Inspired Teaching?

[Anonymous]

ITDS does a great job with writing and preparing the kids to write well thought essays not only on literature that the entire class reads, but on self chosen topics as well. I am less impressed with the math curriculum and what the kids actually come away with there, but overall we were very happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm also curious about math in middle school -- is algerba an option for 8th graders (or even very advanced 7th graders) such that they could test out of it in high school?

Last year Algebra was the highest class offered in 8th grade math. So yes, its available. I would like to see them offer it in 7th so that kids can take Geometry in 8th like a lot off DC public and charters do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm also curious about math in middle school -- is algerba an option for 8th graders (or even very advanced 7th graders) such that they could test out of it in high school?

Last year Algebra was the highest class offered in 8th grade math. So yes, its available. I would like to see them offer it in 7th so that kids can take Geometry in 8th like a lot off DC public and charters do.

They had a call about 8th grade algebra recently. This year, all 8th graders will take Algebra, even those who are below grade level. (This is "de-tracking" for "equity"). Importantly, there will be two teachers-- one with special needs expertise. Then, in the intervention/fluency/enrichment time period of the day, kids will get help with math at their actual level, whatever it may be. So they spend more time on Algebra I than they do on math at their actual level. Honestly if my kid were below grade level I don't think I would like this, but whatever, maybe it feels different when you're living it. Then they also talked about Geometry as an elective, but I didn't catch the details. It does seem that some ITDS kids took the Geometry PARCC last year, but not enough to report data. Which is unsurprising in such a small school. If you take Geometry, that's your elective rather than one of the other electives (art, music, etc).

There is no Algebra for 7th graders right now, perhaps that could change in the future. Bearing in mind that there's one math teacher for both 7th and 8th, it seems to be a logistical problem, if a 7th grader wants to take math with the 8th graders that would cause some schedule issues in their day. It's not like a bigger school with many math teachers giving the same content in different time slots. So 7th graders get 7th grade math with "enrichment", whatever it may be. I'm super unclear on when they all take 8th grade math, maybe they just kinda skip it or try to merge it into 7th.

ITDS has a habit of doing whatever they want for financial and logistical reasons and calling it "equity", this is definitely an example of that. The call was 30 minutes so parent question time was minimal. Last year I believe they had one class of Algebra 1 and one class not, but that sets up a difficult situation if the Algebra I class (or the non-Algebra I class) is much bigger than the other. And of course their racial achievement gap is awkwardly large and they try to avoid doing things that highlight it for all to see.

I do think their math specialist is excellent and that she does genuinely want to improve advanced math options, but it'll take time.

[Anonymous]

Last year they merged 2 levels from 7th grade math into the Algebra 1 class and it did not go well IMO. They spent 1/2 of the year catching up the students who weren't in advanced math for 7th grade (which was 8th grade math/pre algebra) and then the 2nd half of the year covering Algebra. I could be off by a month in either direction but instruction was rushed and weak. The middle school math teacher teaches a LOT of classes so has got to be spread way too thin. If there is another teacher being added hopefully this will help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last year they merged 2 levels from 7th grade math into the Algebra 1 class and it did not go well IMO. They spent 1/2 of the year catching up the students who weren't in advanced math for 7th grade (which was 8th grade math/pre algebra) and then the 2nd half of the year covering Algebra. I could be off by a month in either direction but instruction was rushed and weak. The middle school math teacher teaches a LOT of classes so has got to be spread way too thin. If there is another teacher being added hopefully this will help.

This. That was "equity" last year. This year they're changing it to a different setup, and the rationale is once again "equity". But really they know it just didn't work last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last year they merged 2 levels from 7th grade math into the Algebra 1 class and it did not go well IMO. They spent 1/2 of the year catching up the students who weren't in advanced math for 7th grade (which was 8th grade math/pre algebra) and then the 2nd half of the year covering Algebra. I could be off by a month in either direction but instruction was rushed and weak. The middle school math teacher teaches a LOT of classes so has got to be spread way too thin. If there is another teacher being added hopefully this will help.

This. That was "equity" last year. This year they're changing it to a different setup, and the rationale is once again "equity". But really they know it just didn't work last year.

Right. This will help no one.

[Anonymous]

I was really skeptical of the 'algebra for all' thing but I've gotten more comfortable with it. (I have an 8th grader.) They've added an additional math teacher this year, so there is one 8th and one 7th grade math teacher. And there is an intervention/enrichment block daily that is supposed to be math-focused for all kids.

