Can ask for a placement test into Algebra 1 in 7th grade in middle school?

[Anonymous]

^ Forgot to add:
FCPS is very rigid about gatekeeping the math, but principals have some wiggle room. There isn't some additional placement test that FCPS would be willing to use. The principal of the MS may let your kid take Algebra, but they also may say no. If they say no, then your kid will be taking M7H.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter didn't get 91% percentile in the IAAT, if she advanced pass the 7th grade SOL, can she ask for a placement test into the Algebra 1 at middle school ?

Getting back to OP's question, depends. At my DD's (former) TJ feeder MS, there are plenty of kids that took Algebra I in 7th that missed the cutoff in IAAT, SOL, or both. The parents pushed to get them in.

Whether this is a good idea is an entirely different question. Algebra I is not hard, BTW. It's further downstream that the kids might have problems.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter didn't get 91% percentile in the IAAT, if she advanced pass the 7th grade SOL, can she ask for a placement test into the Algebra 1 at middle school ?

Getting back to OP's question, depends. At my DD's (former) TJ feeder MS, there are plenty of kids that took Algebra I in 7th that missed the cutoff in IAAT, SOL, or both. The parents pushed to get them in.

Whether this is a good idea is an entirely different question. Algebra I is not hard, BTW. It's further downstream that the kids might have problems.

The entire top three quarters of TJ class enter having done at least Algebra 1 HN in 7th, among whom the top quarter enter having completed Algebra 2 in their 8th grade at the least. The bottom school kids admitted on automatic 1.5% basis that enter having completed just Algebra 1 in 8th, form the bottom segment of TJ, struggling to handle even the basic TJ level geometry and the follow on Algebra 2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter didn't get 91% percentile in the IAAT, if she advanced pass the 7th grade SOL, can she ask for a placement test into the Algebra 1 at middle school ?

Getting back to OP's question, depends. At my DD's (former) TJ feeder MS, there are plenty of kids that took Algebra I in 7th that missed the cutoff in IAAT, SOL, or both. The parents pushed to get them in.

Whether this is a good idea is an entirely different question. Algebra I is not hard, BTW. It's further downstream that the kids might have problems.

My DC didnt meet the cutoff by a bit and did ha in 8th grade. I gave them the idea to do summer pe and double up on hg and halg2/trig in 9th, surprisingly they agreed(kid is social and not into studying as a past time). I really was nervous about it and kind of questioned if this tiger mom is doing more bad than good, well...they aced both in 9th grade and now have one of the highest grades in AP precal in the class, they are ahead of all the "naturally" gifted aap stars...the question is why? The answer is simple--there are two parts of iq--one is the one we see kids have in 1/2 grade==ability to read easily, do math, out of the box thinking and the other part is executive functioning-to organize oneself, be able to work with multiple intellectual concepts/make connections-this develops around grade 8/9---many times the two are not correlated. i have seen "gifted" kids go down and average kids go up. Now the gifted kids that go up they will become superstars, however executive fxn I believe is also correlated to social skills so sometimes working on these in grade 1/2 is more important than attending AOPS...AAPs favorite pasttime

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The other option is to have her start taking an online algebra class at home like AOPS or there are plenty of really good homeschool algebra programs. She takes algebra at home while taking pre-algebra/math 7 next year. In 8th she takes honors algebra and gets an easy A since she will have already taken algebra and keeps studying topics into algebra 2.

Then she takes geometry the summer between 8th and 9th. In 9th she has caught up to the students who took algebra in 7th. Except she has taken more algebra without having a gap of a year like the student who took geometry in 8th. And has studied some topics from algebra 2. This worked for my child who then got an A in 9th honors algebra 2 while some other students struggled who were advanced into algebra in 7th.

I think this would require taking geometry at home in 8th grade so that she isn't expected to learn a year's worth of math over the summer. It's also a shame that a student who has already taken algebra and can demonstrate their knowledge would need to retake the class.

This is true but not as bad as you think.

The Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 sequence is absolutely terrible. You should do both Algebra and Geometry every year.
So you are in good shape to spend school time reviewing easy Algebra 1 for fluency, and spend home time learning Geometry (lots of high-quality low-cost options) before getting summer credit

Many of the top students do this. It's also better, pedagogically, for your student to learn at their own pace first, and use the school pace later for review, instead of jumping ahead in school where now they have a high-stakes commitment to keep up with school pace.

