La Canada Math Parents (LCMP) will host an information night for parents on the middle school math placement exam:
When? Tue. Apr. 09, 2019, 6:30PM-8:00PM
Where? IRC (upstairs in classroom 1), La Cañada High School
4463 Oak Grove Drive
La Cañada, CA 91011
Discussed will be the Middle School Math Placement Test, which will be administered by LCHS 7/8 staff on Friday, May 24th and again on August 9th. The purpose of the middle school math placement test is to identify students who place above grade level and place them appropriately in math courses upon arrival at the middle school.
LCHS 7/8 principal Gold sent an email to current LCUSD 6th grade families on Mar. 13, 2019 explaining that:
“To clarify, this exam is not required for every 6th-grade student. Only those who are performing above grade level should sign up to take this assessment. No preparation should be needed for a child who has been performing above grade level and is ready for an above grade level placement.”
Unfortunately, this statement is misleading. Students who take the placement exam who have not prepared or studied above grade-level math in the past have almost no chance of passing the exam. For example, 83% of students who took the exam last May failed it.
The exam, its purpose, historical performance by students who have taken it in the recent past, and possible topics covered will be discussed on April 9th. In addition, LCMP will explain the math pathways in LCHS 7/8 and LCHS, as well as what benefits are conferred to students who pass one or both parts of the middle school placement exam. We will describe the 7th grade California math standards, which broadly speaking bound what might be covered on the placement exam. Lastly, several students who have successfully passed the exam in the past will be available to answer questions.
Parents of current 6th grade students who are considering taking the exam will benefit from the information presented at his talk. In addition, parents of students in earlier grades will learn that the best way to succeed on the middle school math placement test and accelerate in math in middle and high school is to start well BEFORE 6th grade.
If you plan on coming, please RSVP here:
http://bit.ly/lchs78math
Your response will help us plan for enough room and we will send you a reminder on April 08th.