Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Math Common Core for 7th grader

For those of you with current middle schoolers who this year had common core math- how has it changed?
In our public school district, you could do Algebra I in 7th grade for honors math.
Now it is called Common Core Math 2/3 and supposedly it has both Algebra I and Geometry together in one year. It's "totally different" from before.
Is it really different? Or did they just take 1/2 Algebra I and cobble it with 1/2 of Geometry for one year? Thanks!

School's implementation of CC in the middle school years appears really variable.

The party line in our district is that CC8 is a lot of former algebra I topics, and Alg I is now more like an in depth Alg I + some Alg II topics.

Part of how you can see how the school implements everything is to look at high the high school sequences have changed. In our school, they're requiring every student do all of 6, 7, and 8 (though there are a few compaction options), then Algebra I, Geometry, Alg II, precalc, calc. Before they had an extra "functions" class before precalc, which seemed to make up for the thin coverage of algebra topics in I and II. (Which, I note, puts up back to the sequence I went through in the 80s....)

Search the forum for dozens of threads on common core, algebra, and middle school. It's been an issue for a while, and schools appear to present changes rather opaquely.

I've tried explaining this before... It's not totally different. Class boundary's just line up differently. The "regular" on grade-level track for common core is:

CC 7th: pre-algebra topics
CC 8th: pre-algebra topics, ~4 chapters of algebra, a few of geometry [THIS IS A NEW CLASS FOR CC.]
CC 9th: either algebra I -- starts after 2 equations with 2 unknowns. includes topics from what used to be algebra II
CC 10th: geometry -- includes more trig.
CC 11th: algebra II -- includes topics from pre-calc topics

Alternately 9th-11th grade could be a Integrated Math with the same topics but organized differently. By the end of algebra II more topics overall should be covered. My problem with trying to decipher you class name is I've always seen then written as CC 7th grade, CC 8th grade and have no idea what they mean by Common Core 1. What grade is that taught?

Common Core doesn't say how to handle acceleration or honors. Districts and States are setting up guidelines. But the party line DON'T SKIP because common core doesn't spiral. Most things I've seen suggest doing 2-3 year COMPACTION SCHEMES. Ie.. 3 years of math over 2 years. For example CC7, CC8, CC9 over two years.

If Common Core 1 is what I know as Common Core 6th grade math. Then Common Core 2/3 would be CC 7th & CC 8th in one year.. Ie.. pre-algebra topics, some algebra & some geometry. Setting the kids up to take Common Core Algebra I (or Integrated Math 1) in 8th grade. This seems the mostly likely because what I've seen most often is a compaction scheme for junior high where over 7th & 8th grade they cover CC 7, CC 8, and CC9 topics.

Alternatively, if Common Core 1 is 7th grade math -- or sort-of pre-algebra. Then Common Core 2/3 is -- Common Core 8 And Common Core 9 together. Ie.. All of Algebra and some geometry. This would imply that there would be a CC Geometry class for 8th graders.

I think you need to look at the entire math courses not just the one for next year to understand this. Is it paired with a similar Common Core Math 3/4 for 8th grade. What classes are these kids expected to take in H.S.

Good Luck.

The way our district has set it up is that if you don't take CC 2/3 in 7th grade, then you can only ultimately take AP AB Calculus, not also AP BC Calculus.
I think fewer kids will take Calculus in our district with the CC, not more.

I still don't understand. What is CC 1? (6th or 7th grade) Is this the only year they compact?

What my district is looking at is both a compaction at junior high level and another possibly compaction at the high school level. Allowing multiple paths to Calculus by the end of H.S.

Is your district one of those who only offer BC Calc as a 2nd year? Where I am you take AB OR BC Calc not both. That is the way the College Board intends it, but I know not how all schools implement it.