Placement Process for Students Entering Grade 6
At this time of year we receive many questions regarding math placement for next year. Please know that all students have an opportunity to move into an advanced math class, provided that they meet the criteria for the given course. The following tools are used to determine student placement:
• • • • •
5th Grade EOY or 5th Accelerated Final Assessment 5th Grade Report Card Score in Math 6th Grade Placement Test- This test is designed to measure student proficiency with the skills and concepts necessary for success in advanced math courses. Teacher Matrix- This rubric, which is completed by the teacher, is used to rate the students’ overall performance in the following areas: mathematical skills and computation, work ethic, critical thinking/reasoning, learner independence, and mathematical motivation. Math Practice Test- This test is designed to assess the Common Core skill standards called Math Practices. The eight math practices are as follows: make sense of problems and preserve in solving them, reason abstractly and quantitatively, construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others, model with mathematics, use appropriate tools strategically, attend to precision, look for and make use of structure and look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Course Sequencing for 2016-2017
6th!Grade! Unit!Math!
7th!Grade!
Pre/ Algebra!
Pre/Linear! Algebra!
Linear! Algebra!
8th!Grade! Algebra!I!
Linear! Algebra!
Algebra!I!
Advanced! Geometry!
Students will be evaluated individually based on the above criteria and placed into one of the following courses: Unit Math or Pre-Algebra. Placement decisions for the 2016-2017 school year will be sent home with your child’s final report card. !
!
Placement Process for Students Entering Grade 7
At this time of year we receive many questions regarding math placement for next year. Please know that all students have an opportunity to move into an advanced math class, provided that they meet the criteria for the given course. The following tools are used to determine student placement:
• • • •
6th Grade XRDS Test- This test is designed to measure student proficiency with the skills and concepts necessary for success in advanced math courses. Algebra Predictive- This test is designed to measure student ability to apply algebraic reasoning and operations to every day problems. Teacher Matrix- This rubric, which is completed by the teacher, is used to rate the students’ overall performance in the following areas: mathematical skills and computation, work ethic, critical thinking/reasoning, learner independence, and mathematical motivation. Math Practice Test- This test is designed to assess the Common Core skill standards called Math Practices. The eight math practices are as follows: make sense of problems and preserve in solving them, reason abstractly and quantitatively, construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others, model with mathematics, use appropriate tools strategically, attend to precision, look for and make use of structure and look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Course Sequencing for 2016-2017
6th!Grade! Unit!Math!
Pre/ Algebra!
7th!Grade! Pre/Linear! Algebra!
Linear! Algebra!
8th!Grade! Algebra!I!
Linear! Algebra!
Algebra!I!
Advanced! Geometry!
Students will be evaluated individually based on the above criteria and placed into one of the following courses: Pre-Linear Algebra, Linear Algebra or Algebra I. Placement decisions for the 2016-2017 school year will be sent home with your child’s final report card. !
Placement Process for Students Entering Grade 8
At this time of year we receive many questions regarding math placement for next year. Please know that all students have an opportunity to move into an advanced math class, provided that they meet the criteria for the given course. The following tools are used to determine student placement:
• • •
Algebra Predictive- This test is designed to measure student ability to apply algebraic reasoning and operations to every day problems. Teacher Matrix- This rubric, which is completed by the teacher, is used to rate the students’ overall performance in the following areas: mathematical skills and computation, work ethic, critical thinking/reasoning, learner independence, and mathematical motivation. Math Practice Test- This test is designed to assess the Common Core skill standards called Math Practices. The eight math practices are as follows: make sense of problems and preserve in solving them, reason abstractly and quantitatively, construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others, model with mathematics, use appropriate tools strategically, attend to precision, look for and make use of structure and look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Course Sequencing for 2016-2017
6th!Grade! Unit!Math!
7th!Grade!
Pre/ Algebra!
Pre/Linear! Algebra!
Linear! Algebra!
8th!Grade! Algebra!I!
Linear! Algebra!
