Anonymous
07/22/2025 10:21
Subject: Re:Math Placement Letters APS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Swanson sent this out:
At the end of the school year, we shared with families that they would receive their child’s math course recommendation in ParentVue on July 21, 2025. The APS Math Office has recently added a new accelerated math course for 6th graders titled Math 6 Advanced. This new course will teach the state standards for 6th grade and 7th grade math in one year. This course meets the learning needs of our students and the requirements of the recent state legislation, which requires schools to place students who pass the state SOL exam in the upper quartile in an advanced math class the following school year. (The upper quartile for incoming 6th graders is a score of 466 or higher on the 5th grade Math SOL exam.)
Due to the addition of the new course and to ensure alignment with recent state legislation, the Math Office is updating all course recommendations for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. We appreciate your patience while we work with the Math Office to update student schedules for the coming school year. Course recommendations will be available in ParentVue in early August.
75 percent of kids scored below 466. Wow. That surprises me.
I am surprised that fewer then 25% of the students passed advanced. I would not put a student who did not pass advance don the SOL in an intensified class.
Also do you know how few kissed pass the algebra sol advanced? I think it’s less than 10%. The percentage of kids that pass the eighth grade sol advanced is really low too— I think it’s around 10%. This is why they passed that law! Just because you didn’t pass advance doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take an intensified class.
Anonymous
07/22/2025 10:15
Subject: Re:Math Placement Letters APS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Swanson sent this out:
At the end of the school year, we shared with families that they would receive their child’s math course recommendation in ParentVue on July 21, 2025. The APS Math Office has recently added a new accelerated math course for 6th graders titled Math 6 Advanced. This new course will teach the state standards for 6th grade and 7th grade math in one year. This course meets the learning needs of our students and the requirements of the recent state legislation, which requires schools to place students who pass the state SOL exam in the upper quartile in an advanced math class the following school year. (The upper quartile for incoming 6th graders is a score of 466 or higher on the 5th grade Math SOL exam.)
Due to the addition of the new course and to ensure alignment with recent state legislation, the Math Office is updating all course recommendations for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. We appreciate your patience while we work with the Math Office to update student schedules for the coming school year. Course recommendations will be available in ParentVue in early August.
75 percent of kids scored below 466. Wow. That surprises me.
I am surprised that fewer then 25% of the students passed advanced. I would not put a student who did not pass advance don the SOL in an intensified class.
Why? Historically only 15-20% pass advanced state wide, so I imagine that the 25% would be around 470.
Anonymous
07/22/2025 10:13
Subject: Re:Math Placement Letters APS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Swanson sent this out:
At the end of the school year, we shared with families that they would receive their child’s math course recommendation in ParentVue on July 21, 2025. The APS Math Office has recently added a new accelerated math course for 6th graders titled Math 6 Advanced. This new course will teach the state standards for 6th grade and 7th grade math in one year. This course meets the learning needs of our students and the requirements of the recent state legislation, which requires schools to place students who pass the state SOL exam in the upper quartile in an advanced math class the following school year. (The upper quartile for incoming 6th graders is a score of 466 or higher on the 5th grade Math SOL exam.)
Due to the addition of the new course and to ensure alignment with recent state legislation, the Math Office is updating all course recommendations for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. We appreciate your patience while we work with the Math Office to update student schedules for the coming school year. Course recommendations will be available in ParentVue in early August.
75 percent of kids scored below 466. Wow. That surprises me.
I am surprised that fewer then 25% of the students passed advanced. I would not put a student who did not pass advance don the SOL in an intensified class.
Anonymous
07/22/2025 10:07
Subject: Re:Math Placement Letters APS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Swanson sent this out:
At the end of the school year, we shared with families that they would receive their child’s math course recommendation in ParentVue on July 21, 2025. The APS Math Office has recently added a new accelerated math course for 6th graders titled Math 6 Advanced. This new course will teach the state standards for 6th grade and 7th grade math in one year. This course meets the learning needs of our students and the requirements of the recent state legislation, which requires schools to place students who pass the state SOL exam in the upper quartile in an advanced math class the following school year. (The upper quartile for incoming 6th graders is a score of 466 or higher on the 5th grade Math SOL exam.)
