MCPS New Math Pathway, No AIM6 in MS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm normally pretty supportive of MCPS, which is heads and shoulders better than the rural school district where I grew up, but this thread illustrates one of the biggest issues with the district from my point of view.

Someone needs to be the boss. Every school rolling out their own set of course offerings is bizarre, and begging for a civil right lawsuit if it indeed turns out that predominantly white/Asian schools are offering acceleration that is not available in global majority schools.

I assume that somewhere in the morass of MCPS administration, there is someone whose job is called "Head of Middle School Math."

THAT PERSON needs to tell schools what they are offering, and how to reflect that information in the course catalog.

This is basic "how to run a large organization." Yes, maybe the McDonalds in Detroit serves fries and the McDonalds in Atlanta serves fries and hush puppies, but the core product is the same.

It is very frustrating. We have Algebra in 6th but no advanced english, science or social studies. Other schools are the opposite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did some quick searching on DCC schools, and then added other schools I could think of. This information can't easily be found on all schools' websites. What I think is strange is how they use slightly different names for all these classes. Looks like lots of DCC schools not offering AIM.

Argyle:
Acc Math 6
Math investigations (for compacted math students)

Cabin John:
Math 6+
Applied IM

Eastern:
Math 6,
Math 6+
AIM
Algebra I

Farquhar:
MATH 6 (1005)
ACCELERATED MATH 6 PLUS COURSE (1003)

Lee:
Math 6
Math 6+

Loiderman:
Math 6+
Math 7

Newport Mill:
LearnZillion/Illustrative Mathematics 6 (1005)
Accelerated Mathematics 6 Plus Course (AMP+) (1015)

North Bethesda
Grade 6 Math
Applied Investigations in Mathematics

Parkland
Mathematics 6
IM 6/7

Silver Spring International MS
math pathways for 6th graders starting in fall '21 are:
LearnZillion Math 6-->on track for Algebra 1 in 9th
LearnZillion Math 7-->on track for Algebra 1 in 8th
Applied Investigations in Math 6 (AIM)-->on track for Algebra 1 in 7th

Silver Creek MS
Grade 6 Math
Applied Investigations in Math 6 (AIM)
Takoma Park
Grade 6 Math
Accelerated Math 6 Plus
AIM

Westland:
AIM
Accelerated Math 6 +
Math 6
Math 180

Wow, thanks for putting this together. This is an eye opener to the inequalities at MCPS. I can’t believe I actually believed that the curriculum would be the same throughout MCPS and it didn’t really matter which school we were in.

Stop hyperventilating! Both AIM and IM lead to Algebra in grade 7. So, all but four in this list have an *announced* path to get to algebra in 7th grade. The other four have an announced path to get to algebra in 8th. (BTW, Furquhar is not in DCC; So, six out of nine DCC schools have official pathway to get to algebra in 7th.) Usually these classes are based on demand, and there are always exceptions. I know kids in DCC who got accelerated outside the officially announced paths because they were above grade level.

Curriculum IS the same all over.

No one is hyperventilating, and it appears your DC is probably in the schools that do offer Algebra in 7th. While its nice to know exceptions can be made, it’s not guaranteed.

All MCPS schools offer Algebra in 7th. The question is do they offer it in 6th.

What are you basing this on? Some schools are showing there is an accelerated program but it still would not have an option for algebra in 7th.

[Anonymous]

I think part of the problem is that MCPS changes things from year to year. So the fact that your current 6th grader will be taking Algebra in 7th doesn’t mean next year’s 6th graders will have the same option when they are in 7th. The 6+ course is new, so probably no one knows how it will play out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think part of the problem is that MCPS changes things from year to year. So the fact that your current 6th grader will be taking Algebra in 7th doesn’t mean next year’s 6th graders will have the same option when they are in 7th. The 6+ course is new, so probably no one knows how it will play out.

+1. I think some people here are responding based on what they know has been true for their current MS (or older) kids, while others are sharing what they are being told for next year's 6th graders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did some quick searching on DCC schools, and then added other schools I could think of. This information can't easily be found on all schools' websites. What I think is strange is how they use slightly different names for all these classes. Looks like lots of DCC schools not offering AIM.

Argyle:
Acc Math 6
Math investigations (for compacted math students)

Cabin John:
Math 6+
Applied IM

Eastern:
Math 6,
Math 6+
AIM
Algebra I

Farquhar:
MATH 6 (1005)
ACCELERATED MATH 6 PLUS COURSE (1003)

Lee:
Math 6
Math 6+

Loiderman:
Math 6+
Math 7

Newport Mill:
LearnZillion/Illustrative Mathematics 6 (1005)
Accelerated Mathematics 6 Plus Course (AMP+) (1015)

North Bethesda
Grade 6 Math
Applied Investigations in Mathematics

Parkland
Mathematics 6
IM 6/7

Silver Spring International MS
math pathways for 6th graders starting in fall '21 are:
LearnZillion Math 6-->on track for Algebra 1 in 9th
LearnZillion Math 7-->on track for Algebra 1 in 8th
Applied Investigations in Math 6 (AIM)-->on track for Algebra 1 in 7th

Silver Creek MS
Grade 6 Math
Applied Investigations in Math 6 (AIM)
Takoma Park
Grade 6 Math
Accelerated Math 6 Plus
AIM

Westland:
AIM
Accelerated Math 6 +
Math 6
Math 180

Wow, thanks for putting this together. This is an eye opener to the inequalities at MCPS. I can’t believe I actually believed that the curriculum would be the same throughout MCPS and it didn’t really matter which school we were in.

