Pre-algebra in 6th - score cutoffs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have seen a large number of students take algebra one in seventh grade. And then burn out in high school. They then end up not taking any math junior and/or senior year.

Again, this seems like over acceleration. And it seems like the students would have been better off waiting to take algebra one in eighth grade.

The problem is there are no other options for differentiation.

[Anonymous]

Yes I agree. Work with the school system to get an advanced sixth grade math class created.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes I agree. Work with the school system to get an advanced sixth grade math class created.

Another thing that could be done is not automatically placing all the more advanced kids into super intensified higher math classes. Just because it was the right choice to go into a more advanced math class in sixth grade doesn't necessarily mean that you should take algebra2intensified/trig in 9th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes I agree. Work with the school system to get an advanced sixth grade math class created.

So essentially making a class for kids who will be taking Algebra in 8th vs. kids who will be taking Algebra in 9th (or later)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes I agree. Work with the school system to get an advanced sixth grade math class created.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing wrong with getting a three on the exam. However, I think the previous poster is noting that students who get a three on the exam junior year might be better served waiting to take the class until senior year.

There is no reason to take BC calculus junior year not learn it at all that well and then go into multivariable calculus senior year.

Feels like over acceleration

A 3 means you learned the material perfectly well.

No it doesn't.

.

And these are the “accelerated” kids taking the more advanced course their junior year.

Whatever, in Arlington, all the kids are geniuses and should be accelerated in everything and don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Amen. Your kid doesn't have to be the tippy top in everything. I have a kid who is a very good, but not great, instrumental player. I am not trying to "parent place" him into making Honors Band because I think regular Wind Ensemble isn't "fast enough" for him. Please accept that there are kids within APS who are truly accelerated in math and they need a faster paced middle school math program. These are the kids who are going to hit 5s on all their math AP exams and likely go on to pursue advanced math in college. APS has slowed down the middle school math program for these kids by allowing so many parent placements. The 7th Grade Algebra 1 Intensified class should be offering extension work that gets into Algebra 2 concepts, but instead the teacher has to re-review content for the kids who don't belong in the class. That means the other half of the kids are bored out of their minds. Your kid is still above average in math if they go from Math 6 to Pre-Algebra to Algebra 1 Intensified in 8th Grade. Don't ruin the math experience for the kids who truly need acceleration.

This is a ridiculous statement. The Algebra I teacher should be making sure the kids learn all of the topics in Algebra I as thoroughly as possible, not teaching topics for a class that will be taken two years later.

Extension activities make sense when you have all ability groupings. Advanced classes with intensive requirements don't offer further extension. That's not how it works in high school and Algebra I is a high school course. Any challenge problems would be reinforcing Algebra I concepts, not pushing kids further ahead.

No, it is not a ridiculous statement. There is a reason that APS offers Algebra 1 and Algebra 1 Intensified. The "Intensified" part was originally intended to allow the kids who need more of a challenge to push into harder concepts.

If your kid starts in Math 6, they will track to Pre-Alg in 7th and then will split into either Algebra 1 or Algebra 1 Intensified in 8th grade. The kids who start in Pre-Alg in 6th only have the option to do Alg 1 Intensified in 7th, because that track was originally intended for the kids who have exceptional math ability, so there was no need to offer anything except Alg 1 Intensified in 7th. Now with all the parents pushing their kids into Pre-Alg in 6th grade, it means there are kids tracking to Alg 1 Intensified in 7th who are not ready to learn Algebra at that faster pace. So the 7th grade Algebra 1 Intensified classes are moving slower than originally intended, and aren't really intensified at all. Nothing about APS middle school math is intensified anymore, which is screwing over the kids with exceptional math ability. Go talk to the parents of the kids who are scoring at the top of the school on the AMC Math 8 contest every year-- you won't find any of them blaming a bad 7th grade Algebra grade on the teacher. You will hear them say their kid rarely gets a question wrong on a math test and the kid is bored to tears with the pace of the class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing wrong with getting a three on the exam. However, I think the previous poster is noting that students who get a three on the exam junior year might be better served waiting to take the class until senior year.

