During Grades 7 and 8, students ready to take on more challenging coursework have the option to study in SSPP's Accelerated Placement Math courses.
The opportunity to be placed in Accelerated Math begins in Grade 7 at SSPP. Qualifying students undertake traditional coursework at an accelerated pace. Once in Grade 8, students study the New York State Regents Algebra 1 curriculum, which includes equations and inequalities, graphing, and working with polynomials. Students will also deepen their understanding of statistics. The AP path culminates with the student taking the NYS Regents exam.
There are several criteria that a student must meet in order to be placed in Accelerated Math. Eligibility for Accelerated Placement Math requires that the student is successful in all of the following areas:
Maintain a high cumulative 6th grade math average (92% or higher)
Possess excellent study skills and demonstrate strong academic effort
Consistently score at mastery level or higher on the NYS Math Exam in previous grades (Grades 3-6)
Score at 90% or higher on the SSPP Grade 7 Accelerated Placement Exam (2 hour exam administered at the end of Grade 6)
Be recommended by the middle school teachers
If the student lacks one or more of the above, he/she would not qualify for Accelerated Math 7. Any transfer student who wishes to participate in the Math 7 AP must meet the above requirements including a letter of recommendation from his/her math teacher. Over the summer, students who successfully meet the above criteria will receive a letter indicating their eligibility from the school principal. The student and parent will need to accept the placement for Math 7AP. In addition, the student must maintain a grade of 90% or higher to remain in Math 7 AP during the school year.
During Grade 8 and the Math 9 Common Core Algebra 1 course, the student must maintain a grade of 90% or higher to remain in the AP program. Upon completion of the course, all students will take the NYS Math 9 Common Core Algebra 1 Regents Exam in June. The math teacher will then make a final recommendation for the placement in high school math.