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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What it looks like to me is that the actual math acceleration is now starting in 6th grade rather than with elementary school compacted math.  [/quote]

They're recharacterizing acceleration more as dipping into the next year's content during the current year's instruction than as [i]covering[/i] the next year's content early.  They can do this because many elementary modules in one grade have a parallel/more complex module covering a similar concept (or natural extensions thereof) in the next grade.  This "content spiral" has been in place for quite a while.

It won't introduce the wholly new concepts from the grade ahead, though, and kids being given acceleration in 3rd, for example, covering parallel material from 4th grade, will then cover that material again when they hit 4th, presumably with the same kind of acceleration into 5th grade material.  MCPS is relying on this to:

1) hold the intetest/address the need to stretch of kids at the higher end of the math capability spectrum

2) provide a more nuanced structure for the entirety of the spectrum, with an easier (if still imperfect) means of shifting among groupings during the year, when compared to the current separation of on-level vs. compacted

3) ensure more consistent mastery of the subject with time committed to full coverage of on-grade-level content during the instructional block.

MCPS risks a lot with this approach, however.  It is uncertain whether it will really provide challenge enough to hold that interest in 1, whether their groupings will result in any greater mobility of 2, whether the population with higher capabilty will see marked benefit from 3, or whether MCPS's oft-noted implementation inconsistencies from school to school will undermine all of that.  It will take quite a while to see.[/quote]

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