"It will be fine" is a nice broad generic response but I guess the question is... if selective university X looks at kids from kids from high performing Highschool Y will they look at group A (higher track) and invite these students before group B (normal track) all things considered equal (grades, scores, etc.)?

No it will be fine...frankly the kids on that compacted math track have a hard time finding math classes to take Senior Year of High School and MCPS requires 4 years of math in high school so they have to take something. Your child will still take Calculus senior year. We know lots of families (in a W cluster) that turned down compacted math and opted for DC to stay in the regular 4th grade math.

Take a deep breath. It will be fine. Seriously.

Nobody needs to take calculus in high school. It's not necessary.

Anonymous wrote:OP, I do not think it is a big deal.

Your DC can still finish with Calc in HS, and the SAT actually tests content covered upto Geometry and Algebra 2.

Take this golden opportunity of not being in compacted Math to get your child more Math practice (ALEKS and Beestar are good online resources).

Is there any other factor you are concerned about regarding compacted Math?

OP here, I guess what I'm concerned about is being locked in to a certain track so early on. Clearly this won't stop DC from attending college but if our cluster has a relatively high performing highschool will it hurt that she isn't on the fast track and a lot of other kids are? I'm not anticipating Ivy but I hear even University of Maryland is getting harder to get into especially if the school you attend for high school is full of high achieving students.

Anonymous wrote:Not the OP, but how important is it to take Calc in HS?

OP I wouldn't worry for a second. The Common Core math curriculum moves way to fast and without enough practice for my taste. My kid also makes a lot of mistakes and it hasn't gotten better by grade 8. Why push kids so hard? If your DC can still stay on track why does it matter? I personally would not want my DC taking Calc junior year unless they can take college Calc senior year. This is what I did but I lived in a college town. Here that seems more complicated.

Another thread says it moves too slow. DCUM makes me laugh (sort of).

Just to calm you, parents never even used to get a notification that their kid "didn't make it." Up until this year everyone at our school was just assumed to be in normal math unless you got a special invitation to compacted math. This is not a problem. I assume you're not worried about your child not being in travel soccer, not being in piano competitions, etc. It's just one thing your child does not happen to be doing.

I'm starting to think most of DCUM is posts that end with "...should we panic?" And the answer is always no.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is actually pretty good in math but is sortof a scatterbrain so often makes minor errors due to things like not reading the instructions thoroughly. Should we panic? Testing shows DC has the raw ability but that frequently doesn't transfer to the classroom.

I think kids can be re-assessed again in the fall, just after school starts, and again in 5th, at least, that's what they said 2 yrs ago.

I think you need to work with your DC on the issues you've noted above. These things are important, obviously, but more so when in a fact paced math program where kids are doing the math quickly and accurately. How would your DC keep up?

But, I don't understand why you think you should panic. As others have noted, your DC will take AP Calc by senior year. That's not exactly "behind" as far the national average, more like on-grade, and in some cases, advanced. If you are hoping that your DC will major in a stem field, I still wouldn't panic either.

youza, that should say "fast paced", not "fact based". lol.

Not the OP, but how important is it to take Calc in HS?

OP I wouldn't worry for a second. The Common Core math curriculum moves way to fast and without enough practice for my taste. My kid also makes a lot of mistakes and it hasn't gotten better by grade 8. Why push kids so hard? If your DC can still stay on track why does it matter? I personally would not want my DC taking Calc junior year unless they can take college Calc senior year. This is what I did but I lived in a college town. Here that seems more complicated.

Anonymous wrote:DC is actually pretty good in math but is sortof a scatterbrain so often makes minor errors due to things like not reading the instructions thoroughly. Should we panic? Testing shows DC has the raw ability but that frequently doesn't transfer to the classroom.

I think kids can be re-assessed again in the fall, just after school starts, and again in 5th, at least, that's what they said 2 yrs ago.

I think you need to work with your DC on the issues you've noted above. These things are important, obviously, but more so when in a fact paced math program where kids are doing the math quickly and accurately. How would your DC keep up?

But, I don't understand why you think you should panic. As others have noted, your DC will take AP Calc by senior year. That's not exactly "behind" as far the national average, more like on-grade, and in some cases, advanced. If you are hoping that your DC will major in a stem field, I still wouldn't panic either.

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Panic. Probably won't get into a good college.

Can you be a douchebag on the family and relationship forums? Why waste your negative energy on here?

OP, I do not think it is a big deal.

Your DC can still finish with Calc in HS, and the SAT actually tests content covered upto Geometry and Algebra 2.

Take this golden opportunity of not being in compacted Math to get your child more Math practice (ALEKS and Beestar are good online resources).

Is there any other factor you are concerned about regarding compacted Math?

Yes. Panic. Probably won't get into a good college.

Geez. This is not an issue at all.

My oldest didn't do compacted math, but my younger one will. It's not a big deal at all.

No he will still take AP Calc as a senior in HS and can be in honors level classes before then.

DC is actually pretty good in math but is sortof a scatterbrain so often makes minor errors due to things like not reading the instructions thoroughly. Should we panic? Testing shows DC has the raw ability but that frequently doesn't transfer to the classroom.