There is no reason to take BC calculus junior year not learn it at all that well and then go into multivariable calculus senior year.

Feels like over acceleration

A 3 means you learned the material perfectly well.

No it doesn't.

.

And these are the “accelerated” kids taking the more advanced course their junior year.

Whatever, in Arlington, all the kids are geniuses and should be accelerated in everything and don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Amen. Your kid doesn't have to be the tippy top in everything. I have a kid who is a very good, but not great, instrumental player. I am not trying to "parent place" him into making Honors Band because I think regular Wind Ensemble isn't "fast enough" for him. Please accept that there are kids within APS who are truly accelerated in math and they need a faster paced middle school math program. These are the kids who are going to hit 5s on all their math AP exams and likely go on to pursue advanced math in college. APS has slowed down the middle school math program for these kids by allowing so many parent placements. The 7th Grade Algebra 1 Intensified class should be offering extension work that gets into Algebra 2 concepts, but instead the teacher has to re-review content for the kids who don't belong in the class. That means the other half of the kids are bored out of their minds. Your kid is still above average in math if they go from Math 6 to Pre-Algebra to Algebra 1 Intensified in 8th Grade. Don't ruin the math experience for the kids who truly need acceleration.

This is a ridiculous statement. The Algebra I teacher should be making sure the kids learn all of the topics in Algebra I as thoroughly as possible, not teaching topics for a class that will be taken two years later.

Extension activities make sense when you have all ability groupings. Advanced classes with intensive requirements don't offer further extension. That's not how it works in high school and Algebra I is a high school course. Any challenge problems would be reinforcing Algebra I concepts, not pushing kids further ahead.

No, it is not a ridiculous statement. There is a reason that APS offers Algebra 1 and Algebra 1 Intensified. The "Intensified" part was originally intended to allow the kids who need more of a challenge to push into harder concepts.

If your kid starts in Math 6, they will track to Pre-Alg in 7th and then will split into either Algebra 1 or Algebra 1 Intensified in 8th grade. The kids who start in Pre-Alg in 6th only have the option to do Alg 1 Intensified in 7th, because that track was originally intended for the kids who have exceptional math ability, so there was no need to offer anything except Alg 1 Intensified in 7th. Now with all the parents pushing their kids into Pre-Alg in 6th grade, it means there are kids tracking to Alg 1 Intensified in 7th who are not ready to learn Algebra at that faster pace. So the 7th grade Algebra 1 Intensified classes are moving slower than originally intended, and aren't really intensified at all. Nothing about APS middle school math is intensified anymore, which is screwing over the kids with exceptional math ability. Go talk to the parents of the kids who are scoring at the top of the school on the AMC Math 8 contest every year-- you won't find any of them blaming a bad 7th grade Algebra grade on the teacher. You will hear them say their kid rarely gets a question wrong on a math test and the kid is bored to tears with the pace of the class.

The problem in public school in the land of Arlington is that every parent thinks that THIS is their child and APS cannot say no.

At most very high level privates with, yes, extremely bright kiddos and the resources to support their every desire, they place kids in a slower track and do a deeper dive — even the very bright ones. It’s like 2-4 in a class that would do what APS and many publics around here do and send them on to Geometry in 8th. Why do you think that is? Is it because they can’t support a class of geniuses like APS can? You are wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing wrong with getting a three on the exam. However, I think the previous poster is noting that students who get a three on the exam junior year might be better served waiting to take the class until senior year.

There is no reason to take BC calculus junior year not learn it at all that well and then go into multivariable calculus senior year.

Feels like over acceleration

A 3 means you learned the material perfectly well.

No it doesn't.

.

And these are the “accelerated” kids taking the more advanced course their junior year.

