Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Accelerated math middle schooler and CC issues

Hello, I have seen several previous posts about the common core math conundrum for current middle schoolers. I am in CA. DD skipped 6th grade math and took pre-algebra in 6th grade based on placement test results (moving back here after being in VA for four years at the beginning of 6th grade, we found the public schools there far ahead of schools here). DD took algebra last year and is in now in geometry in 8th grade. This seems to be the 'old' standard track for your typical accelerated (but not profoundly gifted) kid. Our district rolled out CC math 6 in 2013-2014, and CC 7 this year. In short, 8th graders like her are under the 'old system', so no change in curriculum for those who took algebra and geometry for 7th/8th grades. Last year I asked several times- in several different ways- how the gaps would be handled for 8th grade kids who did not do CC middle school. All I got from the school and district was 'we know there are gaps and we'll have to figure that out down the road'. I actually moved my DD out of the public school in to private school this year for 8th grade for several reasons; but, she might attend our local public high school next year. I've attended meetings on the district's math sequencing for high school. The school district still hems and haws as to what the kids who never took CC middle school math are actually 'missing', if anything. All they have said is that DD and kids in her circumstances (taking algebra and geometry in MS) will take algebra II next year (old-style, again)...and by the time they take the SBAC math assessment in 11th grade, um, yeah, there will have been some gaps. Have your school districts come up with any specific plans to address what to do, if anything, with currently accelerated math middle schoolers who will subject to the new SAT's down the road, and the new 11th grade math assessments, that do not align with the math curriculum/sequencing that the kids actually had? Very frustrated here. I am hoping to meet with a district administrator to discuss why it might be important to consider this issue as one that should be addressed. And our school district is generally rated at the very top of the CA heap...

Maybe this has already been done, but is taking the end-of-year assessments an option to see what gaps, if any, are present for your daughter? My impression of CC is that it isn't necessarily all that much more rigorous for kids who have a good grasp of mathematics. I am only going off the standards I've read and commentary here, though.

I have a link to the CA standard for Common Core math that includes many of the standards but it will take me a bit to track down and I'm busy the rest of the afternoon. (I am on a common core transition committe for my CA district.) If she is going into Algebra II next year you should be able to have her work on her own the few chapters of information she will have missed.

Khan Academy also seems to have a good layout of what is covered in CC Algebra & CC Geometry & CC Algebra II.

CA Common Core math frameworks:

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ma/cf/draft2mathfwchapters.asp

Thank you all for your feedback. Last year (while DD was taking algebra) her entire 7th grade class took the 7th grade common core SBAC as a 'mock' even though no 7th grader had actually had the 7th grade CC math curriculum, as it had not yet been introduced. I asked if we could get results and they said 'heck no, we are not even getting the results; this is just for practice'. I will ask the district again about providing the CC assessments as a tool in the future. I already have documents that show the alignment/gaps of CC to former CA standards; and I will plan on paying a tutor to provide an assessment of DD against CC standards and cover the gaps. But I am trying to campaign the district to actually do something for these kids too. I have friends who are just coming to grips with understanding that their kids currently in geometry are in the same boat...the school has said NOTHING about the gaps, which is why I was wondering if any of your school districts have acknowledged this issue and plan to do anything about it. My conversations with the principal and head of math department last year went nowhere..they looked at me like I was crazy when I suggested just offering optional 'cover the gaps' class during lunchtime once a week or after school. District line is 'it's unfortunate but it's the way it is'. Well, I don't believe that every district is doing nothing...are they? Bluemagic, is your district addressing the gaps or is every parent handling it privately? It's flat out shocking to me.

Yes my district is trying to handle the gaps. The whole reason for the committee I was on was in response to first year common core implementation mistakes and to figure out how to go forwards. That said kids who are currently accelerated in junior high math right now have gaps and many are struggling. The math depts. at the junior high schools are currently trying to fix the situation. I'm not quite sure of those details and how it affects going forward on implementing CC. One thing were are doing is CC core math is being implemented in all math classes, it will only follow the current junior high kids who are either in CC 8 or Algebra. So next year standard 9th grade math will be CC Algebra and there will be CC Geometry classes for 9th graders & regular Geometry courses for 10th graders. (Or students who transferred in.) Or however we finally decide the H.S. course schedule will look. Algebra II & up will be left alone another year, so they kids who are in Geometry in 8th this year are OK, but not those that skipped to Algebra. Not sure what they are going to do for students who transfer in from out of the district who don't yet have CC 8th grade math.

Gosh I have not even considered this. My 6th grader is taking algebra now, and will be taking Geometry next year in 7th grade. We are in PA in a very competitive school district. There are 4 kids in 6th grade taking algebra in total (out of around 350 kids) and about 60 taking it in 7th I believe. No one has talked about "gaps". Starting to wonder if this could be an issue.

Thanks for your response. What I have found with further questioning is that even the kids who took 8th grade math and algebra this year as 8th graders in our district, who are rolling into algebra and geometry respectively next year, will still not have the 'common core' equivalent of algebra and geometry in high school! While the district is beginning its efforts to implement CC standards in these subjects, it has acknowledged that the curriculum will not be 'CC 100%' until the current 7th graders hit the classes in high school. If I get any response from the district's supervisor of curriculum, I'll be sure to share it!

Is it possible that the gaps will need to be covered for all students (regardless of acceleration) if they appear in high school classes? It wouldn't seem that those taking h.s. classes along with your DD would have covered Common Core during their math classes, either.

Also, couldn't gaps be addressed if they appear when the students take the pre-tests or practice exams for the SAT or ACT? I'm guessing everyone will be the same boat.

In our district, they are not expecting the current algebra2/trig classes or above to have covered common core material. My DD is in the first geometry common core class in our district (and was in the first algebra common core last year, and the first middle school common core classes before that). We are in NYS, where final exams in math include a state-wide regents exam. DD's class has been given both the "old" regents and the new common-core regents exam for algebra, and they will also take both for geometry (including a local exam, which is expected to be the most rigorous, though no one has seen the common-core aligned geometry regents yet). The higher score of the two regents exams is considered the "official" score. As far as I know, the older classes are not expected to take any common-core aligned regents exams, and the classes behind my daughter's will only take the common-core aligned exam. I think both were given to my daughter's class mainly because theirs was the first year to take the common core aligned exam and no one knew exactly what to expect. (For the record, the general feeling was that the common core regents was more difficult, mainly because it required much more writing and explanation).
ETA: I meant to say that our district has refused/halted any and all math acceleration (not that there was much here before) for the past several years, I assume in part due to these curricular changes. (There were also reportedly problems like those alluded to in previous posts, where highly accelerated kids were found to be struggling in later HS and early college math classes. At least, that's what they tell us).