<p>In the jr/sr high school my # 2 is starting, has begun this Math/Science tracking and English/Social Studies tracked together.</p>
<p>They said that kids that do well in Math accelerated usually accelerate in Science, again the math science brain/social science brain. Is in english Acc and social studies Acc
However, in my childs case, the 6th grade teacher strongly recommended my child for accelerated Math, yet the new school did not honor it. Once in this track you can not move out do to the curriculum in 8th so you are held back in Math and Science because of it, in which calculus will not be available at the end in 12th grade wont have time, nor AP courses in Science.
She has a 95-100 average in Math, same with Science yet scored 2 points below the cut off in the yearly state testing score to get in. Our school only has two tracks acclerated and non. So my question is, how can a school get away with this, at such a young age, go against what her school achievement has been all along, to be in class with kids that were getting 60’s in Math in 6th grade and expect her to be stimulated. My older child now in 12th said get her out of those classes, she wont learn a thing, all discipline problems, etc. </p>
<p>I never fussed when they put her in inclusion classes since 3rd grade, she is a well behaved kid,so they wanted her as a role model but really needs the bar to be raised for her now and not be the model student for the other kids, and now to find doors are closing on her before she even enters into high school. </p>
<p>Im furious but have no idea what if anything I can do about it. Any input?</p>
<p>Would they honor outside IQ testing? Is there a private school you could threaten to move her to? What about asking the 6th grade teacher to go to bat for her? Could you go above your school administration to the district level and raise a stink? (with a letter in hand from the 6th grade teacher) In these situations sometimes the squeeky wheel gets the grease. Are you friends with other parents in the school? Is there someone you could call to find out who is calling the shots at the school, maybe someone with some influence? Is there a school parent organization you could contact for guidance?</p>
<p>our schools have more than two classes available for math
I have also recently learned, that you may homeschool for one or more classes and take the rest of classes at assigned school</p>
<p>I personally haven’t had much luck getting changes of teachers or classes- but I know parents who have- but I couldn’t tell you what the secret is -
good luck anyway.</p>
<p>Check your state laws. In many states (WA is one of them), the parent has the final say in what level the student goes into (not what teacher). So if the parent wants AP, the kid gets AP, even if the school recommends against it. However, the schools would really prefer that parents not do this (“it sets the child up for failure” was the reason I was given) so they don’t tell the parents about it. (Incidentally, when I overrode the school and put my son in Algebra 1 in 6th grade (it was a 6-12 school), I was right; he later got a 5 on the Calc BC exam, in tenth grade.</p>
<p>Agree w/dmd—have you spoken to the principal or someone in administration?</p>
<p>At my son’s school, the parent’s have the final say–even if the child doesn’t meet the state school criteria (recommendation or certain test scores).</p>
<p>A lot of parents I talk to in our district don’t know this & spend $ on tutors trying to up their child’s standardized test score to qualify for an accelerated program. You can sometimes just insist that your child be put in the class.</p>
<p>By all means, go fight for her. When DD got to 6th grade she was placed in “high” math. I didn’t know that there was a “higher” math (essentially 7th grade math for 6th graders) until 2 months into the year. I decided not to cause a ruckus and I have always regretted it. In the end, DD did fine: got a year of AP calc in 12 grade with a 5 on the AP test, placed first in her HS in national math exams, and got into the college of her dreams, but I spent the college application years kicking myself for not going to bat for her back in 6th grade so that she’d be in Calc BC. And had she not gotten in to her dream school I would still be in my own doghouse. </p>
<p>On the other hand, I did fight for her to be tested for the gifted program. And this meant asking her teacher, then going to the counselor and to the principal. In our state the child has to be tested if you ask. While no one out and out said “no”, I was dissuaded at all levels - “she’ll feel so bad if she doesn’t do well . . .why don’t you think about this for a while.” She did fine. She was put into the program.</p>
<p>The reason she was not being recognized despite her high grades and test scores, is because she was quiet. Once her level of performance and IQ were objectively quantified, her self confidence improved and so did her class participation and self esteem. You know your daughter better than anyone. By all means, go fight for her.</p>
<p>This type of rigid policy is what gives tracking a bad name. I thought current educational research supported the idea that kids should NOT be tracked so definitively in middle school, and that more flexibility is needed. (Where I live, in Vermont, teachers and administrators hate tracking, believe in 100% mainstreaming, and schools often don’t offer any advanced classes until HS – also an extreme that doesn’t serve students well, IMO.)</p>
<p>I would fight this. I think it’s horrible that kids get tracked so early, especially since kids develop at different rates. One possibility, if the administration puts up a brick wall, is to have her take summer classes so she can advance on her own, and then move into the right track.</p>