Whatever, in Arlington, all the kids are geniuses and should be accelerated in everything and don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Amen. Your kid doesn't have to be the tippy top in everything. I have a kid who is a very good, but not great, instrumental player. I am not trying to "parent place" him into making Honors Band because I think regular Wind Ensemble isn't "fast enough" for him. Please accept that there are kids within APS who are truly accelerated in math and they need a faster paced middle school math program. These are the kids who are going to hit 5s on all their math AP exams and likely go on to pursue advanced math in college. APS has slowed down the middle school math program for these kids by allowing so many parent placements. The 7th Grade Algebra 1 Intensified class should be offering extension work that gets into Algebra 2 concepts, but instead the teacher has to re-review content for the kids who don't belong in the class. That means the other half of the kids are bored out of their minds. Your kid is still above average in math if they go from Math 6 to Pre-Algebra to Algebra 1 Intensified in 8th Grade. Don't ruin the math experience for the kids who truly need acceleration.

This is a ridiculous statement. The Algebra I teacher should be making sure the kids learn all of the topics in Algebra I as thoroughly as possible, not teaching topics for a class that will be taken two years later.

Extension activities make sense when you have all ability groupings. Advanced classes with intensive requirements don't offer further extension. That's not how it works in high school and Algebra I is a high school course. Any challenge problems would be reinforcing Algebra I concepts, not pushing kids further ahead.

No, it is not a ridiculous statement. There is a reason that APS offers Algebra 1 and Algebra 1 Intensified. The "Intensified" part was originally intended to allow the kids who need more of a challenge to push into harder concepts.

If your kid starts in Math 6, they will track to Pre-Alg in 7th and then will split into either Algebra 1 or Algebra 1 Intensified in 8th grade. The kids who start in Pre-Alg in 6th only have the option to do Alg 1 Intensified in 7th, because that track was originally intended for the kids who have exceptional math ability, so there was no need to offer anything except Alg 1 Intensified in 7th. Now with all the parents pushing their kids into Pre-Alg in 6th grade, it means there are kids tracking to Alg 1 Intensified in 7th who are not ready to learn Algebra at that faster pace. So the 7th grade Algebra 1 Intensified classes are moving slower than originally intended, and aren't really intensified at all. Nothing about APS middle school math is intensified anymore, which is screwing over the kids with exceptional math ability. Go talk to the parents of the kids who are scoring at the top of the school on the AMC Math 8 contest every year-- you won't find any of them blaming a bad 7th grade Algebra grade on the teacher. You will hear them say their kid rarely gets a question wrong on a math test and the kid is bored to tears with the pace of the class.

Public education is never going to cater to a handful of kids. APS needs to fill a class and the class is going to move at the speed of the average student in that class. In this case it's still moving at an advanced speed, but not necessarily as fast as the #1 student in the class. If your student can't cope with this, you should homeschool your little prodigy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing wrong with getting a three on the exam. However, I think the previous poster is noting that students who get a three on the exam junior year might be better served waiting to take the class until senior year.

There is no reason to take BC calculus junior year not learn it at all that well and then go into multivariable calculus senior year.

Feels like over acceleration

A 3 means you learned the material perfectly well.

No it doesn't.

.

And these are the “accelerated” kids taking the more advanced course their junior year.

Whatever, in Arlington, all the kids are geniuses and should be accelerated in everything and don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Amen. Your kid doesn't have to be the tippy top in everything. I have a kid who is a very good, but not great, instrumental player. I am not trying to "parent place" him into making Honors Band because I think regular Wind Ensemble isn't "fast enough" for him. Please accept that there are kids within APS who are truly accelerated in math and they need a faster paced middle school math program. These are the kids who are going to hit 5s on all their math AP exams and likely go on to pursue advanced math in college. APS has slowed down the middle school math program for these kids by allowing so many parent placements. The 7th Grade Algebra 1 Intensified class should be offering extension work that gets into Algebra 2 concepts, but instead the teacher has to re-review content for the kids who don't belong in the class. That means the other half of the kids are bored out of their minds. Your kid is still above average in math if they go from Math 6 to Pre-Algebra to Algebra 1 Intensified in 8th Grade. Don't ruin the math experience for the kids who truly need acceleration.

