2018-2019 Middle School Math Placement Guide

2018-2019
Middle School
Math Course
Placement Guide
Middle School Math Placement Guidelines

Durham Public Schools requires all schools to follow math placement guidelines set by
the district. In this guide are documents and resources for students and families to aid
in understanding math placement at the middle school level.
Liz Moffitt, M.Ed., NBCT
Middle School Mathematics Specialist
Table of Contents
I. Parent Letter
II. Curriculum Overview and Course Progressions
III. Course Descriptions
IV. Pathways to Course Placement
V. Parent Waiver Form
VI. Teacher Waiver Form
VII. Mathematical Practices Teacher Rating Rubric
Revised June 11, 2018 Page | 1

TO: DPS Parents and/or Guardians of Middle School Students
FROM: Liz Moffitt, M.Ed., NBCT - Middle School Mathematics Specialist
CC: Principals, School Counselors, and Teachers

Chanel Sidbury - Executive Director for Curriculum & Instruction K-12
Dear Parents/Guardians of Middle School Math Students,
The purpose of this guide is to give you information about the process used to determine the math
service match/placement of DPS students into math courses. Each DPS school uses specific criteria to
determine the most rigorous mathematics course that is best for each student. Each year the student’s
pathway is reevaluated to ensure each child is appropriately matched.
We realize that mathematics service matching/placement is one of the most critical tasks for all
educational stakeholders. Short and long term student comprehension, confidence, and academic
success are foundational to our multifaceted philosophy. Our district is committed to responsibly
positioning students in courses which will ensure their academic growth and success, based on
objective performance targets. We want all students to not only pass their math classes but to also
maximize their mathematics experiences.
We ask that you carefully review the following documents. If you have any questions, please direct
them to your child's math teacher and/or principal. We look forward to your child’s continuous
mathematics success in Durham Public Schools.
Regards,


6-8 Mathematics Curriculum

In middle school mathematics, students develop skills in several key areas including ratios and proportional
relationships, extending the number system, geometry, statistics, probability, expressions and equations, and
functions. In addition to learning new concepts and skills, students will solve challenging problems by applying
the concepts they have learned and by using technology, including calculators to facilitate meaningful
problem-solving. With the implementation of the new North Carolina Standard Course of Study in the
2018-2019 school year, middle school learners can anticipate a rigorous curriculum which will adequately
prepare them for further study in high school and beyond as they pursue college and various career options.
Students can also expect a deliberate focus on the mathematical practices to facilitate their learning of this
rigorous content:
These mathematical practices are applied throughout

each course, and with the content standards,
prescribe that students experience mathematics as a
coherent, useful, and logical subject that makes use of
their ability to make sense of problem situations.
Based on achievement, grades, and teacher input, students will follow one of the mathematics sequences
listed below.
Students may shift to another progression by meeting or not meeting the criteria for entrance; placement is
reevaluated at the end of each school year.
Additional details and information regarding the DPS Mathematics Course Placement process can be found at:
http://central.dpsnc.net/math-secondary/dps-middle-school-math-placement

Course Descriptions
Sixth (6th) Grade Math Courses
Math 6 Grade 6 NC Mathematics Standards
The Math 6 curriculum focuses on these critical areas:
1. understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems;
2. completing understanding of division of fractions and extending the notion of number to the system of
rational numbers, which includes negative numbers;
3. writing, interpreting, and using expressions and equations; and
4. developing understanding of statistical thinking.
Math 6 Compacted Grade 6 Mathematics Standards PLUS Select Grade 7 NC Standards

Plus The Math 6 Plus curriculum adds seventh grade topics and concepts in an effort to provide an enhanced and
compacted study of mathematics for students who demonstrate an aptitude and a need for deeper study of the
mathematical concepts.
Seventh (7th) Grade Math Courses

