Help your child develop perseverance.  Perseverance is essential for success in Advanced and Accelerated math, for students will find problems intended to give them a bit of struggle while attempting to solve.  Teachers know and expect to see this and would rather help a child draw upon multiple strategies than see a child give up quickly out of frustration at not knowing the answer immediately.

Developing perseverance doesn't have to happen in the boundaries of math skills.  Stacking plastic cups, making toothpick sculptures, building card castles, anything that requires a child to "keep at it" will help them to learn not to give up if something gets hard.  Lego building and blocks are good too.  Since the Advanced class comes with more challenge problems, we want the children to be able to try and try again without giving up.  We want it to be natural for them to accept if their first answer is wrong they should try again without being discouraged.  Any way that those feelings of "it's ok that I didn't get it right at first, I'll just try again" can be strengthened will build perseverance and self-confidence in the child's problem-solving abilities.

Some students changing pathways may experience content acceleration.  If your child is in this situation, check out the suggestions for students changing pathways found above.

6th grade Double Accelerated students are taught 7th and 8th grade math standards.  6th grade standards are an introduction or a "first look" at standards that are mastered in 7th and 8th grade Common Core.  Since students who are placed into the Double Accelerated pathway tend to master things quicker than average, we find the most appropriate time pathway for acceleration of standards to allow for Algebra in 7th grade is for 6th grade Double Accelerated students to master the most essential topics of the 7th and 8th grade standards.  For students who want to prepare between 5th and 6th grade, the District has prepared suggestions for a student joining the 6DA pathway.

The chart below shows how grades K-5 are taught different standards than grades 6-8.  A new set of domains is introduced in 6th grade and mastered by the end of 8th grade.

District 34 doesn't allow outside programming in math for advancement purposes. Because we teach Algebra on behalf of the high school, we need to ensure we have taught the standards to the same depth and complexity that the high school expects. We also have a comprehensive placement process that identifies students that are ready to take Algebra in 7th grade.

Algebra is typically taught in 9th grade, so when students take it two years earlier (as 7th graders), we need to ensure that they are as academically ready for the abstract content as possible.  We cannot verify how outside programs assess algebra readiness, nor can we monitor student success in the course if it is taught outside of District 34.

If students take high school Algebra before they are academically prepared, they may be faced with various disadvantages.  For example,

• starting the first course of secondary (high school) progression without mastering prerequisite skills and standards from the K-8 curriculum
• learning becomes segmented because they are practicing algebra skills independently rather than building upon foundational skills they would have acquired from previous standards in 7th and 8th grade
• difficulty visualizing and understanding the abstract ideas that present themselves in algebra standards
• lack of long-term retention of algebraic concepts which leads to a lack of connecting one standard to another
• difficulty in subsequent math courses due to lack of mastery and full understanding of algebra
• at times, a need to repeat an algebra course to strengthen foundation algebraic knowledge that was not mastered

There is no option to move from Single Accelerated 8th grade (Algebra) to Double Accelerated 8th grade (Geometry) because it would involve skipping an entire year of foundational secondary math standards -- Algebra 1.  Students cannot be enrolled in or successful in Geometry if they have not learned and mastered all Algebra standards.  The first chapter or so of most Algebra 1 texts is usually review material.  8th grade CCSS (which is part of the 7SA curriculum) previews and introduces algebra content, but does not teach it at the same complexity or rigor as found in an Algebra 1 curriculum.  

For students who are seeking additional challenge in the Single Accelerated pathway, a great goal could be to aim to be part of Honors Geometry in high school.  Sharing this goal with your child's 8th grade math teacher can help you to know more about whether your child may be eligible in 9th grade.

In the past, the District has provided lists of tutors to parents who made such a request. However, in reviewing this practice, we find it in conflict with Board Policy. As tutors are operating as a business for profit, i.e. are compensated, it falls under Policy 8:25: No part of the School District, including facilities, the name, the staff, and the students, shall be used for advertising or promoting the interests of any commercial company except as authorized by and consistent with administrative procedures and approved by the Board. The policy prohibits the district from “advertising or promoting” thus the creation and/or distribution of tutor lists is prohibited. In order to ensure we are in compliance with Board Policy, D34 will no longer provide information or lists of private tutors.

District 34 will not consider the completion of outside programs or tutoring such as Northwestern Center for Talent Development, Russian School of Mathematics, Mathnasium, or Kumon in the placement process.  

Students who are in Advanced and Accelerated math should be able to find success without the aide of tutors or outside programs. 

Outside programs may be helpful for students that are in Grade Level math and looking for additional support.

No.  If a score is missing, the placement is determined by adjusting the total points possible and points needed to place into the different pathways.

The MAP scores for reading and math that you see in the matrix are not from one particular test session.  Our matrix is designed to include performance over time.  We know that student performance on the NWEA MAP fluctuates and shows a general trend upwards.

