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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I have a child who did Algebra in 6th and a child who did Algebra in 7th.

The benefit of a fast track is:

1. Avoiding boredom and being appropriately challenged.
2. Getting noticed positively for college admissions (although these days a lot of students take Algebra 1 in 7th, so in itself that's not newsworthy).

[b]The disadvantages are:[/b]

1. [b]Getting into difficulties later in the more advanced math classes. [/b] Age-old question: is it better to have straight As in an easy class, or Bs in a hard class?

It's not always possible to know in advance how your child will do. I'm the sort of person who is willing to try, and then support my kids with tutors, or teacher them myself at home, or, if need be, take a slower track (although that never happened). 
[/quote]
There is no evidence for the claim that you "get into difficulties later" - it's politically motivated misinformation that was spread by, for instance, proponents of VMPI.

The longitudinal numbers show a different picture: students who are screened to take Algebra I earlier do better in it and they do better later.  (Run SOL statistics, for instance.)
[/quote]

PP you replied to. You sound exhausting. The fear of not doing well later when a child starts an advanced track is perfectly legitimate, and it was verified in the experience of my oldest child, who made it all the way to AP Calc BC, and then collapsed in math. Luckily, it was his senior year, and his second semester grades didn't matter. My second child is the one who took Algebra 1 in 6th, and compared to her brother, I feel she's on a more assured footing, because her math understanding is a lot more solid than his at the same age.

Please don't dismiss concerns like this, or immediately jump to weird politicization. It's uncalled for. And don't think for a minute that "screening" somehow guarantees that a child won't have problems. Anything can happen, that's why parents must always be vigilant, and be ready to jump in and support their child.

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