No Textbooks Honors Algebra 2 Can't Get Ahead Is Pre-Cal Any Better?

[Anonymous]

My DD is taking Honors Algebra 2 this year and can't get ahead. She gets worksheets every night and the answer keys are posted a day or so later.
Normally math homework is Monday- Thursday and tests Friday.
I'm so incredibly frustrated as she earned an 88% 1st and 2nd marking period. She currently has an 88% in 3rd marking period too.

When DD was a non MCPS middle school, she always knew the chapter that she would be tested on the following week so she'd work ahead.

Does Pre-Cal offer textbooks? Are they used or are we stuck with worksheets?

[Anonymous]

Call your principal and the MCPS Math Curriculum department to complain. This is outrageous for a high school level class.

In the meantime, maybe these resources will help:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/math/high/algebra2/

[Anonymous]

Are you sure there’s no textbook? My DS is at BCC in AlgII and he has a textbook, although it is just used for homework assignments. Teacher posts class notes and assignment every night, but does not give out any kind of syllabus with longer term view of assignments or topics.

I would encourage your DD to self-advocate - have her go to teacher, express desire to improve and ask if there is a textbook or a way teacher can post notes and assignments week by week. Even if teacher says she doesn’t use textbook, there probably still is one, either in print or online.

Weekly or monthly assignment sheets is universal access compliant and a best practice in teaching. Some kids need more time with material because of disability (diagnosed or undiagnosed), or simply because they are juggling sports, family responsibilities like childcare, jobs or alternating custody.

If your DC is not successful, then you can follow up.

Or just buy any used textbook. Teachers may not follow the same order or depth of complexity, but the broad outlines of AlgII are similar everywhere. Once teacher starts a new topic, DC can find the corresponding chapter in a book.

[Anonymous]

So she prefers to self teach a topic before it is covered in class?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you sure there’s no textbook? My DS is at BCC in AlgII and he has a textbook, although it is just used for homework assignments. Teacher posts class notes and assignment every night, but does not give out any kind of syllabus with longer term view of assignments or topics.

I would encourage your DD to self-advocate - have her go to teacher, express desire to improve and ask if there is a textbook or a way teacher can post notes and assignments week by week. Even if teacher says she doesn’t use textbook, there probably still is one, either in print or online.

Weekly or monthly assignment sheets is universal access compliant and a best practice in teaching. Some kids need more time with material because of disability (diagnosed or undiagnosed), or simply because they are juggling sports, family responsibilities like childcare, jobs or alternating custody.

If your DC is not successful, then you can follow up.

Or just buy any used textbook. Teachers may not follow the same order or depth of complexity, but the broad outlines of AlgII are similar everywhere. Once teacher starts a new topic, DC can find the corresponding chapter in a book.

We've asked. They don't use one.

[Anonymous]

OP here- we did buy a few textbooks and they have been only helpful a little bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So she prefers to self teach a topic before it is covered in class?

When a concept is introduced on a Monday and test is Friday yes.

[Anonymous]

Pre-calc is better. Some teachers don't rely on the text but there is a text. The plug was pulled on 2.0 before pre-calc was re-written. Conversely, algebra 2 was the last class to be re-written for the 2.0 rollout and it was a trainwreck--my oldest was in the rollout year and materials were being written during the school year and barely to the teachers in time for the lesson. Neither of my kids had the option of a text book, just the packets riddled with mistakes. Youngest was in algebra 2 last year.

[Anonymous]

Just want to commiserate. Not having textbooks for these HS level Math classes really sucks. It’s a terrible and disjointed way to teach Math.

[Anonymous]

1. Ask teacher for curriculum headings for the rest of the year.. Is there already something on the MCPS website?

2. Get Algebra textbook, and read ahead according to curriculum given by teacher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pre-calc is better. Some teachers don't rely on the text but there is a text. The plug was pulled on 2.0 before pre-calc was re-written. Conversely, algebra 2 was the last class to be re-written for the 2.0 rollout and it was a trainwreck--my oldest was in the rollout year and materials were being written during the school year and barely to the teachers in time for the lesson. Neither of my kids had the option of a text book, just the packets riddled with mistakes. Youngest was in algebra 2 last year.

My oldest was in the roll out year too. He is now a freshman in college majoring in engineering and did fine in Calc II despite all the chaos we perceive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So she prefers to self teach a topic before it is covered in class?

When a concept is introduced on a Monday and test is Friday yes.

No, that's strange. Maybe she should focus on this week instead of next week, if the problem is her test scores.

[Anonymous]

Wow, that stinks. Mine has a textbook at Blair.

I agree w/ getting your own text and finding related topics. If ou can't tutor, maybe invest in a tutor who can come every Tues or Wed., so she's prepared for the Fri test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pre-calc is better. Some teachers don't rely on the text but there is a text. The plug was pulled on 2.0 before pre-calc was re-written. Conversely, algebra 2 was the last class to be re-written for the 2.0 rollout and it was a trainwreck--my oldest was in the rollout year and materials were being written during the school year and barely to the teachers in time for the lesson. Neither of my kids had the option of a text book, just the packets riddled with mistakes. Youngest was in algebra 2 last year.

Oh that's great. I'm hoping that will make a big difference. Whomever thought teaching math without a textbook was a good idea should be fired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, that stinks. Mine has a textbook at Blair.

I agree w/ getting your own text and finding related topics. If ou can't tutor, maybe invest in a tutor who can come every Tues or Wed., so she's prepared for the Fri test.

She can figure it out generally on her own but it's just really time consuming and there isn't enough time for her to review it before the test and know it well. Her Thursday homework is often the most difficult.