebra 1 --279--<= 5.0
North Bethesda Middle--Algebra 1 --276--65.6
Herbert Hoover Middle--Algebra 1 --275--57.8
Takoma Park Middle--Algebra 1 --273--62.3
Robert Frost Middle School--Algebra 1 --262--67.6
White Oak Middle--Algebra 1 --259--5.4
Kingsview Middle--Algebra 1 --254--46.5
Hallie Wells Middle--Algebra 1 --249--55.8
Clarksburg High--Algebra 1 --233--5.6
Quince Orchard High--Algebra 1 --230--<= 5.0
Col. Zadok Magruder High--Algebra 1 --225--<= 5.0
Northwood High--Algebra 1 --215--<= 5.0
Richard Montgomery High--Algebra 1 --212--5.2
Eastern Middle--Algebra 1 --211--46.0
Westland Middle--Algebra 1 --199--57.3
Lakelands Park Middle--Algebra 1 --198--54.0
Albert Einstein High--Algebra 1 --196--5.1
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High--Algebra 1 --193--15.0
Walter Johnson High--Algebra 1 --190--11.6
Parkland Middle--Algebra 1 --190--26.3
Rosa M. Parks Middle--Algebra 1 --179--38.0
William H. Farquhar Middle--Algebra 1 --175--29.7
Springbrook High--Algebra 1 --174--6.9
Rocky Hill Middle--Algebra 1 --159--36.5
Earle B. Wood Middle--Algebra 1 --156--54.5
Northwest High--Algebra 1 --153--7.8
Silver Creek Middle--Algebra 1 --149--47.7
Damascus High--Algebra 1 --148--5.4
Silver Spring International Middle--Algebra 1 --145--37.2
Briggs Chaney Middle--Algebra 1 --143--22.4
Sherwood High--Algebra 1 --141--13.5
Ridgeview Middle--Algebra 1 --140--26.4
Roberto W. Clemente Middle--Algebra 1 --138--34.1
Watkins Mill High--Algebra 1 --137--<= 5.0
John T. Baker Middle School--Algebra 1 --136--34.6
A. Mario Loiederman Middle--Algebra 1 --133--15.0
Sligo Middle--Algebra 1 --119--36.1
Redland Middle--Algebra 1 --114--32.5
John Poole Middle--Algebra 1 --110--52.7
Martin Luther King Jr. Middle--Algebra 1 --109--56.9
Neelsville Middle--Algebra 1 --103--16.5
Walt Whitman High--Algebra 1 --103--16.5
Shady Grove Middle--Algebra 1 --93--16.1
Francis Scott Key Middle--Algebra 1 --89--15.7
Forest Oak Middle--Algebra 1 --88--8.0
Gaithersburg Middle--Algebra 1 --88--28.4
Newport Mill Middle--Algebra 1 --86--50.0
Odessa Shannon Middle--Algebra 1 --85--25.9
James Hubert Blake High--Algebra 1 --74--<= 5.0
Winston Churchill High--Algebra 1 --72--22.2
Thomas S. Wootton High--Algebra 1 --55--5.5
Paint Branch High--Algebra 1 --55--9.1
Poolesville High--Algebra 1 --53--20.8
Benjamin Banneker Middle--Algebra 1 --43--46.5
Montgomery Village Middle--Algebra 1 --42--<= 5.0
Rockville High--Algebra 1 --35--<= 5.0
John L Gildner Regional Inst for Children & Adol--Algebra 1 --13--<= 5.0
Ritchie Park Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*
Cold Spring Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*
Alternative Programs--Algebra 1 --*--*
Bells Mill Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*

How are there high schools with less than 100 kids taking Algebra 1? Are there middle schools where they put all (or virtually all) of the kids on the advanced track (not the double-advanced track with Algebra 1 in 7th, just the single-advanced track where you do compacted 6-8 math in two years)?

Yes.
Some of those middle schools have almost the entire school taking Algebra, as the chart shows. Even kids from non-compacted Math 5 can hop up to AMP 6+ -> 7+ -> Algebra if they are doing very well.

Most people who can afford $500K+ houses can get their kids to Algebra by 8th grade

We're in a medium, but not super well off MCPS MS and when I moved in I was told that roughtly a 1/3 of kids would take Algebra in 7th grade, 1/3 in 8th grade and only the bottom 1/3 would do it in 9th grade.

