Earlier this fall, FCPS launched a pilot program that loosens restrictions on sixth graders enrolling in Algebra 1 Honors, a course traditionally taken during students’ freshman year of high school.
“Having a range of options is super helpful,” said sophomore Ava Slocum, who took Algebra 1 in sixth grade. “Expanding the selection of math courses offered to people allows for a more tailored experience, which is really important.”
Students may be eligible for this pilot program if, as fifth graders, they scored in the pass advanced category on the grade six math SOL and a 1125 quantile score on the math iReady assessment. Students need not demonstrate any other readiness qualifications to enroll in Algebra 1.
“There needs to be more discussion with the teachers who see these students every single day,” math teacher Chloe Hennon said. “A test is not enough, even if it’s two tests.”
More than a third of FCPS elementary schools are participating in this pilot program. At the start of the 2025-2026 school year, more than 700 sixth graders were enrolled in Algebra 1 Honors across all 142 FCPS elementary schools, compared to around 30 in past years.
“The rollout has not been easy for parents to understand what they’re signing their child up for,” Hennon said. “We as a county are pushing math education too fast.”
Some students believe the new program will help younger kids who are interested in math to develop their interests.
“There are some kids who definitely are super into math,” Slocum said. “[It’s] a good thing for them to expand learning in a way they care about math.”
By taking Algebra 1 in sixth grade, students may set themselves up for increased success. They can learn more math, leading to them being more advanced by the time standardized testing comes around in high school.
“Math level definitely correlates with SAT success later, because when you take the SAT, it doesn’t count what math [grade] level you’re on,” Slocum said. “[The SAT] is a direct correlation with how well you did before [in math].”
Some teachers do not think early access to advanced mathis the path to success in all cases.
“We are seeing right now a push which says that everyone is only going to be successful if they do these [certain] things,” Hennon said. “We are here on the front lines of teaching, and we know that that is not the case.”
In addition, students acknowledge the competitive environment they live in and the stress of taking a high school class in elementary school.
“The competition can be overwhelming at times, and so is taking high school classes in elementary school,” Slocum said. “It’s a lot of pressure on kids that they don’t need.”
Teachers also understand the pressure that kids experience and the harmful effects of a stressful school environment.
“There are students who are ready,” Hennon said. “But the acceleration of math is being pushed upon students who feel like they’re already behind or parents who feel like their students are behind when truly they are not.”
In McLean, the culture of always having to be ahead of others in math and other subjects is especially burdening for students.
“It’s such a competitive area already,” Slocum said. “That’s kind of the setting that [students] are in.”
Another concern teachers have with this new program is staffing. With more students completing high school math earlier, teachers are not yet ready to provide kids with more advanced content.
“We don’t have the staffing to offer the courses that these kids are going to need, because they’re going to be finishing their high school math courses in middle school,” Hennon said. “That leaves high school teachers who are certified in high school content being asked to teach content that they are not ready to teach.”
Teachers are concerned that students would rush essential parts of math, leading to a lack of crucial understanding later on.
“Students [will] not [be able] to build a very strong foundation on a developmentally appropriate timeline in their basic algebra skills,” Hennon said. “As [students] go through their math courses faster, there are bigger gaps, and not a steady foundation.”
Teachers, as well as students, agree that FCPS should provide math tracks that enable students to take the math that helps them succeed the most, rather than having students feel the need to constantly catch up.
“Algebra 1 is technically a ninth grade course, and [students] are not behind if they are not taking [it] in the sixth grade,” Hennon said. “Providing this opportunity doesn’t mean that everyone has to do it and should do it.”
