Anonymous wrote:For schools with AIM for 6th grade, what is the MAP-M cutoff for AIM vs. Algebra 1 in 6th grade?

It varies every year as they experiment, and it's a per-school decision, and offering Algebra 1 in 6th is extremely rare.

Almost every school offers AIM or the equivalent AMP 7+ to 6th graders

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The real correct pacing is to let the kids watch the videos individually (like during COVID virtual/async) and do practice problems at their own pace, with teacher floating and doing small groups to give extra attention where needed. Then you don't need to worry about putting kids in the right class level until much later, like Geometry.

Does this exist in each middle school, or is this an aspirational post?

It's common sense, so it doesn't exist in MCPS.

Anonymous wrote:The real correct pacing is to let the kids watch the videos individually (like during COVID virtual/async) and do practice problems at their own pace, with teacher floating and doing small groups to give extra attention where needed. Then you don't need to worry about putting kids in the right class level until much later, like Geometry.

Does this exist in each middle school, or is this an aspirational post?

Anonymous wrote:For schools with AIM for 6th grade, what is the MAP-M cutoff for AIM vs. Algebra 1 in 6th grade?

There is no such thing. My kid with 270 in MAP M took AIM.

For schools with AIM for 6th grade, what is the MAP-M cutoff for AIM vs. Algebra 1 in 6th grade?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I did not know is that the math you take in middle school dictates the science you are allowed to take in HS (at least Blair). By taking AIM or investigations in math you set them up to be able to take the compacted biochem or AP physics in 9th grade. Lower math levels can only take honors biology and the lowest level has to take astronomy.

What are you talking about?
Blair general or magnet?

What astronomy class??

I'm not the PP but those options are for non-magnet. Magnet has its own science sequence which is different.

Anonymous wrote:What I did not know is that the math you take in middle school dictates the science you are allowed to take in HS (at least Blair). By taking AIM or investigations in math you set them up to be able to take the compacted biochem or AP physics in 9th grade. Lower math levels can only take honors biology and the lowest level has to take astronomy.

What are you talking about?
Blair general or magnet?

What astronomy class??

its 1/2 a year that equals 1 year of biology and then 1/2 a year that equalis 1 year of chemistry, like compacted math but for science

Anonymous wrote:What I did not know is that the math you take in middle school dictates the science you are allowed to take in HS (at least Blair). By taking AIM or investigations in math you set them up to be able to take the compacted biochem or AP physics in 9th grade. Lower math levels can only take honors biology and the lowest level has to take astronomy.

AP Physics should not be done in 9th unless a kid is taking pre-Cal. And why would someone take a BioChem class without first having taken Biology or Chemistry? Folks need to stop trying to rush their kids through necessary foundational classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does AIM=AMP 7+ ?

AIM compacts 7th and 8th grade standards.

7+ is the 2nd half of 7th and 8th.

So for 7+ you are not getting a half-year of 7th. 7+ is supposed to be for 7th graders who completed 6+ in 6th (which is all of 6th and the first half of 7th).

See the post inmediately prior. Each option, AIM or AMP7+, with their different curricular origin, ends up missing some things on the way to Algebra.

Agree. But our school (which offers AIM) says that they rework algebra 1 to cover the missing topics.

This is what a number of schools have chosen to do. I personally think they should just stop the madness and use Illustrated Mathematics from 6th through Alg2. Then create two Alg tracks:
-3 yr Integrated Algebra
- Compacted Integrated Algebra

Acceleration from ES could then look like:
Compacted Continuation
6th- AMP 7/8 : All of 7th /half of 8th
7th- AMP8+ : half of 8th/ Half Alg 1
8th- Alg1+ : half Alg 1 /half Alg 2
9th- Alg2+: Half Alg2/ half Alg3
10th- Alg3+ half Alg 3 / Applications
OR Accelerated:
6th- AMP 7/8+ : All of 7th and 8th
7th- Alg 1
8th- Alg2
9th- Alg3
OR:

They would get to the same place and students would have a better foundation with no missed content. Students take the Algebra MCAP after Alg3. And because I don’t trust them to get the integration correct, they should form a committee to help them craft the pacing guide (1 excellent teacher from Pre-Alg through Pre-Cal plus an Engineer)(7-8 committee members)

Would be interesting, and maybe better, but the only things that the purchased curricula (Eureka & Illustrative Math) come with is 6+ & 7+. AIM is a holdover from the proprietary C2.0, which no longer met standards (among other problems) and 4/5 & 5/6, while following the CM paradigm of C2.0, had to be reworked to blend Eureka elementary and Illustrative Math middle. That, itself, was no small feat. The compaction isn't just linear, going 1.5 times as fast, it moves modules around so that some of the overlapping spiral from each grade is handled at once and towards the higher level, instead of twice.

To do what you suggest would require development of another entirely proprietary curriculum. That would take a long time and a lot of resources that they just don't have. I'm not sure the entire central Math group has 7-8 employees, much less 7-8 with free time to form a separately mandated committee. They'd also run into trouble with the unflexible state standard for a credit (full year) of Algebra and a credit of Geometry, requiring at least a waiver and, more likely, a whole series of justifications/detailed alignments/etc.

Maybe with a generous US Department of Education grant aimed at curricular innovations they could pull together resources for something like that to be done, but MCPS' experience with C2.0 means they probably wouldn't even try for such.

Still, an interesting thought experiment.

They should partner with Illustrative mathematics to get it done and make it part of their RFP process for Alg2 and their contract renewal process for 6th thru Geometry math.

It’s interesting that you mention the compaction is moving modules because looking at the current pacing guide it doesn’t seem to be true any longer. The modules are moved for On Level math. Likely to align with the fact that some things are not as heavily tested on the MCAP at that stage.

(https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OrufrdrHnDsW7M2-ht4lRSn3evCYZLLC/view?usp=sharing)

The state absolutely likes to be inflexible. However, someone should point out to them that kids would actually be taking a full credit year of Algebra(in fact 3 yrs) but the content would be integrated to cover all the content from Alg1/Geo/Alg2, in a way that allows for better foundation and better application skill building. Given that MSDE are wants improved MCAP scores and are required to deliver on the Maryland Blueprint, they should be all onboard with an innovative idea from their largest school district meant to do just that. Particularly when every engineer and mathematician I’ve talked to agrees it would be better not to interrupt Algebra for a year w/ Geometry. Now whether they MSDE would actually grant the necessary exceptions or add additional language to the requirements such that this was an option is anyone’s guess. But a good pressure campaign as a new State Super is coming online and we’re evaluating Alg2 curriculum sounds like a good time.

What I did not know is that the math you take in middle school dictates the science you are allowed to take in HS (at least Blair). By taking AIM or investigations in math you set them up to be able to take the compacted biochem or AP physics in 9th grade. Lower math levels can only take honors biology and the lowest level has to take astronomy.

The real correct pacing is to let the kids watch the videos individually (like during COVID virtual/async) and do practice problems at their own pace, with teacher floating and doing small groups to give extra attention where needed. Then you don't need to worry about putting kids in the right class level until much later, like Geometry.