<p>I'm a parent with a question for some of you high school or college kids.</p>
<p>My daughter is in 6th grade pre-algebra. Although she has made in the 99th percentile on some math tests (Iowa, Terra Nova), she barely made the cutoff for inclusion in pre-algebra class. They put her in it because her state test scores were so high.</p>
<p>We almost took her out of the class at the start of the year, but her grades improved and she "got it." She has a very low A in the class. She has high A's in her other classes.</p>
<p>She took the Explore test this year as part of the Duke TIP program. She made a 22 on the Explore, but her math score was 17 (her other scores were Eng. 22, Reading 24, SS 24). So clearly she has some math problems. </p>
<p>Next year she has a choice between "Transitions to Algebra" and true algebra. I would prefer that she takes the Transitions course (which is still an "advanced" course). Algebra won't count for high school credit, and it just seems to me that she will be on too fast a track. She'll get high school credit for algebra in eighth grade, and I figure after Transitions she'll have a much higher grade.</p>
<p>The problem is that she doesn't want to take Transitions. She likes being thought of as being in the "smartest" group, and overall she certainly is one of the very smartest students. I just think the g.p.a. is important, and that she is setting herself up for hardship down the line.</p>
<p>I would go ahead and let her take it. I followed the same math track as her, and math is probably my worst subject. </p>
<p>I got a B in my first semester of Algebra 1, because I wasn’t used to the rigor. By the second semester I adjusted and have aced all math classes since. A low A is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Don’t worry too much about her GPA right now. She’s in middle school so it doesnt really count for anything. It sounds like she has a strong work ethic so let her try it! The worst that can happen is she fails and retakes as an eighth grader, which really will end up the same as if she takes the transitions class. I highly doubt she will fail, algebra is not much harder than prealgebra and if she works hard she will be able to get an A. She sounds like a smart kid, just believe in her and she’ll be alright.</p>
<p>I’d say let her take Algebra. If it’s her choice, that might help her work at it when she needs to. Pre-algebra now and then the Transitions class sounds like too much prep. Just get right to Algebra. If she struggles, there is always help to be found. It sounds like she will do well, though. (I completed Algebra 1 & 2 in 7th grade.)</p>
<p>yeah i like the let her take it option too because that’s what she wants to try. if she does well, then everyone will be very happy, and if she doesn’t then i think that would probably be a valuable experience for her too (though maybe you are very worried about her experiencing hardship over not doing well?)</p>
<p>A C in the class would only maybe be a problem if you’re/she is aiming for the most selective high schools i think. it certainly won’t ruin her gpa. so I don’t think there is that much on the line.</p>
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<p>hm that didn’t sound too great to me. obviously she’s more advanced than most kids in math already. Maybe it is not her strongest area though.</p>
<p>I too got 99 percentiles on TerraNova and other standardized tests, but I opted to take Algebra in 8th grade instead of 7th. Now I am entering 11th grade, and my math classes are pathetically easy for me - I have earned a 103+ in Geometry and Algebra 2, and could probably be breezing through Calculus next year, but I’m going to be stuck in Pre-Calculus next year, and probably will be bored to tears. The test scores very rarely lie: let her take Algebra 1 if she wants.</p>
<p>Also, if you’re concerned about GPA, most schools that I know of don’t calculate grades in middle school (even if they’re high-school level courses) in a student’s freshman year.</p>
<p>Why don’t you have her take real algebra next year and do some prep work over the summer so she’s ahead instead of behind? People who are bad at math can get good at math if they practice enough.</p>
<p>Thanks for your comments. Perhaps the best idea is for some summer prep work.</p>
<p>I am not really worried about her passing algebra in seventh grade, although I think she may get only a “B.” And this “B” will not go on her transcript, nor will she get high school credit. But then comes geometry in eighth grade (which will count), algebra II in ninth, and then three more years. So I’m really worried about grades 11 and 12, not performance in the seventh-grade algebra class.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you let her breathe and be herself. I know that might be hard as a parent, but you shouldn’t hold her back. Life isn’t all about GPA. Learning should be about excitement, not about an arbitrary number that may or may not get her into a top college. Remember that course rigor is just as important as GPA. If she struggles in the future, you can always get someone to tutor her. If she is excited about it now, let her try her best.</p>
<p>Also remember that various types of math are different. Algebra is vastly different from geometry, statistics, calculus, etc. She may like math more when she is in a different type of it.</p>
<p>Let her take real Algebra if she wants to. I did fine in all my other math classes, but I didn’t do so hot in Algebra I (B) because I had a bad teacher.</p>