Advanced Placement

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Advanced Placement

by kimel

Aug 19, 2010

Hello Everyone,

I have a question about how teachers determine recomendations for advanced placement.

My daughter has always down well in math. She was tested in 5th grade and found to be gifted in math. 6th grade she was in her advanced math class and has all A's. She also scored in the advanced level on the state acheivement test. This year when I checked her schedule, I noticed she wasn't in the advanced class. When I asked the secretary about it to see if her schedule was right, she checked the list of the teacher's recommendations and said she was not recommended. How can this be? She has never struggled with her work and her interests outside the classroom are math related. She wants to go to college in a math related field. She was so proud to be in the advanced class, and I know this will affect her. I feel she's being let down by her school.

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KK I would contact the math department in 6th grade, and say what you've said here. You have to avoid coming across as "that stage mom" so that they will take you seriously and see that your priority is your child's learning, and not the status of the advanced class. However, you also need to be persistent about having your question answered. The secr...See MoreI would contact the math department in 6th grade, and say what you've said here. You have to avoid coming across as "that stage mom" so that they will take you seriously and see that your priority is your child's learning, and not the status of the advanced class. However, you also need to be persistent about having your question answered. The secretary will know the outcome, but probably not know the reasons why placements were made, so be sure to talk with someone involved in that decision-making process.

There could be any number of ways of determining placement. They could have a ranking system that takes the top X% based on state math test scores, or a full-on portfolio review, or a fairly arbitrary list-making process. Occasionally, you will find administrators and teachers who are overly guarded about parents trying to call the shots at school, and so are reluctant to consider changing their minds once decisions about placement are made. However, others are more reasonable and open to discussion.

If it happens that you talk with the 5th grade team and they say the 6th grade has the final say, while the 6th grade says they start the year with the 5th grade team's recommendations, ask for a meeting with representatives from both. There may be a good reason, or they may have been on the fence about her and your question will be the push that adds her in, or there may be something else going on, but don't let them run you around. Also, be sure to ask before school starts, if possible--the couple of days before school starts and the first week are usually madness for everyone, and you may be less likely to get the full attention of people involved.

Good luck!

On 8/19/10, kimel wrote: > Hello Everyone, > > I have a question about how teachers determine > recomendations for advanced placement. > > My daughter has always down well in math. She was tested > in 5th grade and found to be gifted in math. 6th grade she > was in her advanced math class and has all A's. She also > scored in the advanced level on the state acheivement > test. This year when I checked her schedule, I noticed she > wasn't in the advanced class. When I asked the secretary > about it to see if her schedule was right, she checked the > list of the teacher's recommendations and said she was not > recommended. How can this be? She has never struggled > with her work and her interests outside the classroom are > math related. She wants to go to college in a math related > field. She was so proud to be in the advanced class, and I > know this will affect her. I feel she's being let down by > her school.

Aug 19, 2010

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Kimel Thank you so much KK! I really appreciate the great information your provided and time you put into responding to my situation. I wasn't clear when I wrote my post, but my daughter is entering 7th grade, and was in the advanced math class in 6th grade (top math classes in 4th and 5th too). She was given an aptitude test in 5th grade, which was requ...See MoreThank you so much KK! I really appreciate the great information your provided and time you put into responding to my situation. I wasn't clear when I wrote my post, but my daughter is entering 7th grade, and was in the advanced math class in 6th grade (top math classes in 4th and 5th too). She was given an aptitude test in 5th grade, which was requested by her 5th grade teacher through the local education center. She tested in the gifted range, and we received a letter from the education center that she is considered gifted.

When she entered kindergarten she could count to a million +, add and subtract quickly, and had the basic concepts of multiplication, for example she knew if there's 2 3's then there's 6. Also in kindergarten she started making drawings of where the shadow was on our out-building and calculating the time based on shadow location and angle. She has built substantially on these skills over the years. She's successfully worked 8th grade equations and hasn't had any problems doing her homework, plus received all A's in math last year. I had no question in my mind she'd be in the advanced class until I was told she wasn't recommended. It was a shock with no inkling of that occuring. I could understand if she was struggling, then I would want her to move to the appropriate class, so she was learning at her pace and keeping her self-esteem.

She did have a rocky start with language, and later reading, but with intensive phonics (Dyslexia Program, 2nd and 3rd grade), she has constinently scored in the proficient range on her proficiency tests for years now (a few points from the accelerated range in 6th grade). She normalized, no diagnosis of any learning challenges. Her reading speed and fluency has increased to where I can't tell any difference compared to other children her age. She worked so hard, extra hard due to those challenges (homework was H, E double hockey sticks in the early years and took her so much time due to reading speed and writing fluency, writing has improved significantly also, she won a writing contest through an outside school sponsored competition last year).

Math has always been something she could feel good about. I don't understand how with her abilities she wouldn't qualify. Nothing has changed and with all A's last year in advanced math and being on the honor roll all year, it's baffling.

