When Advanced Math Placement Is a Struggle This week's question is an amalgam of two questions, but because I have received quite a few inquiries about ability grouping, I thought I'd do a mash-up in order to cover all the issues surrounding the challenge of academic placement. Dear Mrs. Lahey, We pushed really hard last year in order to get our daughter placed in above-level math. She claimed she was up for the challenge at the time (she's in seventh grade now) and while her teachers were worried about her skills and her ability to rise to the challenge, we promised we'd get her tutored over the summer to shore up her skills in preparation for the more challenging math class. Now, two months into the new school year, we fear we may have made a mistake. Despite tutoring over the summer and help from both of her parents every night during math homework, she's hovering around a C-. In order to keep her on the accelerated math track in her school, she needs to maintain a B- or better in math, and I know the subject of math placement will come up at our next parent-teacher conference. We are all exhausted by her nightly struggle with the material but feel we are stuck because we pushed for the placement in the first place. Thank you, M.A. (and M.G.) Dear M.A. (and M.G.), As with any complicated math problem, the first thing we need to do is look over all of the factors involved and figure out the order of operations we need to employ in order to make some sense of it all. The first place to start is with your daughter, as she's clearly the most important factor in this equation. I'd be honest: Admit that you are unsure of how you handled the issue of math placement, and ask what she would do if she were in charge. After all, she is in middle school, and it's important to allow adolescents to have a say in the trajectory of their education. She should be taking on an increasing degree of autonomy and choice when it comes to her courses, so give her a taste of this responsibility now. She's the one who is going to have to shoulder the consequences of this decision, after all. If she really wants to stick out the harder math level, that should count for a lot in the finally tally. If she wants to move down to the lower ability grouping, if she reacts with relief that you have finally asked her opinion in the matter, that would be the end of it for me. I'd have the class change arranged the following day. Your next step should be to talk to the teacher, particularly if your daughter really wants to stick out the above-grade class. Find out how the teacher perceives your daughter's progress, and if both the teacher and your daughter are game to stick it out, then see how things go for a while longer. You can always revisit this decision in a month or two. I will warn you, however, that if her teacher is anything like me, he or she will ask you one simple question: What is your goal? If your goal is for your daughter to be enrolled in above-grade-level math, then mission accomplished. Stick with the strategy you have committed to so far and tough it out. Your daughter might be in a rough patch, she might kick into high gear and find her way through the material, she might find her passion for math - we simply can't know what the future holds. Given enough tutoring and support from you, she might limp through the year and remain in the above-grade math track, particularly if she's invested. If, however, your goal is for your daughter to learn math, and feel competent in her abilities, I'd recommend that you demote her to grade-level math. From what you have described, above-grade-level math has been challenging for everyone, and if your daughter's grade is any indication, she's not achieving mastery in what she needs to know in order to be fluent and confident in her math skills. Middle school is challenging enough without being pushed into an ability grouping she's not ready for. Math skills are cumulative, and if your daughter does not achieve mastery this year, she will be at a real disadvantage as she moves forward. I hope this is helpful, and I wish your daughter luck with math. If she's interested in a fun read about math (no, really), I'd recommend Danica McKellar's smart and funny books on math, written specifically for adolescent girls. Good luck to all of you, and keep me posted! Mrs. Lahey