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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Hate to break it to y'all.

https://www2.ed.gov/datastory/stem/algebra/index.html

In America, only 24% of public school students take algebra in 8th grade.

There is also research that suggests that every student is not actually ready for Algebra even in 8th grade (and before). https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/working_papers/WR1200/WR1209/RAND_WR1209.pdf  
https://www.nctm.org/News-and-Calendar/Messages-from-the-President/Archive/Linda-M_-Gojak/Algebra_-Not-_If_-but-_When_/  
https://hechingerreport.org/kids-are-failing-algebra-the-solution-slow-down/ [/quote]

This area is not representative of general America.  You obviously don’t realize that the DC area is the most highly educated area in the country.  DC is the most highly educated city in the country.

For Algebra to be consider advance in 8th grade with this premise is a low caliber. The kids have so much more potential that is not being met.  That is how DCPS tries to narrow the achievement gap but lowering the potential of the top.  Story as old as tine. [/quote]

The articles mentioned are not parents' socioeconomic level or education level, its about what is developmentally appropriate for kids. [/quote]

So you seriously don’t think there is a good cohort of kids who are able to do Algebra earlier than 8th grade?  I’ve got a bridge to sell you.

Just look at TJ.[/quote]

Of course there is. But there are also parents, like those on this board pushing their kids to go faster and faster so they can claim how amazing their kid is (even before their kid is ready). There are high achieving students who admit they didn't truly understand math at certain levels, but they were pushed and figured out their way through. [/quote]

sure, but calling algebra in 8th grade accelerated is total DCPS bullcrap.

It simply gets you to calculus in high school.

[b]So you're saying that anyone who does calculus in high school is "ACCELERATED", according  to DCPS?
[/b]
Could we lower the standard anymore?  It's just pathetic.   :-( [/quote]

I don't consider calculus in high school to be accelerated but also not all kids need to do calculus (at all, not just not in high school). [b]It's fine for many if not most students to take Algebra and Geometry and go no further. [/b]

A truly accelerated student could take college courses in high school after completing high school calc. In DC this is much easier than in other locations where a college course might not be available nearby.

The problem in DC is that EVERY UMC family thinks their kid is accelerated simply because they are bright. They aren't! It's totally fine for a bright, engaged student to take Algebra in 8th grade and take Calc or not in high school. Many college majors will expect students to have a basis in calculus and that sets you up for those majors and helps avoid needing to take a remedial math course in college. That's enough for the vast majority of students.

I'm fine with tracking but that's different from what people on this board are talking about where what the really want is for their child to be in a special class with all the "smart" kids and never be bored or feel average.[/quote]

Wow. No, no that is not fine. [/quote]

Why not? Most people do not use Calculus as adults, at work or in their private lives. Most people who work in finance don't even use calculus! You need it for STEM fields. Not everyone is going into STEM.

The main reason people (in general but especially in this area and on DCUM) want their kids to take calculus, outside of a genuine interest and/or aptitude in math that indicates they might pursue STEM, is because it is an AP class and people want APs for weighted GPAs and for college transcripts. The end. It's also why people want their kids to take AP Physics, AP English, AP History, AP languages, etc. But it's not a course people actually need. You can skip calculus and go into almost any non-STEM field and be fine. You can do advanced statistics without calculus (I know because I do advanced statistics and data analysis for work and I never took calculus -- any I might use were learned easily on the job and no further basis was needed).

I want my kid to have the opportunity to take Calculus and for that reason I want a middle school that ensures my child can take Algebra by 8th at the latest. If she is very interested in and talented at math, I will make sure she can get it in 7th if that's what makes sense. But if she's just an average math student, I am fine with 8th and no, I don't think those are low expectations. There are lots of other things I want my kid to learn and if she never takes calculus at all, I won't worry that she will somehow be handicapped for life by it.

People in this area are INSANE about this stuff, as though if you aren't taking algebra by 7th grade you might as well just lay down and die. People need to chill out, your obsessive intensity about academic achievement is worse for you kid than these alleged "low expectations."[/quote]

You are incorrect.  There are lots of kids who are interested in taking AP courses, kids who are bored and not challenged, kids who love a subject.  The AP courses are there for the kids, not the parents.  Taking only courses that you need for some future job is not the purpose of education.

Also I don’t really care what expectations parents have but for a school district to not widely offer a track past calculus when we know students are capable of this is a school district that has low expectations of its students.  The end.[/quote]

What is this "track past Calculus" you are talking about? Are there actually high schools offering differential equations or linear algebra in high school? And are there kids who have no intention of pursuing degrees in math, engineering, or hard sciences who take them? It's okay to just take that stuff in college, where you can be taught by someone with a PhD. It would be incredibly hard to find high school math teachers capable of teaching these subjects, and even if you did, the odds are good you'd be expected to retake them in college because it's just very unlikely that a high school class, even at a very good school, could be rigorous enough to master these concepts.

Sorry, but Calc I and maybe Calc II are more than enough for most high school students. This is not low expectations, this is realistic. High school is not intended to be college. These are children.

Also, hate to be the one to break this to you, but a kid taking Calculus their junior or senior year who feels insufficiently challenged? Doesn't need a harder math class. They need a different approach to life. You want a challenge? Get an A+ in Calc and a perfect score on your AP exam. Too easy? Okay great, develop the life skills needed to find out which local universities offer higher level math and investigate taking one, or even just auditing it --  smart, ambitious kid who is bored by his current AP classes should find a complex problem like that engaging to solve. Use your social skills to reach out to the professor to ask permission to take their course. Talk to you parents about tuition or see if you can audit it for a reduced price or for free. Talk to your school's administration about getting credit.

The answer to "my child isn't challenged in his high school calculus class" is not "the school district should be offering college level math in junior year." It's to figure out what other skills your kid needs to work on and to work on them. Taking a difficult course load in high school is impressive but not sufficient. It's not up to the school district to ensure that you can specialize in every possible academic area in high school. Do something you are bad at. Join the wrestling team, audition for the school musical, challenge yourself to make a new group of friends.

Many DCPS high schools are inadequate but the idea that the main problem is that middle school students aren't taking algebra in 7th grade is insane. That's not the problem.[/quote]

+100

And just as a note, this is taken from Harvard's website:

"Specifically, calculus is neither a requirement nor a preference for admission to Harvard. We understand that many students have no intention to pursue college coursework that requires a knowledge of calculus, and that other students are unsure of their future college studies. We also understand that not all students have the same opportunities to take certain math classes in high school, including calculus. Thus, we encourage applicants to pursue the pathways through math that are available to them and aligned with their interests and goals."

https://college.harvard.edu/resources/faq/are-there-secondary-school-course-requirements-admission [/quote]

It’s obvious the above is targeting kids in poorly performing schools that don’t offer calculus, likely are URM. They say that but you are truly delusional if you don’t think that all the other kids getting in at least have taken the minimum of calculus.

If you are not even strong enough in math to go this basic track, I highly doubt you will have the scores and stats needed to even be considered.  Above is any major but if you are interested in STEM without calculus, forget about it.[/quote]

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