This is a strange way to look at school. Where did this idea come from, that school is not for learning but is only for getting high grades? Teachers teach material, kids don't have to prelearn it. Their parents think they should so they preteach it (either through a class or at the kitchen table). But why?

Because of the reality that math is unfortunately taught extremely poorly in American schools, (FCPS not being that different, outside perhaps a few schools and/or teachers). Many parents who realize this then come to the logical conclusion that kids can learn math at home/via enrichment much more thoroughly. It's a sad situation, but there's no easy fix, it's cultural and would likely take generations to fix the way math is taught in schools.

Math is taught just fine if you look at the advanced cohort. The biggest difference compared to international students is how early other countries track students to the trades and away from math.

+1.

It's also true that if you move away from the narrative that good teaching can level the ability playing field, you realize that it's OK for an advanced cohort that is (heresy alert) good at math to exist and that some kids are just never going to grasp differential equations, just like my short 4th grader is never going to be Caitlin Clark.

That's very reductive reasoning. Differential equations is simply one of many mathematical subjects that is used in science, engineering, and many other areas of life. One does not even have to be a pure math major to encounter it. Millions of people use it in some form. The comparison to sports (and to a superstar) is completely meaningless. You need to have a higher bar for your child. You really can't predict that they will not be able to understand basic college math at this age; by saying that you are setting them up to live to your expectation.

You can be very successful in life without math above Algebra 2. Only 35% of the US population has a college degree. I would guess that most of the people without a college degree have not had calculus. It is fine for a child to take Algebra in 8th or even 9th grade. Most people don't need calculus and that is ok. We should have calculus classes in HS for the kids who are able to take those classes and want to take those classes. I have a PhD in a social science and have never taken Calculus.

You took statistics which is above Algebra 2.

The vast majority of the 65% of people who don't go to college are not "very successful". For every non college degree holding owner of an HVAC company there are a bunch of struggling HVAC technicians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The other option is to have her start taking an online algebra class at home like AOPS or there are plenty of really good homeschool algebra programs. She takes algebra at home while taking pre-algebra/math 7 next year. In 8th she takes honors algebra and gets an easy A since she will have already taken algebra and keeps studying topics into algebra 2.

Then she takes geometry the summer between 8th and 9th. In 9th she has caught up to the students who took algebra in 7th. Except she has taken more algebra without having a gap of a year like the student who took geometry in 8th. And has studied some topics from algebra 2. This worked for my child who then got an A in 9th honors algebra 2 while some other students struggled who were advanced into algebra in 7th.

I think this would require taking geometry at home in 8th grade so that she isn't expected to learn a year's worth of math over the summer. It's also a shame that a student who has already taken algebra and can demonstrate their knowledge would need to retake the class.

This is true but not as bad as you think.

The Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 sequence is absolutely terrible. You should do both Algebra and Geometry every year.
So you are in good shape to spend school time reviewing easy Algebra 1 for fluency, and spend home time learning Geometry (lots of high-quality low-cost options) before getting summer credit

Many of the top students do this. It's also better, pedagogically, for your student to learn at their own pace first, and use the school pace later for review, instead of jumping ahead in school where now they have a high-stakes commitment to keep up with school pace.

This is a strange way to look at school. Where did this idea come from, that school is not for learning but is only for getting high grades? Teachers teach material, kids don't have to prelearn it. Their parents think they should so they preteach it (either through a class or at the kitchen table). But why?

No one said grades until you did.

Math is far more of a ladder then any other subject, especially once you get to Algebra.

If you aren't keeping up, you are effectively denied access to later material, causing a snowball effect, ruining your educational experience. It's nothing like English or Social Studies or Science in that regard.

It's crazy to think that assembly-line cookie-cutter "you must learn the single prescribed topic each day, nothing more and nothing less" is good in any way, just because it's the only thing the bureaucracy can handle offering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The other option is to have her start taking an online algebra class at home like AOPS or there are plenty of really good homeschool algebra programs. She takes algebra at home while taking pre-algebra/math 7 next year. In 8th she takes honors algebra and gets an easy A since she will have already taken algebra and keeps studying topics into algebra 2.

