Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there are 30-35 kids in geometry and 130ish kids in 8th grade, that's more than 20 percent of those kids. (basic math) The number of kids tracking with advanced math are also going up as the IB and feeder enrollment is going up proportionately. So, this year's 6th, which is more than 30% IB or feeder would logically start pushing that higher. But YES darn straight that parents from the feeders are going to expect the school will prepare these kids to be and stay on college track level math and other subjects. And Principal Pride does talk about trying to push all kids to a higher level. This would argue for better solutions for helping kids bridge that gap during MS.

Algebra in 8th grade is college track. In order to master pre-algebra in 5 months instead of 10 (and move to algebra in 7th and geometry in 8th), students need to have the ability and drive to do so. And that's not for everybody. Being IB , is not a necessary or sufficient condition for that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If there are 30-35 kids in geometry and 130ish kids in 8th grade, that's more than 20 percent of those kids. (basic math) The number of kids tracking with advanced math are also going up as the IB and feeder enrollment is going up proportionately. So, this year's 6th, which is more than 30% IB or feeder would logically start pushing that higher. But YES darn straight that parents from the feeders are going to expect the school will prepare these kids to be and stay on college track level math and other subjects. And Principal Pride does talk about trying to push all kids to a higher level. This would argue for better solutions for helping kids bridge that gap during MS.

Algebra in 8th grade is college track. In order to master pre-algebra in 5 months instead of 10 (and move to algebra in 7th and geometry in 8th), students need to have the ability and drive to do so. And that's not for everybody. Being IB , is not a necessary or sufficient condition for that.

Anonymous wrote:If there are 30-35 kids in geometry and 130ish kids in 8th grade, that's more than 20 percent of those kids. (basic math) The number of kids tracking with advanced math are also going up as the IB and feeder enrollment is going up proportionately. So, this year's 6th, which is more than 30% IB or feeder would logically start pushing that higher. But YES darn straight that parents from the feeders are going to expect the school will prepare these kids to be and stay on college track level math and other subjects. And Principal Pride does talk about trying to push all kids to a higher level. This would argue for better solutions for helping kids bridge that gap during MS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of complaints you hear on Hardy have to do with feeder school families/IB families feeling entitled to honors track. Instead, the equivalence IB = honors track is not endorsed by the teachers.

Be aware that the resistance to admit more students to the accelerated path comes from the teachers , not from the Principal. Hardy math teachers make clear all the time that they would accelerate students only when a student has the skills and drive to master the next level. Ms Bax explained in more than one occasion that class misplacement in math can adversely and permanently affect individuals confidence in their math abilities and cause fear, and closure towards the subject. And she does not want that for any of her students.

Really? You don't think many of Hardy's out-of-boundary students are ready and eager for the challenge of being on the advanced math track? I find it very hard to believe that the only complaints about this are from "entitled" in-boundary parents. Maybe you need to talk to some different parents?

Of course no one is entitled to be on the advanced math track. But a feeder middle school with only 10% of its graduates ready for the advanced math track at their by-right high school is doing something wrong. Any feeder school should aspire to graduate kids ready for the best that the next school has to offer. Not sure that Hardy admin really believes this or even has a plan to make progress in this area. Why sell kids short?


Deal has 20% students ending in geometry in 8th grade (versus the 10% at Hardy). The difference between Hardy and Deal is consistent with the difference in the demographics of their current 8th graders. As the demographics change, and the newer cohorts move up to 8th grade, the percentages of the two schools will converge.

Anonymous wrote:True, all of Hardy is smaller than a single grade at Deal. 10% of a Deal grade would fill two full classrooms. So of course most of the kids are from Deal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to the PPs for first-hand accounts of how things are going at Hardy. Attended an open house recently (we are in-boundary but not at a feeder school) and came away with mixed impressions. They are clearly doing some things right, but I was surprised and unhappy to hear that only 10% of current Hardy students are in "advanced" math. We're not talking prodigy-level math here, but just algebra in 7th and geometry in 8th--appropriate preparation for the advanced track at Wilson, SWW, or private schools. Ten percent seems startlingly low, but the administrators answering questions about it didn't seem concerned or appear to have a plan for raising the numbers.

