Anonymous
Post 03/20/2026 23:40     Subject: Deal math tracks
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Ugh. Is it iready? My kid is so sick of that diagnostic test and dreads it. He hates how it jumps around. He does fine but tends to underperform on it.

Mine too. DCPS is failing the kids having them test on these scam systems they pay millions for. It is creating a legacy of trash.


Got a better solution? I know maybe according to parental advice. Give me a break. A test is always needed to figure out where kids are at. Just suck it up. I am so sick of hearing this diatribe of my kids hates i-Ready.
Anonymous
Post 03/18/2026 20:49     Subject: Deal math tracks
Anonymous wrote:The iready diagnostic is awful. Does anyone know if Deal or the other middles let the kids truly take as much time as needed until the test is completed? It’s supposed to be untimed but my upper elementary DC has gotten such mixed signals about that. Sometimes DC is pushed to finish within two class periods. Other times DC has been given as long as needed (sometimes up to 3-4 class periods). I’ve noticed that DC is usually not rushed for the EOY test, which probably is why they always do much better on that one (and I think the teachers are gaming the test to have more kids reach their growth goals but that’s somewhat beyond the point). Is my kid going to be pushed to finish the math diagnostic super quickly and then have that used for placement for 6th grade math?



I find the diagnostic useful and very accurate as a DCPS math teacher. There is no time limit because it’s adaptive. Obviously testing conditions are important but assuming schools take it seriously and students know to take it seriously it is very reliable. Millions of students across the US take it so have percentile is also helpful. There will always be students around a cut off score schools use for acceleration who could have gone either way. “Algebra 1”can be taught in many ways. Trying to compare grades in a private school as evidence they would have done well in Deal is not apples to apples.
Anonymous
Post 03/18/2026 18:12     Subject: Deal math tracks
Anonymous wrote:The iready diagnostic is awful. Does anyone know if Deal or the other middles let the kids truly take as much time as needed until the test is completed? It’s supposed to be untimed but my upper elementary DC has gotten such mixed signals about that. Sometimes DC is pushed to finish within two class periods. Other times DC has been given as long as needed (sometimes up to 3-4 class periods). I’ve noticed that DC is usually not rushed for the EOY test, which probably is why they always do much better on that one (and I think the teachers are gaming the test to have more kids reach their growth goals but that’s somewhat beyond the point). Is my kid going to be pushed to finish the math diagnostic super quickly and then have that used for placement for 6th grade math?


Email administration at the school to ask. Parents need to put more things in writing, otherwise yes I’m sure some teachers will rush them through the iReady because most teachers hate it too.
Anonymous
Post 03/18/2026 00:28     Subject: Deal math tracks
The iready diagnostic is awful. Does anyone know if Deal or the other middles let the kids truly take as much time as needed until the test is completed? It’s supposed to be untimed but my upper elementary DC has gotten such mixed signals about that. Sometimes DC is pushed to finish within two class periods. Other times DC has been given as long as needed (sometimes up to 3-4 class periods). I’ve noticed that DC is usually not rushed for the EOY test, which probably is why they always do much better on that one (and I think the teachers are gaming the test to have more kids reach their growth goals but that’s somewhat beyond the point). Is my kid going to be pushed to finish the math diagnostic super quickly and then have that used for placement for 6th grade math?
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 21:44     Subject: Re:Deal math tracks
Anonymous wrote:BEWARE: If your kid underperforms on I-ready like mine did, they will be tracked into 6th, 7th and 8th grade math, with Algebra 1 in 9th grade. That makes them ineligible to reach calculus by 12th grade (the bare minimum needed for top colleges). Most middle schools have all 8th graders in Algebra 1 as the norm. Deal is an outlier.
Yes, I know it’s possible to skip ahead with Deal summer math but not everyone wants their kid to spend the summer doing math.
My kid took 6th and 7th grade math at Deal. I moved them into private school in 8th where they were placed in Algebra 1. (No 8th grade math existed). Guess what? Kid is getting straight A’s in Algebra. I’m flabbergasted that they would have wasted a year in 8th grade math had they stayed at Deal - all because my kid underperforms on the terrible I-ready assessment.