Then she takes geometry the summer between 8th and 9th. In 9th she has caught up to the students who took algebra in 7th. Except she has taken more algebra without having a gap of a year like the student who took geometry in 8th. And has studied some topics from algebra 2. This worked for my child who then got an A in 9th honors algebra 2 while some other students struggled who were advanced into algebra in 7th.

I think this would require taking geometry at home in 8th grade so that she isn't expected to learn a year's worth of math over the summer. It's also a shame that a student who has already taken algebra and can demonstrate their knowledge would need to retake the class.

This is true but not as bad as you think.

The Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 sequence is absolutely terrible. You should do both Algebra and Geometry every year.
So you are in good shape to spend school time reviewing easy Algebra 1 for fluency, and spend home time learning Geometry (lots of high-quality low-cost options) before getting summer credit

Many of the top students do this. It's also better, pedagogically, for your student to learn at their own pace first, and use the school pace later for review, instead of jumping ahead in school where now they have a high-stakes commitment to keep up with school pace.

This is a strange way to look at school. Where did this idea come from, that school is not for learning but is only for getting high grades? Teachers teach material, kids don't have to prelearn it. Their parents think they should so they preteach it (either through a class or at the kitchen table). But why?

Because of the reality that math is unfortunately taught extremely poorly in American schools, (FCPS not being that different, outside perhaps a few schools and/or teachers). Many parents who realize this then come to the logical conclusion that kids can learn math at home/via enrichment much more thoroughly. It's a sad situation, but there's no easy fix, it's cultural and would likely take generations to fix the way math is taught in schools.

Math is taught just fine if you look at the advanced cohort. The biggest difference compared to international students is how early other countries track students to the trades and away from math.

+1.

It's also true that if you move away from the narrative that good teaching can level the ability playing field, you realize that it's OK for an advanced cohort that is (heresy alert) good at math to exist and that some kids are just never going to grasp differential equations, just like my short 4th grader is never going to be Caitlin Clark.

That's very reductive reasoning. Differential equations is simply one of many mathematical subjects that is used in science, engineering, and many other areas of life. One does not even have to be a pure math major to encounter it. Millions of people use it in some form. The comparison to sports (and to a superstar) is completely meaningless. You need to have a higher bar for your child. You really can't predict that they will not be able to understand basic college math at this age; by saying that you are setting them up to live to your expectation.

You can be very successful in life without math above Algebra 2. Only 35% of the US population has a college degree. I would guess that most of the people without a college degree have not had calculus. It is fine for a child to take Algebra in 8th or even 9th grade. Most people don't need calculus and that is ok. We should have calculus classes in HS for the kids who are able to take those classes and want to take those classes. I have a PhD in a social science and have never taken Calculus.

You took statistics which is above Algebra 2.

The vast majority of the 65% of people who don't go to college are not "very successful". For every non college degree holding owner of an HVAC company there are a bunch of struggling HVAC technicians.

I did not have a fourth year of math in high school, it wasn't required and struggled with math. We choose a college that did not require a math class for graduation.

There are many people who are doing well without a college degree, even HVAC techs. Their definition of doing well might be different then yours and that is fine. Lots of blue collar workers are happy with their jobs and where they are in life.

My kid is likely to be in Algebra in 7th grade, he loves math and he did not inherit my learning issues. All signs point to his going into a field that is heavy in math because he genuinely enjoys math. And that makes me very happy. But there is no real reason to push kids into Algebra 1 in 7th grade, it is not going to help them that much.

For the OP, I would say what does your child want? Does she want to take Algebra 1? And do you really think it is the best path for her? I know kids who qualify and they take 7H instead because the kids don't want to be in Algebra in 7th grade. Talk with your child and see if they want to be in the class. Then wait for the SOL scores. But I wouldn't fight to have a child in the class unless they wanted to be in the class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The other option is to have her start taking an online algebra class at home like AOPS or there are plenty of really good homeschool algebra programs. She takes algebra at home while taking pre-algebra/math 7 next year. In 8th she takes honors algebra and gets an easy A since she will have already taken algebra and keeps studying topics into algebra 2.