Hardy does not spoon-feed students and does not spoon feed parents. Either the student is committed and dedicated, and thus admitted to honors classes, or the school won't listen to parental complaints and lobbying for having their own kids admitted to the advanced/accelerated path. Especially for math, the teachers carefully screen for drive, curiosity and engagement. Feeder school students start with an advantage as they have on average a stronger math background. But this might not be enough. The resulting 8th grade geometry class is composed of only those kids who perfectly mastered algebra and are ready to move on. This year, as in the past two years, one cannot but appreciate the diversity of this class, which reflects the math department philosophy to accelerate talented and dedicated students no matter which school they come from. If only 8% of the 8th grade cohort are ready to bear the accelerated program, then let it be.

If you, as a parent, and your student are ready for this hands-off approach, then Hardy is the best option around (and if this is the case, you won't need an after-school program). if you are not, then save yourself three years of anxiety and look elsewhere.

No one is asking for hand-holding or spoon-feeding. Finishing geometry in 8th grade is the level of math required for the advanced track at Wilson. If Hardy wants its graduates to succeed at the top academic levels at Wilson, it needs to prepare more of its kids accordingly. As it stands, most kids in advanced math at Wilson seem to come from Deal (according to my kid who is at Wilson), but not from Hardy or Oyster, the other Wilson feeder schools. That's a shame and a lost opportunity for those kids.

Finishing geometry in 8th is also the level required to succeed (absent other preparation and luck) on the Walls admissions test. It's the level at which most private schools and very strong suburban public schools expect many students to be. It's not a ridiculous request that a strong or improving middle school graduate >10% of children ready for this level of math in high school. That allows them to complete calculus BC and perhaps also an advanced math class or AP statistics before graduating, which in turn makes them competitive for selective colleges and strong STEM programs.

Anonymous wrote:A lot of complaints you hear on Hardy have to do with feeder school families/IB families feeling entitled to honors track. Instead, the equivalence IB = honors track is not endorsed by the teachers.

Be aware that the resistance to admit more students to the accelerated path comes from the teachers , not from the Principal. Hardy math teachers make clear all the time that they would accelerate students only when a student has the skills and drive to master the next level. Ms Bax explained in more than one occasion that class misplacement in math can adversely and permanently affect individuals confidence in their math abilities and cause fear, and closure towards the subject. And she does not want that for any of her students.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to the PPs for first-hand accounts of how things are going at Hardy. Attended an open house recently (we are in-boundary but not at a feeder school) and came away with mixed impressions. They are clearly doing some things right, but I was surprised and unhappy to hear that only 10% of current Hardy students are in "advanced" math. We're not talking prodigy-level math here, but just algebra in 7th and geometry in 8th--appropriate preparation for the advanced track at Wilson, SWW, or private schools. Ten percent seems startlingly low, but the administrators answering questions about it didn't seem concerned or appear to have a plan for raising the numbers.

Hardy does not spoon-feed students and does not spoon feed parents. Either the student is committed and dedicated, and thus admitted to honors classes, or the school won't listen to parental complaints and lobbying for having their own kids admitted to the advanced/accelerated path. Especially for math, the teachers carefully screen for drive, curiosity and engagement. Feeder school students start with an advantage as they have on average a stronger math background. But this might not be enough. The resulting 8th grade geometry class is composed of only those kids who perfectly mastered algebra and are ready to move on. This year, as in the past two years, one cannot but appreciate the diversity of this class, which reflects the math department philosophy to accelerate talented and dedicated students no matter which school they come from. If only 8% of the 8th grade cohort are ready to bear the accelerated program, then let it be.

If you, as a parent, and your student are ready for this hands-off approach, then Hardy is the best option around (and if this is the case, you won't need an after-school program). if you are not, then save yourself three years of anxiety and look elsewhere.

Anonymous wrote:A lot of complaints you hear on Hardy have to do with feeder school families/IB families feeling entitled to honors track. Instead, the equivalence IB = honors track is not endorsed by the teachers.

Be aware that the resistance to admit more students to the accelerated path comes from the teachers , not from the Principal. Hardy math teachers make clear all the time that they would accelerate students only when a student has the skills and drive to master the next level. Ms Bax explained in more than one occasion that class misplacement in math can adversely and permanently affect individuals confidence in their math abilities and cause fear, and closure towards the subject. And she does not want that for any of her students.