Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child qualified, and I am really surprised by the number of kids we know that qualified but are opting out.

I would guess that a child who scored pass advanced on the 7th grade SOL and 91% or higher on the IAAT has mastered the math 7 material and is prepared for Algebra.

My son scored 98% on the IAAT and 587 on the 7th grade SOL, but we opted out. He could certainly do regular Algebra I, but I Algebra I Honors is much tougher and I don't see how the compacted math curriculum in ES would have adequately prepared most kids for the class. Most people I know who put their 7th graders in it pulled them out or had them repeat it, and I haven't heard anything good about any of the Algebra I H teachers in the middle school. The one my daughter had was awful and showed disdain towards any kid who wasn't an absolute math genius.

If it was that difficult, and so many dropped, I would think they would tighten up the criteria. My kid is not a math whiz...but he had an amazing math teacher in 6th that took them through much of Algebra already. He qualified, and it taking Algebra next year in 7th. I don't think he'll be at the top of the class, but I'm sure he'll be fine. If he's not, he'll take it again in 8th.

Why is there no option for 7th graders to take Algebra 1 (not honors)?

I meant they're taking pre-Calculus as sophomores.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child qualified, and I am really surprised by the number of kids we know that qualified but are opting out.

I would guess that a child who scored pass advanced on the 7th grade SOL and 91% or higher on the IAAT has mastered the math 7 material and is prepared for Algebra.

FWIW, Algebra 1 in 7th grade is sort of a basic requirement if one was interested in going to TJ.

If math is your child's thing and if they want to go to TJ, Algebra in 7th grade might be worth pushing for.

Otherwise, I'd let it go. My second son qualified, but I wish he would have waited. He did fine in Algebra, but Geometry in 8th grade moved much to quickly for him. He'll now be repeating it as a Freshman, which is humbling for him, but he needs that foundation more than he needs a C on his HS transcript. Both Algebra and Geometry are high school courses, so I know many parents who ended up having their kids repeat.

Unless math is critical to your child's future (i.e. they want to go into engineering, science, IT, etc.), what is the point in accelerating the process? Kids on this track end up taking pre-calc (after Alg. II Trig as Freshman) and are into some seriously heavy math by junior and senior years. I can't tell you how many good math students I know in my kid's high school who have struggled (we're talking from an A to a D) in higher math because they advanced too quickly. As a result they're finding they don't have the foundation, or the depth of interest to handle the advanced math courses they're taking.

Anonymous wrote:My child qualified, and I am really surprised by the number of kids we know that qualified but are opting out.

I would guess that a child who scored pass advanced on the 7th grade SOL and 91% or higher on the IAAT has mastered the math 7 material and is prepared for Algebra.

My son scored 98% on the IAAT and 587 on the 7th grade SOL, but we opted out. He could certainly do regular Algebra I, but I Algebra I Honors is much tougher and I don't see how the compacted math curriculum in ES would have adequately prepared most kids for the class. Most people I know who put their 7th graders in it pulled them out or had them repeat it, and I haven't heard anything good about any of the Algebra I H teachers in the middle school. The one my daughter had was awful and showed disdain towards any kid who wasn't an absolute math genius.

Anonymous wrote:My child qualified, and I am really surprised by the number of kids we know that qualified but are opting out.

I would guess that a child who scored pass advanced on the 7th grade SOL and 91% or higher on the IAAT has mastered the math 7 material and is prepared for Algebra.

FWIW, Algebra 1 in 7th grade is sort of a basic requirement if one was interested in going to TJ.

We reached the guidance counselor whose name was on the letter. She looked up his IAAT scores and said that he should talk to the principal. So, we'll have him try that next week when he's home from camp.

Call the school and ask. The worst thing they can say is no. Hopefully they would try to speak with the 6th grade teacher to get more information before making a decision.

Anonymous wrote:My kid did really well on IAAT but missed the cutoff for Pass Advance on the 7th grade SOL -- is there any discretion in letting him take algebra next year anyway?

(If not, it's not a big deal, but if they routinely let kids take it if they ask, we'll do it.)

I would definitely push for it at the middle school, if that's what you want. Your child cleared the highest hurdle--the IAAT. That's a timed test that looks at your kid's "power" as a thinker. That is a stronger predictor for success in handling Alg I in 7th grade.

My child qualified, and I am really surprised by the number of kids we know that qualified but are opting out.

I would guess that a child who scored pass advanced on the 7th grade SOL and 91% or higher on the IAAT has mastered the math 7 material and is prepared for Algebra.

Anonymous wrote:My kid did really well on IAAT but missed the cutoff for Pass Advance on the 7th grade SOL -- is there any discretion in letting him take algebra next year anyway?

(If not, it's not a big deal, but if they routinely let kids take it if they ask, we'll do it.)

Nope, it means he still needs to work on his foundations. They used to require a PA on the 8th grade SOL, but the State wouldn't let them have students skip two years of SOLS. So they lowered it to PA on the 7th.

My kid did really well on IAAT but missed the cutoff for Pass Advance on the 7th grade SOL -- is there any discretion in letting him take algebra next year anyway?

(If not, it's not a big deal, but if they routinely let kids take it if they ask, we'll do it.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When do 6th graders learn if they scored Pass Advance on the 7th grade math SOL?

DC already scored high on the IAAT and I am wondering if we'll learn about the math SOL score before the end of school or do we not know until SOL scores and mailed in August.

The schools usually get the results very quickly. In HS and MS, a few teachers tell my children the scores within a week of taking them. We don't get the official score in MS until August. Some schools give them out before the end of the year and some wait until August.

Thank you! I am hoping we do not have to wait until August to find out if DC will be taking Algebra 1 in 7th grade this fall.

Anonymous wrote:When do 6th graders learn if they scored Pass Advance on the 7th grade math SOL?

DC already scored high on the IAAT and I am wondering if we'll learn about the math SOL score before the end of school or do we not know until SOL scores and mailed in August.

The schools usually get the results very quickly. In HS and MS, a few teachers tell my children the scores within a week of taking them. We don't get the official score in MS until August. Some schools give them out before the end of the year and some wait until August.

When do 6th graders learn if they scored Pass Advance on the 7th grade math SOL?

DC already scored high on the IAAT and I am wondering if we'll learn about the math SOL score before the end of school or do we not know until SOL scores and mailed in August.