Then she takes geometry the summer between 8th and 9th. In 9th she has caught up to the students who took algebra in 7th. Except she has taken more algebra without having a gap of a year like the student who took geometry in 8th. And has studied some topics from algebra 2. This worked for my child who then got an A in 9th honors algebra 2 while some other students struggled who were advanced into algebra in 7th.

I think this would require taking geometry at home in 8th grade so that she isn't expected to learn a year's worth of math over the summer. It's also a shame that a student who has already taken algebra and can demonstrate their knowledge would need to retake the class.

This is true but not as bad as you think.

The Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 sequence is absolutely terrible. You should do both Algebra and Geometry every year.
So you are in good shape to spend school time reviewing easy Algebra 1 for fluency, and spend home time learning Geometry (lots of high-quality low-cost options) before getting summer credit

Many of the top students do this. It's also better, pedagogically, for your student to learn at their own pace first, and use the school pace later for review, instead of jumping ahead in school where now they have a high-stakes commitment to keep up with school pace.

This is a strange way to look at school. Where did this idea come from, that school is not for learning but is only for getting high grades? Teachers teach material, kids don't have to prelearn it. Their parents think they should so they preteach it (either through a class or at the kitchen table). But why?

Because DS is bored with math at school and wants do dive deeper and move more quickly. Is it realy that different then allowing a kid who loves to read to read books above their grade level or a kid who loves music to take lessons outside of school or a kid who loves psorts to play a sport outside of PE? For some reason we have this weird idea that it is ok for kids to be really interested in doing a lot of activities outside of school but once those activities are math or science based people think it is pushy.

Encourage a kid to read or write for fun and all is well. Encourage a kid to do math for fun and you are a tiger parent.

It is easier for schools to deal with advanced readers and writers, you place the child in the top reading group and you allow them to read what they want when they finish their school work. It is harder to deal with a kid who is advanced in math because group work rarely is enough. But that doesn't mean that parents with kids who love math should not support that love. Or that parents with kids who are good at math and bored at school shouldn't find a way to engage their child in math.

You are saying that your DC enjoys math classes and that's why he takes them. But that's not what the PPP is about - it says that it is better pedagogically for a student to prelearn rather than learn in school because school is paced and graded. That's anxiety-speak. It's purely about not trusting schools or your children or their future. It doesn't have anything to do with enjoying math enrichment.

Taking control of your own education and not blinding following the school's one-size-fits-all structure, which optimized for the convenience of teachers who don't understand math outside their narrow topic, is a good way to reduce anxiety and make math more enjoyable, yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The other option is to have her start taking an online algebra class at home like AOPS or there are plenty of really good homeschool algebra programs. She takes algebra at home while taking pre-algebra/math 7 next year. In 8th she takes honors algebra and gets an easy A since she will have already taken algebra and keeps studying topics into algebra 2.

Then she takes geometry the summer between 8th and 9th. In 9th she has caught up to the students who took algebra in 7th. Except she has taken more algebra without having a gap of a year like the student who took geometry in 8th. And has studied some topics from algebra 2. This worked for my child who then got an A in 9th honors algebra 2 while some other students struggled who were advanced into algebra in 7th.

I think this would require taking geometry at home in 8th grade so that she isn't expected to learn a year's worth of math over the summer. It's also a shame that a student who has already taken algebra and can demonstrate their knowledge would need to retake the class.

This is true but not as bad as you think.

The Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 sequence is absolutely terrible. You should do both Algebra and Geometry every year.
So you are in good shape to spend school time reviewing easy Algebra 1 for fluency, and spend home time learning Geometry (lots of high-quality low-cost options) before getting summer credit

Many of the top students do this. It's also better, pedagogically, for your student to learn at their own pace first, and use the school pace later for review, instead of jumping ahead in school where now they have a high-stakes commitment to keep up with school pace.

This is a strange way to look at school. Where did this idea come from, that school is not for learning but is only for getting high grades? Teachers teach material, kids don't have to prelearn it. Their parents think they should so they preteach it (either through a class or at the kitchen table). But why?

Because of the reality that math is unfortunately taught extremely poorly in American schools, (FCPS not being that different, outside perhaps a few schools and/or teachers). Many parents who realize this then come to the logical conclusion that kids can learn math at home/via enrichment much more thoroughly. It's a sad situation, but there's no easy fix, it's cultural and would likely take generations to fix the way math is taught in schools.

