Anonymous
Post 09/02/2025 08:47     Subject: Algebra in 6th grade - new selection process?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is such a poor, haphazard decision by Gatehouse. We are opting out but now my child is thinking if they should be doing it because some of their friends are doing the class. My school also did a Math 7 assessment this week to see if the kids who had qualified based off of SOL scores and iReady have an understanding of the content taught in Math 7. My child’s scored above the (75%) benchmark they were looking for. My child is now confused and I’m so annoyed at Gatehouse for putting the kids in this dilemma for no reason. There is absolutely no advantage of doing algebra 1 in 6th grade even if you want to major and do a Ph.D in math later on. Let the kids enjoy their last year of elementary school without worrying about midterms and finals!


FCPS elementary school is already a year longer than most elementary schools.


If you mean 6th grade should be part of middle school, that still doesn’t make it ok to be pushing 11 yr olds towards a high school level course when they should be focusing on building a strong foundation for later courses in math. I asked the school admin if there was an advantage to taking this in 6th grade and said there is no advantage at all and all students in AAP will end up on the same math path in high school.
Anonymous
Post 09/02/2025 08:21     Subject: Algebra in 6th grade - new selection process?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This is such a poor, haphazard decision by Gatehouse. We are opting out but now my child is thinking if they should be doing it because some of their friends are doing the class. My school also did a Math 7 assessment this week to see if the kids who had qualified based off of SOL scores and iReady have an understanding of the content taught in Math 7. My child’s scored above the (75%) benchmark they were looking for. My child is now confused and I’m so annoyed at Gatehouse for putting the kids in this dilemma for no reason. There is absolutely no advantage of doing algebra 1 in 6th grade even if you want to major and do a Ph.D in math later on. Let the kids enjoy their last year of elementary school without worrying about midterms and finals!


FCPS elementary school is already a year longer than most elementary schools.


FCPS school year is 180 days, like most of the cuontry. They stretch those days out with all of the religious holidays, federal holidays, and teacher work days but it is still 180 days.
Anonymous
Post 09/01/2025 20:26     Subject: Algebra in 6th grade - new selection process?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Kid brought home a 77% on the M7 skills test. I wonder if it was an old M7 SOL? DC said it was 44 questions so that would be about right.

A 75% threshold seems like a low cutoff, but without seeing the test I have no clue if it’s focusing on M7 skills that lead into algebra or all M7 skills (I’m not concerned if the child doesn’t correctly find probability or volume of pyramids or whatever—they’ll get that in later courses and pick it up quickly)


That’s a strange prediction. The hypothetical child failed to pick it up the first time, but you’d assume they will pick it up quickly the second time, after a year of geometry learning loss?


These kids have never had M7 so they've never seen a lot of this, no? They are skipping the year where they would have covered it.

But without seeing the test, who knows what it really was assessing.
Anonymous
Post 09/01/2025 17:16     Subject: Algebra in 6th grade - new selection process?
Anonymous wrote:This is such a poor, haphazard decision by Gatehouse. We are opting out but now my child is thinking if they should be doing it because some of their friends are doing the class. My school also did a Math 7 assessment this week to see if the kids who had qualified based off of SOL scores and iReady have an understanding of the content taught in Math 7. My child’s scored above the (75%) benchmark they were looking for. My child is now confused and I’m so annoyed at Gatehouse for putting the kids in this dilemma for no reason. There is absolutely no advantage of doing algebra 1 in 6th grade even if you want to major and do a Ph.D in math later on. Let the kids enjoy their last year of elementary school without worrying about midterms and finals!


FCPS elementary school is already a year longer than most elementary schools.
Anonymous
Post 09/01/2025 17:08     Subject: Algebra in 6th grade - new selection process?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It seems like some schools are providing how the kids did on the assessment. Haycock isn't even providing that information to the parents or kids. I have no idea how my daughter did and the administration made it clear during Back to School Night that they had zero intention of providing the assessment to parents. (That it was to be used solely by the math teachers to evaluate where kids stand.)


FCPS has to provide any records on your child if you request it. You have a right to access those records.


+1. FERPA says yes. So does VA FOIA.
Anonymous
Post 09/01/2025 16:57     Subject: Algebra in 6th grade - new selection process?
Anonymous wrote:Kid brought home a 77% on the M7 skills test. I wonder if it was an old M7 SOL? DC said it was 44 questions so that would be about right.

