Math Acceleration Course to Continue for Finley Seventh Graders
After receiving feedback from Huntington School Board members, district officials are moving to continue an accelerated math course at the seventh grade level at J. Taylor Finley Middle School.
The move follows a presentation by Wayne Edwards, the district’s math director, who outlined various factors impacting the course. The district intends to improve communication between the elementary and secondary levels regarding which students are placed in the seventh grade accelerated math program at Finley.
District officials plan to:
• Collect and analyze fifth and sixth grade raw scores in math and English language arts for all students moving to Finley.
• Consider creation of a sixth grade math final exam for the district in order to provide additional data.
• Collect and analyze all sixth grade quarterly math exam data.
• Invite sixth grade teachers to select Finley math department meetings with ongoing discussions interspersed throughout the year.
• Seek information on the ability of students to communicate mathematically and handle rigorous math work.
• Study available data and develop a criteria spreadsheet that collects the information and results in a composite score.
• Schedule administrative visits to sixth grade classrooms to assess the math program at that level and streamline the transition between elementary and middle school.
• Provide sixth grade teachers with in-service math training.
“The course covers topics in the Pre-Algebra curriculum and topics from Math 8,” according to an official course description. “These students will take Integrated Algebra 1 Regents Examination in eighth grade. Students must be able to work independently and should expect more extensive homework assignments. Students must maintain at least an 88 average to remain in the program. The New York State Math 7 Assessment will be administered to all seventh graders in March and a uniform final exam will be administered in June.”
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