Anonymous
01/28/2025 20:48
Subject: Middle school math pathways changing?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:At the one I attended for Julius West they said that the pathways would look like:
Math 5 students can start in Math 6 or AMP 6, depending on teacher recommendation.
Math 5/6, aka Compact Math students can start in AMP 6, or, by county selection, into what was just renamed this morning as Pre-Algebra.
Doesn’t math 5/6 go to AMP 7+?
Right now it's AMP 7+ or AIM. Sounds like these will be replaced by a new class next year, Prealgebra.
Anonymous
01/28/2025 20:24
Subject: Middle school math pathways changing?
Anonymous wrote:My kid was in compacted math, then in-pool for magnets but did not win the lottery round, and was placed in Algebra 1 in 6th grade (not Potomac). She's now in 9th grade breezing through Honors Precalc, and recommended for AP Calc BC in 10th. Other math courses offered at her high school are AP Stats, or Multivariable Calculus with Differential Equations, and then a higher-level class at UMD or Montgomery College.
I write this so you don't let minor shufflings and renamings make you lose track of what MCPS can offer your kid if they're good at math. Alg 1 in 6th may still not be offered; you might still need to ask the math coordinator at your future middle school to test your kid the summer before 6th grade. There are also plenty of opportunities for math competitions at the middle and high school levels.
My kid is on this path but the school has nothing after calc bc. No test for algebra.
Anonymous
01/28/2025 20:07
Subject: Middle school math pathways changing?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This is most likely to align better with the changes coming from MSDE in math and to account for compacted 5/6 students being able to take AMP 7+ but needing a unit before getting started.
One of the changes(or at least new options from MSDE) will be Integrated Algebra which I fully support.
What is integrated algebra? I think of integrated math as a combo of algebra (or pre-algebra) and geometry so you have a bit of both each year. I do not know what integrated algebra would be.
Yes, it's "integrated math 1/2/3" replacing the ridiculous 'algebra1/geometry/algebra2", not "integrated algebra".
(And it's much, much better than non-integrated. It eliminates the "wall of algebra" that interferes with kids' opportunity to accelerate or decelerate after math 8 / 7+ / AIM "prealgebra" -- which is actually already "integrated math 0" )
That’s fantastic! I presume the assessments will change to go with it? Right now the state requires and algebra 1 and geometry assessment, which doesn’t make sense if integrated math is offered. Would they add assessments at the end of integrated math 1, 2, and 3?
I haven't seen anything officially published about any of this.
I would assume that integrated math curriculum pathways would take the MCAP Algebra 2 assessment at the end of Integrated Math 2, which is more than halfway through algebra 1+2 content.
In general, there's a separate movement towards adding district assessments to every class, which I expect would be tailored to the curriculum standards of each class (with honors and non-honors versions combined on the same test).
There is no current Algebra 2 MCAP. Only Algebra 1 and Geometry. I think they would need to have separate assessments for integrated math.
Sorry! Of course I meant to write algebra _1_ assessment.
So they would take the A1 assessment after integrated math 2 and the geometry assessment after integrated math 3?
Anonymous
01/28/2025 18:39
Subject: Middle school math pathways changing?
Anonymous wrote:How is this going to work for kids who are taking algebra currently? Do they continue on the old pathway?
(Also, relatedly, how will DCUM parents cope without asking every week how their fifth grader can get accelerated into algebra early and why does that only happen allegedly in fictitious “wealthy Potomac schools”?)
Last time they rolled out a new curriculum, they started it with the new 6th graders and it grew up with them.
Anonymous
01/28/2025 18:37
Subject: Middle school math pathways changing?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This is most likely to align better with the changes coming from MSDE in math and to account for compacted 5/6 students being able to take AMP 7+ but needing a unit before getting started.
One of the changes(or at least new options from MSDE) will be Integrated Algebra which I fully support.
What is integrated algebra? I think of integrated math as a combo of algebra (or pre-algebra) and geometry so you have a bit of both each year. I do not know what integrated algebra would be.
Yes, it's "integrated math 1/2/3" replacing the ridiculous 'algebra1/geometry/algebra2", not "integrated algebra".
