Algebra 1 in high school

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:All MCPS schools offer Algebra I in high school. It is basically remedial math.

My DS took algebra 1 in public MS and then took the algebra 1 placement test for Catholic HS. He didn’t pass and neither did other students who got As in public MS. He said a lot of the material in his 9th grade algebra 1 class was new.

Algebra 1 is a class taught to state standards in public school. What material was new?

Taught to state standards. lol!

The nice thing about public schools is that all the testing people complain about demonstrates whether or not the kids have mastered the material. What does Catholic algebra cover that Maryland state standards omit?

Public schools spend a ton of time testing so I imagine that they didn’t finish the entire curriculum in MS.

Let me get this straight, you think that public schools spend so much time testing that they omit material that the tests cover?

Mine does.

I'm guessing that you can't actually say what though

That they aren’t spending time testing? You’re a fool if you think that’s not happening.
You’re also a fool if you think the kids aren’t getting the knowledge from outside of school because parents know that the curicullum isn’t covered well.

My kids didn't take a lot in MS, but we had the option to opt out. They haven't taken any in HS yet either. Except MAP which is a few hours, no big deal.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If a student struggles in Algebra or takes it too early, they will struggle with the entire math sequence that follows. It’s literally a cornerstone course. those who think it’s remedial are not well versed in why it’s such an important course. No reason to push kids though. It’s always better to ensure they understand concepts before moving forward.

Those who think it is remedial realize that there are a large number of students who will take it in 7th or 8th and won't struggle in higher math classes. Those kids are your kid's competition for college

The kids who aren’t rushed through it and not be taught it with a diluted curicullum will score higher than yours on SAT, etc. Those kids are your kid’s competition for college.

There are 4000 colleges to choose from. If you choose to make it a competition, that’s on you.

Do you really think that there are 4,000 colleges worth attending? What do you think the a degree from a school in the 3,750 - 4,000 range is worth?

Yes, I do think those schools are worth it. My spouse went to one and makes a good living.

Algebra is Algebra. Doing it early is not rushing through it. It's the same curriculum. You can tell yourself that the private is better but having the same kid do both, I can tell you the public school classes were far better. The quality of teachers were the difference. The private weren't impressive.

Privates have older kids, who are on a slower track. So, yes, it's easier for them. Easier is not always better for a smart kid.

Well, I can tell you that having a child who has an A average in algebra 1 in public school doesn’t know and isn’t being taught an enormous amount of the algebra 1 that his older sibling is taking in private. Sure algebra is algebra and anyone can say that who doesn’t know what is missing from what they are only being taught.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The idea that anyone doing Algebra 1 in 9th is behind or remedial is toxic. Moving kids quickly through math is not helping with proficiency. They are just going through the motions and not developing true mastery and knowledge attainment.

We need to normalize more kids taking Algebra 1 in 9th grade, not fewer.

I was told by a college employee that the students who take it in 9th perform better on the SAT.

That's because the SAT only goes up to Algebra 2 or pre-cal so they remember it better. That doesn't mean we should slow down math, it means kids need refresher classes. Not everything is about SAT's.

I didn’t say SAT’s is all that matters but it certainly one thing to consider and colleges do consider it.
If they need a refresher, they don’t know it.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If a student struggles in Algebra or takes it too early, they will struggle with the entire math sequence that follows. It’s literally a cornerstone course. those who think it’s remedial are not well versed in why it’s such an important course. No reason to push kids though. It’s always better to ensure they understand concepts before moving forward.

Those who think it is remedial realize that there are a large number of students who will take it in 7th or 8th and won't struggle in higher math classes. Those kids are your kid's competition for college

The kids who aren’t rushed through it and not be taught it with a diluted curicullum will score higher than yours on SAT, etc. Those kids are your kid’s competition for college.

There are 4000 colleges to choose from. If you choose to make it a competition, that’s on you.

Do you really think that there are 4,000 colleges worth attending? What do you think the a degree from a school in the 3,750 - 4,000 range is worth?

Yes, I do think those schools are worth it. My spouse went to one and makes a good living.

Algebra is Algebra. Doing it early is not rushing through it. It's the same curriculum. You can tell yourself that the private is better but having the same kid do both, I can tell you the public school classes were far better. The quality of teachers were the difference. The private weren't impressive.

Privates have older kids, who are on a slower track. So, yes, it's easier for them. Easier is not always better for a smart kid.

Well, I can tell you that having a child who has an A average in algebra 1 in public school doesn’t know and isn’t being taught an enormous amount of the algebra 1 that his older sibling is taking in private. Sure algebra is algebra and anyone can say that who doesn’t know what is missing from what they are only being taught.

Sounds like there are bigger issues in your home and that's not a good comparison. Why is one kid in private and one in public, when you claim public is so bad? Maybe your public kid just isn't that good in math and that's why they struggled they need more support and you wouldn't provide it. But, your two kids are not the norm. Maybe you should love the younger kid more and put them in private.

My same kid did both public and private classes for Algebra, Geometry and Algebra 2 and the worst was Algebra 2 in the private. The Algebra and Geometry in private were ok but the teachers were meh. All the classes were virtual (all six) so we could see and monitor everything. We planned to put our kid in private until that last private school class and decided the money is better used on other things. The school was completely unresponsive to a bad teacher.