Compacted Math- FYI

[Anonymous]

It looks like central office has finalized plans for next year through the release of the math recovery plan. Here is what they say for ES:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQ2LrngCxEBRl1F-I73j0CHjsRPfF2zs2TXwBvWNVGs/edit

It sounds like central office is identifying students who should be in 4/5 and 5/6 next year, will send it to the schools, and the schools will potentially add more students to the list. Then we will be notified mid-month, so I would think after the school year is over. The document does not provide information on what cutoffs they are using.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It looks like central office has finalized plans for next year through the release of the math recovery plan. Here is what they say for ES:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQ2LrngCxEBRl1F-I73j0CHjsRPfF2zs2TXwBvWNVGs/edit

It sounds like central office is identifying students who should be in 4/5 and 5/6 next year, will send it to the schools, and the schools will potentially add more students to the list. Then we will be notified mid-month, so I would think after the school year is over. The document does not provide information on what cutoffs they are using.

Typical MCPS. Tells us what we already know but is opaque about the one most important detail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It looks like central office has finalized plans for next year through the release of the math recovery plan. Here is what they say for ES:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQ2LrngCxEBRl1F-I73j0CHjsRPfF2zs2TXwBvWNVGs/edit

It sounds like central office is identifying students who should be in 4/5 and 5/6 next year, will send it to the schools, and the schools will potentially add more students to the list. Then we will be notified mid-month, so I would think after the school year is over. The document does not provide information on what cutoffs they are using.

According the the document schools are identifying the 5/6 students and central is identifying the 4/5 ones.

"The mathematics office provided guidance to schools regarding students currently in Math 4/5 and their placement in Math 5/6 next school year. Schools will use the guidance to inform their work, however, the school will ultimately make the decision for course placement."

and

"As a result of feedback from multiple school and community stakeholders, students identified for Math 4/5 will be identified through the Central Office, using multiple data points. Names will be shared with schools in June. Schools may advocate for students that do not surface through the central identification process. Schools will inform parents of course placement by mid June."

[Anonymous]

Do any teachers know what cutoffs they are using for current 3rd graders to be eligible for math 4/5 next year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It looks like central office has finalized plans for next year through the release of the math recovery plan. Here is what they say for ES:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQ2LrngCxEBRl1F-I73j0CHjsRPfF2zs2TXwBvWNVGs/edit

It sounds like central office is identifying students who should be in 4/5 and 5/6 next year, will send it to the schools, and the schools will potentially add more students to the list. Then we will be notified mid-month, so I would think after the school year is over. The document does not provide information on what cutoffs they are using.

Thank you for posting this link. Do you have access to MS as well? Please post if able to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks like central office has finalized plans for next year through the release of the math recovery plan. Here is what they say for ES:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQ2LrngCxEBRl1F-I73j0CHjsRPfF2zs2TXwBvWNVGs/edit

It sounds like central office is identifying students who should be in 4/5 and 5/6 next year, will send it to the schools, and the schools will potentially add more students to the list. Then we will be notified mid-month, so I would think after the school year is over. The document does not provide information on what cutoffs they are using.

Thank you for posting this link. Do you have access to MS as well? Please post if able to.

It's being discussed in this thread: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/978055.page
See the second post for links to the middle school pathways.

[Anonymous]

We were just told that only about 1/3rd of the kids in Compacted Math 4/5 will be in 5/6 in our school and we'll find out the placement for our kid next week. To be honest, I can't even say that I'm enamored with the "Compacted Math is just skipping over random topics in Regular Math" way of going about things, but it's basically the only advanced option offered at our school ("enrichment" before 4th grade basically meant random math puzzles a few times a year and kiddo was extremely bored). They also made it sound like it's not a big deal if the kids are in Regular Math, but it seems like Compacted Math is the only option to take 2 years of AP Calc in HS (I didn't do all my education in the US so I have a hard time keeping track of all the various Algebra, Precalc etc classes, plus they've been changing a bunch recently). I don't think it's a tragedy if you don't do this (and things are changing quickly anyway) and I know a number of people who were successful in STEM with just Calc AB, but it sure helps a ton take Calc BC if you go the STEM route! I also refuse to believe that you have to be some kind of genius to be in Calc BC. They're making it sound like "Compacted Math was just supposed to be for a very few brilliant kids and there are too many kids who can't handle it in it now." It's true that 3/4 of our school was in Compacted Math, but it sucks that for most of them there won't be any kind of intermediate option in 5th grade.

