Many Cabin John and Hoover parents’ fears were allayed after a Feb. 17 meeting with Principal Joan Benz and math resource teacher Curtis Southworth to discuss their children’s options for high school math.
Most of the parents who attended the meeting have eighth grade children who were recommended to take Honors Algebra 2 as freshmen. Many parents, including Cathy Certner, who has a son in eighth grade at Cabin John, do not see a reason for their children to be two years above grade level in math.
“The kids were pushed ahead so fast without truly identifying the difference between the kids who were gifted and the kids who were gifted in math,” Certner said. “My concern has always been just because a student can accomplish something, does that make it right for them to be doing it?”
Some of the parents who attended the meeting would like their children to repeat Honors Geometry so that they will only be one year above grade level in math. However, Southworth believes that taking Algebra 2 as freshmen and Honors Algebra 2 as sophomores would be a better alternative.
According to Hoover math resource teacher Jane Reiser, more Hoover students will take Algebra 2 at CHS next year than in previous years because there are 383 students in the eighth grade class at Hoover this year, while eighth grade classes in previous years have had 320 to 340 students.
“I think that our kids are able to handle the acceleration, but I think it’s the way they accelerate the kids—they skip,” Southworth said, referring to skipping courses. “There’s no bridge between the students’ current level and the level they’re accelerated to.”
According to notes that Southworth presented at the meeting, MCPS has been accelerating larger groups of students in math since 2000. In 2010, a group reviewing the MCPS math program reported that MCPS had accelerated too many students and recommended a decrease in the number of accelerated students. Many parents are concerned that students tend to drop down to on-level Algebra 2 after a few weeks of the honors course.
“The concerns don’t really bear out in the data,” Southworth said. Our students are really successful with what we’re doing right now.”
According to Southworth’s presentation, of the 125 freshmen taking Algebra 2 this semester, eight are taking the on-level class while 117 are taking the honors class. Of the 111 sophomores taking Pre-Calculus, 13 are taking the on-level class while 98 are taking the honors class.
“We have found that the students who were successful in honors classes at CHS were students who had earned A’s and B’s in the above grade level classes in middle school,” Reiser said.
Certner is not happy that so many students were accelerated two years in math but was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.
“I’m not pleased with what happened, but I think given the circumstance, the best we can hope for is an awareness of the math department and a willingness to pay attention to these kids and help them succeed as they go through,” Certner said.
Parents and teachers worry that such acceleration causes unnecessary anxiety for students.
“It puts undue stress on these children before they have the maturity level to deal with that kind of challenge in math,” Certner said.
Freshman Jack Weiss chose to take on-level Algebra 2 after his brother found Honors Algebra 2 challenging. He enjoys being two years above grade level in math because it allows him to get to know older students.
“You still have to study, but you can handle it,” Weiss said. “I’m happier getting an A in regular than a B in honors, and it would be a lot harder to get the B.”