A 75% threshold seems like a low cutoff, but without seeing the test I have no clue if it’s focusing on M7 skills that lead into algebra or all M7 skills (I’m not concerned if the child doesn’t correctly find probability or volume of pyramids or whatever—they’ll get that in later courses and pick it up quickly)


That’s a strange prediction. The hypothetical child failed to pick it up the first time, but you’d assume they will pick it up quickly the second time, after a year of geometry learning loss?
Anonymous
Post 08/31/2025 00:38     Subject: Algebra in 6th grade - new selection process?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It seems like some schools are providing how the kids did on the assessment. Haycock isn't even providing that information to the parents or kids. I have no idea how my daughter did and the administration made it clear during Back to School Night that they had zero intention of providing the assessment to parents. (That it was to be used solely by the math teachers to evaluate where kids stand.)


FCPS has to provide any records on your child if you request it. You have a right to access those records.


Does record = score or does record = copy of the test they took?


The test. But they aren't required to give you a copy. You can come in and look at it in person.
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2025 17:35     Subject: Algebra in 6th grade - new selection process?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It seems like some schools are providing how the kids did on the assessment. Haycock isn't even providing that information to the parents or kids. I have no idea how my daughter did and the administration made it clear during Back to School Night that they had zero intention of providing the assessment to parents. (That it was to be used solely by the math teachers to evaluate where kids stand.)


FCPS has to provide any records on your child if you request it. You have a right to access those records.


Does record = score or does record = copy of the test they took?
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2025 13:51     Subject: Re:Algebra in 6th grade - new selection process?
Anonymous wrote:Are any ES in IB regions giving Alg in 6th? If so, what are they telling parents kids will do in 12th grade? IB schools are already not set up to support accelerated math, let alone if advance another year


Theoretically a kid could do all of IB apps followed by all of IB analysis. They could also do IB analysis (just not take the test) and then do online campus or nova/mason classes.

It’s definitely messier though.
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2025 10:22     Subject: Re:Algebra in 6th grade - new selection process?
Anonymous wrote:Are any ES in IB regions giving Alg in 6th? If so, what are they telling parents kids will do in 12th grade? IB schools are already not set up to support accelerated math, let alone if advance another year


Laurel ridge which is not an AAP center has a full class of Algebra 1. And typically almost all of these kids go to Robinson save for a few to TJ, Woodson and Lake Braddock.
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2025 09:40     Subject: Re:Algebra in 6th grade - new selection process?
Are any ES in IB regions giving Alg in 6th? If so, what are they telling parents kids will do in 12th grade? IB schools are already not set up to support accelerated math, let alone if advance another year
Anonymous
Post 08/30/2025 07:50     Subject: Algebra in 6th grade - new selection process?
Anonymous wrote:It seems like some schools are providing how the kids did on the assessment. Haycock isn't even providing that information to the parents or kids. I have no idea how my daughter did and the administration made it clear during Back to School Night that they had zero intention of providing the assessment to parents. (That it was to be used solely by the math teachers to evaluate where kids stand.)


FCPS has to provide any records on your child if you request it. You have a right to access those records.
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2025 17:51     Subject: Algebra in 6th grade - new selection process?
Anonymous wrote:It seems like some schools are providing how the kids did on the assessment. Haycock isn't even providing that information to the parents or kids. I have no idea how my daughter did and the administration made it clear during Back to School Night that they had zero intention of providing the assessment to parents. (That it was to be used solely by the math teachers to evaluate where kids stand.)


You can most definitely ask to see that.
Anonymous
Post 08/29/2025 14:25     Subject: Algebra in 6th grade - new selection process?
It seems like some schools are providing how the kids did on the assessment. Haycock isn't even providing that information to the parents or kids. I have no idea how my daughter did and the administration made it clear during Back to School Night that they had zero intention of providing the assessment to parents. (That it was to be used solely by the math teachers to evaluate where kids stand.)
Anonymous
Post 08/28/2025 16:49     Subject: Algebra in 6th grade - new selection process?
Kid brought home a 77% on the M7 skills test. I wonder if it was an old M7 SOL? DC said it was 44 questions so that would be about right.

A 75% threshold seems like a low cutoff, but without seeing the test I have no clue if it’s focusing on M7 skills that lead into algebra or all M7 skills (I’m not concerned if the child doesn’t correctly find probability or volume of pyramids or whatever—they’ll get that in later courses and pick it up quickly)