Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Common Core Junior High Math Misconceptions

So I'm starting this thread because I want to apologize that I may have given a few parents wrong advice about junior high math placement for their children this past spring/summer. And alert others on this board to the CC changes. I did not know enough details about the changes in Junior High math pathways in Common Core. I've found out about this because it's become a mess in my own district and I've gotten involved in trying to fix. I'm not advocating for Common Core but it's a reality that's it's being implemented in our public schools.

Part of the problem is in the "naming" of courses. The BIG change in junior high math is that PRIOR to Common Core my state (and many others) had goal of getting MOST 8th grade students through Algebra I. Therefore Algebra I in 7th grade was an acceleration for the brightest kids. In my district previously the only "grade 8" class was a remedial course, and most 8th graders took Algebra I or higher.

The difference is Common Core changes the "definition" of what units are covered in an Algebra I course and pushes "basic" Algebra I into a badly named class "Grade 8 Common Core". Grade 8 Common Core includes factoring, and solving two equations with two unknowns, as well as the first few chapters of Geometry. Algebra I assumes you know those topics, and include materials previously in Algebra II, Geometry includes topics that were in Algebra II, and Algebra II includes topics that were in Pre-Calc.

How does this affect gifted kids? You probably don't want your child to "skip" Common Core Grade 8 class unless they already have a grounding in basic Algebra. They might want to be enrolled in this course as a 6th or 7tg grader. They might want a compacted 7/8th/Algebra I course. Geometry is much less likely to be offered in junior high than it used to be. If you are a parents who's students are about to go through junior high you might not want to compare the classes your child is in against those of "older" kids that went through the system even a few years ago. And if your child is moving from homeschooling, taking an online class, or a private school you might want to make sure your child's courses line up to this curriculum. Schools and districts are still grappling with this issues and if you have a junior high kid now you might be caught in this mess.