Our district has formal testing/procedures for single subject acceleration in math. Which is very awesome from an advocacy standpoint because they have an actual policy that says each year at the end of the year kids can take the end of year test for the next year and if they show mastery, can skip ahead one grade in that subject only the following year.
Everything seems great for skipping 2nd grade+ math... you have to get an 80% on the test to show mastery.
Here's my issue -- my son is a K student and would take the test in the spring to show mastery of 1st grade math. However, the 1st grade end of year test is different and it requires the student to get every single question right, including how they show their work. Keep in mind these are K students that have never taken even a K end of year test yet and part of the test involves a teacher reading one of the problems out loud that they have to solve.
This seems completely rigged. It's kind of a well known "no one passes that test" but I'm sure SOMEONE has done it. I'm trying to ask around but I haven't found anyone yet.
My son and I are really enjoying doing math together right now. I'm doing some end of 1st grade/some beginning 2nd grade math, etc. We're also doing logic puzzles and computer science. He says to me all the time "I LOVE math!" and I believe that I'm helping him explore and enjoy math.
SO here's my WWYD question -- Would you trade that for an opportunity to SSA and pass this stupid test? In order to not overwhelm him we spend only about an hour a week after schooling math. If I wanted him to pass that test I'd have to have him do sample problems of the same format to learn how to take the test during a lot of that time.
OR I could just teach him math at home for 2 years and he could skip ahead the next year. But I also hate to think of him bored out of his mind in 1st grade math. I volunteer for math centers at his K classroom now and he completely checks out, even when I'm his teacher. Of course he just looks well behaved and happy, but I know the look. So I worry if 1st grade gets more drill or structured he might get frustrated.
Right now I guess I'm sort of doing both by easing into the showing the work part, using the singapore math challenging word problems. His math has always been ahead of his fine motor, so he's always done the math in his head. He will need to learn how to show the steps on paper either way.
Thoughts? I mean, I'm sure I'll have him take the test, but looking at the test I can't even figure out how much work you have to show to prove 5 + 3 = 8. Just draw objects? I am considering getting a 1st grade teacher that does the tests to tutor him a couple times and help me figure out what gaps need filled in. But, I don't know...
Frustrating, but I think long term the system seems like one that will help us. I feel like in the short term it makes it easy to deny SSA in 1st grade since there is some (granted, almost impossible) way to qualify through the system.