Math is taught just fine if you look at the advanced cohort. The biggest difference compared to international students is how early other countries track students to the trades and away from math.

+1.

It's also true that if you move away from the narrative that good teaching can level the ability playing field, you realize that it's OK for an advanced cohort that is (heresy alert) good at math to exist and that some kids are just never going to grasp differential equations, just like my short 4th grader is never going to be Caitlin Clark.

That's very reductive reasoning. Differential equations is simply one of many mathematical subjects that is used in science, engineering, and many other areas of life. One does not even have to be a pure math major to encounter it. Millions of people use it in some form. The comparison to sports (and to a superstar) is completely meaningless. You need to have a higher bar for your child. You really can't predict that they will not be able to understand basic college math at this age; by saying that you are setting them up to live to your expectation.

You can be very successful in life without math above Algebra 2. Only 35% of the US population has a college degree. I would guess that most of the people without a college degree have not had calculus. It is fine for a child to take Algebra in 8th or even 9th grade. Most people don't need calculus and that is ok. We should have calculus classes in HS for the kids who are able to take those classes and want to take those classes. I have a PhD in a social science and have never taken Calculus.

You took statistics which is above Algebra 2.

The vast majority of the 65% of people who don't go to college are not "very successful". For every non college degree holding owner of an HVAC company there are a bunch of struggling HVAC technicians.

I did not have a fourth year of math in high school, it wasn't required and struggled with math. We choose a college that did not require a math class for graduation.

There are many people who are doing well without a college degree, even HVAC techs. Their definition of doing well might be different then yours and that is fine. Lots of blue collar workers are happy with their jobs and where they are in life.

My kid is likely to be in Algebra in 7th grade, he loves math and he did not inherit my learning issues. All signs point to his going into a field that is heavy in math because he genuinely enjoys math. And that makes me very happy. But there is no real reason to push kids into Algebra 1 in 7th grade, it is not going to help them that much.

For the OP, I would say what does your child want? Does she want to take Algebra 1? And do you really think it is the best path for her? I know kids who qualify and they take 7H instead because the kids don't want to be in Algebra in 7th grade. Talk with your child and see if they want to be in the class. Then wait for the SOL scores. But I wouldn't fight to have a child in the class unless they wanted to be in the class.

Your kid is in Algebra 1 HN in 7th grade. good for them, and you are happy about it. You cant leave it there, can you? You have this uncontrollable urge to assume other parents are pushing their kids just because they are in algebra 1 hn?

[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:The other option is to have her start taking an online algebra class at home like AOPS or there are plenty of really good homeschool algebra programs. She takes algebra at home while taking pre-algebra/math 7 next year. In 8th she takes honors algebra and gets an easy A since she will have already taken algebra and keeps studying topics into algebra 2.

Then she takes geometry the summer between 8th and 9th. In 9th she has caught up to the students who took algebra in 7th. Except she has taken more algebra without having a gap of a year like the student who took geometry in 8th. And has studied some topics from algebra 2. This worked for my child who then got an A in 9th honors algebra 2 while some other students struggled who were advanced into algebra in 7th.

I think this would require taking geometry at home in 8th grade so that she isn't expected to learn a year's worth of math over the summer. It's also a shame that a student who has already taken algebra and can demonstrate their knowledge would need to retake the class.

This is true but not as bad as you think.

The Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 sequence is absolutely terrible. You should do both Algebra and Geometry every year.
So you are in good shape to spend school time reviewing easy Algebra 1 for fluency, and spend home time learning Geometry (lots of high-quality low-cost options) before getting summer credit

Many of the top students do this. It's also better, pedagogically, for your student to learn at their own pace first, and use the school pace later for review, instead of jumping ahead in school where now they have a high-stakes commitment to keep up with school pace.

This is a strange way to look at school. Where did this idea come from, that school is not for learning but is only for getting high grades? Teachers teach material, kids don't have to prelearn it. Their parents think they should so they preteach it (either through a class or at the kitchen table). But why?