This is a ridiculous statement. The Algebra I teacher should be making sure the kids learn all of the topics in Algebra I as thoroughly as possible, not teaching topics for a class that will be taken two years later.

Extension activities make sense when you have all ability groupings. Advanced classes with intensive requirements don't offer further extension. That's not how it works in high school and Algebra I is a high school course. Any challenge problems would be reinforcing Algebra I concepts, not pushing kids further ahead.

No, it is not a ridiculous statement. There is a reason that APS offers Algebra 1 and Algebra 1 Intensified. The "Intensified" part was originally intended to allow the kids who need more of a challenge to push into harder concepts.

If your kid starts in Math 6, they will track to Pre-Alg in 7th and then will split into either Algebra 1 or Algebra 1 Intensified in 8th grade. The kids who start in Pre-Alg in 6th only have the option to do Alg 1 Intensified in 7th, because that track was originally intended for the kids who have exceptional math ability, so there was no need to offer anything except Alg 1 Intensified in 7th. Now with all the parents pushing their kids into Pre-Alg in 6th grade, it means there are kids tracking to Alg 1 Intensified in 7th who are not ready to learn Algebra at that faster pace. So the 7th grade Algebra 1 Intensified classes are moving slower than originally intended, and aren't really intensified at all. Nothing about APS middle school math is intensified anymore, which is screwing over the kids with exceptional math ability. Go talk to the parents of the kids who are scoring at the top of the school on the AMC Math 8 contest every year-- you won't find any of them blaming a bad 7th grade Algebra grade on the teacher. You will hear them say their kid rarely gets a question wrong on a math test and the kid is bored to tears with the pace of the class.

The problem in public school in the land of Arlington is that every parent thinks that THIS is their child and APS cannot say no.

At most very high level privates with, yes, extremely bright kiddos and the resources to support their every desire, they place kids in a slower track and do a deeper dive — even the very bright ones. It’s like 2-4 in a class that would do what APS and many publics around here do and send them on to Geometry in 8th. Why do you think that is? Is it because they can’t support a class of geniuses like APS can? You are wrong.

Yup. A kid in intensified algebra in 7th shouldn't be skipping ahead to future content. Advanced kids need to drill down on advanced algebra I content, not continue to accelerate. More theory and abstract concepts should be included. More acceleration is just a race to nowhere.

--STEM PhD

If algebra 1 intensified is too easy to the point the kids is bored to tears, the kid should be homeschooled or moved to a different educational environment. Public schools don't cater to prodigies. Algebra 1 needs to teach Algebra 1 content, not some other course's content.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing wrong with getting a three on the exam. However, I think the previous poster is noting that students who get a three on the exam junior year might be better served waiting to take the class until senior year.

There is no reason to take BC calculus junior year not learn it at all that well and then go into multivariable calculus senior year.

Feels like over acceleration

A 3 means you learned the material perfectly well.

No it doesn't.

.

And these are the “accelerated” kids taking the more advanced course their junior year.

Whatever, in Arlington, all the kids are geniuses and should be accelerated in everything and don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Amen. Your kid doesn't have to be the tippy top in everything. I have a kid who is a very good, but not great, instrumental player. I am not trying to "parent place" him into making Honors Band because I think regular Wind Ensemble isn't "fast enough" for him. Please accept that there are kids within APS who are truly accelerated in math and they need a faster paced middle school math program. These are the kids who are going to hit 5s on all their math AP exams and likely go on to pursue advanced math in college. APS has slowed down the middle school math program for these kids by allowing so many parent placements. The 7th Grade Algebra 1 Intensified class should be offering extension work that gets into Algebra 2 concepts, but instead the teacher has to re-review content for the kids who don't belong in the class. That means the other half of the kids are bored out of their minds. Your kid is still above average in math if they go from Math 6 to Pre-Algebra to Algebra 1 Intensified in 8th Grade. Don't ruin the math experience for the kids who truly need acceleration.

