Upcoming Changes to MC Math and Algebra I Options

Hello ANCS parents,

As you may already know, for many years now (10+) we have offered an online Algebra I course for 8th grade students who qualify based on their grades, Milestones scores, and MAP scores from their 6th and 7th grade years. We are making some changes to our mathematics program including lowering the student-teacher ratio in all of our Math classes and moving towards offering an in-person combined 8th grade/Algebra I course in the ‘27-’28 school year. This letter will detail what we’ve done in the past and the changes we are making in the next two years.

As a small charter school with a set of specific offerings, we have not been able to offer Algebra I as a stand alone course. Additionally, philosophically, we do not track students. “Tracking assumes students come with fixed academic abilities that don’t change. Most research, however, supports the idea that academic ability develops and is shaped by expectations and community standards.”¹ All students have opportunities to learn from each other and to discuss various perspectives as they problem solve. Teachers differentiate instruction for students who need extension work, as well as for students who need support. Higher levels on IB rubrics (0-8 scale, 3/4 Meets the Standard; 7/8 demonstrates a deeper level of understanding) account for students who are producing work that goes beyond our typical expectations.

Math 8 is developmentally appropriate for the majority of 8th graders and prepares students well for success in high school. Students who qualify for online Algebra I have consistently had success in this course and this has also translated to success in high school as verified during a recent meeting with the administration at Maynard Jackson High School. That said, an increase in funding associated with gifted services has allowed us to make some changes to bolster our Math program at the Middle Campus (MC).

• We are hiring an additional Math teacher (each content area at the MC has two teachers, so in math we will have three) and this will allow us to lower the student-teacher ratio throughout the Middle Campus with smaller class sizes in grades 6 and 8 and a teacher pushing in in one of the 7th grade classes.
• In past years students in the online Algebra I course have used Power30 (Note: Power30 is a 30 minute Math intervention block in every student’s schedule.) as work time with support offered during Office Hours. During the ‘26-’27 school year, there will be a Math teacher supporting the online Algebra I Power30 with a mix of support and delivering instruction.
• Finally, during the ‘27-’28 school year we will move to offering an in-person combined 8th grade and Algebra I course for students who qualify, instead of the online option.
  • Students who qualify will have the option to take what will be a fast-paced course that combines both 8th grade math and Algebra I content in a single course that has combined class time between both Power30 and your standard math time. Next year (‘26-’27) will be a planning year for this course, and the ‘27-’28 school year will be the first year that the in-person course is offered.
  • Creating an in-person course – blending 8th grade content with Algebra I content, determining the pacing, considering curriculums that we may or may not purchase, and determining the criteria for which students get into the course – is a big task, so we will need a year to ramp up for this class.

This set of changes is going to help every student at the Middle Campus, not just those of a particular ability level, but every student. We are excited about the growth of our Math program and the impact it will have on our students.

Regards,

Mark

^{1 “Why Is Tracking Harmful?” Rethinking Schools, 4 June 2021, rethinkingschools.org/articles/getting-children-off-the-track/}