Anonymous wrote:But what are people's thoughts on going from Math 6 to pre-algebra for 7th?
Is it thought that Math 6 has provided a better grounding so that this scenario does not lead to struggle up the chain?

There’s no way to predict what your child’s success will be. I have one kid who has done each path discussed here and both have done well. Plenty of kids have done the previous advanced path and done fine. Kids will also do fine on the current advanced option. They made the ew class more compacted so if your child needs more, they can do algebra 1 twice in 7t and 8th.

Anonymous wrote:But what are people's thoughts on going from Math 6 to pre-algebra for 7th?
Is it thought that Math 6 has provided a better grounding so that this scenario does not lead to struggle up the chain?

This is what I wish was offered for my rising 8th grader. This is the best path I think for most kids (minus a few with a clear affinity for math--non-tutors, etc., no struggle).

This is the path I am putting my rising 6th grader on that was recommended for Math 6/7/8 because for my older child it was too fast to go into Intensified Algebra I in 7th. She got a B+ without a tutor (A, B, A, B quarter grades), but struggled and was always complaining that the teacher wasn't going over material or only showing videos, etc. She took an Algebra test in June for private school which she did not do well on. This confirmed my suspicion that she did not come out with a strong foundation in Algebra in 7th so she's repeating it in 8th. She is not pushing ahead to Intensified Geometry in 8th (which was the recommendation) with a weak Algebra foundation.

But what are people's thoughts on going from Math 6 to pre-algebra for 7th?
Is it thought that Math 6 has provided a better grounding so that this scenario does not lead to struggle up the chain?

Yes. I agree. My kid did not require much help to get As in the new 6/7/8and a very strong MI score. It was a great experience and raised his confidence. But if your kid needs a tutor to be in advanced grade level math they don’t belong there. My kid was not aware of others being tutored in the class.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The smartest kids go:
Math 678 in 6th
Alg. Int. in 7th
Geometry Int. in 8th
Alg. II/Trig Int. in 9th
Precalc Int./IB Math SL Part 1 in 10th
AP Calculus BC/IB Math SL Part 2 in 11th
Vector Calc/Linear Algebra/IB Math HL part 2 in 12th

IB options for W-L only, obviously.

or, the most ambitious kids or those most pushed by adults - not necessarily the smartest.

Agreed. The math coach and GT teacher at the school where I teach and the math coach and GT teacher at the middle school where my DS attends all commented that they think the 6/7/8 plan is a bad idea and that they are glad the less intense plan is an option b/c so many kids end up dropping out or getting tutors to keep up. It's not necessarily the smartest.

I was told same thing. I was also shown data that only 70 kids out of 700 stayed on the path described above. They also said a good majority of kids that were in accelerated and dropped off it end up doing worse, not completing as high a level as some of the kids that weee not on the most advanced track in MS.

My GT 5th grader was recommended Math 6/7/8, but we are doing Math 6. 90% of the kids in my older child’s 7th grace Intensified Algebra I class had a tutor all year. I don’t get hiring a tutor just to stay 2-3 grade levels ahead in math. It’s a race to nowhere. What is the end goal? It’s not needed in 99% of careers, minus a math professor. I have a family of doctors and StEM professionals, engineers on both sides and nobody completed the path described above in HS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The smartest kids go:
Math 678 in 6th
Alg. Int. in 7th
Geometry Int. in 8th
Alg. II/Trig Int. in 9th
Precalc Int./IB Math SL Part 1 in 10th
AP Calculus BC/IB Math SL Part 2 in 11th
Vector Calc/Linear Algebra/IB Math HL part 2 in 12th

IB options for W-L only, obviously.

or, the most ambitious kids or those most pushed by adults - not necessarily the smartest.

Agreed. The math coach and GT teacher at the school where I teach and the math coach and GT teacher at the middle school where my DS attends all commented that they think the 6/7/8 plan is a bad idea and that they are glad the less intense plan is an option b/c so many kids end up dropping out or getting tutors to keep up. It's not necessarily the smartest.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m a middle school parent. I attended the middle school information night when my son was in 5th grade and that’s where they talked about the pathway change and showed the flowchart and gave copies. There’s also the math pathways website. I don’t feel it was communicated poorly at all. I also did the same thing when my daughter was entering 6th grade (she was on the old pathway where 6th graders did the math 7 course for the accelerated option).

NP - I agree. The communication was good, but perhaps not widespread.
It would be nice to have more information about what is contained in the curriculum of each class, however. It might be helpful for parents whose children are recommended to go from Math 6 to pre-algebra for 7th decide what is best for their child.

+1 I think the specific course pathways are clear but not the details of what is covered in each. And that extends into high school.