Algebra!I!
Advanced! Geometry!
Students will be evaluated individually based on the above criteria and placed into one of the following courses: Linear Algebra, Algebra I or Advanced Geometry. Placement decisions for the 2016-2017 school year will be sent home with your child’s final report card. !
!
Placement Process for Students Entering Grade 9
At this time of year we receive many questions regarding math placement for next year. Please know that all students have an opportunity to move into an advanced math class, provided that they meet the criteria for the given course. The following tools are used to determine student placement:
•
T1 Grades- Trimester 1 grade will be evaluated. Progression in T2 and T3 grades will be taken into consideration.
•
Teacher Matrix- This rubric, which is completed by the teacher, is used to rate the students’ overall performance in the following areas: mathematical skills and computation, work ethic, critical thinking/reasoning, learner independence, and mathematical motivation.
•
NJ ASK MATH & LA- Most recent standardized scores we have on record. We are not using PARCC scores.
Students will be evaluated individually based on the above criteria and placed into one of the following courses: Elements of Algebra, Algebra I, Geometry, Advanced Geometry, Advanced Algebra II or Honors Algebra II. Placement decisions for the 2016-2017 school year will be sent home with your child’s final report card.
Math Course Directory 2016-2017 Crossroads Middle School Grade 6 / Unit Math: This course will focus on four critical areas: (1) connecting ratio and rate to whole number multiplication and division and using concepts of ratio and rate to solve problems; (2) completing understanding of division of fractions and extending the notion of number to the system of rational numbers, which includes negative numbers; (3) writing, interpreting, and using expressions and equations; and (4) developing understanding of statistical thinking. Grade 6 / Pre-Algebra: This course will focus on four critical areas: (1) developing understanding of operations with rational numbers and working with expressions and linear equations; (3) modeling an association in bivariate data with a linear equation, and solving linear equations and systems of linear equations; (4) grasping the concept of a function and using functions to describe quantitative relationships; (5) analyzing two- and three-dimensional space and figures using distance, angle, similarity, and congruence, and understanding and applying the Pythagorean Theorem. Mastery of the content from this course will provide students with a proper foundation to enter Algebra I. Grade 7 / Pre-Linear Algebra: This course will focus on four critical areas: (1) developing understanding of and applying proportional relationships; (2) developing understanding of operations with rational numbers and working with expressions and linear equations; (3) solving problems involving scale drawings and informal geometric constructions, and working with two- and threedimensional shapes to solve problems involving area, surface area, and volume; and (4) drawing inferences about populations based on samples. Grade 8 / Linear Algebra: This course will focus on three critical areas: (1) formulating and reasoning about expressions and equations, including modeling an association in bivariate data with a linear equation, and solving linear equations and systems of linear equations; (2) grasping the concept of a function and using functions to describe quantitative relationships; (3) analyzing two- and three-dimensional space and figures using distance, angle, similarity, and congruence, and understanding and applying the Pythagorean Theorem. Mastery of the content from this course will provide students with a proper foundation to enter Algebra I. Algebra I: This course will focus on six critical areas: (1) procedural fluency and problem solving skills with expressions and equations; (2) linear inequalities and systems of linear inequalities; (3) quadratic and exponential functions; (4) extending the concepts of integer exponents to concepts of rational exponents; (5) factoring polynomials; (6) descriptive statistics including models of best fit. Advanced Geometry: This course will focus on six critical areas: (1) triangle congruence conditions using analysis of rigid motion and formal constructions; (2) theorem proofs about angles, lines, triangles and other polygons; (3) dilations and proportional reasoning to develop a formal understanding of similarity; (4) right triangle trigonometry; (5) solve geometric problems including segments on chords, secants and tangents; (6) apply geometric concepts to three-dimensional objects. *Course sequencing has been modified to adhere to CCCS revisions in grades 6, 8 & Algebra. *Summer course offerings TBD. Algebra I will not be offered during the summer, nor will it be accepted from out of district institutes for course advancement. !