Our matrix uses the average of the four best percentiles out of the last five test sessions. This allows one low outlying score to be omitted while showing a students general performance level.  We use the percentile rather than the RIT score because you cannot average a RIT score because the RIT score is dependent on grade level and time of year and a percentile is not.

When such strong support comes from teachers that misaligns with historical test scores, there is usually a reason behind the misalignment. Often the reason is students are not retaining knowledge long-term. This is demonstrated when students perform very well in class and can recall information when it has been recently taught to them, but they have trouble recalling material learned further back in the school year.  Then, they do not perform at the same level on a test such as NWEA MAP.

If this sounds like your child, here is a suggestion. Have your child to revisit previous material during a non-stressful and calm time at home (perhaps on the weekend). A quick look through an old unit or chapter (10 minutes is all it takes) might be all that is needed to help jolt the memory of that unit and bring it back to mind so it can then be recalled quicker and with accuracy when the child needs it.  Revisiting material in small doses is often not overwhelming and can have great benefits. Reviewing each previous chapter over a few months a total of three times could really help with long-term retention.

Your child may also benefit from the suggestions shared on the Math at Home section found above.

The CogAT is a group-administered assessment which measures innate ability, problem-solving and reasoning skills. It is the only assessment given to all students in our district that focuses on ability over achievement-type assessments like NWEA.  Achievement assessments help us understand if a student is grasping grade level skills while the CogAT is measuring underlying ability in a student. Because innate ability does not change, it is not necessary to give this test every year.  Visit this link to learn more about the CogAT Batteries and Additional Information.

The CogAT is used as an identification measure for both the ELA gifted program and advanced/accelerated math placement.  Only the quantitative and non-verbal batteries of the test are part of the math identification matrix.  The cut scores were determined by the Math Task Force. The group analyzed historical data of District 34 students that were enrolled in our advanced and accelerated programs and continued on to be successful in honors and AP math classes in high school. In their analysis of the data, they found that successful students typically had scores in the ranges that are in our matrices.

Students earn between 10 and 40 points on the Student Performance Rating Scale.  That score, out of 40 points, is entered into our identification matrix.  A student that earns 30 points or above on the rating scale will earn at least one matrix point. 

Students that earn below 30 points on the rating scale can inquire where they show relative strengths and areas of growth and can use that information to set their own goals moving forward.  Contact your child's math teacher or Jennifer Bergeron for more information.

The information shared below summarizes responses from District 34 Advanced and Accelerated Math Teachers when asked to provide feedback regarding the similarities and differences in the characteristics of high-achieving grade level math students and advanced and accelerated math students.

Both High-Achieving Grade Level and Advanced & Accelerated Students...

...know the answers

...have a high interest in math

...are hard workers

...finish independent work and homework quickly

...commit time and effort to learning

...answer questions correctly during class

...can memorize facts and formulas easily

...independently review and study regularly

...contribute a great deal to class discussion

...receive high scores on classroom assessments

...love math

Placements are reviewed every school year up until 8th grade, so students may qualify to join either the Advanced or Accelerated pathways in the future.

Something to note is that 4th and 5th grades are composed of two math pathways (Grade Level and Advanced), while 6th, 7th, and 8th grades are composed of three math pathways (Grade Level, Single Accelerated, and Double Accelerated). Students that place into the Single Accelerated pathway are those who were at the upper end of the Grade Level 5th grade math class along with some students from the 5th grade Advanced math class.  This middle pathway gives many students who were not part of 5th grade Advanced math a chance to accelerate in middle school.  Click to see the pathway chart.

The Single Accelerated course for 8th grade is Algebra 1.  NWEA suggests that a RIT score of 235 shows Algebra readiness.  Algebra 1 is the foundational course for all high school math content. If students are not truly ready and then do not retain new material, they will have difficultly in all of the following math courses.

The K-8 standards spiral and build upon previous knowledge as the years progress which also allows for teachers to revisit and solidify content up through 8th grade. The high school standards do not work in that manner--rather students need to master material the first time they see it. If a student is not able to show they have retained Algebra standards as expected, they may need to repeat the course. We try to be very cautious when placing students in 8th grade Algebra because we would rather see them master all content prior to Algebra so they are best prepared to take Algebra.  This is why we emphasize the scores we see on achievement tests such as the NWEA MAP.

Students in advanced and accelerated math courses pick up on new concepts very quickly, so less time is spent practicing new skills and rather the class jumps into deeper and more challenging application problems.  Ideally, students should be able to catch on quickly without a need for re-teaching or extended practice.  Students are expected to retain knowledge they learn. Placing students in advanced or accelerated math that do not belong runs the risk of said students being discouraged as they sit in a classroom of peers that think faster than they do. It could make these students feel like they are not good at math, which is the opposite of the truth if they are high performing in the grade level course.  If students need more time to practice rote skills prior to application, they are not best suited in these pathways. 