This is a ridiculous statement. The Algebra I teacher should be making sure the kids learn all of the topics in Algebra I as thoroughly as possible, not teaching topics for a class that will be taken two years later.

Extension activities make sense when you have all ability groupings. Advanced classes with intensive requirements don't offer further extension. That's not how it works in high school and Algebra I is a high school course. Any challenge problems would be reinforcing Algebra I concepts, not pushing kids further ahead.

No, it is not a ridiculous statement. There is a reason that APS offers Algebra 1 and Algebra 1 Intensified. The "Intensified" part was originally intended to allow the kids who need more of a challenge to push into harder concepts.

If your kid starts in Math 6, they will track to Pre-Alg in 7th and then will split into either Algebra 1 or Algebra 1 Intensified in 8th grade. The kids who start in Pre-Alg in 6th only have the option to do Alg 1 Intensified in 7th, because that track was originally intended for the kids who have exceptional math ability, so there was no need to offer anything except Alg 1 Intensified in 7th. Now with all the parents pushing their kids into Pre-Alg in 6th grade, it means there are kids tracking to Alg 1 Intensified in 7th who are not ready to learn Algebra at that faster pace. So the 7th grade Algebra 1 Intensified classes are moving slower than originally intended, and aren't really intensified at all. Nothing about APS middle school math is intensified anymore, which is screwing over the kids with exceptional math ability. Go talk to the parents of the kids who are scoring at the top of the school on the AMC Math 8 contest every year-- you won't find any of them blaming a bad 7th grade Algebra grade on the teacher. You will hear them say their kid rarely gets a question wrong on a math test and the kid is bored to tears with the pace of the class.

The problem in public school in the land of Arlington is that every parent thinks that THIS is their child and APS cannot say no.

At most very high level privates with, yes, extremely bright kiddos and the resources to support their every desire, they place kids in a slower track and do a deeper dive — even the very bright ones. It’s like 2-4 in a class that would do what APS and many publics around here do and send them on to Geometry in 8th. Why do you think that is? Is it because they can’t support a class of geniuses like APS can? You are wrong.

Yup. A kid in intensified algebra in 7th shouldn't be skipping ahead to future content. Advanced kids need to drill down on advanced algebra I content, not continue to accelerate. More theory and abstract concepts should be included. More acceleration is just a race to nowhere.

--STEM PhD

If algebra 1 intensified is too easy to the point the kids is bored to tears, the kid should be homeschooled or moved to a different educational environment. Public schools don't cater to prodigies. Algebra 1 needs to teach Algebra 1 content, not some other course's content.

I think it’s detrimental to bright — perhaps not genius level kiddos — because they have a 3 foundation in BC Calc (as an example) from junior year and they head to college and think they know BC Calc material. When they don’t, and because they were tracked fast at APS and are bright and we are talking at a good school for these subset if kiddos — they cannot perform and give up on math. Bright motivated math students done a huge disservice by their local public schools for pushing them to accelerate because that is what everyone who is smart does in this stupid bubble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing wrong with getting a three on the exam. However, I think the previous poster is noting that students who get a three on the exam junior year might be better served waiting to take the class until senior year.

There is no reason to take BC calculus junior year not learn it at all that well and then go into multivariable calculus senior year.

Feels like over acceleration

A 3 means you learned the material perfectly well.

No it doesn't.

.

And these are the “accelerated” kids taking the more advanced course their junior year.

