Applying to Walls from private middle school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Math acceleration has gone overboard anyway. Perhaps those parents don’t want their kids in calculus as sophomores or juniors.

LOL! We are talking math acceleration in poorly performing middle schools where over 3/4 or more of the entire grade is BELOW grade level, many way below grade level in math. It’s not really rigorous or advanced like in high performing schools. At some schools it’s probably just grade level math.

That is why it’s so bad to hold your kid back for years just for chance at Walls because you don’t want to move. Sorry but as a parent, if that is not failing your kid, I don’t know what.

You actually think high performing schools always appropriately accelerate kids in math? Lots of kids struggle in HS math because they are accelerated but don’t have strong foundations or needed more time to understand concepts. This goes for all high performing high schools.

Sure but it’s not the school pushing that. Reality is it’s the parents wanting their kid in the highest math track when they should not be there.

As to if the same advance math classes are more challenging in high performing school vs very poor performing school, of course it is. You don’t actually believe that the Algebra 1 class at Deal is the same rigor as it is at Eastern.

Some middle schools absolutely do push accelerated math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will have to wait and see if the kids who passed on math acceleration get in. I suspect kids who did advanced math will on average do slightly better on recommendations, interviews, and ultimately admissions. Skipping the more advanced middle math path is likely to long-term hold most students back (no Algebra in 8th means no calculus before college).

It’s going to kill your SAT math score. I mean you’ll spend thousands just trying to teach your kid enough calculus for a so so score.

The SAT only goes up to Geometry and coordinate Geometry, so has algebra, arithmetic, probability, too. No calculus or trigonometry, unless it's drastically changed since I was a SAT (and GRE) tutor.

Accelerating too fast actually results in kids being too far out from Geometry and Algebra when they take the SAT (like a kid who take calc in 10th or even 11th), so they need to relearn that stuff before the SAT.

You’re right. It was recommended to me by multiple college counselors to ensure my kids were taking precalc by sophomore year.

But pushing my kid into a regular Math class at a mediocre school like Stuart Hobson - you won’t have been taught all of the concepts in time for the SAT. you’ll be taking algebra 2 as a senior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will have to wait and see if the kids who passed on math acceleration get in. I suspect kids who did advanced math will on average do slightly better on recommendations, interviews, and ultimately admissions. Skipping the more advanced middle math path is likely to long-term hold most students back (no Algebra in 8th means no calculus before college).

It’s going to kill your SAT math score. I mean you’ll spend thousands just trying to teach your kid enough calculus for a so so score.

The SAT only goes up to Geometry and coordinate Geometry, so has algebra, arithmetic, probability, too. No calculus or trigonometry, unless it's drastically changed since I was a SAT (and GRE) tutor.

Accelerating too fast actually results in kids being too far out from Geometry and Algebra when they take the SAT (like a kid who take calc in 10th or even 11th), so they need to relearn that stuff before the SAT.

You’re right. It was recommended to me by multiple college counselors to ensure my kids were taking precalc by sophomore year.

But pushing my kid into a regular Math class at a mediocre school like Stuart Hobson - you won’t have been taught all of the concepts in time for the SAT. you’ll be taking algebra 2 as a senior.

Me again-

So you’ll be taking basically remedial classes as a 9th grader and rolling the dice that your kid will be able to keep up with the rest? I don’t know if this is a good plan. Eastern combined with a good college counselor, a good SAT tutor, and good grades seems to be a better plan than getting Cs and Ds. Although to be honest maybe SWW grade inflates too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The kids at SH who made this decision were solid but not spectacular math students (mid to high 4s on PARCC in math) who were on the medium acceleration track (basically 6th & 7th grade math combined). About half the kids who come out of the track then head to 8th grade math and half do normal 7th. They both were recommended to head to 8th and decided to do 7th again because it was the difference between a guaranteed A and a possible A- and/or having to dedicate disproportionate resources to that class. Kids’ parents point out they can catch back up to the accelerated path with Mathnasium + summer math maybe even by 8th, since that doesn’t count for Walls entry; definitely by 9th. I think it’s a big flaw in the system, but I don’t think the parents are crazy.

4 is grade level. So the school is recommending grade level kids do accelerated math. These kids should not be in accelerated math.