It was kind of funny because one school official on the call kept blaming the pandemic for it (because they didn't cover 2 whole geometry modules! gasp!) while another one basically said upfront that it was because MCPS wants to phase it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were just told that only about 1/3rd of the kids in Compacted Math 4/5 will be in 5/6 in our school and we'll find out the placement for our kid next week. To be honest, I can't even say that I'm enamored with the "Compacted Math is just skipping over random topics in Regular Math" way of going about things, but it's basically the only advanced option offered at our school ("enrichment" before 4th grade basically meant random math puzzles a few times a year and kiddo was extremely bored). They also made it sound like it's not a big deal if the kids are in Regular Math, but it seems like Compacted Math is the only option to take 2 years of AP Calc in HS (I didn't do all my education in the US so I have a hard time keeping track of all the various Algebra, Precalc etc classes, plus they've been changing a bunch recently). I don't think it's a tragedy if you don't do this (and things are changing quickly anyway) and I know a number of people who were successful in STEM with just Calc AB, but it sure helps a ton take Calc BC if you go the STEM route! I also refuse to believe that you have to be some kind of genius to be in Calc BC. They're making it sound like "Compacted Math was just supposed to be for a very few brilliant kids and there are too many kids who can't handle it in it now." It's true that 3/4 of our school was in Compacted Math, but it sucks that for most of them there won't be any kind of intermediate option in 5th grade.

It was kind of funny because one school official on the call kept blaming the pandemic for it (because they didn't cover 2 whole geometry modules! gasp!) while another one basically said upfront that it was because MCPS wants to phase it out.

FYI: Students don't take two years of calc in high school. They take either AB or BC. (BC moves faster and covers more material.) If they take it in junior year, then they take another class senior year (like AP stats).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were just told that only about 1/3rd of the kids in Compacted Math 4/5 will be in 5/6 in our school and we'll find out the placement for our kid next week. To be honest, I can't even say that I'm enamored with the "Compacted Math is just skipping over random topics in Regular Math" way of going about things, but it's basically the only advanced option offered at our school ("enrichment" before 4th grade basically meant random math puzzles a few times a year and kiddo was extremely bored). They also made it sound like it's not a big deal if the kids are in Regular Math, but it seems like Compacted Math is the only option to take 2 years of AP Calc in HS (I didn't do all my education in the US so I have a hard time keeping track of all the various Algebra, Precalc etc classes, plus they've been changing a bunch recently). I don't think it's a tragedy if you don't do this (and things are changing quickly anyway) and I know a number of people who were successful in STEM with just Calc AB, but it sure helps a ton take Calc BC if you go the STEM route! I also refuse to believe that you have to be some kind of genius to be in Calc BC. They're making it sound like "Compacted Math was just supposed to be for a very few brilliant kids and there are too many kids who can't handle it in it now." It's true that 3/4 of our school was in Compacted Math, but it sucks that for most of them there won't be any kind of intermediate option in 5th grade.

It was kind of funny because one school official on the call kept blaming the pandemic for it (because they didn't cover 2 whole geometry modules! gasp!) while another one basically said upfront that it was because MCPS wants to phase it out.

FYI: Students don't take two years of calc in high school. They take either AB or BC. (BC moves faster and covers more material.) If they take it in junior year, then they take another class senior year (like AP stats).

