Reply to Algebra 1 in 6th grade, followed by normal pace

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]A common concern raised by equity proponents is that HS students may not be learning Calculus as thoroughly as they should. Instead, statistics is suggested as a better choice since students tend to learn it better in HS.  Math educators who support equity efforts argue that postponing Calculus until college could lead to a more proficient learning experience. A big benefit of not allowing calculus enrollment in high school is it immediately addresses the math equity gap that is caused by Calculus students graduating HS with two additional math years compared to those who complete HS with just Algebra 2.[/quote]
[img]https://i.ibb.co/xhkWV48/2023apcalcstat.jpg[/img]
There is a whole segment of academic researchers and teachers who have buried their head into equity philosophy, and generate virtue signaling content all over the internet, justifying lower and slower math is better for everyone, including advanced students.  But data proves them wrong.  HS students that enroll in Calc BC have shown they are more than capable of mastering Calculus than the apparently easier Statistics.  [/quote]

+1. [b]People keep insisting that kids' brains are "not ready" for Algebra when they're younger[/b], and that they will have gaps in their understanding or struggle in later math classes.  If the data actually supported this idea, they might have a point in pushing a slower track.  The AP Calc and SOL data pretty convincingly show that the accelerated kids are more than capable of handling their accelerated path.

Parents here are very oddly competitive about math level, and it seems like everyone wants the highest available level to be the one that their kid is taking.  The parents of kids who didn't qualify for 7th grade Algebra want to restrict other kids from taking it or want to redefine math levels such that their kids are just as smart and capable as the more accelerated kids.  The parents of the 7th grade Algebra kids act like it's absurd for anyone to access 6th or even 5th grade Algebra.  It makes sense that people don't want their kids to look worse on paper than kids who are more advanced.  It's sad, though, to be so petty as to try to hold other kids back just because their own kids aren't ready for more acceleration.  [/quote]

DP.  I am not one of the posters you are referring to since I have not posted that on this thread but I have heard it from knowledgeable, experienced math teachers.  The same is true for learning to read, fwiw, some kids are ready young and some kids are ready at the usual time and a few kids late - but generally if you try to teach a child too early, you only frustrate them and yourself.  Same for math, although you don't seem to believe that.  [/quote]
PP here.  I do agree that teaching math too early is a problem.  For Algebra, some PPs and math teachers define “too early” as 6th grade or 7th grade.  I define it as “the kid hasn’t yet mastered pre-Algebra.”   [/quote]

PP (DP) here.  My point was that it is developmental, not that the prior requisite knowledge has not yet been taught or mastered.  As you watch kids grow and mature, you see that many things come and go at developmental stages that occur at roughly the same time among children, sometimes earlier and sometimes later for kids but usually in a known and predictable window.  [/quote]

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