Reply to MCPS is cuttting compacted math and cohorted literacy enrichment

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Pp mentions that the REAL issue is that this model has kids doing Pre-Calculus in 9th grade, but then Calculus A/B and B/C in succession.What is wrong here? I am not familiar with the math progression here. I am a foreigner. The issue is too difficult or should not break caclcus in A to C, or miss the curriculum of geometry or statistics? Does that mean parents should supplement on their own like IXL, RSM, or AOPS outside of school in some years?   I am from Asia, so I am confused what all these mean. [/quote]

I'm that PP, and here's my issue with that progression.

[b]Current system[/b]

Right now, your standard "bright" kid who took compacted math in 4th grade will end up in Honors Pre-Calculus in 10th grade. That's a real crucible year for a lot of kids, and it's not uncommon for kids to take the "off-ramp" in 10th and drop down to On-Level Pre-Calculus.

Whether they did Honors or On-Level, the kids who finished Pre-Calculus then choose between Calculus AB and Calculus BC. This is another "off-ramp" of sorts because kids who did okay in Honors Pre-Calculus but are not interested in STEM will often take Calculus AB their junior year. The kids who want a STEM career or for whom math comes a bit easier take BC immediately after Pre-Calculus.

It's pretty uncommon to take AB and then BC because it means repeating the entire B section. A kid who is good at math isn't going to want or need that repeated material.

[b]Proposed new system[/b]

The proposed new system seems "off" in two ways.

First, Pre-Calculus is moved to 9th grade for the vast majority of kids. Now, we know that under the current system even kids who were "compacted" struggle mightily in Pre-Calculus, and MCPS wants to move it a year earlier AND put more kids into that class?

But then they screw it up a different way, by projecting those kids out to taking Calculus AB in 10th and BC in 11th.

That's a stupid progression and I suspect they know it. It forces "bright-but-not math-oriented" kids into Calculus a year earlier than the current progression, and it ALSO screws over kids ready for BC directly after Pre-Calculus.

[b]What they are trying to cover up is that they don't have enough math available for kids to take in HS if they take Pre-Calculus in 9th. [/b] That's why I said parents need to keep their eye on the ball here. They are stretching Calculus into two years so that you don't notice that a math-oriented kid will run out of math classes in 11th grade. [/quote]

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