Anonymous
Post 07/10/2020 08:29     Subject: What Are the Pros and Cons Of Taking Algebra I in Sixth Grade?
I am currently a fifth-grader moving on to sixth grade this fall at Watts Middle School in Ohio, and I have received much praise from all of my teachers regarding my higher level of intelligence and maturity (especially in my writing where this year I served as Editor-In-Cheif of my school's newspaper), and obviously my MAP and other cognitive state tests scores were beyond higher than my fellow classmates. However, with all of the confusion going on with the coronavirus, I wonder if I will be enrolled in Algebra I class (my teachers have mentioned the possibility to me multiple times), so if anybody knows the requirements for that, a brief but informative reply is all I need. Thank you for your time.
Anonymous
Post 05/12/2017 10:42     Subject: What Are the Pros and Cons Of Taking Algebra I in Sixth Grade?
In ES and MS it wasn't a big deal to be advanced. But in HS, it was a bit hard. My DS was in classes that were typically at least 2 years ahead. It was hard to make friends because she had no same age peers in class. In HS kids were not into befriending those younger. She was not bullied but I think she was lonely. Things improved when she joined a school sports team that mixed ages/grades.
Anonymous
Post 05/12/2017 10:33     Subject: What Are the Pros and Cons Of Taking Algebra I in Sixth Grade?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you're kid goes to RM, Poolesville or Blair they'd have many more math choices than AP. Mine finished math requirements in 10th due to taking Calc then ... now they take math electives like Linear Algebra, Discrete Math, etc...


NP here.
I saw this on Poolesville HS website. Is this pathway typical of what is offered by all highschools?

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/poolesvillehs/departments/math/MathPathways.pdf


Sorry, but these math options are not offered at every school. Poolesville and Blair will definitely have them. I've heard that Wheaton (also home of a magnet) offers Multivariable Calc. Einstein offers AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC, AP Stats, and several IB math offerings. I can't speak about the other schools. Also, be aware that not every MCPS school offers calculus-based AP Physics.


Wheaton is not "true" magnet right? Only PHS/RMIB/ and Blair SMAC/CAP are.


Yes, Wheaton is a true magnet--it's test-in for the Engineering and Biomedical programs. It's only open to DCC residents or those attending a DCC magnet. They do have Multivariable Calculus as well as AP Calc AB, BC, and Stats...and AP Physics + AP Physics C in the Engineering program.

Anonymous
Post 05/10/2017 21:55     Subject: What Are the Pros and Cons Of Taking Algebra I in Sixth Grade?
OP, in case you're curious you can find out more about the MCPS math track here
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/math/

The advanced math track, second row in the chart, is an "accelerated" track that has kids taking Algebra in 7th as PP pointed out. There are tons of kids in this track.

The MS and HS science & math magnet programs that are test-in also follow this track with Algebra in 7th, Geometry in 8th but their courses are taught at a much deeper level.

So there's a lot of advanced math in MCPS. The thing that's different is that they don't let you "skip" to the next grade math. So even the best math students in the whole county in 5th usually have to wait to take Algebra in 7th.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2017 20:29     Subject: What Are the Pros and Cons Of Taking Algebra I in Sixth Grade?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:You can take ab and then bc in MCPS also. Op, suggest you post in aap forum. Most people on this board have children in MCPS and MCPS almost never allows kids to be accelerated. So very few people would be able to provide personal perspectives. Unless they are old. MCPS used to allow it many years ago.
It is more common in fcps.

Great point because it will be helpful to discuss with parents whose children had experiences with an accelerated math program or those whose child is currently in one. I posted here because I thought more parents in Maryland will be able to give me some feedback. I will search some of the older threads on the AAP Forum to read first. I'm going to leave this forum and hop over there. Thanks for the suggestion!

By the way, why doesn't MCPS almost never allow students to be accelerated? I thought there were quite a few test in programs in MCPS.


The gifted test in programs aren't considered "acceleration." Those kids in 7th grade are taking algebra, just like the highest level in the Non-magnets (and actually, all those kids are one- year accelerated, as on-grade level has you taking algebra in 8th). But the magnet classes are much more in depth and challenging, even though they have the same name. But posters here generally are using accelerated to mean something beyond the norm - a 6th grader taking algebra, whether in a magnet class or not.. that is what is hard to do in MCPS now.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2017 20:07     Subject: What Are the Pros and Cons Of Taking Algebra I in Sixth Grade?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:You can take ab and then bc in MCPS also. Op, suggest you post in aap forum. Most people on this board have children in MCPS and MCPS almost never allows kids to be accelerated. So very few people would be able to provide personal perspectives. Unless they are old. MCPS used to allow it many years ago.
It is more common in fcps.