But I guess if the overwhelming majority of kids are way below grade level then kids above are considered “advance” although they really are not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS is all about equity which means watering down standards across the board. There are plenty of bright students in every Ward of this city who are getting short-changed by these policies. It's more important to teach to the middle to the bottom of the class. Social promotion and easy grading doesn't help any of the kids. The admissions process being changed at Walls is yet another reflection of these equity goals. DCPS doesn't care if kids get in to Walls who are below grade level but still meet the GPA cut off due to the easy grading at their crappy middle school. They know a 3.8 at one school isn't always equal to a 3.8 at a different school and they don't care.

And before anyone accuses me of being the parent of a kid who didn't get into Walls, my oldest is only in middle school now so we aren't there just yet. I've been watching the stuff happening at Walls for a few years now as a potential option for high school. But it's seeming even more luck of the draw as the years go by.

Might I suggest that you stop making assumptions and disparaging comments about the students who are actually enrolled at Walls? You are looking in from the outside and coming off as a real jerk. I have a kid at Walls and have found the student body to be bright, self-motivated, and extremely independent.

DP. What PP above says is absolutely correct about equity. I don’t see any assumptions or disparaging comments.

Sure there are bright students at Walls but you can’t dispute data which is objective that there are students there who are below grade level and not so bright.

There have always been some kids below grade level at Walls. There were kids who got 50% on the math admissions who were admitted.

You just made my point about equity. These kids should not be admitted.

Now compare the percentage of kids who were below grade level when the test was given and the percentage after the test was taken away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS is all about equity which means watering down standards across the board. There are plenty of bright students in every Ward of this city who are getting short-changed by these policies. It's more important to teach to the middle to the bottom of the class. Social promotion and easy grading doesn't help any of the kids. The admissions process being changed at Walls is yet another reflection of these equity goals. DCPS doesn't care if kids get in to Walls who are below grade level but still meet the GPA cut off due to the easy grading at their crappy middle school. They know a 3.8 at one school isn't always equal to a 3.8 at a different school and they don't care.

And before anyone accuses me of being the parent of a kid who didn't get into Walls, my oldest is only in middle school now so we aren't there just yet. I've been watching the stuff happening at Walls for a few years now as a potential option for high school. But it's seeming even more luck of the draw as the years go by.

Might I suggest that you stop making assumptions and disparaging comments about the students who are actually enrolled at Walls? You are looking in from the outside and coming off as a real jerk. I have a kid at Walls and have found the student body to be bright, self-motivated, and extremely independent.

DP. What PP above says is absolutely correct about equity. I don’t see any assumptions or disparaging comments.

Sure there are bright students at Walls but you can’t dispute data which is objective that there are students there who are below grade level and not so bright.

There have always been some kids below grade level at Walls. There were kids who got 50% on the math admissions who were admitted.

You just made my point about equity. These kids should not be admitted.

Now compare the percentage of kids who were below grade level when the test was given and the percentage after the test was taken away.

PP and I hear your point about before and after the test. If they didn’t admit kids who got a 50% on math they wouldn’t have had a full class of students. The reality is that the test did not have a number kids had to reach to get to the interview. It was all based on how other kids scored. So you could have a year where the cutoff to interview 250 kids was a 50% on the math test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will have to wait and see if the kids who passed on math acceleration get in. I suspect kids who did advanced math will on average do slightly better on recommendations, interviews, and ultimately admissions. Skipping the more advanced middle math path is likely to long-term hold most students back (no Algebra in 8th means no calculus before college).

It’s going to kill your SAT math score. I mean you’ll spend thousands just trying to teach your kid enough calculus for a so so score.

The SAT only goes up to Geometry and coordinate Geometry, so has algebra, arithmetic, probability, too. No calculus or trigonometry, unless it's drastically changed since I was a SAT (and GRE) tutor.

Accelerating too fast actually results in kids being too far out from Geometry and Algebra when they take the SAT (like a kid who take calc in 10th or even 11th), so they need to relearn that stuff before the SAT.

You’re right. It was recommended to me by multiple college counselors to ensure my kids were taking precalc by sophomore year.

But pushing my kid into a regular Math class at a mediocre school like Stuart Hobson - you won’t have been taught all of the concepts in time for the SAT. you’ll be taking algebra 2 as a senior.