My 6th grader is in a mainstream private in MoCo. She said about 1/3 of the class is in pre-algebra (on track for algebra 1 in 7th grade, 1/3 is on track for algebra 1 in 8th grade, and 1/3 on track for algebra 1 in 9th grade (absent any summer courses). I can't imagine how you have a majority of kids in compacted math in so many public schools who are truly able to handle the material and succeed long-term. (FWIW my kid's pre-algebra homework looks like what I did in 9th grade.)

Some areas have higher concentration of smarter kids who test well. Why is it hard to believe?

Well clearly they aren't testing well a few years later ..my point is that at my kid's 60k/year school with highly educated and engaged parents, the school only thinks that 1/3 of them are capable of succeeding in algebra 1 in 7th grade. There's no way a majority of kids at most public schools (even high SES ones) have the ability to succeed on that path long-term. I agree the path should exist but that the entry requirements should be higher. You're not doing kids any favors by putting them in a math level that they can't actually handle.

Sounds like there aren't very many smart kids and that's pretty strange given it is a highly selective school... must not be that selective. Why are you even posting here?

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately the long and short of it is that more moms care about being able to brag that their 4th grader is in advanced math than thinking ahead to long term outcomes. Honestly in favor of what they are doing here

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately the long and short of it is that more moms care about being able to brag that their 4th grader is in advanced math than thinking ahead to long term outcomes. Honestly in favor of what they are doing here

This sums it up.

[Anonymous]

The issue about taking AB or BC after pre-Calc isn't about what is right for some students, or even for the majority, it's about what is right for each student. For those for whom Calc BC is right, no MCPS school should be dissuading them from taking it or, if taken prior to Senior year, failing to provide reasonably equivalent access to logically following courses as is available at any other MCPS school (exclusive for that equivalence, perhaps, of STEM magnet programs, but then those should have ample seating).

The same goes for the early enrichment/acceleration that is the main subject of this thread, where MCPS's burden includes equitable identification (not well handled to date), practicable/effective differentiation, where the currently planned curricular approach clearly could use better public explication and, perhaps, considerably more thought, and flexible school/classroom resourcing models to help ensure these.

The process and standards for differential course recommendation should be clear, consistent across the county and, along with the options, themselves, communicated well enough in advance to allow students and caregivers agency with regard to prerequisite action.

In his first year, Superintendent Taylor espoused eschewing a model of scarcity for a climate of plenty. Let's make sure he is making his subordinates follow through on that on the one hand as we ensure the resources to do so (looking at you, County Council) on the other.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So admittedly I am far removed from my own high school experience and my kids are still in ES, but the MS/HS math pathways surprised me a bit- do kids no longer take geometry and trig?

Pre-calc in 9th also seems a bit crazy to me (again this is coming from someone who graduated in the 90s where "accelerated" meant pre-calc in 11th and AP Calc in 12th). But I don't understand what some of these students are meant to take in 12th if they've already had two years of calculus by then.

Acceleration looks like this:

Alg 7th
Geometry 8th
Alg2/Trig 9th
Precalc 10th
Calc 11th
MVC/Diffeq/Stats 12th

That's the route both my kids took (now in college, one about to go). The one in college is a dual math major. They easily passed all their accelerated math classes including MVC/Diffeq. MAPS scores always at highest %ile, PARCC scores always exceeding expectations, 5 on AP cal, 800 on SAT math. Kid would've been incredibly bored in ES without HGC (former name of CES) and compacted math. No, we did not ever tutor DC.

There are a lot of highly educated parents around here, so it's no surprise that there are a lot advanced learners here.

MCPS really is racing to the bottom. We had intentionally moved here for the magnets and acceleration programs. So glad to be done with MCPS before they killed every program that made it great.

On the link provided in the OP, it looks like starting in 2027-2028, there are three potential math pathways students will take (slide 14) where pre-calc may be taken anywhere from 9th-11 grade. Am I understanding this correctly? What is the difference between Math 6, Accel Math 6, and Grade 6 Pre-Alg?

I am partly asking this because we are currently overseas and I've been trying to keep track of where my kids (who currently attend an international school) will land when we return in a couple years. Which is hard when MCPS keeps making changes!

