Reply to MCPS New Math Pathway, No AIM6 in MS

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Due to COVID and learning losses, I've been told that MCPS is focusing on remediation, and that all students (even those in currently in compacted math) will be taking Math 6 in 6th grade, Math 7 in 7th, and Algebra in 8th. (I have a compacted math kid who is going into 6th next year). Are all schools following this pathway due to Covid? We were told the kids could double up Geometry and Algebra II in 9th grade to "catch up" to the old pathway.[/quote]

This is incorrect and if your middle school presented this information, they are incorrect. AIM6 has not been eliminated but some schools are moving to eliminate it. It is true that schools may need to change the numbers typically enrolled. Content from each course has been reduced to 50-70% of a typical year. MCPS even published a public facing comment detailing what remains in the curriculums this year:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VT3NlSpH3Ytby5s16Vxs9HkEb7eI64wCQNzhY1jR0Ao/edit

In addition, there is increasing data that the acceleration through mathematics content is not benefiting students. San Francisco detracted and actually increased Ap participation and scores: https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/a-bold-effort-to-end-algebra-tracking-shows-promise/2018/06

If your middle school is eliminating AIM6, they are going rogue.[/quote]

I forgot to add that if you look at the State Report Card data, schools in MCPS have fewer students passing the PARCC assessments including Algebra 1. They are earning A's but cannot meet state expectations. The decrees in pass rates and a general widening of the gap tracks the acceleration and Dr. Smith's tenure. [/quote]

I don't think the evidence you are pointing to really shows that acceleration is not benefitting students. SF did not just detrack, they also changed the curriculum, and delayed tracking by moving the point of acceleration later. The article you are pointing to is more nuanced and does not claim any causation. It is very possible the problem was not access to algebra in eighth grade per se, but the instruction before algebra, and the criteria they used for placing students in algebra in eighth grade. (This reminds me of what happened in MCPS: Until about ten years ago (before curriculum 2.0) math acceleration in MCPS was just out of control. Along with curriculum 2.0, MCPS went from one extreme to another, and stopped acceleration completely. Then it was realized that the one size fits all approach was not workable, and they introduced new math pathways with compact 4/5 etc.) Also, looking at [url]https://www2.ed.gov/datastory/stem/algebra/index.html[/url], it seems SFUSD seems like an exception.

Similarly, is there really any evidence to conclude that fewer students in MCPS passing the PARCC assessments tracks with acceleration? Take a couple of examples: Newport Mill MS, a feeder to Einstein, has a much better trend line for Proficiency in MCAP Algebra 1 compared to Einstein HS. Tilden MS and North Bethesda MS, both feeders to WJ, have much better trend lines for Algebra 1 compared to WJ. It seems that students that take algebra in MS perform better in PARCC/MCAP assessments than those that take algebra in HS. (May be we should force everyone to take algebra in MS then ?!  :lol: )

We have a very large public school system, with more than 50% of eighth graders either taking algebra 1 or higher. (As per [url]https://www2.ed.gov/datastory/stem/algebra/index.html[/url], in 2015-16 45% of eighth graders were taking algebra 1. Add those that were taking Geometry or higher since they had already finished algebra 1 before eighth grade.) Completely removing algebra from MS is a nonstarter as it will only add to the achievement gap. Just as in SF, "ambitious parents" will "shell out thousands of dollars for students to take non-district algebra classes ..." worsening the gap.

Are there students that should delay algebra until HS? Sure. Should every student in MCPS wait until HS to take algebra? No way.

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