It's absolutely essential for a college bound kid to take Algebra by 8th grade so they can take geometry and algebra 2 before their PSAT and SAT. I'm not sure if the specifics of the SH kids, but I would absolutely not recommend taking the "regular" math sequence if that doesn't result in algebra by 8th, even if that means they are getting As.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will have to wait and see if the kids who passed on math acceleration get in. I suspect kids who did advanced math will on average do slightly better on recommendations, interviews, and ultimately admissions. Skipping the more advanced middle math path is likely to long-term hold most students back (no Algebra in 8th means no calculus before college).

It’s going to kill your SAT math score. I mean you’ll spend thousands just trying to teach your kid enough calculus for a so so score.

The SAT only goes up to Geometry and coordinate Geometry, so has algebra, arithmetic, probability, too. No calculus or trigonometry, unless it's drastically changed since I was a SAT (and GRE) tutor.

Accelerating too fast actually results in kids being too far out from Geometry and Algebra when they take the SAT (like a kid who take calc in 10th or even 11th), so they need to relearn that stuff before the SAT.

You’re right. It was recommended to me by multiple college counselors to ensure my kids were taking precalc by sophomore year.

But pushing my kid into a regular Math class at a mediocre school like Stuart Hobson - you won’t have been taught all of the concepts in time for the SAT. you’ll be taking algebra 2 as a senior.

It's absolutely essential for a college bound kid to take Algebra by 8th grade so they can take geometry and algebra 2 before their PSAT and SAT. I'm not sure if the specifics of the SH kids, but I would absolutely not recommend taking the "regular" math sequence if that doesn't result in algebra by 8th, even if that means they are getting As.

This is not true at all. The PSAT is designed to be taken by a student just starting Algebra 2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will have to wait and see if the kids who passed on math acceleration get in. I suspect kids who did advanced math will on average do slightly better on recommendations, interviews, and ultimately admissions. Skipping the more advanced middle math path is likely to long-term hold most students back (no Algebra in 8th means no calculus before college).

It’s going to kill your SAT math score. I mean you’ll spend thousands just trying to teach your kid enough calculus for a so so score.

The SAT only goes up to Geometry and coordinate Geometry, so has algebra, arithmetic, probability, too. No calculus or trigonometry, unless it's drastically changed since I was a SAT (and GRE) tutor.

Accelerating too fast actually results in kids being too far out from Geometry and Algebra when they take the SAT (like a kid who take calc in 10th or even 11th), so they need to relearn that stuff before the SAT.

You’re right. It was recommended to me by multiple college counselors to ensure my kids were taking precalc by sophomore year.

But pushing my kid into a regular Math class at a mediocre school like Stuart Hobson - you won’t have been taught all of the concepts in time for the SAT. you’ll be taking algebra 2 as a senior.

It's absolutely essential for a college bound kid to take Algebra by 8th grade so they can take geometry and algebra 2 before their PSAT and SAT. I'm not sure if the specifics of the SH kids, but I would absolutely not recommend taking the "regular" math sequence if that doesn't result in algebra by 8th, even if that means they are getting As.

This is not true at all. The PSAT is designed to be taken by a student just starting Algebra 2.

But taking the weak track will make you take algebra 2 as a senior

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will have to wait and see if the kids who passed on math acceleration get in. I suspect kids who did advanced math will on average do slightly better on recommendations, interviews, and ultimately admissions. Skipping the more advanced middle math path is likely to long-term hold most students back (no Algebra in 8th means no calculus before college).

It’s going to kill your SAT math score. I mean you’ll spend thousands just trying to teach your kid enough calculus for a so so score.

The SAT only goes up to Geometry and coordinate Geometry, so has algebra, arithmetic, probability, too. No calculus or trigonometry, unless it's drastically changed since I was a SAT (and GRE) tutor.

Accelerating too fast actually results in kids being too far out from Geometry and Algebra when they take the SAT (like a kid who take calc in 10th or even 11th), so they need to relearn that stuff before the SAT.

You’re right. It was recommended to me by multiple college counselors to ensure my kids were taking precalc by sophomore year.

But pushing my kid into a regular Math class at a mediocre school like Stuart Hobson - you won’t have been taught all of the concepts in time for the SAT. you’ll be taking algebra 2 as a senior.