Ah, thanks for the clarification! That was totally my bad interpretation then, since they said that kids can take "2 years of AP math in HS" if they're in Compacted Math + continue to place on the advanced track in MS. I was in the US in 11th and 12th grade and in my HS, the "advanced track" took Calc AB in 11th grade and Calc BC in 12th grade (in 12th grade, they took the extra BC material first semester and multivariate calc second semester). Students could take AP Stats if they didn't want to take Calc or if they somehow skipped a year and were out of other math to take or if they took it concurrently with Calc. (In general, this was taken mostly by students who needed to fulfil math requirements without taking advanced math.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just left a meeting and was told that very few kids currently enrolled in Compacted 4/5 would move on to Compacted 5/6. There are strict guidelines coming from the county level and principals are not allowed around it. These include MAP scores and scores from performance matters testing. It sounds like around 30 total kids countywide will move on.

Compacted 4/5 will be decided on the county level. Don't expect many to get in.

Don't believe this since 30 kids at our school are in it next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were just told that only about 1/3rd of the kids in Compacted Math 4/5 will be in 5/6 in our school and we'll find out the placement for our kid next week. To be honest, I can't even say that I'm enamored with the "Compacted Math is just skipping over random topics in Regular Math" way of going about things, but it's basically the only advanced option offered at our school ("enrichment" before 4th grade basically meant random math puzzles a few times a year and kiddo was extremely bored). They also made it sound like it's not a big deal if the kids are in Regular Math, but it seems like Compacted Math is the only option to take 2 years of AP Calc in HS (I didn't do all my education in the US so I have a hard time keeping track of all the various Algebra, Precalc etc classes, plus they've been changing a bunch recently). I don't think it's a tragedy if you don't do this (and things are changing quickly anyway) and I know a number of people who were successful in STEM with just Calc AB, but it sure helps a ton take Calc BC if you go the STEM route! I also refuse to believe that you have to be some kind of genius to be in Calc BC. They're making it sound like "Compacted Math was just supposed to be for a very few brilliant kids and there are too many kids who can't handle it in it now." It's true that 3/4 of our school was in Compacted Math, but it sucks that for most of them there won't be any kind of intermediate option in 5th grade.

It was kind of funny because one school official on the call kept blaming the pandemic for it (because they didn't cover 2 whole geometry modules! gasp!) while another one basically said upfront that it was because MCPS wants to phase it out.

FYI: Students don't take two years of calc in high school. They take either AB or BC. (BC moves faster and covers more material.) If they take it in junior year, then they take another class senior year (like AP stats).

Actually students are encouraged to take both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were just told that only about 1/3rd of the kids in Compacted Math 4/5 will be in 5/6 in our school and we'll find out the placement for our kid next week. To be honest, I can't even say that I'm enamored with the "Compacted Math is just skipping over random topics in Regular Math" way of going about things, but it's basically the only advanced option offered at our school ("enrichment" before 4th grade basically meant random math puzzles a few times a year and kiddo was extremely bored). They also made it sound like it's not a big deal if the kids are in Regular Math, but it seems like Compacted Math is the only option to take 2 years of AP Calc in HS (I didn't do all my education in the US so I have a hard time keeping track of all the various Algebra, Precalc etc classes, plus they've been changing a bunch recently). I don't think it's a tragedy if you don't do this (and things are changing quickly anyway) and I know a number of people who were successful in STEM with just Calc AB, but it sure helps a ton take Calc BC if you go the STEM route! I also refuse to believe that you have to be some kind of genius to be in Calc BC. They're making it sound like "Compacted Math was just supposed to be for a very few brilliant kids and there are too many kids who can't handle it in it now." It's true that 3/4 of our school was in Compacted Math, but it sucks that for most of them there won't be any kind of intermediate option in 5th grade.

It was kind of funny because one school official on the call kept blaming the pandemic for it (because they didn't cover 2 whole geometry modules! gasp!) while another one basically said upfront that it was because MCPS wants to phase it out.

