Math Placement

District 30 Math Placement

In District 30, math placement decisions are based on achievement on standardized assessments and teacher feedback regarding classroom performance. We are committed to honoring the individualized needs of students by making appropriate placement decisions in order to create the best learning experiences. The placement process is data-driven. The following steps outline the processes and criteria for placement.

Grades 4 & 5

STEP 1: Create and Review Matrix of Data

Since this is a complex data-based decision, we use a matrix to inform all math placement decisions. Matrix criteria are reviewed and refined annually by the Math/Science Coordinator, Principals, and Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. We use the following data points within our matrices:

Measures of Academic Progress– test administered in both the fall and the spring in grades 2-5
Cognitive Abilities Test – test administered winter of 3rd grade and 5th grade
Classroom assessments - including formative assessments, chapter pretests and post-tests and applying mathematical practices to real world situations

The data for every student is reviewed and considered during the placement process. If we notice inconsistencies within data trends, we consult with the teacher(s) regarding the test scores. Lastly, although scores from the Illinois Assessment of Readiness are not formally included in our decision matrix, we may review IAR math scores as additional data for some math placement decisions.

STEP 2: Apply Placement Criteria to Matrix of Data

Grade 4 Fast-Paced Math: The Fast-Paced class is designed to serve students generally performing within the top 24% of the grade-level cohort on CogAT and MAP. Please be aware that the top 24% is not the same as the national percentile posted on the various standardized assessment reports. This school year, the following criteria were used. To qualify, we look for students who fit within one of the four pathways.

Path 1 to Grade 4 Fast Paced:

CoGat - Quantitative Standard Age Score 128+
MAP - 4th Grade Fall RIT 225+

Path 2 to Grade 4 Fast Paced:

CoGat - Quantitative Standard Age Score 128+
MAP - 3rd Grade Spring RIT 224+

Path 3 to Grade 4 Fast Paced:

CoGat - Quantitative Standard Age Score 128+
MAP - 3rd Grade Fall RIT 214+

Path 4 to Grade 4 Fast Paced:

TWO of the following:

MAP - 4th Grade Fall RIT 225+
MAP - 3rd Grade Spring RIT 224+
MAP - 3rd Grade Fall RIT 214+

Grade 5 Fast-Paced Math: The Fast Paced class is designed to serve students generally performing within the top 24% of the grade-level cohort on CogAT and MAP. Please be aware that the top 24% is not the same as the national percentile posted on the various standardized assessment reports. This school year, the following criteria were used. To qualify, we look for students who fit within one of the four pathways.

Path 1 to Grade 5 Fast Paced:

Completion of 4th Grade Fast Paced Math with teacher recommendation to continue

Path 2 to Grade 5 Fast Paced:

CoGat - Quantitative Standard Age Score 135+
MAP - 5th Grade Fall RIT 240+

Path 3 to Grade 5 Fast Paced:

TWO of the following:

MAP - 5th Grade Fall RIT 240+
MAP - 4th Grade Spring RIT 240+
MAP - 4th Grade Fall RIT 225

STEP 3: Consult with Principal

After making initial placements using our decision matrix, the Math/Science Coordinators convene a meeting with the Principal. The math placement of every student in the grade level is discussed. If further data is needed to support the placement of a student, teachers are asked to provide quantitative classroom data.

STEP 4: Share Placement Recommendations with the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

The Principal and Math/Science Coordinator review the placement recommendations with the Assistant Superintendent. The placement process is reviewed and final placement decisions are made upon administrative approval.

STEP 5: Communicate with Parents Regarding Placement

Grade 4: Decisions for placement in Grade 4 Fast-Paced Math are finalized in October of the current school year and letters are sent home with students.

Grade 5: Decisions for changes in placement for Grade 5 Math are finalized in June of 4th-grade year or September/October of 5th-grade year and will be communicated on an individual basis.

Grades 6-8

If a student is in Grade 5 Fast Paced/Navigate, we seek to continue placement unless classroom performance and/or standardized assessment data indicate otherwise.

Additional students are placed in Advanced Math/Navigate when classroom performance and/or standardized assessment data support the placement.

Students who are not placed in Advanced Math or Navigate are recommended to continue in the on-grade level curriculum.

