Reply to Grade 4/5 Compacted Math FAQ

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[quote=Anonymous]Grade 4/5 Compacted Mathematics at Middle Schools - Parent Frequently Asked Questions

When will the Curriculum 2.0 (C2.0) Compacted Grade 4/5 Math Course begin?
The course is scheduled to begin the second week of school, Tuesday, September 3, 2013, from 7:55 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. The normal start time for middle schools is 7:55 a.m. Your child’s instructor for this class will visit him or her at the elementary school during the first week of school. This will be an opportunity for your child to learn more about the class.

How will my child get to and from their C2.0 Compacted Grade 4/5 Math Course?
Parents can provide transportation, or if the child lives outside the walk zone for the middle school, students can take either the neighborhood or magnet school bus to their assigned middle school. Check the middle school website for magnet or neighborhood bus routes near your home. Elementary students should ride in seats near the bus driver.
After the class is dismissed at approximately 8:45 a.m., MCPS will provide bus transportation back to the elementary school.

How will my child know what classroom to go to at the middle school? Who will be in the class with my child?
During the first few weeks of school a staff member will greet the Compacted Mathematics students near the bus drop off and escort them to their classroom for instruction. If you are dropping your child off in the car drop off zone (most middle schools have a separate bus and car drop off), direct your child to walk over to the bus drop area to locate the staff escort.
The Compacted Grade 4/5 Math course will include only students from nearby elementary schools and will not include any middle school students. Teachers for this course are being specifically selected for their mathematics and teaching expertise.

What will my child do during the math block at their elementary school? Will my child have math homework from the C2.0 Compacted Grade 4/5 Math Course and their home school?
Students will receive homework from the instructor of the Grade 4/5 Compacted Math course to be completed during the elementary school math block. Students will not have additional math homework from the elementary school. It is understood that the early start for these students means that they should complete all math work during the school day and not have additional work in the evening.

How can I reach my child’s C2.0 Compacted Grade 4/5 Math Course teacher if I have questions or concerns?
Parents will receive the assigned teacher’s email address in order to communicate questions or concerns. In addition, the C2.0 Compacted Grade 4/5 Math Course teacher will communicate students’ progress with parents and the child’s homeroom teacher.

Why is the C2.0 Compacted Grade 4/5 Math Course not being held at my child’s elementary school?
Combining students from several elementary schools to form one full class allows the student to experience the class with a sufficient number of students to provide opportunities for student-to-student discussion of mathematics concepts. These discussions and comparison of different student strategies are an integral part of gaining a deeper understanding of mathematics.
Combining the students from several elementary schools also allows MCPS to address the impact of running one small class on the rest of the school. When a small number of students are enrolled in a separate mathematics class at an elementary school it can increase the sizes of the other math classes at the school above the Board of Education class size guidelines. In some cases MCPS can add additional staff to the school to reduce the other class sizes, but is difficult to find a highly qualified instructor for just one class and funds for additional staff are often not available.

Why is the course being offered at a middle school instead of another elementary school?
All elementary schools do not start at the same time and do not have mathematics instruction at the same time. Students transported to another elementary school during the school day will lose instructional time while being transported and it may not be possible for schools to align the times of their mathematics teaching block, which means the child could lose larger portions of instruction in other subject areas. Since middle schools start instruction before the elementary day, this option allows the student to take the Compacted Mathematics course without missing any other instruction. Students from MCPS elementary schools have successfully completed advanced mathematics courses at the middle school for many years.[/quote]

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