Anonymous wrote:I’m a middle school parent. I attended the middle school information night when my son was in 5th grade and that’s where they talked about the pathway change and showed the flowchart and gave copies. There’s also the math pathways website. I don’t feel it was communicated poorly at all. I also did the same thing when my daughter was entering 6th grade (she was on the old pathway where 6th graders did the math 7 course for the accelerated option).

NP - I agree. The communication was good, but perhaps not widespread.
It would be nice to have more information about what is contained in the curriculum of each class, however. It might be helpful for parents whose children are recommended to go from Math 6 to pre-algebra for 7th decide what is best for their child.

I’m a middle school parent. I attended the middle school information night when my son was in 5th grade and that’s where they talked about the pathway change and showed the flowchart and gave copies. There’s also the math pathways website. I don’t feel it was communicated poorly at all. I also did the same thing when my daughter was entering 6th grade (she was on the old pathway where 6th graders did the math 7 course for the accelerated option).

APS has done an absolutely horrible job communicating the math pathways and all of the changes. The shoving it down earlier also appears to have been a massive failure.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The smartest kids go:
Math 678 in 6th
Alg. Int. in 7th
Geometry Int. in 8th
Alg. II/Trig Int. in 9th
Precalc Int./IB Math SL Part 1 in 10th
AP Calculus BC/IB Math SL Part 2 in 11th
Vector Calc/Linear Algebra/IB Math HL part 2 in 12th

IB options for W-L only, obviously.

or, the most ambitious kids or those most pushed by adults - not necessarily the smartest.

Yes. And very few actually stay on this path.

Also, Math is one thing. I know kids acing Computer Science, science courses, Robotics that are bright/advanced in math, but not their strongest subject.

I am a biochemist PhD that did ok in math, but it wasn’t my strongest subject. In fact, I was very strong in English/writing and biological sciences.

You are defining only smartest in math which is a limited look. There tend to be Asperger leanings to this type of brain as well.

Anonymous wrote:The smartest kids go:
Math 678 in 6th
Alg. Int. in 7th
Geometry Int. in 8th
Alg. II/Trig Int. in 9th
Precalc Int./IB Math SL Part 1 in 10th
AP Calculus BC/IB Math SL Part 2 in 11th
Vector Calc/Linear Algebra/IB Math HL part 2 in 12th

IB options for W-L only, obviously.

or, the most ambitious kids or those most pushed by adults - not necessarily the smartest.

The smartest kids go:
Math 678 in 6th
Alg. Int. in 7th
Geometry Int. in 8th
Alg. II/Trig Int. in 9th
Precalc Int./IB Math SL Part 1 in 10th
AP Calculus BC/IB Math SL Part 2 in 11th
Vector Calc/Linear Algebra/IB Math HL part 2 in 12th

IB options for W-L only, obviously.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My rising GT Math 6th grader is doing Math 6.

We did not like the accelerated “intensified Algebra I”in 7th and “intensified Geometry” in 8th for our older child because it moved very quickly and though she tests very high in math she shuts down when concepts aren’t broken down and she doesn’t get something immediately. She had zero problems with HS computer science and robotics 7th/8th - but math went too fast, particularly without a tutor like most classmates had that were basically teaching the kids concepts for tests that teacher did not thoroughly teach in the classroom. She also doesn’t plan to do Calculus BC Junior year and multivariable Calculus Senior year. No plans to go beyond regular Calc in HS (will take Senior year) since interests are well-rounded and plays sports and loves liberal arts too.

Hi PP, can you say more about what the pathway looks like in HS in this case? From Intensified Geometry in 8th do you take Algebra 2 in 9th (instead of Alg 2 / Trig)? The HS pathways document looks a little different now too.

With geometry done in 8th and aiming for a slower path to calculus senior year, I believe the pathway would be

9 - Algebra II
10 - Algebra III (formerly Math Analysis-Trig)
11 - Pre Calculus
12 - Calculus AB

Anonymous wrote:My rising GT Math 6th grader is doing Math 6.

We did not like the accelerated “intensified Algebra I”in 7th and “intensified Geometry” in 8th for our older child because it moved very quickly and though she tests very high in math she shuts down when concepts aren’t broken down and she doesn’t get something immediately. She had zero problems with HS computer science and robotics 7th/8th - but math went too fast, particularly without a tutor like most classmates had that were basically teaching the kids concepts for tests that teacher did not thoroughly teach in the classroom. She also doesn’t plan to do Calculus BC Junior year and multivariable Calculus Senior year. No plans to go beyond regular Calc in HS (will take Senior year) since interests are well-rounded and plays sports and loves liberal arts too.

Hi PP, can you say more about what the pathway looks like in HS in this case? From Intensified Geometry in 8th do you take Algebra 2 in 9th (instead of Alg 2 / Trig)? The HS pathways document looks a little different now too.