One reason we stayed in MCPS. Kid 1 did Alg 1 in 7th, kid 2 did Alg 1 in 6th. MCPS offers AP Stats, AP Calc (AB and BC), multivariable calculus and dual enrollment with community college should kids want more. We know a kid who took a math class at UMD for 12th grade.

Anonymous wrote:In our independent school the accelerated track is geometry in 8th grade which I think is necessary to get to Calc BC by senior year which the more competitive colleges prefer but would love feedback if I'm off on the progression.

No, Geometry in 8th leads to Calculus in 11th grade. So your child would need some other math for 12th.

To get to Calculus in 12th, they should take algebra in 8th. Or some do algebra in 9th and then geometry over the summer, but that seems very less than ideal to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take Algebra as an 8th grader.
Take Geometry (ideally online) over the summer before 10th grade
Algebra 2/Trig in 10th
Pre Calculus in 11th
AP calc in 12th.

No math in 9th grade? why?

I think they meant algebra in 9th.

I did. Sorry.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take Algebra as an 8th grader.
Take Geometry (ideally online) over the summer before 10th grade
Algebra 2/Trig in 10th
Pre Calculus in 11th
AP calc in 12th.

No math in 9th grade? why?

WHOOPS!

I meant 9th grade.

Good catch.

OP here. Sounds like online Algebra I in 8th grade school year or 9th grade summer doing Geometry would be the best bets. Unless we decide to make a school change. That seems extreme if there are other options, but maybe a change could have other upsides that I’m not considering right now.

There are several accredited online courses for Algebra 1 such as the one given by OneSchoolHouse.com over the summer.

You just need to be careful of the timing. When admitted to a private high school, kids will sit for a placement test in Algebra around April or May of their 8th grade year and the school has to determine placement and student numbers by the end of May/ early June.

I don't know if you can tell the school that your student will be taking Algebra 1 over the summer before 9th because he would have had to test out of it earlier.

Because of this, your student will have to complete the Algebra 1 course in the summer between 7th and 8th grade- then take pre-Algebra at school. Not sure how to get around this?

Take an algebra class over the summer so you can go directly into geometry in 9th grade. Several schools offer the full year algebra course in summer.

This is a down side of small privates. They don't have the numbers to support it and their curriculum isn't on pace to provide it. When our school decided to do Algebra I in 8th, they went back and re-scheduled the pace of math starting in 5th to make sure all content was covered.

I would see if they can support your child taking it online during the math block.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take Algebra as an 8th grader.
Take Geometry (ideally online) over the summer before 10th grade
Algebra 2/Trig in 10th
Pre Calculus in 11th
AP calc in 12th.

No math in 9th grade? why?

I think they meant algebra in 9th.

It is a big problem if your school doesn't offer Algebra 1 for 8th graders. That is the pretty standard path and I would seriously question a school that didn't offer that.

In our independent school the accelerated track is geometry in 8th grade which I think is necessary to get to Calc BC by senior year which the more competitive colleges prefer but would love feedback if I'm off on the progression.

Anonymous wrote:Take Algebra as an 8th grader.
Take Geometry (ideally online) over the summer before 10th grade
Algebra 2/Trig in 10th
Pre Calculus in 11th
AP calc in 12th.

No math in 9th grade? why?

I am going to be in the same situation with an overseas private school before moving back to FCPS when my child enters 9th. I've been debating whether to have child take Algebra 1 online outside of school concurrently in 8th or over the summer, then start in geometry for 9th; or take Algebra 1 in 9th and then take summer geometry. I agree Calculus in 12th is important.

Take Algebra as an 8th grader.
Take Geometry (ideally online) over the summer before 10th grade
Algebra 2/Trig in 10th
Pre Calculus in 11th
AP calc in 12th.

Kids are at a small parochial school that doesn’t formally offer Algebra 1. They do some enrichment and “occasionally” students can test into Geometry for high school. Supposedly some Catholic high schools also offer “accelerated” or honors math that could get a kid to AP calculus in HS even if kid did not do Algebra I in 8th grade. Does anyone have experience on this that they can share? It seems to me kids will be falling behind without Algebra I in 8th grade. Considering if we should be looking more seriously at going back into MCPS for middle school or independent Catholic schools that would offer this. What do you recommend?