<p>We aren’t talking about about every student here. We’re talking about a kid aiming for a math-heavy major, presumably at a somewhat selective 4-year college. The question of whether it’s appropriate to push the lowest-performing students through algebra in 8th grade–it isn’t-- is irrelevant. </p>
<p>I do think it’s worth looking at why the school placed the OP’s child in what seems to be the second-highest math track. Those decisions are made near the start of middle school and I’m sure sometimes mistakes are made, or immature kids mature and then do better than expected. The OP’s child should be finding math fairly easy and be near the top of the class without excessive effort or stress. If not, then trying to accelerate is probably a bad idea. I would especially consider how comfortable he is with algebra, since the math which follows is based more on algebra than geometry.</p>