Due to the addition of the new course and to ensure alignment with recent state legislation, the Math Office is updating all course recommendations for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. We appreciate your patience while we work with the Math Office to update student schedules for the coming school year. Course recommendations will be available in ParentVue in early August.
75 percent of kids scored below 466. Wow. That surprises me.
This year was a new set of math standards on the SOL. As a 5th grade teacher I was surprised by more of my students scores (lower than expected) than usual. I still had the expected students passing overall though. Especially compared to their MAP percentiles. I feel like they will grow next year as a result of having more years of instruction using the new standards.
Was the new set of standards for every grade or just 5th? Asking as a parent of a rising 5th grader and just trying to educate myself about what to expect this year and middle school.
Anonymous
07/21/2025 20:50
Subject: Re:Math Placement Letters APS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Correction above- if you DID take precalc intensified, you were prepared for BC. Sorry about that!
Your info is also out of date. PreCalc Intensified was replaced a few years ago by AP Pre-Calc. The students who take AP Pre-Calc should be prepared to move directly into Calc BC. After Calc BC, you can take Multivariable if you get a qualifying score on the AP exam - I believe 4 or higher qualifies.
My post above clarifies that my kids took precalc intensified since AP pre-calc is fairly new (it’s been offered for 2 years) and so I am not sure if there is a determinant score required to do BC vs AB after, like there is when going from BC to multivariable. My kid just graduated in 2025 and he took precalc intensified in 10th which was the last year it was offered before becoming AP. I specify that in my post so not necessary for you to reiterate that it’s different now. I stated that.
Regardless, it is definitely not the norm at YHS or HB (the 2 schools I’ve had students at) to do AB and then BC. BC covers all that’s in AB and then more. Can you take both? Sure. But it would be redundant since BC gives you an AB score on the AP test and a BC overall score. It is not the norm recommendation in APS, but it is an option.
Anonymous
07/21/2025 20:29
Subject: Re:Math Placement Letters APS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Do some kids take AP Calc AB junior year and then AP Calc BC senior year? Or that is not a thing? I don't know much about what happens past pre-calculus.
Yes— that is totally a thing. As is taking algebra ii, then intensified precalc, then ap calc sb, ap calc bc. You have to skip precalc in order to take the ib math track if you’re in algebra as an eighth grader.
Maybe just a thing at WL/IB? This is not what students I know have done. You typically take AB or BC— not both.
Anonymous
07/21/2025 19:54
Subject: Re:Math Placement Letters APS
Anonymous wrote:Do some kids take AP Calc AB junior year and then AP Calc BC senior year? Or that is not a thing? I don't know much about what happens past pre-calculus.
Yes— that is totally a thing. As is taking algebra ii, then intensified precalc, then ap calc sb, ap calc bc. You have to skip precalc in order to take the ib math track if you’re in algebra as an eighth grader.
Anonymous
07/21/2025 17:46
Subject: Re:Math Placement Letters APS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Correction above- if you DID take precalc intensified, you were prepared for BC. Sorry about that!
Your info is also out of date. PreCalc Intensified was replaced a few years ago by AP Pre-Calc. The students who take AP Pre-Calc should be prepared to move directly into Calc BC. After Calc BC, you can take Multivariable if you get a qualifying score on the AP exam - I believe 4 or higher qualifies.
No, the PP is right if their kids are at W-L. There is no AP Pre-Calc there. The IB Pre-Calc is intensified. So my DD took IB Pre-Calc and AP Calculus BC.
Anonymous
07/21/2025 17:29
Subject: Re:Math Placement Letters APS
Anonymous wrote:Correction above- if you DID take precalc intensified, you were prepared for BC. Sorry about that!
Your info is also out of date. PreCalc Intensified was replaced a few years ago by AP Pre-Calc. The students who take AP Pre-Calc should be prepared to move directly into Calc BC. After Calc BC, you can take Multivariable if you get a qualifying score on the AP exam - I believe 4 or higher qualifies.
Anonymous
07/21/2025 15:52
Subject: Re:Math Placement Letters APS
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Swanson sent this out:
At the end of the school year, we shared with families that they would receive their child’s math course recommendation in ParentVue on July 21, 2025. The APS Math Office has recently added a new accelerated math course for 6th graders titled Math 6 Advanced. This new course will teach the state standards for 6th grade and 7th grade math in one year. This course meets the learning needs of our students and the requirements of the recent state legislation, which requires schools to place students who pass the state SOL exam in the upper quartile in an advanced math class the following school year. (The upper quartile for incoming 6th graders is a score of 466 or higher on the 5th grade Math SOL exam.)