(And it's much, much better than non-integrated. It eliminates the "wall of algebra" that interferes with kids' opportunity to accelerate or decelerate after math 8 / 7+ / AIM "prealgebra" -- which is actually already "integrated math 0" )
That’s fantastic! I presume the assessments will change to go with it? Right now the state requires and algebra 1 and geometry assessment, which doesn’t make sense if integrated math is offered. Would they add assessments at the end of integrated math 1, 2, and 3?
I haven't seen anything officially published about any of this.
I would assume that integrated math curriculum pathways would take the MCAP Algebra 2 assessment at the end of Integrated Math 2, which is more than halfway through algebra 1+2 content.
In general, there's a separate movement towards adding district assessments to every class, which I expect would be tailored to the curriculum standards of each class (with honors and non-honors versions combined on the same test).
There is no current Algebra 2 MCAP. Only Algebra 1 and Geometry. I think they would need to have separate assessments for integrated math.
Sorry! Of course I meant to write algebra _1_ assessment.
Anonymous
01/28/2025 18:25
Subject: Middle school math pathways changing?
Anonymous wrote:When are current 5th graders able to see what math class they are placed in?
Late May
Anonymous
01/28/2025 18:06
Subject: Middle school math pathways changing?
Anonymous wrote:When are current 5th graders able to see what math class they are placed in?
Ask your current math teacher in the spring. If your child was waitlisted in the criteria-based science magnet lottery, they are guaranteed the more advanced math class (which it sounds like is being renamed Prealgebra rather than AIM or amp 7+).
Anonymous
01/28/2025 18:02
Subject: Middle school math pathways changing?
My kid was in compacted math, then in-pool for magnets but did not win the lottery round, and was placed in Algebra 1 in 6th grade (not Potomac). She's now in 9th grade breezing through Honors Precalc, and recommended for AP Calc BC in 10th. Other math courses offered at her high school are AP Stats, or Multivariable Calculus with Differential Equations, and then a higher-level class at UMD or Montgomery College.
I write this so you don't let minor shufflings and renamings make you lose track of what MCPS can offer your kid if they're good at math. Alg 1 in 6th may still not be offered; you might still need to ask the math coordinator at your future middle school to test your kid the summer before 6th grade. There are also plenty of opportunities for math competitions at the middle and high school levels.
I write this so you don't let minor shufflings and renamings make you lose track of what MCPS can offer your kid if they're good at math. Alg 1 in 6th may still not be offered; you might still need to ask the math coordinator at your future middle school to test your kid the summer before 6th grade. There are also plenty of opportunities for math competitions at the middle and high school levels.
Anonymous
01/28/2025 17:48
Subject: Middle school math pathways changing?
Anonymous wrote:How is this going to work for kids who are taking algebra currently? Do they continue on the old pathway?
(Also, relatedly, how will DCUM parents cope without asking every week how their fifth grader can get accelerated into algebra early and why does that only happen allegedly in fictitious “wealthy Potomac schools”?)
It wouldn’t impact kids already taking Algebra because they’ll be finished before it’s rolled out.
DCUM gonna do what it does.
Anonymous
01/28/2025 17:37
Subject: Middle school math pathways changing?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This is most likely to align better with the changes coming from MSDE in math and to account for compacted 5/6 students being able to take AMP 7+ but needing a unit before getting started.
One of the changes(or at least new options from MSDE) will be Integrated Algebra which I fully support.
What is integrated algebra? I think of integrated math as a combo of algebra (or pre-algebra) and geometry so you have a bit of both each year. I do not know what integrated algebra would be.
Yes, it's "integrated math 1/2/3" replacing the ridiculous 'algebra1/geometry/algebra2", not "integrated algebra".
(And it's much, much better than non-integrated. It eliminates the "wall of algebra" that interferes with kids' opportunity to accelerate or decelerate after math 8 / 7+ / AIM "prealgebra" -- which is actually already "integrated math 0" )
That’s fantastic! I presume the assessments will change to go with it? Right now the state requires and algebra 1 and geometry assessment, which doesn’t make sense if integrated math is offered. Would they add assessments at the end of integrated math 1, 2, and 3?
I haven't seen anything officially published about any of this.
I would assume that integrated math curriculum pathways would take the MCAP Algebra 2 assessment at the end of Integrated Math 2, which is more than halfway through algebra 1+2 content.