Navigation

	Grade Level Pathway	Fast Paced Pathway	Fast Paced/Navigate Pathway
4th Grade	Math 4 Focus on common core grade-level math standards. Emphasis on major clusters including problem solving, understanding of place value, fraction equivalence and ordering and decimal notation for comparing fractions.	Math Fast Paced 4 Focus on common core math standards (as stated in grade level pathway) while compacting topics as appropriate with exposure to additional standards.	Math Fast Paced/Navigate 4 Focus on common core math standards (as stated in grade level pathway) while compacting topics as appropriate with exposure to additional standards. Navigate includes 2-hour a week pullout for enrichment.
5th Grade	Math 5 Focus on common core grade-level math standards. Emphasis on major clusters including operations with multi-digit whole numbers and decimals, and fractions.	Math Fast Paced 5 Focus on common core math standards (as stated in grade level pathway) while compacting topics as appropriate with exposure to additional standards.	Math Fast Paced/Navigate 5 Focus on common core math standards (as stated in grade level pathway) while compacting topics as appropriate with exposure to additional standards. Navigate includes 2-hour a week pullout for enrichment.
Prior to sixth grade, placement decisions are fluid year-to-year. Placements in grades 4-5 do not dictate placement in sixth grade.
6th Grade	Core Math 6 Focus on common core grade-level math standards. Emphasis on major clusters including simplifying algebraic expressions, solving one-variable equations and inequalities, understanding ratio concepts to solve problems, and extending and applying understandings of rational numbers to divide fractions by fractions and to find common factors and multiples.	Advanced Math 6 Focus on common core math standards (as stated in grade level pathway) while compacting topics as appropriate with exposure to additional standards.	Math Navigate 6 Focus on common core math standards including solving real-life and mathematical problems using expressions, equations, and proportional relationships, and applying and extending previous understandings of operations with fractions to add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational numbers. In addition, to exposure to additional standards
7th Grade	Core Math 7 Focus on common core grade-level math standards. Emphasis on major clusters including solving real-life and mathematical problems using expressions, equations, and proportional relationships, and applying and extending previous understandings of operations with fractions to add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational numbers.	Advanced Math 7 Focus on common core math standards (as stated in grade level pathway) while compacting topics as appropriate with exposure to additional standards.	Math Navigate 7 (Algebra 1) Focus on common core math standards. Emphasis on major clusters including interpreting and writing expressions, reasoning to solve equations and inequalities, creating equations that describe numbers or relationships, and performing arithmetic operations on polynomials and rational functions.
8th Grade	Core Math 8 Focus on common core grade-level math standards. Emphasis on major clusters including understanding congruence and similarity, applying the Pythagorean Theorem, using functions to model relationships, evaluating radical and integer exponents, solving linear equations, and understanding connections between proportional relationships, lines, and linear equations.	Advanced Math 8 (Algebra 1) Focus on common core math standards. Emphasis on major clusters including interpreting and writing expressions, reasoning to solve equations and inequalities, creating equations that describe numbers or relationships, and performing arithmetic operations on polynomials and rational functions.	Math Navigate 8 (Geometry) Focus on common core math standards. Emphasis on major clusters including proving geometric theorems, using coordinates to prove simple theorems algebraically, and solving problems involving general and right triangles.
9th Grade	*Algebra GBN and GBS offer several different course**	Geometry*	Geometry Honors*	Advanced Algebra	Advanced Algebra Honors*
Placement in these* courses is determined by the high school. Student achievement in grades 7 and 8 math courses, as well as standardized test data, are used by the high school to make placement decisions.

Grade Level Pathway

Fast Paced Pathway

Fast Paced/Navigate Pathway

4th Grade

Math 4

Focus on common core grade-level math standards. Emphasis on major clusters including problem solving, understanding of place value, fraction equivalence and ordering and decimal notation for comparing fractions.

Math Fast Paced 4

Focus on common core math standards (as stated in grade level pathway) while compacting topics as appropriate with exposure to additional standards.

Math Fast Paced/Navigate 4

Focus on common core math standards (as stated in grade level pathway) while compacting topics as appropriate with exposure to additional standards. Navigate includes 2-hour a week pullout for enrichment.

5th Grade

Math 5

Focus on common core grade-level math standards. Emphasis on major clusters including operations with multi-digit whole numbers and decimals, and fractions.

Math Fast Paced 5

Focus on common core math standards (as stated in grade level pathway) while compacting topics as appropriate with exposure to additional standards.

Math Fast Paced/Navigate 5

Prior to sixth grade, placement decisions are fluid year-to-year. Placements in grades 4-5 do not dictate placement in sixth grade.

6th Grade

Core Math 6

Focus on common core grade-level math standards. Emphasis on major clusters including simplifying algebraic expressions, solving one-variable equations and inequalities, understanding ratio concepts to solve problems, and extending and applying understandings of rational numbers to divide fractions by fractions and to find common factors and multiples.

Advanced Math 6

Focus on common core math standards (as stated in grade level pathway) while compacting topics as appropriate with exposure to additional standards.

Math Navigate 6

Focus on common core math standards including solving real-life and mathematical problems using expressions, equations, and proportional relationships, and applying and extending previous understandings of operations with fractions to add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational numbers. In addition, to exposure to additional standards

7th Grade

Core Math 7

Focus on common core grade-level math standards. Emphasis on major clusters including solving real-life and mathematical problems using expressions, equations, and proportional relationships, and applying and extending previous understandings of operations with fractions to add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational numbers.

Advanced Math 7

Focus on common core math standards (as stated in grade level pathway) while compacting topics as appropriate with exposure to additional standards.

Math Navigate 7 (Algebra 1)

Focus on common core math standards. Emphasis on major clusters including interpreting and writing expressions, reasoning to solve equations and inequalities, creating equations that describe numbers or relationships, and performing arithmetic operations on polynomials and rational functions.

8th Grade

Core Math 8

Focus on common core grade-level math standards. Emphasis on major clusters including understanding congruence and similarity, applying the Pythagorean Theorem, using functions to model relationships, evaluating radical and integer exponents, solving linear equations, and understanding connections between proportional relationships, lines, and linear equations.

Advanced Math 8 (Algebra 1)

Math Navigate 8 (Geometry)

Focus on common core math standards. Emphasis on major clusters including proving geometric theorems, using coordinates to prove simple theorems algebraically, and solving problems involving general and right triangles.

9th Grade

Algebra * GBN and GBS offer several different course

Geometry*

Geometry Honors*

Advanced Algebra

Advanced Algebra Honors*

*Placement in these courses is determined by the high school. Student achievement in grades 7 and 8 math courses, as well as standardized test data, are used by the high school to make placement decisions.