Math 6 = 6th grade math, on track to start algebra in 9th
Accel Math 6/AMP 6+ = 6th & half of 7th grade math (with the other half of 7th+8th taken in 7th grade), on track to start algebra in 8th-- for strong kids in grade-level 5th grade math or kids who did compacted 5/6 who could use a slowdown/reinforcement
Grade 6 Pre-Alg = 7th & 8th grade math (with 6th grade math completed in grade 5 as part of compacted math), on track to start algebra in 7th

Algebra in..

7th - advanced
8th - on track
9th - behind

No.

9th - on-level
8th - advanced / gifted&talented, including most of "selective college" prep.
7th - highly advanced, likely STEM-focused, "UMC" stereotype
6th - math-contest culture, "Asian immigrant scientist parent" stereotype

I don't disagree that Algebra I is a high school level course and some of it may be a result of the current curriculum.

But students taking Algebra I in high school are likely struggling students.

Just look at the MCAP Algebra I proficiency rates on mdreportcard for MCPS. Middle schools top the list.

The highest high school is Churchill, ranked at number 32 out of schools listed with Algebra I test takers, and with a proficiency of 22.2 percent. Followed by Poolesville at 20.8 percent, Whitman is two spots below that with 16.5 percent.

Students are capable of taking Algebra I in middle school and students will raise to the level they're pushed to.

Look at the charter school in DC that won the math competition recently:
https://wtop.com/dc/2026/03/how-students-in-southeast-outperformed-peers-in-some-of-dcs-wealthiest-neighborhoods-on-citywide-math-test/

And it's what the main character was saying in the film Stand and Deliver, which is based on a true story.

There's nothing wrong with taking Algebra I in high school and I believe that students should be placed appropriately at their level to make sure they fully learn what's being taught.

But it seems like MCPS's solution is to try to lower the bar instead of raising the bottom to reach the bar.

At our MS you can't even get into AMP 6+ (which would get you to Algebra in 8th) unless you completed compacted math at your ES. So my 80th percentile MAP-M kid and her similarly scoring peers will all be taking Algebra 1 in 9th.

Is this common?

I wouldn't think so but it may just be in the area or groups I'm in.

I do believe that Algebra I is indeed a high school course and is why the state assessment is a high school graduation requirement. But that's like bare minimum.

The count of 2025 MCAP Algebra I test takers is below, sorted by test taker count. Keep in mind that the middle school counts, goes across all grade levels. (guess it's true for high schools) And let's assume about 30 kids per class. For high schools a good number of students might not be taking the class but need to retake the exam for whatever reason.

You do have high schools near the top of the list with around 400 students taking the test. But there are also high schools at the bottom end with less then 100 students taking the test, so maybe two or three classes? You have to factor in overall high school size too.

Which one is common is hard to say. But as you can see in the list, there are elementary school students taking Algebra I. And using the previous poster's descriptions, for me those students would be the "math-content culture, "Asian immigrant scientist parent" stereotype" And everything else shifts down at least one grade level too.

