Dear Parents,
Many of you are wondering about what the placements are going to be for next year. The names of classes will be changing along with the criteria to enter into the classes. This is a district wide change. Many of you have already heard about the new standards that will be taught. The following is an excerpt from a letter sent to all incoming 7th grade parents from Dave LeBarron, Director of Curriculum and Assessment in the Hart District:
“In August 2010, California’s State Board of Education adopted new English Language Arts and Mathematics Content Standards for Kindergarten through grade twelve. The new standards call the Common Core State Standards, have been adopted by 46 states and will be fully implemented during the 2014/15 school year. The Hart District is preparing for the full implementation of the Common Core State Standards and will begin making changes this fall. When school begins this August, Common Core English Language Arts and mathematics courses will be piloted at each of the District’s 15 schools, and Algebra 1 will no longer be offered for 7th grade students.
The Common Core math standards are internationally benchmarked and rigorously sequenced by grade level. Algebra 1 is designated as a 9th grade course.
This change in the junior high math sequence is not lowering the academic bar for our advanced math students. In fact, the Common Core math standards are much more rigorous and comprehensive, at all grade levels, than our previous math standards. The new Common Core State Standards for mathematics actually raises the bar for all students.” (April 2, 2013, Parent Letter, Dave LeBarron)
The new sequence will be:
Incoming 7th graders
Math 7 to Math 8 for almost all of the students or
Math 7 Accelerated to either Math 8 or Algebra depending on the placement criteria.
Incoming 8th graders
For just this next year:
Math 8 to Algebra 1
Algebra 1 to Algebra 1, Geometry, or Honors Geometry
Geometry to Geometry, Algebra II or Honors Algebra II
This year will be the last year of Geometry in 8th grade since Algebra will no longer be offered in 7th grade.
The criteria to get into
Math 7 Accelerated are the students must get at least a 94% on the Placement test and at least 500 on the CST 5.
Algebra are the student must get at least a B in Pre Algebra and to attain two out of the three following requirements: 90% or higher test average in Pre-Algebra, 92% or higher on the placement test, or CST 6 score of 400 or above. Students will find out the last week of school what their placement will be for next year.
If you would like more information on California’s Common Core State Standards, the website listed below is an excellent resource.
Rio Norte Math Department