Whatever, in Arlington, all the kids are geniuses and should be accelerated in everything and don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Amen. Your kid doesn't have to be the tippy top in everything. I have a kid who is a very good, but not great, instrumental player. I am not trying to "parent place" him into making Honors Band because I think regular Wind Ensemble isn't "fast enough" for him. Please accept that there are kids within APS who are truly accelerated in math and they need a faster paced middle school math program. These are the kids who are going to hit 5s on all their math AP exams and likely go on to pursue advanced math in college. APS has slowed down the middle school math program for these kids by allowing so many parent placements. The 7th Grade Algebra 1 Intensified class should be offering extension work that gets into Algebra 2 concepts, but instead the teacher has to re-review content for the kids who don't belong in the class. That means the other half of the kids are bored out of their minds. Your kid is still above average in math if they go from Math 6 to Pre-Algebra to Algebra 1 Intensified in 8th Grade. Don't ruin the math experience for the kids who truly need acceleration.

This is a ridiculous statement. The Algebra I teacher should be making sure the kids learn all of the topics in Algebra I as thoroughly as possible, not teaching topics for a class that will be taken two years later.

Extension activities make sense when you have all ability groupings. Advanced classes with intensive requirements don't offer further extension. That's not how it works in high school and Algebra I is a high school course. Any challenge problems would be reinforcing Algebra I concepts, not pushing kids further ahead.

No, it is not a ridiculous statement. There is a reason that APS offers Algebra 1 and Algebra 1 Intensified. The "Intensified" part was originally intended to allow the kids who need more of a challenge to push into harder concepts.

If your kid starts in Math 6, they will track to Pre-Alg in 7th and then will split into either Algebra 1 or Algebra 1 Intensified in 8th grade. The kids who start in Pre-Alg in 6th only have the option to do Alg 1 Intensified in 7th, because that track was originally intended for the kids who have exceptional math ability, so there was no need to offer anything except Alg 1 Intensified in 7th. Now with all the parents pushing their kids into Pre-Alg in 6th grade, it means there are kids tracking to Alg 1 Intensified in 7th who are not ready to learn Algebra at that faster pace. So the 7th grade Algebra 1 Intensified classes are moving slower than originally intended, and aren't really intensified at all. Nothing about APS middle school math is intensified anymore, which is screwing over the kids with exceptional math ability. Go talk to the parents of the kids who are scoring at the top of the school on the AMC Math 8 contest every year-- you won't find any of them blaming a bad 7th grade Algebra grade on the teacher. You will hear them say their kid rarely gets a question wrong on a math test and the kid is bored to tears with the pace of the class.

Math 6 can also track into Math 7 then Math 8 then Algebra I in 9th.

https://sites.google.com/arlington.k12.ma.us/apsmathdepartment/ottoson/placement-and-leveling

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing wrong with getting a three on the exam. However, I think the previous poster is noting that students who get a three on the exam junior year might be better served waiting to take the class until senior year.

There is no reason to take BC calculus junior year not learn it at all that well and then go into multivariable calculus senior year.

Feels like over acceleration

A 3 means you learned the material perfectly well.

No it doesn't.

.

And these are the “accelerated” kids taking the more advanced course their junior year.

Whatever, in Arlington, all the kids are geniuses and should be accelerated in everything and don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Amen. Your kid doesn't have to be the tippy top in everything. I have a kid who is a very good, but not great, instrumental player. I am not trying to "parent place" him into making Honors Band because I think regular Wind Ensemble isn't "fast enough" for him. Please accept that there are kids within APS who are truly accelerated in math and they need a faster paced middle school math program. These are the kids who are going to hit 5s on all their math AP exams and likely go on to pursue advanced math in college. APS has slowed down the middle school math program for these kids by allowing so many parent placements. The 7th Grade Algebra 1 Intensified class should be offering extension work that gets into Algebra 2 concepts, but instead the teacher has to re-review content for the kids who don't belong in the class. That means the other half of the kids are bored out of their minds. Your kid is still above average in math if they go from Math 6 to Pre-Algebra to Algebra 1 Intensified in 8th Grade. Don't ruin the math experience for the kids who truly need acceleration.