Because of the reality that math is unfortunately taught extremely poorly in American schools, (FCPS not being that different, outside perhaps a few schools and/or teachers). Many parents who realize this then come to the logical conclusion that kids can learn math at home/via enrichment much more thoroughly. It's a sad situation, but there's no easy fix, it's cultural and would likely take generations to fix the way math is taught in schools.

Math is taught just fine if you look at the advanced cohort. The biggest difference compared to international students is how early other countries track students to the trades and away from math.

+1.

It's also true that if you move away from the narrative that good teaching can level the ability playing field, you realize that it's OK for an advanced cohort that is (heresy alert) good at math to exist and that some kids are just never going to grasp differential equations, just like my short 4th grader is never going to be Caitlin Clark.

That's very reductive reasoning. Differential equations is simply one of many mathematical subjects that is used in science, engineering, and many other areas of life. One does not even have to be a pure math major to encounter it. Millions of people use it in some form. The comparison to sports (and to a superstar) is completely meaningless. You need to have a higher bar for your child. You really can't predict that they will not be able to understand basic college math at this age; by saying that you are setting them up to live to your expectation.

You can be very successful in life without math above Algebra 2. Only 35% of the US population has a college degree. I would guess that most of the people without a college degree have not had calculus. It is fine for a child to take Algebra in 8th or even 9th grade. Most people don't need calculus and that is ok. We should have calculus classes in HS for the kids who are able to take those classes and want to take those classes. I have a PhD in a social science and have never taken Calculus.

You took statistics which is above Algebra 2.

The vast majority of the 65% of people who don't go to college are not "very successful". For every non college degree holding owner of an HVAC company there are a bunch of struggling HVAC technicians.

I did not have a fourth year of math in high school, it wasn't required and struggled with math. We choose a college that did not require a math class for graduation.

There are many people who are doing well without a college degree, even HVAC techs. Their definition of doing well might be different then yours and that is fine. Lots of blue collar workers are happy with their jobs and where they are in life.

My kid is likely to be in Algebra in 7th grade, he loves math and he did not inherit my learning issues. All signs point to his going into a field that is heavy in math because he genuinely enjoys math. And that makes me very happy. But there is no real reason to push kids into Algebra 1 in 7th grade, it is not going to help them that much.

For the OP, I would say what does your child want? Does she want to take Algebra 1? And do you really think it is the best path for her? I know kids who qualify and they take 7H instead because the kids don't want to be in Algebra in 7th grade. Talk with your child and see if they want to be in the class. Then wait for the SOL scores. But I wouldn't fight to have a child in the class unless they wanted to be in the class.

Your kid is in Algebra 1 HN in 7th grade. good for them, and you are happy about it. You cant leave it there, can you? You have this uncontrollable urge to assume other parents are pushing their kids just because they are in algebra 1 hn?

minding ones own business is such a hard thing to do 👃

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The other option is to have her start taking an online algebra class at home like AOPS or there are plenty of really good homeschool algebra programs. She takes algebra at home while taking pre-algebra/math 7 next year. In 8th she takes honors algebra and gets an easy A since she will have already taken algebra and keeps studying topics into algebra 2.

Then she takes geometry the summer between 8th and 9th. In 9th she has caught up to the students who took algebra in 7th. Except she has taken more algebra without having a gap of a year like the student who took geometry in 8th. And has studied some topics from algebra 2. This worked for my child who then got an A in 9th honors algebra 2 while some other students struggled who were advanced into algebra in 7th.

I think this would require taking geometry at home in 8th grade so that she isn't expected to learn a year's worth of math over the summer. It's also a shame that a student who has already taken algebra and can demonstrate their knowledge would need to retake the class.

This is true but not as bad as you think.

The Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 sequence is absolutely terrible. You should do both Algebra and Geometry every year.
So you are in good shape to spend school time reviewing easy Algebra 1 for fluency, and spend home time learning Geometry (lots of high-quality low-cost options) before getting summer credit

Many of the top students do this. It's also better, pedagogically, for your student to learn at their own pace first, and use the school pace later for review, instead of jumping ahead in school where now they have a high-stakes commitment to keep up with school pace.

This is a strange way to look at school. Where did this idea come from, that school is not for learning but is only for getting high grades? Teachers teach material, kids don't have to prelearn it. Their parents think they should so they preteach it (either through a class or at the kitchen table). But why?

