Anonymous
Post 05/03/2023 18:41     Subject: Anyone wavering on whether or not to do Algebra in 7th
Why doea the report show
~8000 students in Geometry (all grades, through 12) but only ~3000 in Algebra II?

Surely most of the Geometry students in grade <=9 continue to Algebra 2.

https://p1pe.doe.virginia.gov/apex/f?p=152:1:16274727012747:SHOW_REPORT::::
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2023 16:44     Subject: Anyone wavering on whether or not to do Algebra in 7th
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For 2021-2022, there were 2042 FCPS 8th graders taking Geometry and another 221 taking Algebra II. Among those, 150 of the kids in 8th grade Geometry and 11 in Algebra II are marked as 'disadvantaged.'

If she's in the top 15% of FCPS math students, she should be fine in 7th grade Algebra.


Interesting to see the large increase from Alg I 6th to Alg II in 8th


You would have to compare to Algebra 1 two years prior, which was likely higher, but also lots of kids take summer geometry.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2023 16:43     Subject: Anyone wavering on whether or not to do Algebra in 7th
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For 2021-2022, there were 2042 FCPS 8th graders taking Geometry and another 221 taking Algebra II. Among those, 150 of the kids in 8th grade Geometry and 11 in Algebra II are marked as 'disadvantaged.'

If she's in the top 15% of FCPS math students, she should be fine in 7th grade Algebra.


Interesting to see the large increase from Alg I 6th to Alg II in 8th


Probably because some kids take Geometry during the summer between 7th and 8th grade hoping that it will help them with TJ applications. That was the first year that the application changed which would have caught families off guard.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2023 16:43     Subject: Anyone wavering on whether or not to do Algebra in 7th
Anonymous wrote:
Only 3 middle schools in the state had more than 10 students taking the SOL in 6th grade (one in Henrico county, 2 in Hampton City).
Only 3 divisions in the state had more than 21 students taking the SOL in 6th grade (FCPS, Hampton CIty, and Henrico County).




I think these would be higher in previous years.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2023 16:41     Subject: Anyone wavering on whether or not to do Algebra in 7th
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Take it in 6th if possible.


DC is in 6th grade now. Algebra is not offered to 6th graders in FCPS.


22 FCPS 6th graders tool the algebra 1 SOL in the 2021-2022 school year: https://p1pe.doe.virginia.gov/apex/f?p=152:1:::::p_session_id,p_application_name:-797246205682341769,testresults


In a system as big as FCPS, that's essentially a rounding error


This may have been down due to VMPI, and also COVID.
LCPS had 3 that year, much higher this year.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2023 16:23     Subject: Anyone wavering on whether or not to do Algebra in 7th
Anonymous wrote:For 2021-2022, there were 2042 FCPS 8th graders taking Geometry and another 221 taking Algebra II. Among those, 150 of the kids in 8th grade Geometry and 11 in Algebra II are marked as 'disadvantaged.'

If she's in the top 15% of FCPS math students, she should be fine in 7th grade Algebra.


Interesting to see the large increase from Alg I 6th to Alg II in 8th
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2023 15:10     Subject: Anyone wavering on whether or not to do Algebra in 7th
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Take it in 6th if possible.


DC is in 6th grade now. Algebra is not offered to 6th graders in FCPS.


22 FCPS 6th graders tool the algebra 1 SOL in the 2021-2022 school year: https://p1pe.doe.virginia.gov/apex/f?p=152:1:::::p_session_id,p_application_name:-797246205682341769,testresults


Uh oh. Somebody is throwing in facts - a few more of those and this thread will be canceled like other "Algebra in 6th grade" threads previously.

Treading on thin ice here, a few more facts from the same source regarding the 2021/22 school year, for VA as a whole:

Grade 6: accounting for 0.12% of test takers, Pass Rate: 98.41% (73.81% advanced)
Grade 7: accounting for 10.4% of test takers, Pass Rate: 96.78% (34.93% advanced)
Grade 8: accounting for 28.9% of test takers, Pass Rate: 89.48% (14.57% advanced)
Grade 9: accounting for 49.5% of test takers, Pass Rate: 76.10% (1.91% advanced)
Grade 10 and older account for the rest of 11.1%.

Only 3 middle schools in the state had more than 10 students taking the SOL in 6th grade (one in Henrico county, 2 in Hampton City).
Only 3 divisions in the state had more than 21 students taking the SOL in 6th grade (FCPS, Hampton CIty, and Henrico County).