Great point because it will be helpful to discuss with parents whose children had experiences with an accelerated math program or those whose child is currently in one. I posted here because I thought more parents in Maryland will be able to give me some feedback. I will search some of the older threads on the AAP Forum to read first. I'm going to leave this forum and hop over there. Thanks for the suggestion!

By the way, why doesn't MCPS almost never allow students to be accelerated? I thought there were quite a few test in programs in MCPS.


There's a long history to this. Not too too long ago, MCPS used to let lots of kids accelerate but it got very much out of hand. There were some schools where 70% of the kids were one year accelerated and 20% two years accelerated. But when they got to MS and HS the teachers complained the kids could not do basic math. The district did dismally in Algebra proficiency and other testing from the state. The kids had been moved along too fast. It was embarrassing for the administrators so they pulled back severely and created only two tracks. One goes faster and the other one goes at the "regular" pace. The accelerated track puts a kid at Calculus in 11th, which is fast for many districts, so they really stopped letting kids go ahead beyond that. There are always a handful of really exceptional kids in any district, especially in a district our size which is 160,000, so you always hear ever so often that a child so and so heard of a child three schools down from your school that has been allowed to go beyond that. Someone posted once that when these kids meet up in MS or HS magnets they are surprised to find you can count the number of kids in this situation on one hand.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2017 18:30     Subject: Re:What Are the Pros and Cons Of Taking Algebra I in Sixth Grade?
Is your son a logical thinker who can deal in the abstract already? That is what you need to know to make the decision...is he good at chess, able to think several moves ahead? If you give him a simple alegebra type problem can he solve it? If so and if your son is excited I would go for it -- especially if he's a STEM kid.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2017 14:34     Subject: What Are the Pros and Cons Of Taking Algebra I in Sixth Grade?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Will his grade go on his HS transcript? That's one argument for taking it a bit slower - if he stumbles a bit because of immaturity, there's a lot riding on it, assuming it goes on his HS transcript.


This is a great point. Yes, it will go on his HS transcript. Definitely something to consider. As for the social side, I would not worry about that. It's one class out of the day.


OP here. Yes, this is one of my concerns. Actually, it appears that I'm the only one who is worried about this. My son, my husband, and his teacher are all thrilled. I'm happy as well, but I didn't realized that we were going to be making decisions about high school credit while he is still in elementary school. My son already knows how to do Algebra and he thinks its so easy. Math always came natural to him. He is a die hard STEM kid. His interests are medicine and engineering. However, he gravitates more to medicine. My other concern is that in 8th grade he will have to take math at River Hill School which isn't our zoned high school. I will find out next Monday more detail information at the Middle School Accelerated G/T Mathematics Orientation for parents. I already have a long of list of questions to ask at the orientation. Maybe I'm worried for nothing, but I still have reservations.

I'm looking at the letter right now and this is the breakdown of the accelerated math program:
Grade Level/ Course
6th- Algebra I G/T
7th- Geometry
8th - Algebra II G/T
9th - Precalculus G/T
10th - AP Calculus AB
11th - AP Calculus C
12th - AP Statistics, and/or Discrete Mathematics, and/or Differential Equations


I'm a scientist, never particularly good at math, but this looks eminently sane. He's not going to be doing string theory by the end of high school, so, no worries.
Transportation to a different school, however, IS a concern. I'd be worried the bus might make the kids late for the next lesson, or that they might actually have to skip another lesson.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2017 14:29     Subject: What Are the Pros and Cons Of Taking Algebra I in Sixth Grade?
Anonymous wrote:You can take ab and then bc in MCPS also. Op, suggest you post in aap forum. Most people on this board have children in MCPS and MCPS almost never allows kids to be accelerated. So very few people would be able to provide personal perspectives. Unless they are old. MCPS used to allow it many years ago.
It is more common in fcps.

Great point because it will be helpful to discuss with parents whose children had experiences with an accelerated math program or those whose child is currently in one. I posted here because I thought more parents in Maryland will be able to give me some feedback. I will search some of the older threads on the AAP Forum to read first. I'm going to leave this forum and hop over there. Thanks for the suggestion!

By the way, why doesn't MCPS almost never allow students to be accelerated? I thought there were quite a few test in programs in MCPS.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2017 14:05     Subject: What Are the Pros and Cons Of Taking Algebra I in Sixth Grade?
Anonymous wrote:Pros:
Kept him interested and motivated in math.
Showed more maturity being with older kids.