Due to the addition of the new course and to ensure alignment with recent state legislation, the Math Office is updating all course recommendations for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. We appreciate your patience while we work with the Math Office to update student schedules for the coming school year. Course recommendations will be available in ParentVue in early August.
75 percent of kids scored below 466. Wow. That surprises me.
This year was a new set of math standards on the SOL. As a 5th grade teacher I was surprised by more of my students scores (lower than expected) than usual. I still had the expected students passing overall though. Especially compared to their MAP percentiles. I feel like they will grow next year as a result of having more years of instruction using the new standards.
Anonymous
07/21/2025 15:47
Subject: Re:Math Placement Letters APS
Correction above- if you DID take precalc intensified, you were prepared for BC. Sorry about that!
Anonymous
07/21/2025 15:46
Subject: Re:Math Placement Letters APS
Anonymous wrote:Do some kids take AP Calc AB junior year and then AP Calc BC senior year? Or that is not a thing? I don't know much about what happens past pre-calculus.
This is rare in my experience with 2 kids who’ve gone through the pathway. There is a lot of overlap. Perhaps if you don’t want to take stats as a senior and did AB? My kids did this prior to AP Precalc and at the time if you didn’t precalc intensified (which was the highest offered) you would be prepared for BC next. I’m not sure how that shakes out now, if there is a required AP score on precalc that determines if you can do BC vs AB. My oldest did AB as a senior so there wasn’t really a worry about the next HS class. My next one did BC as a junior and did well, they studied for the AP test a lot in order to get to multi. The BC AP test gives you 2 scores: 1 for AB and 1 for BC. So you could potentially get credits for both classes in college just taking BC.
However some districts require you to do AB then BC. But not APS.
Anonymous
07/21/2025 15:08
Subject: Re:Math Placement Letters APS
Anonymous wrote:Swanson sent this out:
At the end of the school year, we shared with families that they would receive their child’s math course recommendation in ParentVue on July 21, 2025. The APS Math Office has recently added a new accelerated math course for 6th graders titled Math 6 Advanced. This new course will teach the state standards for 6th grade and 7th grade math in one year. This course meets the learning needs of our students and the requirements of the recent state legislation, which requires schools to place students who pass the state SOL exam in the upper quartile in an advanced math class the following school year. (The upper quartile for incoming 6th graders is a score of 466 or higher on the 5th grade Math SOL exam.)
Due to the addition of the new course and to ensure alignment with recent state legislation, the Math Office is updating all course recommendations for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. We appreciate your patience while we work with the Math Office to update student schedules for the coming school year. Course recommendations will be available in ParentVue in early August.
Why hasn't every middle school sent this out? Sheesh. Thanks for posting!
Anonymous
07/21/2025 14:48
Subject: Re:Math Placement Letters APS
Anonymous wrote:Do some kids take AP Calc AB junior year and then AP Calc BC senior year? Or that is not a thing? I don't know much about what happens past pre-calculus.
Yes. At W-L it was about half the BC class. But at WL, there is IB Calculus too, so an additional option.
Anonymous
07/21/2025 13:12
Subject: Re:Math Placement Letters APS
Anonymous wrote:Swanson sent this out:
At the end of the school year, we shared with families that they would receive their child’s math course recommendation in ParentVue on July 21, 2025. The APS Math Office has recently added a new accelerated math course for 6th graders titled Math 6 Advanced. This new course will teach the state standards for 6th grade and 7th grade math in one year. This course meets the learning needs of our students and the requirements of the recent state legislation, which requires schools to place students who pass the state SOL exam in the upper quartile in an advanced math class the following school year. (The upper quartile for incoming 6th graders is a score of 466 or higher on the 5th grade Math SOL exam.)
Due to the addition of the new course and to ensure alignment with recent state legislation, the Math Office is updating all course recommendations for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. We appreciate your patience while we work with the Math Office to update student schedules for the coming school year. Course recommendations will be available in ParentVue in early August.
75 percent of kids scored below 466. Wow. That surprises me.