Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Which math class?

Melisa,

It sounds like you are on the right track, and I'd agree that given the situation with the schools, more radical acceleration might make a lot of sense.

Also, I agree that the contest math is the best way to provide challenge that is much deeper than typical curriculum math.

Good luck with working out your child's program!

By the way....it is hard to find perfect schools. I'm currently frustrated that they are about to eliminate ability grouping for our middle school math classes. Math is the only subject that our MS currently separates out based on ability (A/B/C/D periods). Starting next year they are mixing all the math classes up completely heterogenously. They say the research shows no negatives of this. Ha! Means extra teaching at home, but I can do that--I love math. I feel sorry for the kids where that isn't as viable.

I'm currently frustrated that they are about to eliminate ability grouping for our middle school math classes. Math is the only subject that our MS currently separates out based on ability (A/B/C/D periods).

How in the world does this work? Is the goal to try to elevate everyone's standards? It seems like there's just such a wide range of abilities to make this work - even more than in science, English or reading. Do they all use the same book? Does everyone end up in Algebra I at the same time? I'm just curious, because I've never heard of a middle school NOT having some differentiation for math.

According to DS, for 150 7th graders, math class is differentiated into 3 groups, one with "regular math", one with "pre-algebra at 8th grade level" and one with "algebra I at 9th grade level". They use different textbooks. There are a couple of placement tests before unit study during the school year and kids will be promoted or demoted accordingly.

Bumping this topic as it answered most, but not all, of my questions. DS recently scored at 254 on MAP in 5th (2-5 test) and will be taking the Iowa algebraic assessment. I'm curious what one might suggest if he does actually score enough for pre-algebra, or even algebra, and the school resists further acceleration.

Would you advise against skipping math 6 and taking pre-algebra? I've seen posts suggesting double acceleration is better if there's a year in between -- is less than a year enough transition?

He has commented that this year of grade 5 math was easy, he far preferred the extension math pull-out, and he actually wants to learn geometry. Is there anything you can recommend for geometry extension that's pre- high school Geometry?

I'd love to see him develop his problem solving skills, and I am half tempted to suggest homeschooling math and doing AoPS pre-algebra, though the budget is tight. I wish there were a math 6/7 course. As it is, I've heard some of the middle school math teachers are great, while others have led to kids going home and learning through YouTube because they don't get it.


Also, I recall sometime in the past year a rather interesting discussion about math acceleration that went into ways to extend math rather than go quickly through it, if you want to make sure there's a solid foundation for problem solving as well as not lead to burnout. Could someone help me find that? The archives are thick with my search terms.

Every kid is different, of course, but in our case, our DC successfully skipped from 3rd to 5th (whole-grade), to 7th in math only (not a pre-algebra course) the following year, and to algebra I the year after that. So in math, that was a skip every year for three years running, depending on whether you count 7th grade math as equivalent to pre-algebra, or as a separate course.

Depending on that distinction, we may or may not have skipped pre-algebra, but definitely skipped 6th. The teacher explained her comfort with the acceleration to 7th (which occurred after the first quarter of 6th) by saying that the topics in 6th and 7th were essentially equivalent. Progressing to algebra I at the end of that year was on the basis of performance on an end-of-course exam in pre-algebra.

And wait a minute, and I expect indigo will come up with some useful threads.

Thanks aeh! One of the big concerns locally is the CCSS transition's "increased rigor", which eliminated a 6/7 math option, created a new math 6, and moved pre-Algebra to 7th in standard sequence -- but I'm not sure of the scope, and am not especially experienced in math any more.

You can also take a look at the Standards, and compare them to what you know of your child's skills and instruction:

http://www.corestandards.org/Math/

Math hasn't changed so much that you won't recognize the topics.

What I'm not sure of is how the standards have shifted, if might cause an acceleration of too many years too quickly in a changing curriculum. Like, is the shift more in name, with a few things juggled around? There are kids right now in two different classes of the same name -- old and new curriculum track, different text books and scope; the shift still very fresh and kinks are being worked out.

Here's one story that got me concerned: Early Algebra and the Common Core State Standards

In terms of the CCSS math changes, we have seen our local schools remove acceleration, only to find they needed to add it back in as the CCSS were not so horribly rigorous for the top students. The schools now offer a compacted 6th/7th class.

Don't most of the CCSS math classes now incorporate some pre-H.S. geometry into each year?

With that math RIT on the 2-5, he is well into the range where we have to wonder how well that version of the test is actually measuring him (and our schools do the same, btw). NWEA would appear to recommend that students in that range take the 6 grade and above test. Still, some of the students in that RIT range in our schools go into 6th grade math that will begin to accelerate in 7th, while others with additional high test scores will go into the accelerated/compacted 6th/7th class.

If you decide to do AoPS, I would not skip the pre-algebra class without giving it a close look. It is fairly challenging, perhaps, in some cases, even more so than a standard algebra class. DD did learn to solve challenging problems while doing AoPS!

This wouldn't surprise me at all -- we're in bad timing while they are in training/transition. Maybe it'll be back in a couple years.


I agree about the MAP test version. His fall score was his first, and it was a 240, so maybe they didn't think he would have as much growth? He said he had way more questions than anyone else did (over 70), but no indication he took the 6+ test. It does show me that exposure to higher level math is what he needs, as he grasps and remembers very well. Up til this year, he was frustrated -- they didn't offer much differentiation, and we don't after-school. Incidentally, this winter, his state grade-level tests (a year accelerated, but only 2 months in new grade) said he showed 2-3 years growth across the board, which just made me laugh -- it's just that the old test didn't go high enough. Does an EXPLORE math score of 16 suggest anything in particular? It was his lowest score, and, again, showed me how instruction exposure plays a part (that was only a few weeks into the skip). The IAAT will help; they don't go solely by MAP.


I have heard great things about that pre-Algebra class, and I enjoyed the Rusczyk speech linked earlier in this thread, especially how to apply problem solving tools rather than become a computer/do the work of a computer.

I was thinking that if the school pushed for math 6 (because, resistance!) with no acceleration, despite accumulated scores, maybe we should home school math 6 and AoPS pre-Algebra, then have him take the placement test next year for Algebra I and go into that in 7th -- depending on how it all plays out. Not sure how that would all work out. Could even do math 6 in school (but I think the pace and repetition might be tedious) and do AoPS outside of school. Just not sure how to rate the value of math 6. I've gathered from the comments that scoring straight into Algebra is possible, but perhaps not wise regardless, not without a summer pre-Algebra class, and we're not in a hurry for that -- I just want him appropriately challenged and engaged.