Reply to What math in fifth grade leads to Algebra 1 in sixth grade?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My kid was in compacted math in 5th, and qualified for the magnet middle school lottery (but was not picked). Can't remember her MAP-M, but it was decent.

We asked that she be tested the summer before 6th grade, to enroll in Alg 1 in 6th. [b]The math coordinator at Westland MS gave her a test on Alg 1 topics. Not pre-algebra. She got a couple questions wrong out of 20. He said she couldn't enroll in Alg 1[/b]. I had the distinct impression he was trying his best to avoid accelerating anyone. He did the same thing to a couple of DD's friends. It is entirely unfair to demand that students already know the content of the class they are asking to enroll in. MCPS is supposed to test for readiness, not mastery.

As it happened, our kid went to the MCPS virtual academy for 6th anyway, where they were delighted to place her in Alg 1, no questions asked. She returned to Westland for 7th grade, and was placed in Honors Geo, since that was the next class, and was bused to BCC for Alg 2 in 8th grade. Now she's in high school, on track to take an advanced math class at UMD for 12th grade if she wants. Math poses no difficulty for her.
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This is outrageous. He should have just said it was not possible instead of making it look like it's your daughter's failure.[/quote]

In what way is this outrageous? The math coordinator makes the rules. These are kind of the same standards they use for early entry to kindergarten. And 20 questions couldn't have possibly covered the whole Alg. 1 curriculum. Alg. 1 is easy. It could signal that the math coordinator is really rigid or some of you may say a jerk, but it could also show a lack of understanding by the student [b]of some key concepts.[/b][/quote]

So what if she doesn't understand some key concepts? She will learn them in the class. Did you not understand that she was tested on the mastery of the subject [i]she would be taking that year[/i]?[/quote]

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