Placement, Process and Procedures for 7A for 6th Graders

As middle school approaches, for some students, there are decisions and recommendations that parents need to be aware of, including math placement.    

Every April, our fifth-grade teachers submit recommendations for students they feel should be tested to subject-level acceleration in math when entering middle school.

Please click on the links below for information regarding our district’s math programming:

• Click here for the district’s Math Scope and Sequence (Grades 5-12).

• Click here to review the district’s Middle School Math Course Descriptions. 

This acceleration Math Recommendation Process includes a 7A math readiness assessment. This placement exam is given to students who are being considered for the subject-level acceleration in math. Based on the initial 5th grade classroom teacher recommendation, prospective 7A students will take the math placement exam, occurring in May during the school day. 

Following this exam, the building level team, which includes the principal and 5th grade teachers, will consider classroom observations, assessment data, and student’s performance on the readiness assessment when making course recommendations for middle school math. 

Depending on your child's readiness exam results, there are three outcomes:

1. 7A for 6th Grade - without summer 6A prep*

2. 7A for 6th Grade - with summer 6A prep**

3. 6 or 6A

*Students who meet expectations for the 7A for 6th graders accelerated math program will also be concurrently enrolled in a similarly structured science course that will include 6th and 7th grade science standards as the student’s 6th grade science course. This is an optional experience. Families will be given the opportunity to opt out of this experience at a later date if they so choose. Click here to read a course description.

**If the recommendation for your child is 7A for 6th Grade - with summer 6A prep, there is an asynchronous virtual summer prep experience that students are recommended to complete. At the end of the summer, an additional in-person, summative assessment in early August is required to show proficiency in the 6th grade math standards. Students who do not meet proficiency standards for the required August in-person assessment will be scheduled for Math 6 or 6A at the middle school.

As noted above, parents may also request to have their child be considered for subject-level acceleration in math regardless of teacher recommendation. If you would like your child to be considered for this acceleration, please make your request by clicking here. Requests will close at 4 pm on Friday, April 28, 2023. Virtual Academy students interested in assessment should contact the Gifted Services office at 814-231-1054.

Results of the readiness exam, along with 6th grade math recommendation, will be shared once scored via email.  If a child does not participate in the May placement exam, parents will be able to view their child’s recommended 6th grade math placement, provided by their 5th grade teacher, in ParentVue at the end of May.

In order to support parents in understanding this process, I will be hosting an optional webinar outlining the process and answering questions. If you are interested in participating, registration information is below:

Zoom Webinar Recording: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13OLq2C87Q3e18or2O7FanphlFt6TboUj/view?usp=share_link