School Name--Assessment--Tested Count--Proficient Pct
Gaithersburg High--Algebra 1 --437--6.2
Thomas W. Pyle Middle--Algebra 1 --405--80.5
Montgomery Blair High--Algebra 1 --393--10.4
John F. Kennedy High--Algebra 1 --323--<= 5.0
Julius West Middle--Algebra 1 --309--64.4
Cabin John Middle--Algebra 1 --304--55.3
Seneca Valley High--Algebra 1 --302--<= 5.0
Argyle Middle--Algebra 1 --297--8.4
Tilden Middle--Algebra 1 --281--38.8
Wheaton High--Algebra 1 --279--<= 5.0
North Bethesda Middle--Algebra 1 --276--65.6
Herbert Hoover Middle--Algebra 1 --275--57.8
Takoma Park Middle--Algebra 1 --273--62.3
Robert Frost Middle School--Algebra 1 --262--67.6
White Oak Middle--Algebra 1 --259--5.4
Kingsview Middle--Algebra 1 --254--46.5
Hallie Wells Middle--Algebra 1 --249--55.8
Clarksburg High--Algebra 1 --233--5.6
Quince Orchard High--Algebra 1 --230--<= 5.0
Col. Zadok Magruder High--Algebra 1 --225--<= 5.0
Northwood High--Algebra 1 --215--<= 5.0
Richard Montgomery High--Algebra 1 --212--5.2
Eastern Middle--Algebra 1 --211--46.0
Westland Middle--Algebra 1 --199--57.3
Lakelands Park Middle--Algebra 1 --198--54.0
Albert Einstein High--Algebra 1 --196--5.1
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High--Algebra 1 --193--15.0
Walter Johnson High--Algebra 1 --190--11.6
Parkland Middle--Algebra 1 --190--26.3
Rosa M. Parks Middle--Algebra 1 --179--38.0
William H. Farquhar Middle--Algebra 1 --175--29.7
Springbrook High--Algebra 1 --174--6.9
Rocky Hill Middle--Algebra 1 --159--36.5
Earle B. Wood Middle--Algebra 1 --156--54.5
Northwest High--Algebra 1 --153--7.8
Silver Creek Middle--Algebra 1 --149--47.7
Damascus High--Algebra 1 --148--5.4
Silver Spring International Middle--Algebra 1 --145--37.2
Briggs Chaney Middle--Algebra 1 --143--22.4
Sherwood High--Algebra 1 --141--13.5
Ridgeview Middle--Algebra 1 --140--26.4
Roberto W. Clemente Middle--Algebra 1 --138--34.1
Watkins Mill High--Algebra 1 --137--<= 5.0
John T. Baker Middle School--Algebra 1 --136--34.6
A. Mario Loiederman Middle--Algebra 1 --133--15.0
Sligo Middle--Algebra 1 --119--36.1
Redland Middle--Algebra 1 --114--32.5
John Poole Middle--Algebra 1 --110--52.7
Martin Luther King Jr. Middle--Algebra 1 --109--56.9
Neelsville Middle--Algebra 1 --103--16.5
Walt Whitman High--Algebra 1 --103--16.5
Shady Grove Middle--Algebra 1 --93--16.1
Francis Scott Key Middle--Algebra 1 --89--15.7
Forest Oak Middle--Algebra 1 --88--8.0
Gaithersburg Middle--Algebra 1 --88--28.4
Newport Mill Middle--Algebra 1 --86--50.0
Odessa Shannon Middle--Algebra 1 --85--25.9
James Hubert Blake High--Algebra 1 --74--<= 5.0
Winston Churchill High--Algebra 1 --72--22.2
Thomas S. Wootton High--Algebra 1 --55--5.5
Paint Branch High--Algebra 1 --55--9.1
Poolesville High--Algebra 1 --53--20.8
Benjamin Banneker Middle--Algebra 1 --43--46.5
Montgomery Village Middle--Algebra 1 --42--<= 5.0
Rockville High--Algebra 1 --35--<= 5.0
John L Gildner Regional Inst for Children & Adol--Algebra 1 --13--<= 5.0
Ritchie Park Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*
Cold Spring Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*
Alternative Programs--Algebra 1 --*--*
Bells Mill Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*

How are there high schools with less than 100 kids taking Algebra 1? Are there middle schools where they put all (or virtually all) of the kids on the advanced track (not the double-advanced track with Algebra 1 in 7th, just the single-advanced track where you do compacted 6-8 math in two years)?

Yes.
Some of those middle schools have almost the entire school taking Algebra, as the chart shows. Even kids from non-compacted Math 5 can hop up to AMP 6+ -> 7+ -> Algebra if they are doing very well.

Most people who can afford $500K+ houses can get their kids to Algebra by 8th grade

We're in a medium, but not super well off MCPS MS and when I moved in I was told that roughtly a 1/3 of kids would take Algebra in 7th grade, 1/3 in 8th grade and only the bottom 1/3 would do it in 9th grade.

My 6th grader is in a mainstream private in MoCo. She said about 1/3 of the class is in pre-algebra (on track for algebra 1 in 7th grade, 1/3 is on track for algebra 1 in 8th grade, and 1/3 on track for algebra 1 in 9th grade (absent any summer courses). I can't imagine how you have a majority of kids in compacted math in so many public schools who are truly able to handle the material and succeed long-term. (FWIW my kid's pre-algebra homework looks like what I did in 9th grade.)

Some areas have higher concentration of smarter kids who test well. Why is it hard to believe?

Well clearly they aren't testing well a few years later ..my point is that at my kid's 60k/year school with highly educated and engaged parents, the school only thinks that 1/3 of them are capable of succeeding in algebra 1 in 7th grade. There's no way a majority of kids at most public schools (even high SES ones) have the ability to succeed on that path long-term. I agree the path should exist but that the entry requirements should be higher. You're not doing kids any favors by putting them in a math level that they can't actually handle.

