News

Dear Parents of Fifth Grade Students,

This spring, administrators, and counselors at our middle schools will begin working on math placements for incoming 6th graders. Most 5th grade students will be appropriately placed in Common Core (CC) Math 6, a rigorous and challenging math class that builds upon concepts and skills learned in 5th grade. Some students may be ready to skip CC Math 6 and be placed in CC Math 7.

In previous years, families have opted-in to a placement test for their 5th grade students.  Through the analysis of data, SCUSD has learned that this process was not equitable for many students. This year, SCUSD will be using two assessments to determine placement, neither of which require families to opt-in. The first placement criteria will be i-Ready scores from the February administration. i-Ready provides nationally normed student score ranges that allow districts and schools to determine which students have the necessary procedural skills needed for success in Math 7.  Students who are within range of or exceed this cut score will take an additional 30-minute assessment to assess students’ conceptual understanding and application of concepts. Together, these scores will be used to determine 6th grade math placement. We believe this new placement process will result in less testing for the majority of students and more equitable outcomes for all students. 

Parents are invited to attend an in-person Math Success Night to learn more about the new placement process, ways to support students at home to deepen mathematical understanding, current math pathways, and much more. The two events will be held on January 9, 2023, at Laurelwood Elementary School from 6-7 p.m. and January 10, 2023, at Hughes Elementary School from 6-7 p.m. These events are open to all families regardless of the school your child attends and will be recorded if you are unable to attend — more information to follow. 

If you have any questions, please contact your site principal. 

Thank you,

Tricia Ringel

Director, Elementary Education