Reply to Why the push for accelerated math?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I wanted to offer a different perspective with some anectodal data from the Midwest. Our HS school district is hardly the most competitive in the area, but ~50 seniors out of a class of ~750 took MV Calculus/Linear Algebra this past year after having taken Calculus AB or BC junior year. Approx. 4 seniors had already taken MVC/LA and either didn't take math this year or took higher math through college programs.

At the middle school level, 25 7th graders out of ~150 took Algebra 1 this year and two 7th graders took Geometry.

The vast majority of the kids on these tracks enjoy math and would be bored in lower level classes. Also, these kids run the gamut: some are passionate about math and seek out outside enrichment opportunities; others are high-level athletes and have other interests and are just really good at math.

It's curious that so many people on this thread are arguing about what is accelerated vs. normal when the real issue is that the arms race in math is unavoidable, especially with so many bright international students vying for a spot at US universities. [B]The parents who are arguing that acceleration is a "race to nowhere" are rightly afraid that their children will struggle to keep up with the top of the class.[/b] But clearly, there are many American kids who can handle and even relish the opportunity to learn higher math alongside their peers in high school and middle school. America needs to keep offering these opportunities in order to keep up our global competitiveness. If kids can handle it (I'm all for testing in), let them accelerate. [/quote]

These parents think their kid is competing against my kid for top jobs.  But they're both competing against 100,000 motivated kids in China and India
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