In general, there's a separate movement towards adding district assessments to every class, which I expect would be tailored to the curriculum standards of each class (with honors and non-honors versions combined on the same test).
There is no current Algebra 2 MCAP. Only Algebra 1 and Geometry. I think they would need to have separate assessments for integrated math.
Anonymous
01/28/2025 17:35
Subject: Middle school math pathways changing?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This is most likely to align better with the changes coming from MSDE in math and to account for compacted 5/6 students being able to take AMP 7+ but needing a unit before getting started.
One of the changes(or at least new options from MSDE) will be Integrated Algebra which I fully support.
What is integrated algebra? I think of integrated math as a combo of algebra (or pre-algebra) and geometry so you have a bit of both each year. I do not know what integrated algebra would be.
Yes, it's "integrated math 1/2/3" replacing the ridiculous 'algebra1/geometry/algebra2", not "integrated algebra".
(And it's much, much better than non-integrated. It eliminates the "wall of algebra" that interferes with kids' opportunity to accelerate or decelerate after math 8 / 7+ / AIM "prealgebra" -- which is actually already "integrated math 0" )
That’s fantastic! I presume the assessments will change to go with it? Right now the state requires and algebra 1 and geometry assessment, which doesn’t make sense if integrated math is offered. Would they add assessments at the end of integrated math 1, 2, and 3?
I haven't seen anything officially published about any of this.
I would assume that integrated math curriculum pathways would take the MCAP Algebra 2 assessment at the end of Integrated Math 2, which is more than halfway through algebra 1+2 content.
In general, there's a separate movement towards adding district assessments to every class, which I expect would be tailored to the curriculum standards of each class (with honors and non-honors versions combined on the same test).
We’ll have to wait to see what MSDE publishes and then how MCPS aligns.
Anonymous
01/28/2025 17:19
Subject: Middle school math pathways changing?
How is this going to work for kids who are taking algebra currently? Do they continue on the old pathway?
(Also, relatedly, how will DCUM parents cope without asking every week how their fifth grader can get accelerated into algebra early and why does that only happen allegedly in fictitious “wealthy Potomac schools”?)
(Also, relatedly, how will DCUM parents cope without asking every week how their fifth grader can get accelerated into algebra early and why does that only happen allegedly in fictitious “wealthy Potomac schools”?)
Anonymous
01/28/2025 10:31
Subject: Middle school math pathways changing?
When are current 5th graders able to see what math class they are placed in?
Anonymous
01/28/2025 10:31
Subject: Middle school math pathways changing?
Anonymous wrote:At the one I attended for Julius West they said that the pathways would look like:
Math 5 students can start in Math 6 or AMP 6, depending on teacher recommendation.
Math 5/6, aka Compact Math students can start in AMP 6, or, by county selection, into what was just renamed this morning as Pre-Algebra.
Doesn’t math 5/6 go to AMP 7+?
Anonymous
01/28/2025 10:26
Subject: Middle school math pathways changing?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This is most likely to align better with the changes coming from MSDE in math and to account for compacted 5/6 students being able to take AMP 7+ but needing a unit before getting started.
One of the changes(or at least new options from MSDE) will be Integrated Algebra which I fully support.
What is integrated algebra? I think of integrated math as a combo of algebra (or pre-algebra) and geometry so you have a bit of both each year. I do not know what integrated algebra would be.
Yes, it's "integrated math 1/2/3" replacing the ridiculous 'algebra1/geometry/algebra2", not "integrated algebra".
(And it's much, much better than non-integrated. It eliminates the "wall of algebra" that interferes with kids' opportunity to accelerate or decelerate after math 8 / 7+ / AIM "prealgebra" -- which is actually already "integrated math 0" )
That’s fantastic! I presume the assessments will change to go with it? Right now the state requires and algebra 1 and geometry assessment, which doesn’t make sense if integrated math is offered. Would they add assessments at the end of integrated math 1, 2, and 3?
I haven't seen anything officially published about any of this.
I would assume that integrated math curriculum pathways would take the MCAP Algebra 2 assessment at the end of Integrated Math 2, which is more than halfway through algebra 1+2 content.
In general, there's a separate movement towards adding district assessments to every class, which I expect would be tailored to the curriculum standards of each class (with honors and non-honors versions combined on the same test).