The Math 7 mathematics curriculum focuses on four critical areas:
1. developing understanding of and applying proportional relationships;
2. developing understanding of operations with rational numbers and working with expressions and linear
equations;
3. solving problems involving scale drawings and informal geometric constructions, and working with two-
and three-dimensional shapes to solve problems involving area, surface area, and volume; and
4. drawing inferences about populations based on samples.
Math 7 Compacted Grade 7 Mathematics Standards PLUS Select Grade 8 NC Standards

Plus The Math 7 Plus curriculum adds eighth grade topics and concepts in an effort to provide an enhanced and
compacted study of mathematics for students who demonstrate an aptitude and a need for deeper study of the
mathematical concepts.
Eighth (8th) Grade Math Courses

The Math 8 curriculum focuses on three critical areas:
1. formulating and reasoning about expressions and equations, including modeling an association in
bivariate data with a linear equation, and solving linear equations and systems of linear equations;
2. grasping the concept of a function and using functions to describe quantitative relationships;
3. analyzing two- and three-dimensional space and figures using distance, angle, similarity, and congruence,
and understanding and applying the Pythagorean Theorem.
NC Math 1* NC Math 1 Standard Course of Study

The NC Math 1 curriculum is designed to formalize and extend the mathematics learned in the middle grades. The
topics studied seek to deepen and extend the understanding of linear relationships, in part by contrasting them
with exponential phenomena, and in part by applying linear models to data that exhibit a linear trend. NC Math 1
uses properties and theorems involving congruent figures to deepen and extend understanding of geometric
knowledge from prior grades. Culminating units of study tie together the algebraic and geometric ideas studied
and also provide students opportunities to have experiences with more formal means of assessing how a model
fits data. Students use regression techniques to describe approximately linear relationships between two
quantities. They further use graphical representations and knowledge of the context to make judgments about the
appropriateness of the linear models.
● Eighth (8th) grade students enrolled in NC Math 1 will take the NC Math 1 End-of-Course (EOC) Exam, but not
the 8th Grade Math End-of-Grade (EOG) Exam
● The student score, percentile rank, and achievement level will appear/carry over to the student’s high school
transcript for the NC Math 1 EOC. However, the student’s grade in this course will not be calculated in the high
school GPA.

Pathways to Course Placement
Course Name &

Course Content Guidelines for Recommendation
Course #
Math 6 Grade 6 NC Math

All 6th grade students are eligible for this course
Course #20062Y0 Standards
Pathway 1: Achievement Level 5 on 5th Grade Math EOG
Grade 6 Compacted Grade 6 Pathway 2: Achievement Level 4, with scale score of 457
Math 6 Plus NC Math Standards or higher on 5th Grade Math EOG
Course #28002Y0Y6 PLUS Select Grade 7
NC Standards Pathway 3: Achievement Level 4 on 5th Grade Math EOG,
and EVAAS projected percentile of 80 or higher on NC
Math 1 EOC

Grade 7 Compacted Grade 7 Pathway 2: Achievement Level 4, with scale score of 457
Math 7 Plus NC Math Standards or higher on 6th Grade Math EOG
Course #28002Y0Y7 PLUS Select Grade 8
NC Standards Pathway 3: Achievement Level 4 on 6th Grade Math EOG,
and EVAAS projected percentile of 80 or higher on NC
Math 1 EOC


Grade 8
NC Math 1 Pathway 2: Achievement Level 4 on 7th Grade Math EOG,
NC Math 1
Standards and EVAAS projected percentile of 95 or higher on NC
Course # 21032Y0
Math 1 EOC
Placement Timeline:
APRIL: Schools will conduct their registration / placement process.
MAY/JUNE: Schools will review placements after EOG scores and final course grades are received.
Notification of placement changes to parents will be made after testing.

