In our district and other districts in our county, the math sequence is:
Grades K-4: no tracks
In our district, no students (that I know of) are subject accelerated at this level.
Grades 5-6: no tracks, but gifted and high ability students are “unofficially” clustered
In our district, very few students are subject accelerated, but this is where it usually occurs. It’s a lengthy process, and parents must request it. (When DD was in 5th grade we used EXPLORE results and NUMATS’ recommendation that DD take Algebra 1 in grade 6 to apply for subject acceleration. To get acceleration, DD had to take the OLSAT, 5th grade, and 8th grade Stanford Achievement tests. She then had to take the sixth grade math Ohio Achievement Assessment to demonstrate she had no gaps. I had to attend a meeting where her fifth grade teacher and the seventh grade advanced math teacher, both school principals, the district Special Services Director, and County ESC special services Director had to approve the acceleration.)
In the past three years, one 5th grader skipped 6th and 7th grade math and took algebra in grade 6, three 5th graders skipped 6th grade math and took 7th grade advanced math (pre-algebra), and this year no students accelerated--all 5th graders moved into 6th grade math.
Grades 7-8: official math tracks begin
In our district, average students take 7th grade math, gifted/high-ability students take 7th grade advanced math (pre-algebra). A maximum of 35 students from the two sections of 7th grade advanced math are placed in to Algebra 1 based on their grades and an algebra placement exam. This year 24 students met the criteria and were invited to take Algebra 1 for which students earn high school credit. The remaining students are placed in 8th grade advance math or the regular 8th grade math based on their performance in 7th grade math.
In a nearby county, schools’ highest math track begins in grade 6 with transition math (pre-algebra), algebra in grade 7, and geometry in grade 8 which is taught in the middle school. Criteria for entrance into this track is much lower in these schools than in the schools in our county even though they are offering pre-algebra a full year earlier. For example, one school offering pre-algebra to 6th graders requires at least a 90% average final grade in 5th grade math, scoring accelerated or advanced on the Ohio Achievement assessments (which means scoring 40 out of 49 possible points or 81.6%; 41.59% of students in the state meet that criteria), and scoring 16 out of 28 on a pre-algebra placement test which is a 57%). Students in our district have to be subject accelerated in math to begin pre-algebra in 6th grade. They must go to the high school to take geometry in 8th grade.
