Anonymous wrote: Just scrolling through DCUM, and see this. I know that people might retaliate, but me and my child live in PGCPS, and the standard is for Algebra 1 to be taken in 9th. I'm surprised to see that it's normal for you guys to take it in 7th grade. My DD is in Algebra right now (8th grade).

No, MCPS on track is "Algebra" in 8th grade. I put it in quotes because from what I have read, Algebra in 8th is the "easy" part of Algebra. They must cover the harder parts in later grades or something.

Just scrolling through DCUM, and see this. I know that people might retaliate, but me and my child live in PGCPS, and the standard is for Algebra 1 to be taken in 9th. I'm surprised to see that it's normal for you guys to take it in 7th grade. My DD is in Algebra right now (8th grade).

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone else still not heard about next year?

I haven't heard yet. I keep thinking I'll e-mail the teacher to ask, and then wondering why it matters if I find out now or in a few weeks, as long as we find out before the end of the year so we can ask any questions we have. So I'll wait a little longer to see when they send letters out.

Has anyone else still not heard about next year?

I know for a fact they put more kids into 4/5 math this year after the first quarter

BECAUSE THERE WAS ROOM IN THE CLASS

no. other. reason.

Anonymous wrote:The standards for 4/5 math have been changed to get more students who can succeed into the class. If you want to call them "lowered" it's up to you, but it seems like a better, more open, process to me.

Prior to last year, they gave an examination to 3rd Graders, who were selected on the basis of their InView Score. They administered a UCARE assessment, and if the kid received the county assigned cut off scores they were in, if they did not, they were out. This test was supposed to identify children who "needed" enriched math instruction.

Last year they scrapped this very strict procedure, and decided to identify kids who would be able to succeed in math 4/5 using all the available data.

My daughter was in the first cohort for CM. At our school, they elected not to test most of the class. Her Inview scores were high but she was not tested. I think the problem with CM is that there were variations from school to school in how kids were identified for advanced math. The process needs to be transparent.

There are 4 sections of 4th grade at our school in BCC cluster. At math time, there is math 4 and math 4/5 and the two sections that have math at the same time mix up and go to their respective math class. So it's about 50% of the kids.

When most of the kids were accelerated, DCUM complained. When almost none of the kids were accelerated, DCUM complained. When some of the kids were accelerated, DCUM. When many of the kids were accelerated, DCUM complained. I perceive a pattern.

Our ES currently has three levels, Compacted, A&E (kids who missed cut-offs by less than 5) and on Grade Level but my up and coming 4th grader has over 50% of the kids that supposedly made the new cut off. It will be interesting on how the school handles this. Makes me wonder if this is like the Advanced History that all the 6th graders take, it is really advanced?

I completely believe that all children should be challenged appropriately. What I do not believe is that all of the children being placed into the class (up to 75% in some schools) are ready to do the class. Even this year, many of the classes have remedial groups. Those children would be better served in an on grade level class so that they could have more time to learn the concepts. In addition, if the class is filled with students not quite to the needed level, the teacher, by necessity, will need to lower the instruction or slow the pace which is not fair for those students that are ready for the acceleration.

Maybe there needs to be a middle level class? Is reaching algebra in 8th grade really a bad thing?

The standards for 4/5 math have been changed to get more students who can succeed into the class. If you want to call them "lowered" it's up to you, but it seems like a better, more open, process to me.

Prior to last year, they gave an examination to 3rd Graders, who were selected on the basis of their InView Score. They administered a UCARE assessment, and if the kid received the county assigned cut off scores they were in, if they did not, they were out. This test was supposed to identify children who "needed" enriched math instruction.

Last year they scrapped this very strict procedure, and decided to identify kids who would be able to succeed in math 4/5 using all the available data.

Except that the teachers have all stated that the standards have been lowered.