FYI: Students don't take two years of calc in high school. They take either AB or BC. (BC moves faster and covers more material.) If they take it in junior year, then they take another class senior year (like AP stats).

Some kids take multivariable calc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were just told that only about 1/3rd of the kids in Compacted Math 4/5 will be in 5/6 in our school and we'll find out the placement for our kid next week. To be honest, I can't even say that I'm enamored with the "Compacted Math is just skipping over random topics in Regular Math" way of going about things, but it's basically the only advanced option offered at our school ("enrichment" before 4th grade basically meant random math puzzles a few times a year and kiddo was extremely bored). They also made it sound like it's not a big deal if the kids are in Regular Math, but it seems like Compacted Math is the only option to take 2 years of AP Calc in HS (I didn't do all my education in the US so I have a hard time keeping track of all the various Algebra, Precalc etc classes, plus they've been changing a bunch recently). I don't think it's a tragedy if you don't do this (and things are changing quickly anyway) and I know a number of people who were successful in STEM with just Calc AB, but it sure helps a ton take Calc BC if you go the STEM route! I also refuse to believe that you have to be some kind of genius to be in Calc BC. They're making it sound like "Compacted Math was just supposed to be for a very few brilliant kids and there are too many kids who can't handle it in it now." It's true that 3/4 of our school was in Compacted Math, but it sucks that for most of them there won't be any kind of intermediate option in 5th grade.

It was kind of funny because one school official on the call kept blaming the pandemic for it (because they didn't cover 2 whole geometry modules! gasp!) while another one basically said upfront that it was because MCPS wants to phase it out.

FYI: Students don't take two years of calc in high school. They take either AB or BC. (BC moves faster and covers more material.) If they take it in junior year, then they take another class senior year (like AP stats).

Multi-Variable Calculus

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FYI: Students don't take two years of calc in high school. They take either AB or BC. (BC moves faster and covers more material.) If they take it in junior year, then they take another class senior year (like AP stats).

Anonymous wrote:Some kids take multivariable calc.

Multi-Variable Calculus

Only the truly gifted, really smart ones, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We were just told that only about 1/3rd of the kids in Compacted Math 4/5 will be in 5/6 in our school and we'll find out the placement for our kid next week. To be honest, I can't even say that I'm enamored with the "Compacted Math is just skipping over random topics in Regular Math" way of going about things, but it's basically the only advanced option offered at our school ("enrichment" before 4th grade basically meant random math puzzles a few times a year and kiddo was extremely bored). They also made it sound like it's not a big deal if the kids are in Regular Math, but it seems like Compacted Math is the only option to take 2 years of AP Calc in HS (I didn't do all my education in the US so I have a hard time keeping track of all the various Algebra, Precalc etc classes, plus they've been changing a bunch recently). I don't think it's a tragedy if you don't do this (and things are changing quickly anyway) and I know a number of people who were successful in STEM with just Calc AB, but it sure helps a ton take Calc BC if you go the STEM route! I also refuse to believe that you have to be some kind of genius to be in Calc BC. They're making it sound like "Compacted Math was just supposed to be for a very few brilliant kids and there are too many kids who can't handle it in it now." It's true that 3/4 of our school was in Compacted Math, but it sucks that for most of them there won't be any kind of intermediate option in 5th grade.

It was kind of funny because one school official on the call kept blaming the pandemic for it (because they didn't cover 2 whole geometry modules! gasp!) while another one basically said upfront that it was because MCPS wants to phase it out.

FYI: Students don't take two years of calc in high school. They take either AB or BC. (BC moves faster and covers more material.) If they take it in junior year, then they take another class senior year (like AP stats).

Actually students are encouraged to take both.

If you take both you are treating content. BC covers all of AB plus some new topics. And the BC exam had an AB sub-component. BC is two semesters of college calc, and AB is one. But if you take AB there is no way I know of to take just the new content jn BC—the first semester of BC will be entirely review.