Reply to VA math changes - ways to speak out

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

How well do the kids do who take Math 7 and then Algebra? Is it just that Algebra is hard or that Math 7 actually prepares them better?[/quote]

When I was going through FCPS, Math 7 was a repeat of Math 6, which was a repeat of Math 5. Except for a one-week unit on 'how to use a checkbook', there was no new content in the course.

It provides an extra year of prealgebra instruction, which is helpful if A) your elementary school was somehow behind and never taught you requisite concepts, or B) you're a kid that just needs an extra year for your brain to mature in order to 'get it'.

But if we're putting huge swaths of kids through Algebra in 7th, and 2/3 of them are doing fine, then I think that speaks to the fact that it's not just a niche thing for one or two kids... there's a genuine need, and forcing everyone to wait until 9th grade to cover these concepts is a horrible idea.[/quote]

That's what I was wondering. Maybe Algebra just needs to be split up like calculus for some into Algebra AB and Algebra BC verses just Math 7. My child skipped Math 7 so I don't know what it entailed. I was trying to figure out if Math 7 prepared kids to do better in Algebra or if it didn't give kids much additional help. If we are going to delay Algebra for some, I'd really like the year before to really help kids get ready and likely also teach some of the courses so the following year in Algebra is a mix of repeat work and new instruction.[/quote]

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