Reply to Algebra 1 6th Grade 26-27

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Bored or great at memorizing procedures. If you look at FCPS longitudinal data regarding student enrollment in mathematics, far too many students who accelerate and take Algebra earlier than 8th grade fall back and take a less rigorous path once they reach Algebra 2. But go ahead and tell me “not your child”. Hyper-acceleration in mathematics is detrimental to students, but apparently FCPS leadership doesn’t see it this way. [/quote]

Can you share a link to this? Or is this internal info only? [/quote]

The data is internal, but I am sure it can be acquired through FOIA. Decisions are being made in FCPS without taking this data into account. [/quote]

Since you're privy to the information:  What does this less rigorous path look like?  Is it Honors Algebra I in 7th, Honors Geometry in 8th, regular or Honors Algebra II in 9th, regular pre-calculus in 10th, calculus AB in 11th, and then something else?  Or are they not taking calculus at all?  Did they have bad grades in Algebra II?  What percent of the kids in the 7th grade algebra I cohort didn't take Calculus BC in 11th grade?[/quote]

Teachers on the board have said that they had plenty of 9th graders is A2H who earned Cs and had started the class having earned Bs and Cs in A1H and Geometry. People want to dismiss those accounts but they are out there. [/quote]
But this is a meaningless anecdote if you don't quantify how many is "plenty."  Are these teachers saying that half of their 9th grade A2H students are getting Cs and did throughout?  25%?  10%?  What percent are struggling?  Also, what percent have earned As throughout?  What percent took Calc BC in 11th and earned As in every math class through Calculus?

Then, the next obvious question is what FCPS should do with any of this data.  If some small fraction of the accelerated kids are struggling, but another fraction is knocking it out of the park, would you restrict access to everyone?  Would you gatekeep the accelerated track more strongly (and by doing so prevent some kids who would have been successful from accessing the acceleration)?   No matter how you try to spin things, a lot of kids are perfectly successful on the accelerated track.  Should they be denied that opportunity because some kids aren't ready?[/quote]

IME once kids are tracked to algebra 1 honors they stay honors unless they get a D or F. The information requires some digging (there’s not a report I can pull easily for all kids in my class to see prior math grades that I’m aware of), but when I’ve gone looking in past years it feels like 60% of honors algebra 2 kids had As and Bs in algebra 1 honors/geometry honors, and 20% had Cs. (The desire to remain with cohort of peers is strong) The other 20% are kids who try to jump up from regular geometry to algebra 2 honors, and almost universally struggle to get a B or a C at the honors level, even with As in gen ed. It is a rare child who can make that jump and maintain a A. Frequently after first semester they drop back down due to Ds and Fs.

This year I only have gen ed algebra 2, but I have a handful of freshmen in the class. They all struggled with honors geometry (Cs and Ds) and so came back to gen ed for 9th grade. I was surprised there was no desire to expunge, but all families stated they didn’t want to redo geometry.

This is a pretty well regarded high school.[/quote]

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