Advanced Math Options for Public School Students Under 13 Years Old
We discovered Khan Academy when our school went on remote learning due to the coronavirus. During this experience, our two students were quickly done with their school's assigned math exercises and were understandably bored waiting online with nothing else to do. We started them on KA with a system of regular rewards for completing 20 minutes of time each day on KA. It took only 18 months until they were four years ahead of their grade peers in math.
Last year the school district moved them ahead by two years in math. This was still one year behind were they were currently working in KA. They got all A's in math during the past year. But, they were also still working on in KA. Last September one of them wanted to do Algebra1 and the other preferred to go next to Geometry. We weren't able to guidance from the school to answer the question whether these two courses needed to be taken in a specific order. Meanwhile the kids decided on their own that they would do both.
Today: One has almost finished both courses with a 96% in both. The other is between 89-90%
So now we are at the issue of math placement for both of them for the next year. Their NWEA math scores put them at 99% percentile. The school district just sent us a letter proposing to place them in 8th grade math next year. Th school district's explanation for this can be summarized in the following three points: 1) "They can accelerate when they get to high school" (they didn't explain whether this proposed acceleration would occur after concluding 8th grade math next Spring or a year after that when they arrived at high school for all of their other academic courses); 2) "KA doesn't promote any depth of understanding of mathematics" (a curiously parochial attitude at this stage since it was their own districts' math teachers who first recommended KA to us); and 3) "the NWEA scores placing them in the 99th percentile are misleading because it's only their ranking as compared to all other 6th graders" (however, were most recently placed in 7th grade math).
I think that the answer is obvious. They need to be properly assessed.
If the school district won't properly assess them is there any way that I could pay to have them properly assessed to figure out what are their actual mathematical abilities? As I said before, they are both under 13 years old. I recall that when they moved up in math that I needed to speak one-on-one with KA tech support so that they could properly add their 7th grade math teachers. These are COPPA requirements, I believe. Even if the school has such concerns, wouldn't these only make it inconvenient and not impossible? Couldn't a parent just sign off on a waiver to allow testing?
We're already aware of the possibilities of shaming the school district publicly or pursuing litigation. But practically speaking once either of those events takes place the gloves are off (or potentially the gloves are on, if utilizing a boxing analogy). We do not wish to discuss these two options at this time.
Is it possible for a parent to arrange for math placement testing of their child under the age of 13 if they don't have the support of their local school district?
Thanks to everyone here working together who has made it possible for us even to have such a "problem".
John Florsheim (but not the real John Florsheim)
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