Anonymous
Post 02/06/2021 15:05     Subject: Re:Math 7 honors or Algebra?
My DS was an AAP student whose scores easily put him into Algebra I Honors in 7th grade, but we choose to have him take it in 8th grade because of a travel sport and some family issues (not him specifically). We didn't want him overwhelmed with all the honors classes and a high school math class. The only down side we are finding is that he wants to go into Engineering and won't take AP Calc until 12th grade, so he can't apply ED to any of the engineering schools. They all want to see a Calc grade. He'll have to apply RD which will be much tougher. I'm still 50/50 on whether we would do things differently if we had known, but it does narrow his options. FYI.


So you have to have AP Calc to apply ED to engineering schools? I have never heard this but my kids are not in HS yet and back in the day AP Calc senior year was the standard advanced path. Can you clarify?
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2021 11:12     Subject: Re:Math 7 honors or Algebra?
The vast majority of SAT math is algebra. There is no SAT disadvantage to taking calculus in 12th. It may be a disadvantage in college applications, but not for the SAT.


+1. My DS got a 780 on SAT math a few weeks into honors pre-calc in junior year without prep.

At his MS, there were vast differences between honors Algebra classes depending on which teacher you got (different textbooks, differing amounts of actual instruction, huge differences in homework load) - basically, we didn't want our ADHD kid who was still 11 at the start of 7th to get the crazy math teacher who assigns 50 problems daily, so he waited.

Anonymous
Post 02/05/2021 09:46     Subject: Math 7 honors or Algebra?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Do you think a kid who takes calculus in 12th grade will be at a disadvantage for engineering programs in college? DS does not show that interest but is still young.

DH was accepted to a competitive engineering college with 12th grade calculus. Have expectations shifted to completing calculus in 11th grade or being at a disadvantage?


Its a disadvantage for things like the SAT's.


The vast majority of SAT math is algebra. There is no SAT disadvantage to taking calculus in 12th. It may be a disadvantage in college applications, but not for the SAT.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2021 09:24     Subject: Re:Math 7 honors or Algebra?
My spouse teaches math honors 7 and says to take algebra if you don’t mind the fast pace but if you’d rather go at a slower pace, take math honors seven. If the kid is going to be bored at a slower pace and is good at math consider algebra because in that case math honors 7 will be somewhat repetitive of 6th grade advanced math. Our own 6th grader wants to take algebra and we are probably going to let him make the decision himself. I didn’t take algebra until I was in ninth grade. I don’t care either way whether my son takes algebra or honors math 7. It’s really up to him.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2021 09:16     Subject: Math 7 honors or Algebra?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:“ Even among the 7th graders who qualify, a fair number seem to have a rough time. I suggest not allowing him to take the class unless he does *really* well on the IAAT/SOL, not just squeak through.”

This is what I found from this board last year. I decided I would only have DC do it if she scored very highly and her math teacher gave a very strong “yes!” to it. Both happened so we did and it has been a good experience so far this year.

DC is not generally a STEM kid but gets most math pretty well and hates a slow pace in it. I would think that is the kind of kid that the class is built for? My other AAP kiddo I most likely won’t encourage to do it in 7th as the math doesn’t “just click” as quickly for him.
just curious... does your child have a tutor, or do they do Kumon/ Mathnasium/ Russian math. I’ve talked to a few parents whose kids never did any of this during AAP ES but needed to when they went to MS because their kid struggled with Algebra first semester in 7 th.


I'm not OP, but for my DD the only outside work she did in ES was Khan academy in math. It wasn't so much to learn everything to master the subject, but to become more familiar with it and feel confident that she could do it. For what its worth, she score 98% on the IAAT and her teacher recommended she take it.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2021 21:10     Subject: Re:Math 7 honors or Algebra?
Most good science/engineering schools want to see a -final- Calculus 1 grade when deciding who to admit. This is a change from 20-30 years ago. For this situation, taking Calculus 1 no later than 11th grade will be important. Calculus 1 in 12th grade is generally fine for pre-med or pre-dental undergrad admissions, however.

I want my DC to be challenged in school. So I would have DC take Algebra as soon as DC qualified to do so. Others will have different philosophies and that is ok with me. YMMV.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2021 18:50     Subject: Math 7 honors or Algebra?
Anonymous wrote:“ Even among the 7th graders who qualify, a fair number seem to have a rough time. I suggest not allowing him to take the class unless he does *really* well on the IAAT/SOL, not just squeak through.”