Sounds like there aren't very many smart kids and that's pretty strange given it is a highly selective school... must not be that selective. Why are you even posting here?

No. It just means that public schools only teach a very shallow curriculum. Lots of breadth, no depth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The issue about taking AB or BC after pre-Calc isn't about what is right for some students, or even for the majority, it's about what is right for each student. For those for whom Calc BC is right, no MCPS school should be dissuading them from taking it or, if taken prior to Senior year, failing to provide reasonably equivalent access to logically following courses as is available at any other MCPS school (exclusive for that equivalence, perhaps, of STEM magnet programs, but then those should have ample seating).

The same goes for the early enrichment/acceleration that is the main subject of this thread, where MCPS's burden includes equitable identification (not well handled to date), practicable/effective differentiation, where the currently planned curricular approach clearly could use better public explication and, perhaps, considerably more thought, and flexible school/classroom resourcing models to help ensure these.

The process and standards for differential course recommendation should be clear, consistent across the county and, along with the options, themselves, communicated well enough in advance to allow students and caregivers agency with regard to prerequisite action.

In his first year, Superintendent Taylor espoused eschewing a model of scarcity for a climate of plenty. Let's make sure he is making his subordinates follow through on that on the one hand as we ensure the resources to do so (looking at you, County Council) on the other.

I look at the salaries of people in central office - lot of people making over $200K per year, and I think these people need to take pay cuts and we need layoffs from central office. The county council doesn't print money, as much as we wish it could.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So admittedly I am far removed from my own high school experience and my kids are still in ES, but the MS/HS math pathways surprised me a bit- do kids no longer take geometry and trig?

Pre-calc in 9th also seems a bit crazy to me (again this is coming from someone who graduated in the 90s where "accelerated" meant pre-calc in 11th and AP Calc in 12th). But I don't understand what some of these students are meant to take in 12th if they've already had two years of calculus by then.

Acceleration looks like this:

Alg 7th
Geometry 8th
Alg2/Trig 9th
Precalc 10th
Calc 11th
MVC/Diffeq/Stats 12th

That's the route both my kids took (now in college, one about to go). The one in college is a dual math major. They easily passed all their accelerated math classes including MVC/Diffeq. MAPS scores always at highest %ile, PARCC scores always exceeding expectations, 5 on AP cal, 800 on SAT math. Kid would've been incredibly bored in ES without HGC (former name of CES) and compacted math. No, we did not ever tutor DC.

There are a lot of highly educated parents around here, so it's no surprise that there are a lot advanced learners here.

MCPS really is racing to the bottom. We had intentionally moved here for the magnets and acceleration programs. So glad to be done with MCPS before they killed every program that made it great.

On the link provided in the OP, it looks like starting in 2027-2028, there are three potential math pathways students will take (slide 14) where pre-calc may be taken anywhere from 9th-11 grade. Am I understanding this correctly? What is the difference between Math 6, Accel Math 6, and Grade 6 Pre-Alg?

I am partly asking this because we are currently overseas and I've been trying to keep track of where my kids (who currently attend an international school) will land when we return in a couple years. Which is hard when MCPS keeps making changes!

Math 6 = 6th grade math, on track to start algebra in 9th
Accel Math 6/AMP 6+ = 6th & half of 7th grade math (with the other half of 7th+8th taken in 7th grade), on track to start algebra in 8th-- for strong kids in grade-level 5th grade math or kids who did compacted 5/6 who could use a slowdown/reinforcement
Grade 6 Pre-Alg = 7th & 8th grade math (with 6th grade math completed in grade 5 as part of compacted math), on track to start algebra in 7th

Algebra in..

7th - advanced
8th - on track
9th - behind

No.

9th - on-level
8th - advanced / gifted&talented, including most of "selective college" prep.
7th - highly advanced, likely STEM-focused, "UMC" stereotype
6th - math-contest culture, "Asian immigrant scientist parent" stereotype

I don't disagree that Algebra I is a high school level course and some of it may be a result of the current curriculum.

But students taking Algebra I in high school are likely struggling students.

Just look at the MCAP Algebra I proficiency rates on mdreportcard for MCPS. Middle schools top the list.

The highest high school is Churchill, ranked at number 32 out of schools listed with Algebra I test takers, and with a proficiency of 22.2 percent. Followed by Poolesville at 20.8 percent, Whitman is two spots below that with 16.5 percent.

