mpg, I give you a lot of credit for looking for the answer to this question, and for wanting to have the education best suited to your needs.
I agree with the advice you've already been given above. I'll add that the MAP cutoffs your school is using are relatively conservative, compared to the recommendations made by the publisher, so it is certainly not inappropriate for your friends to be in either algebra I/7th grade or algebra I/8th grade.
On the other hand, it is helpful to understand the difference between placements based on MAP scores and placements based on actual math course performance. MAP scores do not tell you which specific math skills have been mastered by a student, only how they performed on a combined achievement test. That is, two students who obtain the same scaled score on the MAP may not know the same things. A particular example of this would be based on the types of items used on the MAP. For math, there are three kinds of problems: numeracy (also called number sense), computations (isolated calculations), and problem solving (word problems). A student may do very well on computations and numeracy, but not as well on problem solving, and receive the same score as another student, who does very well on problem solving and numeracy, but not as well on computations. Both students might qualify for algebra I based on their MAP scores, but the second student will probably grasp the concepts more easily--but end up with a lower grade in the class because of frequent calculation errors.
When schools and guardians make placement decisions, they generally take multiple factors into consideration. Standardized test data is one, parent preference is another, and--probably the most important one in most schools--last year's math grade and teacher recommendation is a third.
I'm not saying that any of the scenarios I'm about to list are actually true of you, but, from having worked at all levels from k-12, these are some examples of situations that I've seen result in lower placements than test scores would predict: teacher perception of insufficient effort or commitment to the class the previous year (such as not turning in homework); poor attendance; poor behavior in class; not paying attention in class (or not participating); teacher/parent perception that the homework demands of the new class will be too much; not having the prerequisite courses (in this case, Algebra I for seventh graders while in the sixth grade).
We don't know what your particular circumstances are outside of your test data, but if you are willing to put in the work in the more challenging course (keeping in mind that you won't receive formal instruction for the first half of the book, and will probably have to play catch-up on your own time for the first couple of months), then I would start some respectful inquiries into what you might be able to do to earn a transfer into the other class. And if any of the situations I listed in the previous paragraph do happen to apply to you, begin thinking about how you will respond if school staff say that this was one of the factors that resulted in your lower placement. Think about how you will demonstrate that this is something that you are committed to changing for the better, and prepare a specific improvement plan to present as part of your case for moving up.
Last edited by aeh; 09/22/14 11:42 AM.