I am most concerned about maintaining the pace of the class so the entire algebra curriculum is covered and so my kid learns what they need to move on to higher level math in high school - so far, I'm hopeful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was really skeptical of the 'algebra for all' thing but I've gotten more comfortable with it. (I have an 8th grader.) They've added an additional math teacher this year, so there is one 8th and one 7th grade math teacher. And there is an intervention/enrichment block daily that is supposed to be math-focused for all kids.

I am most concerned about maintaining the pace of the class so the entire algebra curriculum is covered and so my kid learns what they need to move on to higher level math in high school - so far, I'm hopeful.

I think it'll be fine, because there are two teachers. People need to accept that ITDS simply does not have enough truly Algebra-ready 8th graders to form a full or even nearly-full class. So it's a logistical and financial question how to best offer algebra. Keeping the homerooms together rather than splitting into Algebra and not-Algebra will make things a lot simpler. I assume they'll just sort of rotate within the classroom like they do in other grades, some with a teacher, some on tablets, some engaged in a project, the only difference is having two teachers.

Most kids who are bright at math can learn a year's worth of Algebra even in less than optimal circumstances. It's unclear to me whether the kids who are behind in math really benefit from sitting through "Algebra" and only having the shorter intervention block for their actual math. But perhaps what they get in the "Algebra for all" scenario is not actually algebra anyway. I really dislike the double-speak "let's pretend everyone's ready for Algebra" pressure, it makes it very difficult to know what's actually going on.

[Anonymous]

More than 80 percent of this year's 8th grade cohort got a 3, 4, or 5 on 7th grade PARCC last year (according to the empower dashboard), and about half got a 4 or 5. So there are plenty of kids who I'd argue are algebra ready. (cohorts vary from year to year, of course)

I'm sure it's mostly a coincidence, but I think this year's 8th grade class is a good one to try the model - lots of kids are ready for algebra or really close to it, so it's a good test case for the concept.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More than 80 percent of this year's 8th grade cohort got a 3, 4, or 5 on 7th grade PARCC last year (according to the empower dashboard), and about half got a 4 or 5. So there are plenty of kids who I'd argue are algebra ready. (cohorts vary from year to year, of course)

I'm sure it's mostly a coincidence, but I think this year's 8th grade class is a good one to try the model - lots of kids are ready for algebra or really close to it, so it's a good test case for the concept.

Right but there's a year's gap. Passing 7th grade math indicates readiness for 8th grade math. Not readiness to skip 8th grade math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More than 80 percent of this year's 8th grade cohort got a 3, 4, or 5 on 7th grade PARCC last year (according to the empower dashboard), and about half got a 4 or 5. So there are plenty of kids who I'd argue are algebra ready. (cohorts vary from year to year, of course)

I'm sure it's mostly a coincidence, but I think this year's 8th grade class is a good one to try the model - lots of kids are ready for algebra or really close to it, so it's a good test case for the concept.

Right but there's a year's gap. Passing 7th grade math indicates readiness for 8th grade math. Not readiness to skip 8th grade math.

THIS. Rushing to Algebra just because you are on grade level in math in 7th does not benefit you especially if you don’t have a good foundation to begin with. Acceleration without foundation helps no one when you get to Algebra.

Plus ITS middle school is very small and no, you don’t have enough high performing kids to do Algebra in 7th. You also don’t have enough math teachers either.

[Anonymous]

Algebra for all in 8th grade makes some sense to me. The kids who find it challenging can presumably then retake Algebra at high school in 9th grade (and get the benefit of 2 years of it). Algebra for advanced 7th graders is really hard to offer at a small school because then what do you offer the handful of them who did this in 8th grade. Taking Algebra in 7th grade only to self-study in 8th grade does not sound that great and you need a critical mass in order to offer an 8th grade Geometry class.

[Anonymous]

How do they force ADHD students to leave? Pay for them to go to a private school??

I don't feel great about Algebra for all for my kid, but we'll see what it looks like a few years from now when they'll get there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do they force ADHD students to leave? Pay for them to go to a private school??

I don't feel great about Algebra for all for my kid, but we'll see what it looks like a few years from now when they'll get there.

Crappy services and not much accomodations until their parents move them out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do they force ADHD students to leave? Pay for them to go to a private school??

I don't feel great about Algebra for all for my kid, but we'll see what it looks like a few years from now when they'll get there.

Crappy services and not much accomodations until their parents move them out.

And some pretty draconian punishments for adhd kids behaving in predictable ways. They don’t seem to have enough strategies to deal with all kids’ needs. They don’t make you leave, but they sure motivate you to leave.