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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Many school systems gatekeep a bit too much for advanced math.  In FCPS, there are a lot of kids who would be quite capable of 6th grade Algebra, but made one or two careless mistakes on a test taken in 2nd grade, and thus don't meet the CogAT cutoff.

Iready is given every year and has a very high ceiling.  FCPS should be looking into acceleration options for the kids who are far into the 99th percentile.  [b]Many of these kids spend all of their early and mid ES years learning nothing at all in their school math class.[/b]  [/quote]
Keeping equity bs aside,  can you imagine the progress FCPS would be making on math excellence front if thousands of students were taught the next level instead? [/quote]

My impression is that if a kid is far into the 99th percentile on iready and demonstrates at the beginning-of-year math testing that they already know everything that is to be taught that year, FCPS does absolutely nothing for that kid.  They could push them into a higher grade level class.  They could at least provide extra push in enrichment or exempt the kid from the regular class and instead let them do AoPS/Beast academy.  But for the most part, they do absolutely nothing and let the kid be bored out of their minds for the year.  The very small handful of kids who are skipped ahead in FCPS were fortunate enough to have teachers and principals who wanted them to learn at the right level.  [/quote]

Were you, as a kid, regularly just pushed to skip a grade in math? I did it twice - it's not easy nor something that should be done lightly. Friends whose kids were principal placed in advanced math (and therefore skipped a grade) have all talked about how challenging it is. Some kids were indeed thriving in the [b]regular[/b] advanced math track after not having it by second semester, but some dropped back to regular math.

Accelerating is one thing, entirely skipping a grade is another.
-parent whose kid regularly scores 99th percentile on iReady but definitely isn't ready to just start skipping math years[/quote]

I did not have the opportunity to skip a grade in math.  I spent all of Algebra 2 reading fiction books under the desk, not paying the slightest bit of attention, and still acing the course.  I got perfect scores on the ACT math and SAT math in 8th grade.  The regular path was not challenging enough.

I have one kid who did Algebra I in 7th grade.  I have another who took it in 4th.  Both of them were appropriately placed, and neither of them found any step of the way overly challenging.  My 4th grade Algebra I kid felt that 8th grade AP Calculus was the first time that school math was even slightly challenging.  Kids have a range of giftedness, motivation, and temperament that may make acceleration appropriate or inappropriate.  There is no obvious answer.

Also, PP, is your kid just at the 99th percentile cut, or are they far above it?  My 7th grade Algebra I kid was right around the 99th percentile cut.  My other one was off the charts.  Not all 99th percentile scores are equal.[/quote]

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