Stop hyperventilating! Both AIM and IM lead to Algebra in grade 7. So, all but four in this list have an *announced* path to get to algebra in 7th grade. The other four have an announced path to get to algebra in 8th. (BTW, Furquhar is not in DCC; So, six out of nine DCC schools have official pathway to get to algebra in 7th.) Usually these classes are based on demand, and there are always exceptions. I know kids in DCC who got accelerated outside the officially announced paths because they were above grade level.

Curriculum IS the same all over.

No one is hyperventilating, and it appears your DC is probably in the schools that do offer Algebra in 7th. While its nice to know exceptions can be made, it’s not guaranteed.

All MCPS schools offer Algebra in 7th. The question is do they offer it in 6th.

What are you basing this on? Some schools are showing there is an accelerated program but it still would not have an option for algebra in 7th.

Basing it off of our school offering Algebra in 6th. It wasn't on the official course guidelines but it was offered at registration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think part of the problem is that MCPS changes things from year to year. So the fact that your current 6th grader will be taking Algebra in 7th doesn’t mean next year’s 6th graders will have the same option when they are in 7th. The 6+ course is new, so probably no one knows how it will play out.

+1. I think some people here are responding based on what they know has been true for their current MS (or older) kids, while others are sharing what they are being told for next year's 6th graders.

Last year Algebra in 6th was not in the curriculum guide for our school. It was on our registration form as my child is in it now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think part of the problem is that MCPS changes things from year to year. So the fact that your current 6th grader will be taking Algebra in 7th doesn’t mean next year’s 6th graders will have the same option when they are in 7th. The 6+ course is new, so probably no one knows how it will play out.

+1. I think some people here are responding based on what they know has been true for their current MS (or older) kids, while others are sharing what they are being told for next year's 6th graders.

Last year Algebra in 6th was not in the curriculum guide for our school. It was on our registration form as my child is in it now.[/quote
My child's at Eastern and Algebra wasn't on our registration form. I dunno, maybe, it was 'invitation only', but we only had one choice - AIM coming from compacted math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm normally pretty supportive of MCPS, which is heads and shoulders better than the rural school district where I grew up, but this thread illustrates one of the biggest issues with the district from my point of view.

Someone needs to be the boss. Every school rolling out their own set of course offerings is bizarre, and begging for a civil right lawsuit if it indeed turns out that predominantly white/Asian schools are offering acceleration that is not available in global majority schools.

I assume that somewhere in the morass of MCPS administration, there is someone whose job is called "Head of Middle School Math."

THAT PERSON needs to tell schools what they are offering, and how to reflect that information in the course catalog.

This is basic "how to run a large organization." Yes, maybe the McDonalds in Detroit serves fries and the McDonalds in Atlanta serves fries and hush puppies, but the core product is the same.

It is very frustrating. We have Algebra in 6th but no advanced english, science or social studies. Other schools are the opposite.

All middle schools have a class called "Advanced English," but it is typically the default course for all students. There are no advanced science courses, aside from Takoma Park and Clemente magnet science. Most middle schools have advanced social studies now, called Historical Inquiry into Global Humanities 6 & 7, and Historical Inquiry into American Studies 8.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think part of the problem is that MCPS changes things from year to year. So the fact that your current 6th grader will be taking Algebra in 7th doesn’t mean next year’s 6th graders will have the same option when they are in 7th. The 6+ course is new, so probably no one knows how it will play out.

That is a huge problem, IMO. It’s also a problem for the teachers, who are stuck picking up the pieces every time MCPS switches things up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm normally pretty supportive of MCPS, which is heads and shoulders better than the rural school district where I grew up, but this thread illustrates one of the biggest issues with the district from my point of view.

Someone needs to be the boss. Every school rolling out their own set of course offerings is bizarre, and begging for a civil right lawsuit if it indeed turns out that predominantly white/Asian schools are offering acceleration that is not available in global majority schools.

I assume that somewhere in the morass of MCPS administration, there is someone whose job is called "Head of Middle School Math."

THAT PERSON needs to tell schools what they are offering, and how to reflect that information in the course catalog.

This is basic "how to run a large organization." Yes, maybe the McDonalds in Detroit serves fries and the McDonalds in Atlanta serves fries and hush puppies, but the core product is the same.