This is a ridiculous statement. The Algebra I teacher should be making sure the kids learn all of the topics in Algebra I as thoroughly as possible, not teaching topics for a class that will be taken two years later.

Extension activities make sense when you have all ability groupings. Advanced classes with intensive requirements don't offer further extension. That's not how it works in high school and Algebra I is a high school course. Any challenge problems would be reinforcing Algebra I concepts, not pushing kids further ahead.

There isn't any "Deep Algebra 1". Deep Algebra 1 is Algebra 2, which frees up time for honors/intensified Algebra 2 to go deeper into Algebra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing wrong with getting a three on the exam. However, I think the previous poster is noting that students who get a three on the exam junior year might be better served waiting to take the class until senior year.

There is no reason to take BC calculus junior year not learn it at all that well and then go into multivariable calculus senior year.

Feels like over acceleration

A 3 means you learned the material perfectly well.

No it doesn't.

.

And these are the “accelerated” kids taking the more advanced course their junior year.

Whatever, in Arlington, all the kids are geniuses and should be accelerated in everything and don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Amen. Your kid doesn't have to be the tippy top in everything. I have a kid who is a very good, but not great, instrumental player. I am not trying to "parent place" him into making Honors Band because I think regular Wind Ensemble isn't "fast enough" for him. Please accept that there are kids within APS who are truly accelerated in math and they need a faster paced middle school math program. These are the kids who are going to hit 5s on all their math AP exams and likely go on to pursue advanced math in college. APS has slowed down the middle school math program for these kids by allowing so many parent placements. The 7th Grade Algebra 1 Intensified class should be offering extension work that gets into Algebra 2 concepts, but instead the teacher has to re-review content for the kids who don't belong in the class. That means the other half of the kids are bored out of their minds. Your kid is still above average in math if they go from Math 6 to Pre-Algebra to Algebra 1 Intensified in 8th Grade. Don't ruin the math experience for the kids who truly need acceleration.

This is a ridiculous statement. The Algebra I teacher should be making sure the kids learn all of the topics in Algebra I as thoroughly as possible, not teaching topics for a class that will be taken two years later.

Extension activities make sense when you have all ability groupings. Advanced classes with intensive requirements don't offer further extension. That's not how it works in high school and Algebra I is a high school course. Any challenge problems would be reinforcing Algebra I concepts, not pushing kids further ahead.

No, it is not a ridiculous statement. There is a reason that APS offers Algebra 1 and Algebra 1 Intensified. The "Intensified" part was originally intended to allow the kids who need more of a challenge to push into harder concepts.

If your kid starts in Math 6, they will track to Pre-Alg in 7th and then will split into either Algebra 1 or Algebra 1 Intensified in 8th grade. The kids who start in Pre-Alg in 6th only have the option to do Alg 1 Intensified in 7th, because that track was originally intended for the kids who have exceptional math ability, so there was no need to offer anything except Alg 1 Intensified in 7th. Now with all the parents pushing their kids into Pre-Alg in 6th grade, it means there are kids tracking to Alg 1 Intensified in 7th who are not ready to learn Algebra at that faster pace. So the 7th grade Algebra 1 Intensified classes are moving slower than originally intended, and aren't really intensified at all. Nothing about APS middle school math is intensified anymore, which is screwing over the kids with exceptional math ability. Go talk to the parents of the kids who are scoring at the top of the school on the AMC Math 8 contest every year-- you won't find any of them blaming a bad 7th grade Algebra grade on the teacher. You will hear them say their kid rarely gets a question wrong on a math test and the kid is bored to tears with the pace of the class.