I'm supposed to call her 6th grade math teacher this week. It's been worrying me. I don't want this to affect her negatively where her hard work seems not to have paid off. She was embarassed being in reading intervention classes. She didn't like school, but math and science were classes she loved and gave her the positive reinforcement she needed to work on reading (we read a lot of science and math books).

I'm sorry for such a long post, as you can tell, I'm concerned and hope her teacher reconsiders his recommendation, because I think it's a true dis-service to her education, potential, emotional, and social well-being. I would appreciate additional advice on how to approach this with her teacher, how should I phrase all this without him perceiving it as me vs. him. I don't want to invoke a power struggle. What can I do if he doesn't change his recommendation?

Thank you!

On 8/19/10, KK wrote: > I would contact the math department in 6th grade, and say what > you've said here. You have to avoid coming across as "that > stage mom" so that they will take you seriously and see that > your priority is your child's learning, and not the status of > the advanced class. However, you also need to be persistent > about having your question answered. The secretary will know > the outcome, but probably not know the reasons why placements > were made, so be sure to talk with someone involved in that > decision-making process. > > There could be any number of ways of determining placement. > They could have a ranking system that takes the top X% based on > state math test scores, or a full-on portfolio review, or a > fairly arbitrary list-making process. Occasionally, you will > find administrators and teachers who are overly guarded about > parents trying to call the shots at school, and so are > reluctant to consider changing their minds once decisions about > placement are made. However, others are more reasonable and > open to discussion. > > If it happens that you talk with the 5th grade team and they > say the 6th grade has the final say, while the 6th grade says > they start the year with the 5th grade team's recommendations, > ask for a meeting with representatives from both. There may be > a good reason, or they may have been on the fence about her and > your question will be the push that adds her in, or there may > be something else going on, but don't let them run you around. > Also, be sure to ask before school starts, if possible--the > couple of days before school starts and the first week are > usually madness for everyone, and you may be less likely to get > the full attention of people involved. > > Good luck! > > > On 8/19/10, kimel wrote: >> Hello Everyone, >> >> I have a question about how teachers determine >> recomendations for advanced placement. >> >> My daughter has always down well in math. She was tested >> in 5th grade and found to be gifted in math. 6th grade she >> was in her advanced math class and has all A's. She also >> scored in the advanced level on the state acheivement >> test. This year when I checked her schedule, I noticed she >> wasn't in the advanced class. When I asked the secretary >> about it to see if her schedule was right, she checked the >> list of the teacher's recommendations and said she was not >> recommended. How can this be? She has never struggled >> with her work and her interests outside the classroom are >> math related. She wants to go to college in a math related >> field. She was so proud to be in the advanced class, and I >> know this will affect her. I feel she's being let down by >> her school.

Aug 20, 2010

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YKW I wonder how closely the math and language placements are tied together. Is 7th grade a new building? Her math seems so obviously in whatever range they would be looking for, that the only thing that makes sense to me, is if her language scores/skills held her back. And I don't mean "makes sense" as in I buy into it. But from a scheduling standpoin...See More

Aug 21, 2010

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My experience The district I teach in (and that my son attends school in) has a very clear AP/pre-AP policy with their classes. They have guidelines for entry into pre-algebra in the 7th grade and also the pre-AP English. However, it says very clearly that even if a student does not meet the required number on the rubric, that student can still enter the pre-AP ...See MoreThe district I teach in (and that my son attends school in) has a very clear AP/pre-AP policy with their classes. They have guidelines for entry into pre-algebra in the 7th grade and also the pre-AP English. However, it says very clearly that even if a student does not meet the required number on the rubric, that student can still enter the pre-AP program at the parent's wishes.

My son entered pre-AP English, Science, and Social Studies this year. He was not recommended for pre-Algebra and in his case, it was appropriate. He could use another year in math to solidify his understanding. With your daughter, it seems like that would be unnecessary.

I would definitely contact the administrator and ask about it. With my son, the school kind of grouped English and Social Studies together and Science and Math together. While I knew his math was weaker, his science always has been fairly strong so I emailed the principal to ask about why he wasn't placed. That's when I found out that a parent can request they be added, regardless of rubrics or teacher recommendation.

Good luck! I hope you can get this resolved for your daughter!

On 8/19/10, kimel wrote: > Hello Everyone, > > I have a question about how teachers determine > recomendations for advanced placement. > > My daughter has always down well in math. She was tested > in 5th grade and found to be gifted in math. 6th grade she > was in her advanced math class and has all A's. She also > scored in the advanced level on the state acheivement > test. This year when I checked her schedule, I noticed she > wasn't in the advanced class. When I asked the secretary > about it to see if her schedule was right, she checked the > list of the teacher's recommendations and said she was not > recommended. How can this be? She has never struggled > with her work and her interests outside the classroom are > math related. She wants to go to college in a math related > field. She was so proud to be in the advanced class, and I > know this will affect her. I feel she's being let down by > her school.

Aug 21, 2010

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Leah I would also contact the administrator. Parents do it all the time for far less concerns.

Aug 25, 2010

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