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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Do you think there are multiple sections of algebra that are tracked, like one for the kids who are actually ready to take algebra? Do you think the school is putting kids in Grade 8 math and then having them sit for the algebra PARCC? You're going to have a better sense of whether either of these are plausible. [/quote]

I do not know. You'd have to ask each school what they do.[/quote]

OK, so: in the absence of something that would be truly non-standard behavior for DCPS, if your kid is taking algebra in a class with 28 or so kids at that school, only about four of those kids are going to pass the test, another 5 will get 3s, and the rest are wholly unprepared to take algebra.

Which brings us back to: are they teaching it at a level that's inappropriate for most of the class, or at a level that's inappropriate for the small number of kids who are ready to take algebra? If you send your kids there, are you thinking about this or kind of not really because you're not looking at the data?[/quote]

I would think that a teacher is capable of differentiation within a class of 8th graders.  It seems like you are being kind of rigid in your thinking about this.  It's very normal to have in-class differentiation. I don't know why someone would take a PARCC test they have no hope of passing but I'm sure they have their reasons, and I don't think it affects my kid's experience what test other kids take.

I probably wouldn't send my own kid to a school without an algebra class, but I wouldn't care if some of the kids don't pass the test as long as some did.
[/quote]

How old is your kid? When you think about teacher differentiation for Algebra in a class of 8th graders, what do you have in mind? Some kids move slower than others? Some kids learn all the algebra and others only learn part? Some kids in the class aren't keeping up so they fail every test? How do think that would work in a class of 13/14 year olds, all of whom are earning grades that may determine their eligibility for a selective high school?

My kid attends a school that is trying "algebra for all" and I'm worried about whether my kid (on grade level) is actually going to be instructed at a level that will ensure that they've learned algebra.[/quote]

My kid is in 4th and is getting an appropriate level of differentiation in the classroom and through after-school AOPS group.

I think the "algebra for all" idea means that algebra is at no point foreclosed to a kid who's willing to make the effort, even if they have some catching up to do. It doesn't mean that you teach 8th grade math and call it algebra. But it does mean that if a kid finishes 7th grade math and wants to study over the summer and try algebra, they can. And if you're doing in-room differentiation, a kid who's mastered the 8th grade content should be allowed to shift to the algebra group mid-year. It's all about not cutting off their opportunities. And of course, it's not really "algebra for all" unless your math teaching is on point in all grades, so that kids have every opportunity to excel and are never held back by ineffective teaching or by scheduling problems. Just chucking them all in dumbed-down algebra in 8th, after doing a poor job serving them in 6th and 7th, is Not It.

When I think about differentiation, I guess the teacher would have two or three groups within the classroom, and the top group would be learning algebra, and the teacher rotates around teaching each group in turn, and then they work independently and in problem-solving groups when they're not with the teacher. Maybe another teacher or instructional coach pushes in, if needed.  If you're concerned about this, I would encourage you to ask your teachers-- there's really no reason this can't be done. Three ability groups is three ability groups and it's not like algebra is sooooo different from 8th grade math that the same teacher can't do both in turn. Kids don't need to be spoon-fed content by a teacher for the entire class period, it's entirely appropriate that they spend some of the time in practice and discussion and in problem-solving type activities. Kids learn a lot by discussing things amongst themselves.

I guess I've always felt like living EOTR means that the schools won't be great and my kid is going to be an academic outlier. I'm ok with this for various reasons, but I think it would be foolish to live here and complain that you aren't getting the Deal/Hardy/MoCo gifted program experience. It's awful, on a public policy level, but I can afford those school districts I'm just choosing to live here. So I don't really get worked up about it-- I know that I chose this and could move if I wanted.[/quote]

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