Students are capable of taking Algebra I in middle school and students will raise to the level they're pushed to.

Look at the charter school in DC that won the math competition recently:
https://wtop.com/dc/2026/03/how-students-in-southeast-outperformed-peers-in-some-of-dcs-wealthiest-neighborhoods-on-citywide-math-test/

And it's what the main character was saying in the film Stand and Deliver, which is based on a true story.

There's nothing wrong with taking Algebra I in high school and I believe that students should be placed appropriately at their level to make sure they fully learn what's being taught.

But it seems like MCPS's solution is to try to lower the bar instead of raising the bottom to reach the bar.

At our MS you can't even get into AMP 6+ (which would get you to Algebra in 8th) unless you completed compacted math at your ES. So my 80th percentile MAP-M kid and her similarly scoring peers will all be taking Algebra 1 in 9th.

Is this common?

I wouldn't think so but it may just be in the area or groups I'm in.

I do believe that Algebra I is indeed a high school course and is why the state assessment is a high school graduation requirement. But that's like bare minimum.

The count of 2025 MCAP Algebra I test takers is below, sorted by test taker count. Keep in mind that the middle school counts, goes across all grade levels. (guess it's true for high schools) And let's assume about 30 kids per class. For high schools a good number of students might not be taking the class but need to retake the exam for whatever reason.

You do have high schools near the top of the list with around 400 students taking the test. But there are also high schools at the bottom end with less then 100 students taking the test, so maybe two or three classes? You have to factor in overall high school size too.

Which one is common is hard to say. But as you can see in the list, there are elementary school students taking Algebra I. And using the previous poster's descriptions, for me those students would be the "math-content culture, "Asian immigrant scientist parent" stereotype" And everything else shifts down at least one grade level too.

School Name--Assessment--Tested Count--Proficient Pct
Gaithersburg High--Algebra 1 --437--6.2
Thomas W. Pyle Middle--Algebra 1 --405--80.5
Montgomery Blair High--Algebra 1 --393--10.4
John F. Kennedy High--Algebra 1 --323--<= 5.0
Julius West Middle--Algebra 1 --309--64.4
Cabin John Middle--Algebra 1 --304--55.3
Seneca Valley High--Algebra 1 --302--<= 5.0
Argyle Middle--Algebra 1 --297--8.4
Tilden Middle--Algebra 1 --281--38.8
Wheaton High--Algebra 1 --279--<= 5.0
North Bethesda Middle--Algebra 1 --276--65.6
Herbert Hoover Middle--Algebra 1 --275--57.8
Takoma Park Middle--Algebra 1 --273--62.3
Robert Frost Middle School--Algebra 1 --262--67.6
White Oak Middle--Algebra 1 --259--5.4
Kingsview Middle--Algebra 1 --254--46.5
Hallie Wells Middle--Algebra 1 --249--55.8
Clarksburg High--Algebra 1 --233--5.6
Quince Orchard High--Algebra 1 --230--<= 5.0
Col. Zadok Magruder High--Algebra 1 --225--<= 5.0
Northwood High--Algebra 1 --215--<= 5.0
Richard Montgomery High--Algebra 1 --212--5.2
Eastern Middle--Algebra 1 --211--46.0
Westland Middle--Algebra 1 --199--57.3
Lakelands Park Middle--Algebra 1 --198--54.0
Albert Einstein High--Algebra 1 --196--5.1
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High--Algebra 1 --193--15.0
Walter Johnson High--Algebra 1 --190--11.6
Parkland Middle--Algebra 1 --190--26.3
Rosa M. Parks Middle--Algebra 1 --179--38.0
William H. Farquhar Middle--Algebra 1 --175--29.7
Springbrook High--Algebra 1 --174--6.9
Rocky Hill Middle--Algebra 1 --159--36.5
Earle B. Wood Middle--Algebra 1 --156--54.5
Northwest High--Algebra 1 --153--7.8
Silver Creek Middle--Algebra 1 --149--47.7
Damascus High--Algebra 1 --148--5.4
Silver Spring International Middle--Algebra 1 --145--37.2
Briggs Chaney Middle--Algebra 1 --143--22.4
Sherwood High--Algebra 1 --141--13.5
Ridgeview Middle--Algebra 1 --140--26.4
Roberto W. Clemente Middle--Algebra 1 --138--34.1
Watkins Mill High--Algebra 1 --137--<= 5.0
John T. Baker Middle School--Algebra 1 --136--34.6
A. Mario Loiederman Middle--Algebra 1 --133--15.0
Sligo Middle--Algebra 1 --119--36.1
Redland Middle--Algebra 1 --114--32.5
John Poole Middle--Algebra 1 --110--52.7
Martin Luther King Jr. Middle--Algebra 1 --109--56.9
Neelsville Middle--Algebra 1 --103--16.5
Walt Whitman High--Algebra 1 --103--16.5
Shady Grove Middle--Algebra 1 --93--16.1
Francis Scott Key Middle--Algebra 1 --89--15.7
Forest Oak Middle--Algebra 1 --88--8.0
Gaithersburg Middle--Algebra 1 --88--28.4
Newport Mill Middle--Algebra 1 --86--50.0
Odessa Shannon Middle--Algebra 1 --85--25.9
James Hubert Blake High--Algebra 1 --74--<= 5.0
Winston Churchill High--Algebra 1 --72--22.2
Thomas S. Wootton High--Algebra 1 --55--5.5
Paint Branch High--Algebra 1 --55--9.1
Poolesville High--Algebra 1 --53--20.8
Benjamin Banneker Middle--Algebra 1 --43--46.5
Montgomery Village Middle--Algebra 1 --42--<= 5.0
Rockville High--Algebra 1 --35--<= 5.0
John L Gildner Regional Inst for Children & Adol--Algebra 1 --13--<= 5.0
Ritchie Park Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*
Cold Spring Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*
Alternative Programs--Algebra 1 --*--*
Bells Mill Elementary--Algebra 1 --*--*

