Dear Parents/Guardians of Sixth Grade Math Students and Math 6 Students,

The purpose of this letter is to give you background and information about the process used to place this year’s sixth graders into next year’s seventh grade math courses. The Math Department uses a placement procedure based on several criteria.  We have used this general process for many years with great accuracy and success.

This year, all MVMS sixth graders are in the same math course, Math 6. Next year, these students will be in one of two possible courses, Math 7 or Math 7/8. In eighth grade, students are again in one of two possible courses, Math 8 or Algebra. 

The majority of our students will be placed in Math 7, the standard seventh grade math course. Some qualifying students will be eligible to take Math 7/8. This class covers all of Math 7 and approximately half of the eighth grade math concepts. The additional content in Math 7/8 requires the course to move at a very rapid rate. Even though this class is challenging, we place students in it with a goal to excel, not simply pass the course. Moving quickly through an accelerated math course with a lot of extra help and without a high level of mastery is counterproductive in the long run. 

A similar placement process is used from seventh grade to eighth grade.  Please visit http://www.mvschools.org/Page/4279 on the Mill Valley Middle School website for more information.  

Sixth graders will be placed into Math 7/8 in seventh grade if they earn qualifying scores in all of the following areas:

• Trimester math grades

• Initial individual quiz and test scores

• Standardized test scores (when available)

• MVMS Math Placement Test given late in the third trimester

Current math teachers also take into account their ten-month long experience teaching the sixth graders. Teachers know student habits, attitudes, approaches, and abilities. Independence, attention to detail, thoroughness, self-motivation, and responsibility are especially important traits for students taking Math 7/8.

Appropriate math placement is one of the most critical tasks for the math department. Short and long term student comprehension, confidence, and academic success are fundamental to our placement philosophy. We want our students to not only pass their math classes, but to excel in all ways while they enjoy mathematics to the greatest extent possible. Moving at a suitable pace is crucial to ensuring their longitudinal success. 

This year we will likely inform families of next year's placement the first week of June. A family can file an appeal of the placement within a week. A description of the appeals process is included in the placement notification.

If you have questions, feel free to contact your student's math teacher directly.

Regards,

The Mill Valley Middle School Math Department