It's absolutely essential for a college bound kid to take Algebra by 8th grade so they can take geometry and algebra 2 before their PSAT and SAT. I'm not sure if the specifics of the SH kids, but I would absolutely not recommend taking the "regular" math sequence if that doesn't result in algebra by 8th, even if that means they are getting As.

This is not true at all. The PSAT is designed to be taken by a student just starting Algebra 2.

But taking the weak track will make you take algebra 2 as a senior

No, it won’t. At every school I know of, the standard track takes Algebra I no later than 9th grade. In DCPS specifically, you cannot become a 10th grader without passing Algebra I: you will repeat 9th grade until you pass. 10th graders take Geometry and 11th graders take Algebra II.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Math acceleration has gone overboard anyway. Perhaps those parents don’t want their kids in calculus as sophomores or juniors.

LOL! We are talking math acceleration in poorly performing middle schools where over 3/4 or more of the entire grade is BELOW grade level, many way below grade level in math. It’s not really rigorous or advanced like in high performing schools. At some schools it’s probably just grade level math.

That is why it’s so bad to hold your kid back for years just for chance at Walls because you don’t want to move. Sorry but as a parent, if that is not failing your kid, I don’t know what.

You actually think high performing schools always appropriately accelerate kids in math? Lots of kids struggle in HS math because they are accelerated but don’t have strong foundations or needed more time to understand concepts. This goes for all high performing high schools.

Sure but it’s not the school pushing that. Reality is it’s the parents wanting their kid in the highest math track when they should not be there.

As to if the same advance math classes are more challenging in high performing school vs very poor performing school, of course it is. You don’t actually believe that the Algebra 1 class at Deal is the same rigor as it is at Eastern.

Some middle schools absolutely do push accelerated math.

This.

My kids is in 8th and I wish he weren't in the accelerated class. They go really, really fast and he's struggling to recall concepts because there is such little repetition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Math acceleration has gone overboard anyway. Perhaps those parents don’t want their kids in calculus as sophomores or juniors.

LOL! We are talking math acceleration in poorly performing middle schools where over 3/4 or more of the entire grade is BELOW grade level, many way below grade level in math. It’s not really rigorous or advanced like in high performing schools. At some schools it’s probably just grade level math.

That is why it’s so bad to hold your kid back for years just for chance at Walls because you don’t want to move. Sorry but as a parent, if that is not failing your kid, I don’t know what.

You actually think high performing schools always appropriately accelerate kids in math? Lots of kids struggle in HS math because they are accelerated but don’t have strong foundations or needed more time to understand concepts. This goes for all high performing high schools.

Sure but it’s not the school pushing that. Reality is it’s the parents wanting their kid in the highest math track when they should not be there.

As to if the same advance math classes are more challenging in high performing school vs very poor performing school, of course it is. You don’t actually believe that the Algebra 1 class at Deal is the same rigor as it is at Eastern.

Some middle schools absolutely do push accelerated math.

This.

My kids is in 8th and I wish he weren't in the accelerated class. They go really, really fast and he's struggling to recall concepts because there is such little repetition.

I may be seeing this, too, but it's hard to tell how much repetition there is. I'm not sure ixl and Delta math are sufficient, especially when compared to working through tons of problems on paper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will have to wait and see if the kids who passed on math acceleration get in. I suspect kids who did advanced math will on average do slightly better on recommendations, interviews, and ultimately admissions. Skipping the more advanced middle math path is likely to long-term hold most students back (no Algebra in 8th means no calculus before college).

It’s going to kill your SAT math score. I mean you’ll spend thousands just trying to teach your kid enough calculus for a so so score.

The SAT only goes up to Geometry and coordinate Geometry, so has algebra, arithmetic, probability, too. No calculus or trigonometry, unless it's drastically changed since I was a SAT (and GRE) tutor.

Accelerating too fast actually results in kids being too far out from Geometry and Algebra when they take the SAT (like a kid who take calc in 10th or even 11th), so they need to relearn that stuff before the SAT.

You’re right. It was recommended to me by multiple college counselors to ensure my kids were taking precalc by sophomore year.

But pushing my kid into a regular Math class at a mediocre school like Stuart Hobson - you won’t have been taught all of the concepts in time for the SAT. you’ll be taking algebra 2 as a senior.