PARENT WAIVER FORM Middle School Math Placement for the 2018-2019 School Year
By submitting this waiver, I am requesting that my child be placed in a math class other than his/her recommended
placement for the 2018-2019 school year. Before making this request, my child and I thoughtfully considered and
discussed his/her test scores, grades, classroom performance, work habits, motivation, individual learning style, and
academic needs as they pertain to math class.
STUDENT INFORMATION (please print)

Student Name: Current Grade:
School Name: Student ID:
Parent/Guardian Name: Phone: ( )
Parent Email:
WAIVER REQUEST
I am requesting the following change of placement for the 2018-2019 school year:
❑ Higher Placement: ________________________ ❑ Lower Placement: ________________________

STUDENT/PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Students and parents understand that:
● Requests for higher placement must include a completed Mathematical Practices Teacher Rating Rubric;
● A class change later in the school year may require additional changes to the class schedule;
● Requests for waivers for current fifth graders (rising sixth graders) are to be reviewed and completed by the
elementary school;
● In all cases, the principal provides final approval.
Parent Signature: ________________________________________________________ Date: ___________________

SCHOOL RESPONSIBILITIES
Upon receiving this waiver request, the school agrees to:
● Provide support in teacher completion of the Mathematical Practices Teacher Rating Rubric.;
● Coordinate collection of any additional data deemed necessary (EVAAS projections, readiness assessment, etc.)
to make a placement decision;
Should the waiver be approved, the school agrees to:
● Provide supports for the student as appropriate to promote successful completion of the course;
● Communicate with the parent and student about any areas of concern in the learning process in a timely
manner and provide strategies for improvement where needed.
PRINCIPAL DECISION (To be completed by the school):
After careful review, the waiver request is ❑APPROVED/❑DENIED. The final course placement is
_________________.
Principal Signature: ________________________________________________________
Decision Communicated to parent/guardian on ___________________ (date).

PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR CURRENT SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

TEACHER WAIVER FORM Middle School Math Placement for the 2018-2019 School Year
By submitting this waiver, I am requesting that a student be placed in a math class other than his/her recommended
placement for the 2018-2019 school year. Before making this request, I have communicated with the student and
parent(s) regarding his/her test scores, grades, classroom performance, work habits, motivation, individual learning
style, and academic needs as they pertain to math class.
STUDENT INFORMATION (please print)
Teacher Name:
Teacher Email:
WAIVER REQUEST
I am requesting the following change of placement for the 2018-2019 school year:
❑ Higher Placement: ________________________ ❑ Lower Placement: ________________________
NOTE: Requests for higher placement must include a completed Mathematical Practices Teacher Rating Rubric.
Teacher Signature: ________________________________________________________ Date: ___________________

TEACHER/SCHOOL RESPONSIBILITIES
Upon completing this waiver request, the teacher agrees to:
● Complete the Mathematical Practices Teacher Rating Rubric.
Upon receiving this waiver request, the school agrees to:
● Coordinate collection of any additional data deemed necessary (EVAAS projections, readiness assessment, etc.)
to make a placement decision;
Should the waiver be approved, the school agrees to:
● Provide supports for the student as appropriate to promote successful completion of the course;
● Communicate with the parent and student about any areas of concern in the learning process in a timely
manner and provide strategies for improvement where needed.
PRINCIPAL DECISION (To be completed by the school):
After careful review, the waiver request is ❑APPROVED/❑DENIED. The final course placement is
_________________.
Principal Signature: ________________________________________________________
Decision Communicated to parent/guardian on ___________________ (date).
PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR CURRENT SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Mathematical Practices Teacher Rating Rubric
Teacher Name: Teacher Email:
Part 1: Mathematical Practice Standards

For each of these items, a rating of 0 means "This student is unable to do this; I have no evidence of their mastery of this practice." A
rating of 5 means "This student always does this, and does it well; I have substantial evidence of their mastery of this practice."
1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