How are there high schools with less than 100 kids taking Algebra 1? Are there middle schools where they put all (or virtually all) of the kids on the advanced track (not the double-advanced track with Algebra 1 in 7th, just the single-advanced track where you do compacted 6-8 math in two years)?

Yes.
Some of those middle schools have almost the entire school taking Algebra, as the chart shows. Even kids from non-compacted Math 5 can hop up to AMP 6+ -> 7+ -> Algebra if they are doing very well.

Most people who can afford $500K+ houses can get their kids to Algebra by 8th grade

We're in a medium, but not super well off MCPS MS and when I moved in I was told that roughtly a 1/3 of kids would take Algebra in 7th grade, 1/3 in 8th grade and only the bottom 1/3 would do it in 9th grade.

My 6th grader is in a mainstream private in MoCo. She said about 1/3 of the class is in pre-algebra (on track for algebra 1 in 7th grade, 1/3 is on track for algebra 1 in 8th grade, and 1/3 on track for algebra 1 in 9th grade (absent any summer courses). I can't imagine how you have a majority of kids in compacted math in so many public schools who are truly able to handle the material and succeed long-term. (FWIW my kid's pre-algebra homework looks like what I did in 9th grade.)

Some areas have higher concentration of smarter kids who test well. Why is it hard to believe?

Well clearly they aren't testing well a few years later ..my point is that at my kid's 60k/year school with highly educated and engaged parents, the school only thinks that 1/3 of them are capable of succeeding in algebra 1 in 7th grade. There's no way a majority of kids at most public schools (even high SES ones) have the ability to succeed on that path long-term. I agree the path should exist but that the entry requirements should be higher. You're not doing kids any favors by putting them in a math level that they can't actually handle.

Sounds like there aren't very many smart kids and that's pretty strange given it is a highly selective school... must not be that selective. Why are you even posting here?

Most DC area private schools aren’t as accelerated in math as the good MCPS and FCPS schools and can’t approach the level of instruction of the magnets.

There are tons of private school kids in enrichment classes and it’s because they know they need the extra math to be competitive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue about taking AB or BC after pre-Calc isn't about what is right for some students, or even for the majority, it's about what is right for each student. For those for whom Calc BC is right, no MCPS school should be dissuading them from taking it or, if taken prior to Senior year, failing to provide reasonably equivalent access to logically following courses as is available at any other MCPS school (exclusive for that equivalence, perhaps, of STEM magnet programs, but then those should have ample seating).

The same goes for the early enrichment/acceleration that is the main subject of this thread, where MCPS's burden includes equitable identification (not well handled to date), practicable/effective differentiation, where the currently planned curricular approach clearly could use better public explication and, perhaps, considerably more thought, and flexible school/classroom resourcing models to help ensure these.