This has unfortunately not been our experience. DD's teacher is so bad this year, that kids are essentially teaching themselves/each other. They're on Unit 9, and she has posted maybe half the material covered in the course on Schoology. They don't really know what material is going to be on the quizzes and tests; the study guide is basically not aligned with any testing. I do help DD out at home, because she shouldn't have to teach herself with no adult help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The other option is to have her start taking an online algebra class at home like AOPS or there are plenty of really good homeschool algebra programs. She takes algebra at home while taking pre-algebra/math 7 next year. In 8th she takes honors algebra and gets an easy A since she will have already taken algebra and keeps studying topics into algebra 2.

Then she takes geometry the summer between 8th and 9th. In 9th she has caught up to the students who took algebra in 7th. Except she has taken more algebra without having a gap of a year like the student who took geometry in 8th. And has studied some topics from algebra 2. This worked for my child who then got an A in 9th honors algebra 2 while some other students struggled who were advanced into algebra in 7th.

I think this would require taking geometry at home in 8th grade so that she isn't expected to learn a year's worth of math over the summer. It's also a shame that a student who has already taken algebra and can demonstrate their knowledge would need to retake the class.

This is true but not as bad as you think.

The Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 sequence is absolutely terrible. You should do both Algebra and Geometry every year.
So you are in good shape to spend school time reviewing easy Algebra 1 for fluency, and spend home time learning Geometry (lots of high-quality low-cost options) before getting summer credit

Many of the top students do this. It's also better, pedagogically, for your student to learn at their own pace first, and use the school pace later for review, instead of jumping ahead in school where now they have a high-stakes commitment to keep up with school pace.

This is a strange way to look at school. Where did this idea come from, that school is not for learning but is only for getting high grades? Teachers teach material, kids don't have to prelearn it. Their parents think they should so they preteach it (either through a class or at the kitchen table). But why?

Because of the reality that math is unfortunately taught extremely poorly in American schools, (FCPS not being that different, outside perhaps a few schools and/or teachers). Many parents who realize this then come to the logical conclusion that kids can learn math at home/via enrichment much more thoroughly. It's a sad situation, but there's no easy fix, it's cultural and would likely take generations to fix the way math is taught in schools.

Math is taught just fine if you look at the advanced cohort. The biggest difference compared to international students is how early other countries track students to the trades and away from math.

There's very little to "teach" in basic math. The books are clear and there are videos too. It takes practice and practice for students to reach their potential.

[Anonymous]

Some people have posted that if your child doesn’t get above 95 percentile in the IAAT they shouldn’t bother with Alegbra in grade 7. My child got a 93. They want to do Algebra if they get a pass advanced in SOL but should I steer them towards math 7 honors?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some people have posted that if your child doesn’t get above 95 percentile in the IAAT they shouldn’t bother with Alegbra in grade 7. My child got a 93. They want to do Algebra if they get a pass advanced in SOL but should I steer them towards math 7 honors?

The cutoff is 91%.

If your kid can quickly understand concepts, they will do fine. You have to understand it is a high school course. Homework and review are needed to get an A.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some people have posted that if your child doesn’t get above 95 percentile in the IAAT they shouldn’t bother with Alegbra in grade 7. My child got a 93. They want to do Algebra if they get a pass advanced in SOL but should I steer them towards math 7 honors?

The cutoff is 91%.

If your kid can quickly understand concepts, they will do fine. You have to understand it is a high school course. Homework and review are needed to get an A.

Please. Algebra is not a high school course, the concepts are perfectly within the grasp of motivated middle school students. Heck, I took it in 8th grade in a tiny little town in a remote state 30 years back. This "Oh no, it's a high school course" attitude is just fear mongering.

Maybe it was a high school course back in the 50s when kids did not have the resources of today, and when it was actually taught rigorously with plenty of problems to be solved. But have you taken a look at the current course? It most definitely is tailored for middle school students, it's fairly watered down version. They *still* haven't learned how to factor quadratics yet in Alg 7th Honors, and it's the 4th quarter, for goodness sake!

The main reason that algebra is challenging for many kids, is because they had literally 0 homework in elementary school and have to adjust to actually practicing doing work. It's not because it's some mythical "high school" course and thus is somehow beyond the reach of 7th and 8th graders.