This is what I found from this board last year. I decided I would only have DC do it if she scored very highly and her math teacher gave a very strong “yes!” to it. Both happened so we did and it has been a good experience so far this year.

DC is not generally a STEM kid but gets most math pretty well and hates a slow pace in it. I would think that is the kind of kid that the class is built for? My other AAP kiddo I most likely won’t encourage to do it in 7th as the math doesn’t “just click” as quickly for him.
just curious... does your child have a tutor, or do they do Kumon/ Mathnasium/ Russian math. I’ve talked to a few parents whose kids never did any of this during AAP ES but needed to when they went to MS because their kid struggled with Algebra first semester in 7 th.
Anonymous
Post 02/03/2021 22:31     Subject: Re:Math 7 honors or Algebra?
So is it 50-50 for AAP kids to take Algebra vs Honors 7?

I really hate how we don’t have textbooks. I am afraid there are a lot of learning gaps.
Anonymous
Post 02/03/2021 22:23     Subject: Math 7 honors or Algebra?
“ Even among the 7th graders who qualify, a fair number seem to have a rough time. I suggest not allowing him to take the class unless he does *really* well on the IAAT/SOL, not just squeak through.”

This is what I found from this board last year. I decided I would only have DC do it if she scored very highly and her math teacher gave a very strong “yes!” to it. Both happened so we did and it has been a good experience so far this year.

DC is not generally a STEM kid but gets most math pretty well and hates a slow pace in it. I would think that is the kind of kid that the class is built for? My other AAP kiddo I most likely won’t encourage to do it in 7th as the math doesn’t “just click” as quickly for him.
Anonymous
Post 02/03/2021 12:29     Subject: Math 7 honors or Algebra?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If your kid is in APP, they should be doing algebra in 6/7...


OP here - Oh yes, I didn’t specify since it is the AAP board. DS is in Level 4 AAP now.

Are you saying that it’s rare for an AAP kid to take Algebra in 8th?


Not sure what is normal but mine is taking algebra in 6th.


That’s not really offered at most centers.


+1 Our center does not offer algebra to 6th graders, and the FCPS catalog lists algebra I/algebra I honors as available to 7th graders and up.
Anonymous
Post 02/03/2021 12:28     Subject: Math 7 honors or Algebra?
Anonymous wrote:Do you think a kid who takes calculus in 12th grade will be at a disadvantage for engineering programs in college? DS does not show that interest but is still young.

DH was accepted to a competitive engineering college with 12th grade calculus. Have expectations shifted to completing calculus in 11th grade or being at a disadvantage?


Its a disadvantage for things like the SAT's.
Anonymous
Post 02/03/2021 12:28     Subject: Math 7 honors or Algebra?
My DS was an AAP student whose scores easily put him into Algebra I Honors in 7th grade, but we choose to have him take it in 8th grade because of a travel sport and some family issues (not him specifically). We didn't want him overwhelmed with all the honors classes and a high school math class. The only down side we are finding is that he wants to go into Engineering and won't take AP Calc until 12th grade, so he can't apply ED to any of the engineering schools. They all want to see a Calc grade. He'll have to apply RD which will be much tougher. I'm still 50/50 on whether we would do things differently if we had known, but it does narrow his options. FYI.
Anonymous
Post 02/03/2021 12:27     Subject: Math 7 honors or Algebra?
Do you think a kid who takes calculus in 12th grade will be at a disadvantage for engineering programs in college? DS does not show that interest but is still young.

DH was accepted to a competitive engineering college with 12th grade calculus. Have expectations shifted to completing calculus in 11th grade or being at a disadvantage?
Anonymous
Post 02/03/2021 11:23     Subject: Math 7 honors or Algebra?
I think the advantage of taking Algebra 1 honor at 7th grade is that the student can pass AP Calc BC exam before applying college. That is a strong indication of solid STEM background to get into good engineering schools. Having that said, I opted to let my 6th grader AAP kid NOT take the iowa test or Algebra next year. She is not into STEM.
Anonymous
Post 02/03/2021 09:43     Subject: Math 7 honors or Algebra?
Look at the course selection in 12th grade and work backwards. Does he need to be -beyond Calculus- when he's in 12th grade? I doubt it.

And going into college having taken Calculus, recently in high school, has it's advantages. DC will likely take it again in college. It's fresh in their minds. I just means, for some colleges, how the student's doing in HS Calculus isn't known until after the 1st semester, so the student may not be as strong for ED acceptance.