The process and standards for differential course recommendation should be clear, consistent across the county and, along with the options, themselves, communicated well enough in advance to allow students and caregivers agency with regard to prerequisite action.

In his first year, Superintendent Taylor espoused eschewing a model of scarcity for a climate of plenty. Let's make sure he is making his subordinates follow through on that on the one hand as we ensure the resources to do so (looking at you, County Council) on the other.

I look at the salaries of people in central office - lot of people making over $200K per year, and I think these people need to take pay cuts and we need layoffs from central office. The county council doesn't print money, as much as we wish it could.

Such pay/position cuts, justified or not, would affect such a small percentage of the budget that it makes the issue a red herring with regard to the County Council's funding/tax decisions. This is not to say that there aren't opportunitiesvl for better management, just that more money is going to be required to get to the education levels/results the county wants.

Families with school-aged children, and many others to a lesser extent, are going to be rather upset with the cuts that will be made with an under-funding Council decision. Of course, they won't know about them until it hits later, while the budget/tax decision is happening now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately the long and short of it is that more moms care about being able to brag that their 4th grader is in advanced math than thinking ahead to long term outcomes. Honestly in favor of what they are doing here

Why are you so threatened by kids taking advanced math classes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue about taking AB or BC after pre-Calc isn't about what is right for some students, or even for the majority, it's about what is right for each student. For those for whom Calc BC is right, no MCPS school should be dissuading them from taking it or, if taken prior to Senior year, failing to provide reasonably equivalent access to logically following courses as is available at any other MCPS school (exclusive for that equivalence, perhaps, of STEM magnet programs, but then those should have ample seating).

The same goes for the early enrichment/acceleration that is the main subject of this thread, where MCPS's burden includes equitable identification (not well handled to date), practicable/effective differentiation, where the currently planned curricular approach clearly could use better public explication and, perhaps, considerably more thought, and flexible school/classroom resourcing models to help ensure these.

The process and standards for differential course recommendation should be clear, consistent across the county and, along with the options, themselves, communicated well enough in advance to allow students and caregivers agency with regard to prerequisite action.

In his first year, Superintendent Taylor espoused eschewing a model of scarcity for a climate of plenty. Let's make sure he is making his subordinates follow through on that on the one hand as we ensure the resources to do so (looking at you, County Council) on the other.

I look at the salaries of people in central office - lot of people making over $200K per year, and I think these people need to take pay cuts and we need layoffs from central office. The county council doesn't print money, as much as we wish it could.

Such pay/position cuts, justified or not, would affect such a small percentage of the budget that it makes the issue a red herring with regard to the County Council's funding/tax decisions. This is not to say that there aren't opportunitiesvl for better management, just that more money is going to be required to get to the education levels/results the county wants.

Families with school-aged children, and many others to a lesser extent, are going to be rather upset with the cuts that will be made with an under-funding Council decision. Of course, they won't know about them until it hits later, while the budget/tax decision is happening now.

MCPS isn't underfunded. They need to manage the money they have better vs. demanding more. Every year they get more, despite decining enrollment and poor test scores. This isn't a money issue. This is a management issue. Anyone on the BOE and County Council who agrees to more money vs. transparency, accountability and fiscal responsibility should lose their seat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The issue about taking AB or BC after pre-Calc isn't about what is right for some students, or even for the majority, it's about what is right for each student. For those for whom Calc BC is right, no MCPS school should be dissuading them from taking it or, if taken prior to Senior year, failing to provide reasonably equivalent access to logically following courses as is available at any other MCPS school (exclusive for that equivalence, perhaps, of STEM magnet programs, but then those should have ample seating).

The same goes for the early enrichment/acceleration that is the main subject of this thread, where MCPS's burden includes equitable identification (not well handled to date), practicable/effective differentiation, where the currently planned curricular approach clearly could use better public explication and, perhaps, considerably more thought, and flexible school/classroom resourcing models to help ensure these.

The process and standards for differential course recommendation should be clear, consistent across the county and, along with the options, themselves, communicated well enough in advance to allow students and caregivers agency with regard to prerequisite action.

In his first year, Superintendent Taylor espoused eschewing a model of scarcity for a climate of plenty. Let's make sure he is making his subordinates follow through on that on the one hand as we ensure the resources to do so (looking at you, County Council) on the other.

Its up to the principal and some are against advanced classes and stem. That's why you see the disparities.