a. Make sense of problems: Mathematically proficient students start by explaining to themselves the meaning of a problem and looking for entry
points to its solution. They analyze givens, constraints, relationships, and goals. They make conjectures about the form and meaning of the solution and
plan a solution pathway rather than simply jumping into a solution attempt. They consider analogous problems, and try special cases and simpler forms
of the original problem in order to gain insight into its solution.
This student is unable to do this; I have no This student always does this, and does it well; I have
0 1 2 3 4 5
evidence of their mastery of this practice. substantial evidence of their mastery of this practice.
b. Persevere in solving them: They monitor and evaluate their progress and change course if necessary. Students might rely on using concrete
objects or pictures to help conceptualize and solve a problem. Mathematically proficient students check their answers to problems using a different
method, and they continually ask themselves, “Does this make sense?” They can understand the approaches of others to solving complex problems and
identify correspondences between different approaches.
0 1 2 3 4 5
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively: Mathematically proficient students make sense of quantities and their relationships in problem situations.
They bring two complementary abilities to bear on problems involving quantitative relationships: the ability to decontextualize—to abstract a given situation
and represent it symbolically and manipulate the representing symbols as if they have a life of their own, without necessarily attending to their referents—and
the ability to contextualize, to pause as needed during the manipulation process in order to probe into the referents for the symbols involved. Quantitative
reasoning entails habits of creating a coherent representation of the problem at hand; considering the units involved; attending to the meaning of quantities,
not just how to compute them; and knowing and flexibly using different properties of operations and objects.
0 1 2 3 4 5
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

a. Construct viable arguments: Mathematically proficient students understand and use stated assumptions, definitions, and previously established
results in constructing arguments. They make conjectures and build a logical progression of statements to explore the truth of their conjectures. They
are able to analyze situations by breaking them into cases, and can recognize and use counterexamples. They justify their conclusions and communicate
them to others. They reason inductively about data, making plausible arguments that take into account the context from which the data arose.
0 1 2 3 4 5
b. Critique the reasoning of others: T hey are able to analyze situations by breaking them into cases, and can recognize and use counterexamples,
and respond to the arguments of others. Mathematically proficient students are also able to compare the effectiveness of two plausible arguments,
distinguish correct logic or reasoning from that which is flawed, and—if there is a flaw in an argument—explain what it is. Students at all grades can
listen or read the arguments of others, decide whether they make sense, and ask useful questions to clarify or improve the arguments.
0 1 2 3 4 5

Part 1: Mathematical Practice Standards (continued)

For each of these items, a rating of 0 means "This student is unable to do this; I have no evidence of their mastery of this practice." A
rating of 5 means "This student always does this, and does it well; I have substantial evidence of their mastery of this practice."
4. Model with mathematics: Mathematically proficient students can apply the mathematics they know to solve problems arising in everyday life, society,
and the workplace. In early grades, this might be as simple as writing an addition equation to describe a situation. In middle grades, a student might apply
proportional reasoning to plan a school event or analyze a problem in the community. Mathematically proficient students who can apply what they know are
comfortable making assumptions and approximations to simplify a complicated situation, realizing that these may need revision later. They are able to identify
important quantities in a practical situation and map their relationships using such tools as diagrams, two-way tables, graphs, flowcharts and formulas. They
can analyze those relationships mathematically to draw conclusions. They routinely interpret their mathematical results in the context of the situation and
reflect on whether the results make sense, possibly improving the model if it has not served its purpose.
0 1 2 3 4 5
5. Use appropriate tools strategically: Mathematically proficient students consider the available tools when solving a mathematical problem. These
tools might include pencil and paper, concrete models, a ruler, a protractor, a calculator, a spreadsheet, a computer algebra system, a statistical package, or
dynamic geometry software. Proficient students are sufficiently familiar with tools appropriate for their grade or course to make sound decisions about when
each of these tools might be helpful, recognizing both the insight to be gained and their limitations. They detect possible errors by strategically using
estimation and other mathematical knowledge. When making mathematical models, they know that technology can enable them to visualize the results of
varying assumptions, explore consequences, and compare predictions with data. Mathematically proficient students at various grade levels are able to identify
relevant external mathematical resources, such as digital content located on a website, and use them to pose or solve problems. They are able to use
technological tools to explore and deepen their understanding of concepts.
0 1 2 3 4 5
6. Attend to precision: Mathematically proficient students try to communicate precisely to others. They try to use clear definitions in discussion with others
and in their own reasoning. They state the meaning of the symbols they choose, including using the equal sign consistently and appropriately. They are careful
about specifying units of measure, and labeling axes to clarify the correspondence with quantities in a problem. They calculate accurately and efficiently,
express numerical answers with a degree of precision appropriate for the problem context. In the elementary grades, students give carefully formulated
explanations to each other.
0 1 2 3 4 5
7. Look for and make use of structure: Mathematically proficient students look closely to discern a pattern or structure. Young students, for example,
might notice that three and seven more is the same amount as seven and three more, or they may sort a collection of shapes according to how many sides the
shapes have. Later, students will see 7 × 8 equals the well-remembered 7 × 5 + 7 × 3, in preparation for learning about the distributive property. They recognize
the significance of an existing line in a geometric figure and can use the strategy of drawing an auxiliary line for solving problems. They also can step back for
an overview and shift perspective. They can see complicated things, such as some algebraic expressions, as single objects or as being composed of several
objects.
0 1 2 3 4 5
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning: Mathematically proficient students notice if calculations are repeated, and look both for
general methods and for shortcuts. Upper elementary students might notice when dividing 25 by 11 that they are repeating the same calculations over and
over again, and conclude they have a repeating decimal. By paying attention to the calculation of slope as they repeatedly check whether points are on the line
through (1, 2) with slope 3, middle school students might abstract the equation (y – 2)/(x – 1) = 3. As they work to solve a problem, mathematically proficient
students maintain oversight of the process, while attending to the details. They continually evaluate the reasonableness of their intermediate results.
0 1 2 3 4 5
Part 1 Total: ______ out of 50 total possible points

