Reply to Pre-algebra in 6th

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Reply to "Pre-algebra in 6th - score cutoffs"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Yes I agree. Work with the school system to get an advanced sixth grade math class created. [/quote]

Another thing that could be done is not automatically placing all the more advanced kids into super intensified higher math classes. Just because it was the right choice to go into a more advanced math class in sixth grade doesn't necessarily mean that you should take algebra2intensified/trig in 9th grade. [/quote]

I don't think this is automatic. You can always take the non intensified version of the course. [/quote]

You can, but the default (which is what I meant by automatic) is the intensified class. [/quote]

If you take Pre-Algebra in 6th grade, then your only option is to take Algebra I Intensified in 7th grade. When APS redid the math pathways in 2019, they intended to only have a small group of students (i.e., one class) track to Pre-Algebra in 6th grade. The assumption was that those students were truly advanced in math, and therefore would have no issues taking Algebra I Intensified in 7th grade. All of the other students were supposed to track to Math 6. From there, they split to Pre-Algebra or Math 7, and then to Pre-Algebra, Algebra I or Algebra I Intensified in 8th grade. Parents lost their minds though because: ([b]1) they couldn't cope with the thought of their kid not being the best at something and/or (2) they didn't want their above average math kid mixed with average math kids in Math 6.[/b] As a result, more and more parents started pushing to move their kid from Math 6 to Pre-Algebra, which might work out fine for 6th grade. However, not all the kids in Pre-Algebra in 6th grade are ready for Algebra I Intensified in 7th grade. But there is not a non-intensified Algebra I option available to 7th graders. Non-intensified Algebra I is only available to 8th graders. So it is all a big mess now and probably not serving any of the kids well. https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/MS-Pathways-SY21.pdf[/quote]
I don't think those are the reasons.  I think it's true that kids who are 98th percentile are bored in elementary school math, but so are the kids in the 90-94th percentile.  Elementary math didn't challenge them either.  So their options are to be bored and under challenged for another year in Math 6 or try to stretch to Math 6-7-8.  I don't think parents are intentionally placing their kids incorrectly out of ego, but are just trying to fit their kid into the existing system.  Some kids rise to the occasion and I'm sure others struggle.[/quote]

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