It is very frustrating. We have Algebra in 6th but no advanced english, science or social studies. Other schools are the opposite.

All middle schools have a class called "Advanced English," but it is typically the default course for all students. There are no advanced science courses, aside from Takoma Park and Clemente magnet science. Most middle schools have advanced social studies now, called Historical Inquiry into Global Humanities 6 & 7, and Historical Inquiry into American Studies 8.

There needs to be differentiation. Its too advanced for some kids and too slow for others. Not all middle schools this year have the Global Humanities. Ours didn't this year and will phase it in next year but current 6th graders will not get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think part of the problem is that MCPS changes things from year to year. So the fact that your current 6th grader will be taking Algebra in 7th doesn’t mean next year’s 6th graders will have the same option when they are in 7th. The 6+ course is new, so probably no one knows how it will play out.

That is a huge problem, IMO. It’s also a problem for the teachers, who are stuck picking up the pieces every time MCPS switches things up.

They really don't change it up year to year and are changing it as they are going with a standard off the shelf curriculum vs. curriculum 2.0. Math is now Eureka or LearnZillion and English is Benchmark so they are changing names to align with the new curriculums.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think part of the problem is that MCPS changes things from year to year. So the fact that your current 6th grader will be taking Algebra in 7th doesn’t mean next year’s 6th graders will have the same option when they are in 7th. The 6+ course is new, so probably no one knows how it will play out.

+1. I think some people here are responding based on what they know has been true for their current MS (or older) kids, while others are sharing what they are being told for next year's 6th graders.

Last year Algebra in 6th was not in the curriculum guide for our school. It was on our registration form as my child is in it now.

My child's at Eastern and Algebra wasn't on our registration form. I dunno, maybe, it was 'invitation only', but we only had one choice - AIM coming from compacted math.

Algebra in 6th is absolutely invitation only, for kids who did IM in 5th, or who came into the system from another district, or whose parents explicitly reach out and ask for them to take the entrance test.

That's fine and good, as it has implications down the road for a child's HS experience and because rushing into Algebra isn't a great idea for any but a small handful of kids.

What I'm wondering is whether some schools list Algebra in 6th on the course schedule because they have enough kids to fill at least one classroom. Other schools don't create a 6th grade algebra class - they just put those kids in with 7th graders. That would actually make sense.

[Anonymous]

Whatever the name, this is a really big change. I have kids in college/HS & the trajectory for many years has been for high achieving kids to have the option to take Algebra II in 9th grade. That is not even the super accelerated option. The really math-y kids sometimes take Calculus in 10th. While I think MCPS should certainly work to address the 'mile wide inch deep' problems of the past, basically offering *no* acceleration is a really strange choice. It will negatively impact students' ability to do STEM in college.

Also, I totally agree with a PP that there is basically no acceleration in MCPS except for math. So, goodbye acceleration at all! Except for the very lucky few who are in GT centers in ES & in magnets in MS/HS. Which is not all of the kids who are hungry for acceleration.

Really shortsighted of MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whatever the name, this is a really big change. I have kids in college/HS & the trajectory for many years has been for high achieving kids to have the option to take Algebra II in 9th grade. That is not even the super accelerated option. The really math-y kids sometimes take Calculus in 10th. While I think MCPS should certainly work to address the 'mile wide inch deep' problems of the past, basically offering *no* acceleration is a really strange choice. It will negatively impact students' ability to do STEM in college.

Also, I totally agree with a PP that there is basically no acceleration in MCPS except for math. So, goodbye acceleration at all! Except for the very lucky few who are in GT centers in ES & in magnets in MS/HS. Which is not all of the kids who are hungry for acceleration.

Really shortsighted of MCPS.

But I don't see anything here that rules out Algebra I in 7th, Geometry in 8th, Algebra II in 9th, etc. Same as the typical advanced pathway. Whether a student takes AIM, Math 6+, 7+, or anything else in 6th shouldn't really matter. And if a school has a small number of really advanced kids, they still have options that may not be promoted in the registration materials.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whatever the name, this is a really big change. I have kids in college/HS & the trajectory for many years has been for high achieving kids to have the option to take Algebra II in 9th grade. That is not even the super accelerated option. The really math-y kids sometimes take Calculus in 10th. While I think MCPS should certainly work to address the 'mile wide inch deep' problems of the past, basically offering *no* acceleration is a really strange choice. It will negatively impact students' ability to do STEM in college.

Also, I totally agree with a PP that there is basically no acceleration in MCPS except for math. So, goodbye acceleration at all! Except for the very lucky few who are in GT centers in ES & in magnets in MS/HS. Which is not all of the kids who are hungry for acceleration.

Really shortsighted of MCPS.

Its a big change but a good one as now there is a standard curriculum with resources online and workbooks, if teachers use them. I much prefer the new curriculum.