(Minimum student score of at least 40 points required)

PART 2: Student Behaviors

For each of these items, a rating of 0 means: "This student never does this; I have no evidence of their mastery of this practice." A
rating of 5 means: "This student always does this, and does it well; I have substantial evidence of their mastery of this practice."
The student has good organization. NEVER 0 1 2 3 4 5 ALWAYS
The student is motivated and generally has a positive attitude toward math. NEVER 0 1 2 3 4 5 ALWAYS
The student has good time management- turns completed homework and
NEVER 0 1 2 3 4 5 ALWAYS
assignments in on time.
The student is focused and pays attention. NEVER 0 1 2 3 4 5 ALWAYS
The student persistently attempts to complete difficult tasks. NEVER 0 1 2 3 4 5 ALWAYS
The student is able to express ideas clearly and accurately. NEVER 0 1 2 3 4 5 ALWAYS
The student follows directions independently (doesn't need constant

clarification from the teacher).
The student seeks and accepts assistance when needed (and applies it to the
tasks), otherwise works to complete tasks independently.
The student works productively in a group. NEVER 0 1 2 3 4 5 ALWAYS
The student has good math fact fluency (adds, subtracts, multiplies, divides
integers quickly, easily, and correctly).
Part 2 Total: ______ out of 50 total possible points

(Minimum student score of at least 40 points required)
❏ Excellent Candidate for Higher Placement: 90-100 Points total on

Mathematical Practices Teacher Rating Rubric (with supporting student
Overall Total: _________ artifacts)
(Part 1 + Part 2)
❏ Good Candidate for Higher Placement: 80-89 Points total on Mathematical
out of 100 total possible points
Practices Teacher Rating Rubric (with supporting student artifacts)
❏ Not Recommended for Higher Placement: Below 80 Points total on
Mathematical Practices Teacher Rating Rubric
Recommended for Placement in ____________________________ for the 2018-2019 school year.