Anonymous
Post 05/03/2023 14:41     Subject: Anyone wavering on whether or not to do Algebra in 7th
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Take it in 6th if possible.


DC is in 6th grade now. Algebra is not offered to 6th graders in FCPS.


22 FCPS 6th graders tool the algebra 1 SOL in the 2021-2022 school year: https://p1pe.doe.virginia.gov/apex/f?p=152:1:::::p_session_id,p_application_name:-797246205682341769,testresults


In a system as big as FCPS, that's essentially a rounding error

It is a small number, but it's no error. The number isn't 0, and that's because it's possible, if extremely rare
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2023 13:58     Subject: Re:Anyone wavering on whether or not to do Algebra in 7th
Anonymous wrote:OP, I have the same concerns and am also wavering. My daughter WANTS to take it and got a 96 percentile on her IOWA but I'm not convinced that she's a hard enough worker to make it through those higher level math classes later. The reason she's doing well now is because she has great number sense and a fairly innate math ability when it comes to some of this stuff they're learning in 7th grade. Once it gets to some of the more abstract concepts of math, I'm not sure how well she'll do. Algebra will be fine. Geometry will be harder because that's her weakest area overall. And I think she'll do fine in Algebra II. But we're at an IB school so the options after that are kind of murky and unfamiliar to me and I'm worried they'll be too challenging. I expect her to take math all four years of high school so what kind of upper level math are we talking about here that she'd be setting herself up to take?

Half of me says to just let her chill and take Math 7H and save Algebra for 8th grade. The other half says to let her challenge herself. Still unsure. And most of these responses aren't addressing your question of what comes next (later half of high school). I did get some responses to that question when I asked it on a previous thread but can't remember which one. You may be able to search for it.


South Lakes HS is IB and has classes beyond the IB math class. I know of kids there who took dual enrollment math as Seniors. Just look at your high schools math offerings.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2023 13:46     Subject: Anyone wavering on whether or not to do Algebra in 7th
For 2021-2022, there were 2042 FCPS 8th graders taking Geometry and another 221 taking Algebra II. Among those, 150 of the kids in 8th grade Geometry and 11 in Algebra II are marked as 'disadvantaged.'

If she's in the top 15% of FCPS math students, she should be fine in 7th grade Algebra.
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2023 12:47     Subject: Anyone wavering on whether or not to do Algebra in 7th
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Take it in 6th if possible.


DC is in 6th grade now. Algebra is not offered to 6th graders in FCPS.


22 FCPS 6th graders tool the algebra 1 SOL in the 2021-2022 school year: https://p1pe.doe.virginia.gov/apex/f?p=152:1:::::p_session_id,p_application_name:-797246205682341769,testresults


In a system as big as FCPS, that's essentially a rounding error
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2023 12:23     Subject: Re:Anyone wavering on whether or not to do Algebra in 7th
Anonymous wrote:But we're at an IB school so the options after that are kind of murky and unfamiliar to me and I'm worried they'll be too challenging.

Why don't you tell her this and ask her to help you make sense of her highschool future by researching the highschool math pathway and presenting it to you in a way that clears your doubts? That'll give her a chance to not only convince you, but also to display her work ethic and executive function skills
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2023 12:20     Subject: Anyone wavering on whether or not to do Algebra in 7th
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Take it in 6th if possible.


DC is in 6th grade now. Algebra is not offered to 6th graders in FCPS.


It is! If you know the rules, which are not advertised or transparent.

Not disclosing these options is theft.

Well then, don't be a thief and tell us
Anonymous
Post 05/03/2023 11:45     Subject: Anyone wavering on whether or not to do Algebra in 7th
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Take it in 6th if possible.


DC is in 6th grade now. Algebra is not offered to 6th graders in FCPS.


22 FCPS 6th graders tool the algebra 1 SOL in the 2021-2022 school year: https://p1pe.doe.virginia.gov/apex/f?p=152:1:::::p_session_id,p_application_name:-797246205682341769,testresults
Anonymous
Post 05/01/2023 19:35     Subject: Anyone wavering on whether or not to do Algebra in 7th
Anonymous wrote:Different district altogether, but also an option of algebra 1 in 7th and geometry in 8th. I pushed him, he struggled somewhat in 6th, I thought about bringing him down a level but he did well on the end of year exams and lo and behold, in 7th he is doing much better! Little help needed from me, he has As and Bs mostly.


This is dangerous. Getting a B in math means some material was not mastered. But later material depends on earlier material. It's not like English or History where you can miss some stuff and move on.