It's absolutely essential for a college bound kid to take Algebra by 8th grade so they can take geometry and algebra 2 before their PSAT and SAT. I'm not sure if the specifics of the SH kids, but I would absolutely not recommend taking the "regular" math sequence if that doesn't result in algebra by 8th, even if that means they are getting As.

This is not true at all. The PSAT is designed to be taken by a student just starting Algebra 2.

But taking the weak track will make you take algebra 2 as a senior

No, it won’t. At every school I know of, the standard track takes Algebra I no later than 9th grade. In DCPS specifically, you cannot become a 10th grader without passing Algebra I: you will repeat 9th grade until you pass. 10th graders take Geometry and 11th graders take Algebra II.

This is correct. The alternative to the accelerated track isn't the "weak" track; it's the standard track, which culminates with Algebra II in 11th. But also, it's easy to catch up over the 7th or 8th grade summer even if you want to accelerate for 9th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will have to wait and see if the kids who passed on math acceleration get in. I suspect kids who did advanced math will on average do slightly better on recommendations, interviews, and ultimately admissions. Skipping the more advanced middle math path is likely to long-term hold most students back (no Algebra in 8th means no calculus before college).

It’s going to kill your SAT math score. I mean you’ll spend thousands just trying to teach your kid enough calculus for a so so score.

The SAT only goes up to Geometry and coordinate Geometry, so has algebra, arithmetic, probability, too. No calculus or trigonometry, unless it's drastically changed since I was a SAT (and GRE) tutor.

Accelerating too fast actually results in kids being too far out from Geometry and Algebra when they take the SAT (like a kid who take calc in 10th or even 11th), so they need to relearn that stuff before the SAT.

You’re right. It was recommended to me by multiple college counselors to ensure my kids were taking precalc by sophomore year.

But pushing my kid into a regular Math class at a mediocre school like Stuart Hobson - you won’t have been taught all of the concepts in time for the SAT. you’ll be taking algebra 2 as a senior.

It's absolutely essential for a college bound kid to take Algebra by 8th grade so they can take geometry and algebra 2 before their PSAT and SAT. I'm not sure if the specifics of the SH kids, but I would absolutely not recommend taking the "regular" math sequence if that doesn't result in algebra by 8th, even if that means they are getting As.

This is not true at all. The PSAT is designed to be taken by a student just starting Algebra 2.

But taking the weak track will make you take algebra 2 as a senior

No, it won’t. At every school I know of, the standard track takes Algebra I no later than 9th grade. In DCPS specifically, you cannot become a 10th grader without passing Algebra I: you will repeat 9th grade until you pass. 10th graders take Geometry and 11th graders take Algebra II.

This is correct. The alternative to the accelerated track isn't the "weak" track; it's the standard track, which culminates with Algebra II in 11th. But also, it's easy to catch up over the 7th or 8th grade summer even if you want to accelerate for 9th.

Alg I in 9th grade used to be standard track. It really isn’t anymore. Especially not if you want to go to a competitive college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Math acceleration has gone overboard anyway. Perhaps those parents don’t want their kids in calculus as sophomores or juniors.

LOL! We are talking math acceleration in poorly performing middle schools where over 3/4 or more of the entire grade is BELOW grade level, many way below grade level in math. It’s not really rigorous or advanced like in high performing schools. At some schools it’s probably just grade level math.

That is why it’s so bad to hold your kid back for years just for chance at Walls because you don’t want to move. Sorry but as a parent, if that is not failing your kid, I don’t know what.

You actually think high performing schools always appropriately accelerate kids in math? Lots of kids struggle in HS math because they are accelerated but don’t have strong foundations or needed more time to understand concepts. This goes for all high performing high schools.

Sure but it’s not the school pushing that. Reality is it’s the parents wanting their kid in the highest math track when they should not be there.

As to if the same advance math classes are more challenging in high performing school vs very poor performing school, of course it is. You don’t actually believe that the Algebra 1 class at Deal is the same rigor as it is at Eastern.

Some middle schools absolutely do push accelerated math.

This.

My kids is in 8th and I wish he weren't in the accelerated class. They go really, really fast and he's struggling to recall concepts because there is such little repetition.

I may be seeing this, too, but it's hard to tell how much repetition there is. I'm not sure ixl and Delta math are sufficient, especially when compared to working through tons of problems on paper.

PP here. I have to set up worksheets for my kid. It is the only way things stick for him: writing it down the 'old fashioned' way.