Public education is never going to cater to a handful of kids. APS needs to fill a class and the class is going to move at the speed of the average student in that class. In this case it's still moving at an advanced speed, but not necessarily as fast as the #1 student in the class. If your student can't cope with this, you should homeschool your little prodigy.

It isn't a handful of kids though. It is enough kids to solidly fill a class. The problem with all these parents pressuring APS to bump their kids up too, is that the one advanced math class becomes two advanced math classes-- each half-filled with kids who earned a spot there with test scores, and the other half filled with kids whose parents couldn't get over their own egos at not having their child designated the best in the class at math. That slows down the class for everyone else. APS cuts kids from sports teams due to lack of talent, and they should be allowed to cut kids from math class too. Why shouldn't the kids who are awesome at math be allowed to have their own class without whiner parents ruining it for them? They need to get rid of parent placement. I agree with the PP in the thread above who pointed out that APS can (and does) bump kids up after the first MP if Math 6 is clearly too easy. That's a much better process than caving into pushy parents who can't cope with the idea that their kid isn't the best at everything.

[Anonymous]

I’m one of the frequent PPs posting a few pages back chiming in again.

I have a 5th grader who has scored at the top (98th percentile+) of every test she’s given, including math inventory, SOLs, MAP, cogat. She is, indeed, bored to tears; she’s never learned anything in math in school. She’s been alternately ignored and randomly targeted for “extension” that teaches her nothing (the extension is a normal curriculum for her at the school she attended before this one). There is no other differentiation: everyone receives the same weak large group instruction, same weak homework. As far as I can see, no kid would know this material well if APS was their only source of math instruction.

My main issue is this: it does no child a great service to do this. My kid will likely go on to pre-algebra next year, which is a combined 6-7-8 year. It cheapens the math 6 material and cheapens the pre-algebra foundation. What would serve my child (and others like her) better is to teach her math 6 now, and have taught her math 5 last year. I don’t agree with the rapid acceleration of the material at the pre-algebra level and I do wonder if it’s the weak base - the weak elementary curriculum plus then cramming math 6/7/8 - that causes issues for Algebra I intensified or beyond.

There is a really huge problem with this approach, and I cannot figure out how the equity sharks have justified this. This isn’t equity at all. Let the kids differentiate earlier and provide the solid base that they need.

That’s my $.02. If we didn’t have the luxury of knowing how to supplement, we would be looking at private schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m one of the frequent PPs posting a few pages back chiming in again.

I have a 5th grader who has scored at the top (98th percentile+) of every test she’s given, including math inventory, SOLs, MAP, cogat. She is, indeed, bored to tears; she’s never learned anything in math in school. She’s been alternately ignored and randomly targeted for “extension” that teaches her nothing (the extension is a normal curriculum for her at the school she attended before this one). There is no other differentiation: everyone receives the same weak large group instruction, same weak homework. As far as I can see, no kid would know this material well if APS was their only source of math instruction.

My main issue is this: it does no child a great service to do this. My kid will likely go on to pre-algebra next year, which is a combined 6-7-8 year. It cheapens the math 6 material and cheapens the pre-algebra foundation. What would serve my child (and others like her) better is to teach her math 6 now, and have taught her math 5 last year. I don’t agree with the rapid acceleration of the material at the pre-algebra level and I do wonder if it’s the weak base - the weak elementary curriculum plus then cramming math 6/7/8 - that causes issues for Algebra I intensified or beyond.

There is a really huge problem with this approach, and I cannot figure out how the equity sharks have justified this. This isn’t equity at all. Let the kids differentiate earlier and provide the solid base that they need.

That’s my $.02. If we didn’t have the luxury of knowing how to supplement, we would be looking at private schools.

Prealgebra doesn't have to be so crammed. FCPS and LCPS have 6th graders cover content through Grade 7 and then have them take Algebra 1 in 7th grade. It's APS' choice to make prealgebra cover 6/7/8. APS could have prealgebra cover 6/7, which is what they used to do, some years back.