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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I hate the pressure to accelerate in math early common in APS.  It does not serve 99% of the student body long term.  How many 3s are there in the BC Calc exam junior year?  How many quit this path?  How many take advanced math in college?  How do they do?   The students would be much better served with a stronger base and get to advanced math — if they ever do — in college with a stronger base.  This is the track at all the fancy private schools fwiw.  APS cannot actually accelerate the 1% who actually do need it and are truly bored without parents screaming about their special kid as well.  And of course — equity — APS gives in. [/quote]
There are multiple reasons why private schools don't generally accelerate. One is that they don't want to have to tell fee-paying parents that their kid doesn't qualify for acceleration. It is politically easier not to offer accelerated math classes to avoid angering some parents. Also, by the end of HS, kids don't look so obviously different in their math enrollments which makes some parents happy.[/quote]

I’m not talking about your run of the mill private school.  I am talking about the top boarding and day schools in the US.   Which do offer accelerated math for kids—way beyond what is offered in APS.  They do reserve it for a handful of kids; like the 2-4 who actually need it.  So how does that work with your analysis?  I am familiar with almost all of them in the area, NYC, and east coast boarding.  Cannot speak to West Coast.   I am only using it as an example of what time, money and thought could be for a different APS experience.  It’s acceleration for no good reason.  Everyone in STEM actually understands this as well. [/quote]
I said privates don't generally accelerate, meaning dedicated accelerated classes. When privates have kids that are very accelerated (2+ years), they let them individually accelerate. They do this because other parents can see that child is several years ahead and therefore don't request similar placement. Privates are less inclined to offer one-year ahead acceleration because then more parents are able to request the same acceleration which opens up the political issues referenced above. Similar arguments for a dedicated year-ahead class. However, that does not mean that moderately accelerated kids would not do well with acceleration, but the political costs of providing that moderate acceleration rise, disinclining private schools from offering it. Which is one reason why you see more private school kids in grade level math than in public schools.[/quote]

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