<p>agree with the other posters. no matter what anyone says, parents ALWAYS have the final word on what classes their child can take. A similar thing happened when I was entering middle school. We had just moved to a new city and they refused to put me into the accelerated math program because I was a few points shy of the cutoff on the test. My mother demanded that I be put into the accelerated class.</p>
<p>Some 7 odd years later, I’m a rising sophomore at Harvard and a math major! So, put your daughter in whatever class you see fit. You have to remember that with so many students assigned to each counselor, your daughters GC probably isn’t going to have your daughters best interest in mind (only what is most conveninet for that GC). So, it’s up to you to make sure your daughter is where she needs to be</p>
<p>Call the principal today, or go to the school & demand she be changed to the higher math as soon as possible. Lay out your reasons, be firm & insistent.</p>
<p>In Ohio, parents have the final say about classes. My 12 yo D has a speech processing LD that she has learned to compensate for exceedingly well over the past few years. Her 6th grade teachers were hesitant to put her in accelerated tracking in junior high this year, despite straight A’s, accelerated proficiency scores, and winning the presidential award. So I told them I insisted she be given the benefit of the doubt & put in the accelerated tracking. As parents, we know our children the best & we are their best advocates.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. I was talking to another mom, as there is a bulk of our kids this happened to. This one mom works in the district. She said the SOB of superintendent she said would not doubt that this has something to do with the NCLB Act, if all the stronger students are put into the higher track, they can not show growth(Scores went down this June), so pulling stronger students down next year they will show improvement. Im going to demand she be moved, if not, then…</p>
<p>The exact same thing happened to my D in middle school. I set up a meeting with the vice principal of curriculum and brought all my D’s report cards and (importantly) a written letter from her prior teacher saying my D should definitely by in the accelerated math track; that she was one of the 6th grade’s top math students despite the result of one test. Luckily, the VP agreed and my D went on to be a math super star. I was so glad a went to bat over the issue. It’s one thing if the parents just want their kid in the top group of everything. But if you know in your gut that your kid NEEDS to be accelerated, that math is her passion and strength; if you are positive your D can handle the work as well as anyone else in the group, then you have to be very firm and very insistent.</p>
<p>Sometimes kids who are strong in math have very hard time scoring high on the state achievement tests, because they don’t feel the need explaining solutions that are completely obvious to them, and on those tests points are taken off for that.</p>
<p>The more of a fuss you make over it, the more likely it is that you will get your way. School districts don’t want upset parents, so if you show that this is a major issue, chances are they’ll give you what you want rather than let it escalate.</p>
<p>We finally just said the state tests are wrong, give him the final exam from the course we want him to skip and you’ll see that he knows the material.</p>
<p>I agree with everyone else that this is a time when you have to be an advocate for your child. My suggestion would be to go in armed with your material, state firmly that she belongs in the accelerated track based on past performance and teacher recommendation (with no weakening qualifiers such as “I think”), and just repeat this no matter what they say. Be very polite, do not raise your voice or accuse them of anything (even though you believe that their motivations may not be pure), and do not allow the conversation to drift to any other topics. Make it clear that you will not accept anything else. Once they realize that you are not budging, they will move your daughter.</p>
<p>Have an appointment with Principal and VP of curriculum tomorrow, got my letter(which was as strong of a letter one can get from a teacher) from her 6th grade teacher. She was very surprised of their actions. </p>
<p>Anyway, principal told me to put my objection to the change into a letter to him, (guess it is procedure). The worst case scenario he said would be she do the first 8 weeks prove her ability then she will be moved,(he said if it was his decision he would move her now, but the letter has to go in first) I can live with that, he guarenteed me she would be moved by then. KNowing what they do the first 8 weeks, not a problem at all for her.</p>
<p>I emphatically protested the idea of placing a really good student in a path that restricts her potential at the age of 12, that it was taking away opportunities for her later on in a time we are trying to foster a girls interest in Math and science, not send the message to a young girl she isn’t cutting it. </p>
<p>Thanks for all the good advice, didn’t want to come off as a “my kid is perfect” but did not want this to be taken away from her without a good fight.</p>
<p>It sounds like you’ve made progress already. Write the letter and push for a decision before school starts. I guess the 8-week placement in the lower level is a good fallback position, but if they want her to “prove herself” (didn’t she already do that???), then I would try for probationary placement in the advanced class for the first 8 weeks, with the option to move down if she does not do well. But it sounds like you have a good chance of getting her placed in the advanced class right away.</p>
<p>8 weeks seems too long to put up with their nonsense. Write the letter so that they can feel that they are covered if your daughter bombs (which she won’t), and make them put her in sooner. I know not much gets done for the first several weeks, but it is still unsettling to have to move midstream and adjust to a new teacher and new classmates.</p>