The alternative is that only the kids who are really behind take 8th grade math. That's not good for the kids being prematurely accelerated or the kids who are ready for algebra. It's difficult to teach that wide ability level, which is the whole point of tracking. Using any test is going to be imperfect, but Deal isn't setting kids up to struggle and repeat algebra the same way some of the other DCPS middle schools are, and that's a good thing.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 21:28     Subject: Re:Deal math tracks
BEWARE: If your kid underperforms on I-ready like mine did, they will be tracked into 6th, 7th and 8th grade math, with Algebra 1 in 9th grade. That makes them ineligible to reach calculus by 12th grade (the bare minimum needed for top colleges). Most middle schools have all 8th graders in Algebra 1 as the norm. Deal is an outlier.
Yes, I know it’s possible to skip ahead with Deal summer math but not everyone wants their kid to spend the summer doing math.
My kid took 6th and 7th grade math at Deal. I moved them into private school in 8th where they were placed in Algebra 1. (No 8th grade math existed). Guess what? Kid is getting straight A’s in Algebra. I’m flabbergasted that they would have wasted a year in 8th grade math had they stayed at Deal - all because my kid underperforms on the terrible I-ready assessment.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 19:21     Subject: Deal math tracks
Acceleration gets them out of having to provide true honors classes.
Anonymous
Post 03/17/2026 15:18     Subject: Deal math tracks
So a kid who takes Algebra II in 8th grade will take Calc BC in 10th grade. Then what? Jackson-Reed isn't going to offer any math higher than Calc BC. Sure they could go Dual Enrollment, but there is really no benefit to DCPS as a whole to enable that kind of acceleration.
Anonymous
Post 03/16/2026 00:00     Subject: Re:Deal math tracks
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:My understanding from an administrator is that Deal was eventually prohibited from double blocking by OSSE or DCPS officials. Deal would have otherwise allowed it to continue as a way to prioritize math. Instead, they now send parents notes that kids are eligible to take the next math class at CTY based on their math grade as an alternate way to double up on math, but CTY fills up fast and costs several thousand dollars.


This is DCPS’ way towards equity. Not let Deal kids accelerate since other middle schools cant offer that level of acceleration.


+1. Folks this is how they try to close the achievement gap is by lowering the top.

Anonymous
Post 03/15/2026 22:55     Subject: Deal math tracks
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Ugh. Is it iready? My kid is so sick of that diagnostic test and dreads it. He hates how it jumps around. He does fine but tends to underperform on it.

Mine too. DCPS is failing the kids having them test on these scam systems they pay millions for. It is creating a legacy of trash.


Please reach out to BOE, OSSE, council members, etc. about this. The amount of ed tech is criminal.
Anonymous
Post 03/15/2026 22:54     Subject: Re:Deal math tracks
Anonymous wrote:My understanding from an administrator is that Deal was eventually prohibited from double blocking by OSSE or DCPS officials. Deal would have otherwise allowed it to continue as a way to prioritize math. Instead, they now send parents notes that kids are eligible to take the next math class at CTY based on their math grade as an alternate way to double up on math, but CTY fills up fast and costs several thousand dollars.


This is DCPS’ way towards equity. Not let Deal kids accelerate since other middle schools cant offer that level of acceleration.
Anonymous
Post 03/15/2026 21:44     Subject: Re:Deal math tracks
Anonymous wrote:My understanding from an administrator is that Deal was eventually prohibited from double blocking by OSSE or DCPS officials. Deal would have otherwise allowed it to continue as a way to prioritize math. Instead, they now send parents notes that kids are eligible to take the next math class at CTY based on their math grade as an alternate way to double up on math, but CTY fills up fast and costs several thousand dollars.


This is correct. Bottom line is Deal is no longer permitted to let kids skip electives to double block on math. But, kids who want to take Algebra II in 8th grade still can through CTY.
Anonymous
Post 03/15/2026 14:31     Subject: Re:Deal math tracks
My understanding from an administrator is that Deal was eventually prohibited from double blocking by OSSE or DCPS officials. Deal would have otherwise allowed it to continue as a way to prioritize math. Instead, they now send parents notes that kids are eligible to take the next math class at CTY based on their math grade as an alternate way to double up on math, but CTY fills up fast and costs several thousand dollars.
Anonymous
Post 03/15/2026 13:48     Subject: Deal math tracks
Anonymous wrote:Ugh. Is it iready? My kid is so sick of that diagnostic test and dreads it. He hates how it jumps around. He does fine but tends to underperform on it.

Mine too. DCPS is failing the kids having them test on these scam systems they pay millions for. It is creating a legacy of trash.
Anonymous
Post 03/15/2026 09:23     Subject: Deal math tracks
In the DC CAPE data, less than half of middle school algebra students get a 4+. That's where premature acceleration is happening, with 8th graders taking algebra who are not ready. By contrast, 90% of the middle school geometry students get a 4+. Pushing kids into acceleration beyond algebra before they're ready just isn't happening, and you'd see the same if you went back and looked at the algebra 2 data. (With BASIS being the obvious unknown data point because of their testing policies.)