Cons:
Having to bus to another school for some years which left less time for extracurriculars, friends and regular down time kids need like playing in the yard.
Real homework at an earlier age which left less time for everything above.
Some minor bullying, not physical, which DC was able to fend off but was still annoying.
Worrying about whether child would be developmentally ready to make the leap to real abstraction. It's a thing like reading you know. This is why many PPs said their child had more of a challenge in Algebra II where everything is variables.
Being accelerated doesn't necessarily mean you're with like-minded kids in our district. You're just going a grade ahead and there are as many unmotivated kids in those classes as in the grade-level classes.

OP, how many kids from Howard are accelerated? It sounds like a lot if they are having a meeting.


Thank you. Your cons are some of the things that I'm concerned about.

I don't know how many students in Howard are accelerated. My family just relocated to Howard from another state last year. Howard's accelerated program is broken up in two categories. There are accelerated students like my child who will take Algebra I in the sixth grade. However, for the students who are exceptionally gifted and I'm not sure what course they will take for 6th grade. I only know one student who happens to be a neighbor of mine whose kid is exceptionally gifted. Other than that, until I attend this orientation I don't know the percentage of students who are accelerated in Howard. Howard uses the SCAT and CogAT tests to determine placement for GT Math in middle school.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2017 13:54     Subject: What Are the Pros and Cons Of Taking Algebra I in Sixth Grade?
Wheaton is a magnet, in the sense that there is a test to get in and not everybody gets in. But I think it is not as competitive as CAP. Blair CAP is open to those who went to a DCC middle school -- because the middle school magnets at Eastern and TPMS are within the DCC, that means lots of out of bounds middle school magnet kids compete for and get into Blair CAP. I assume that same rule applies to Wheaton, but I don't know for sure.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2017 13:05     Subject: What Are the Pros and Cons Of Taking Algebra I in Sixth Grade?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you're kid goes to RM, Poolesville or Blair they'd have many more math choices than AP. Mine finished math requirements in 10th due to taking Calc then ... now they take math electives like Linear Algebra, Discrete Math, etc...


NP here.
I saw this on Poolesville HS website. Is this pathway typical of what is offered by all highschools?

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/poolesvillehs/departments/math/MathPathways.pdf


Sorry, but these math options are not offered at every school. Poolesville and Blair will definitely have them. I've heard that Wheaton (also home of a magnet) offers Multivariable Calc. Einstein offers AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC, AP Stats, and several IB math offerings. I can't speak about the other schools. Also, be aware that not every MCPS school offers calculus-based AP Physics.


Wheaton is not "true" magnet right? Only PHS/RMIB/ and Blair SMAC/CAP are.

I believe Wheaton and CAP are only open to DCC students so only kids from those high schools can apply
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2017 12:31     Subject: What Are the Pros and Cons Of Taking Algebra I in Sixth Grade?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you're kid goes to RM, Poolesville or Blair they'd have many more math choices than AP. Mine finished math requirements in 10th due to taking Calc then ... now they take math electives like Linear Algebra, Discrete Math, etc...


NP here.
I saw this on Poolesville HS website. Is this pathway typical of what is offered by all highschools?

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/poolesvillehs/departments/math/MathPathways.pdf


Sorry, but these math options are not offered at every school. Poolesville and Blair will definitely have them. I've heard that Wheaton (also home of a magnet) offers Multivariable Calc. Einstein offers AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC, AP Stats, and several IB math offerings. I can't speak about the other schools. Also, be aware that not every MCPS school offers calculus-based AP Physics.


Wheaton is not "true" magnet right? Only PHS/RMIB/ and Blair SMAC/CAP are.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2017 12:27     Subject: What Are the Pros and Cons Of Taking Algebra I in Sixth Grade?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you're kid goes to RM, Poolesville or Blair they'd have many more math choices than AP. Mine finished math requirements in 10th due to taking Calc then ... now they take math electives like Linear Algebra, Discrete Math, etc...


NP here.
I saw this on Poolesville HS website. Is this pathway typical of what is offered by all highschools?

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/poolesvillehs/departments/math/MathPathways.pdf


Sorry, but these math options are not offered at every school. Poolesville and Blair will definitely have them. I've heard that Wheaton (also home of a magnet) offers Multivariable Calc. Einstein offers AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC, AP Stats, and several IB math offerings. I can't speak about the other schools. Also, be aware that not every MCPS school offers calculus-based AP Physics.
Anonymous
Post 05/10/2017 11:14     Subject: What Are the Pros and Cons Of Taking Algebra I in Sixth Grade?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If you're kid goes to RM, Poolesville or Blair they'd have many more math choices than AP. Mine finished math requirements in 10th due to taking Calc then ... now they take math electives like Linear Algebra, Discrete Math, etc...


NP here.
I saw this on Poolesville HS website. Is this pathway typical of what is offered by all highschools?

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/poolesvillehs/departments/math/MathPathways.pdf


Yes, I'd say so.