Advanced Math

Students who regularly score at or above the the 85th percentile are the ones who find the most success in Advanced Math. We allow students with scores lower than that to appeal (at least one score from the last five administrations needs to be at or above the 80th percentile).  However,  the teachers find that students who are most appropriately placed in Advanced math are the ones who regularly score in the 90th percentile and above. 

Single Accelerated Math

Students who regularly score between the 75th and upper 80th/lower 90th percentile are the ones who find the most success in Single Accelerated Math. We allow students with scores lower than that to appeal (at least one score from the last five administrations needs to be in the 68th percentile).  However,  the teachers find that students who are most appropriately placed in Single Accelerated math score at or above the 75th percentile. Even so, some students with scores in that range do not find success in Single Accelerated and are better suited in Grade Level.  

Double Accelerated Math

Teachers have observed that students who regularly score between the 92nd and 99th percentile are the ones who find the most success in Double Accelerated Math.  We allow students with scores lower than that to appeal (at least one score from the last five administrations needs to be in the 90th percentile).  However, the teachers find that students who are most appropriately placed in Double Accelerated math are the ones who always score at the 90th percentile and above. 

Our placement process concludes in the late Spring of each school year.  It is a thorough process that includes review of historical data and performance over time, along with innate ability.  Student placements are not reviewed and reconsidered in the Fall, however, they will be reviewed again each Spring to determine placement for the following school year.

The data used in our matrix to determine math placements is not largely impacted by the time period of the pandemic.  Our matrix includes multiple NWEA MAP scores that go back further than March of 2020.  In addition, the CogAT scores for most students come from prior to that date as well.  The Student Performance Rating Scale is data that comes directly from the classroom teacher from the current school year.  The rating scale is completed as the teacher reflects on what he or she has seen from the student throughout the school year in the safety of their classroom (or Zoom classroom). 

For our current 3rd graders who took the CogAT test this year, if a parent feels that score does not represent their child's ability level, please submit an appeal and our Appeal Committee will review your child's situation in detail.  

Student must meet the minimum score on at least one of the five most recent NWEA MAP assessments.  You will need to have your child's historical NWEA MAP data to determine eligibility.  You can contact Jennifer Bergeron if you need a copy of that report. 

Minimum scores for each pathway are as follows:

The way students can sign up for the supplemental test is through an appeal.  The appeal process involves a committee composed of D34 teachers and/or administrators who will review student scores on a supplemental math test (taken in April), information shared by parents through the appeal form (linked below), and current school year classroom performance.

The District Appeal Committee will make a final decision and results will be emailed home to parents and updated in PowerSchool by the end of June.  The decision of the Appeal Committee cannot be changed.  Students who did not make the appeal have another opportunity to appeal after one school year has passed.  District 34 will not consider the completion of outside programs or tutoring such as Northwestern Center for Talent Development, Mathnasium, or Kumon in the placement process.

If you choose to appeal the district's decision, complete this online appeal form (you may have to "allow popups" in your browser to fill out the form).  Appeal forms are due on March 31st.  Please know that completing the appeal form does not guarantee that your child's placement will be changed.

It is not intended for students to study for this test, so there is no study guide.  The best way for a child to prepare is to get a good night's sleep, eat a good breakfast, and try not to be nervous.  Students may also find comfort in knowing that math placements are recalculated every school year up until 8th grade. So there are many opportunities to join this pathway throughout their time in District 34!

The supplemental test relies on a student's ability to recall the basic skills that should have been retained all year long and the ability to apply those standards to answer challenge questions.  The challenge questions may require students to persevere or work harder than usual to find an answer.  These are questions that students have not been explicitly taught how to solve, and it is intentional that there is no practice test that will preview these questions or content.

Students should be comfortable with drawing upon multiple strategies for solving a challenge problem.  Some strategies to rely on would be guess and check, look for errors, work backwards, act it out, make a number sentence, draw a picture, identify a pattern, and make a table, chart, or list.

We do not offer practice tests or share past tests.  The content found on each test is as follows:

Grade Level Content Assessments:

There is no exact target score we are looking for on this test. Different combinations of points are awarded for the challenge problems and the grade level skill problems, which makes having a "passing score" not possible. 

Each test consists of 10 multi-part questions.  All of the questions require only the test taker’s current grade level knowledge of math standards.  FOUR of the questions are routine in nature and similar to what students see in math class.  SIX of the questions are non-routine (challenge) that require students to solve novel problems that they have never seen before using math skills they already have.

At a minimum we need to see that students have correctly answered 3 of the 6 challenge questions with varying correctly answered routine questions.  Each student's test is individually reviewed to determine if they have met this requirement.

Readiness Assessments:

For the readiness assessments, we look for a score of 80% for the Single Accelerated courses and 85% for the Double Accelerated courses.

The testing dates can be found on the Supplemental Test tab.