course name
Signature Date
Teacher
Parent
Principal

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2018-2019

Middle School Math Placement Guidelines

II. Curriculum Overview and Course Progressions

III. Course Descriptions

IV. Pathways to Course Placement

V. Parent Waiver Form

VI. Teacher Waiver Form

VII. Mathematical Practices Teacher Rating Rubric

Revised June 11, 2018​ ​Page | 1

TO: DPS Parents and/or Guardians of Middle School Students

FROM: Liz Moffitt, M.Ed., NBCT - Middle School Mathematics Specialist

CC: Principals, School Counselors, and Teachers

Dear Parents/Guardians of Middle School Math Students,

Liz Moffitt, M.Ed., NBCT

Revised June 11, 2018​ ​Page | 2

6-8 Mathematics Curriculum

These mathematical practices are applied throughout

Revised June 11, 2018​ ​Page | 3

Math 6 Compacted Grade 6 Mathematics Standards PLUS Select Grade 7 NC Standards

Seventh (7th) Grade Math Courses

Math 7 Compacted Grade 7 Mathematics Standards PLUS Select Grade 8 NC Standards

Eighth (8th) Grade Math Courses

NC Math 1* NC Math 1 Standard Course of Study

Revised June 11, 2018​ ​Page | 4

Pathways to Course Placement

Course Name &

Math 6 Grade 6 NC Math

Pathway 1:​ Achievement Level 5 on 5​th​ Grade Math EOG

Math 7 Grade 7 NC Math

Pathway 1:​ Achievement Level 5 on 6​th​ Grade Math EOG

Math 8 Grade 8 NC Math

Pathway 1:​ Achievement Level 5 on 7​th​ Grade Math EOG

Revised June 11, 2018​ ​Page | 5

STUDENT INFORMATION (please print)

❑ Higher Placement: ________________________ ❑ Lower Placement: ________________________

Parent Signature: ________________________________________________________ Date: ___________________

Principal Signature: ​________________________________________________________

Decision Communicated to parent/guardian on ​___________________ ​(date).

Revised June 11, 2018​ ​Page | 6

STUDENT INFORMATION (please print)

Student Name: Current Grade:

School Name: Student ID:

❑ Higher Placement: ________________________ ❑ Lower Placement: ________________________

Teacher Signature: ________________________________________________________ Date: ___________________

Principal Signature: ​________________________________________________________

Decision Communicated to parent/guardian on ​___________________ ​(date).

PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR CURRENT SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Revised June 11, 2018​ ​Page | 7

Mathematical Practices Teacher Rating Rubric

Student Name: Current Grade:

School Name: Student ID:

Teacher Name: Teacher Email:

Part 1: Mathematical Practice Standards

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.

Revised June 11, 2018​ ​Page | 8

Part 1: Mathematical Practice Standards (continued)

Part 1 Total: ______ out of 50 total possible points

Revised June 11, 2018​ ​Page | 9

PART 2: Student Behaviors

The student has good organization. NEVER 0 1 2 3 4 5 ALWAYS

The student is focused and pays attention. NEVER 0 1 2 3 4 5 ALWAYS

The student persistently attempts to complete difficult tasks. NEVER 0 1 2 3 4 5 ALWAYS

Revised June 11, 2018 Page | 1

Revised June 11, 2018 Page | 2

Revised June 11, 2018 Page | 3

Revised June 11, 2018 Page | 4

Pathway 1: Achievement Level 5 on 5th Grade Math EOG

Pathway 1: Achievement Level 5 on 6th Grade Math EOG

Pathway 1: Achievement Level 5 on 7th Grade Math EOG

Revised June 11, 2018 Page | 5

❑ Higher Placement: ❑ Lower Placement:

Parent Signature: ______________________________________ Date: _

Principal Signature: ________________________________________________________

Decision Communicated to parent/guardian on ___________________ (date).

Revised June 11, 2018 Page | 6

❑ Higher Placement: ❑ Lower Placement:

Teacher Signature: ______________________________________ Date: _

Principal Signature: ________________________________________________________

Decision Communicated to parent/guardian on ___________________ (date).

Revised June 11, 2018 Page | 7

Revised June 11, 2018 Page | 8

Revised June 11, 2018 Page | 9

❏ Excellent Candidate for Higher Placement: 90-100 Points total on

Revised June 11, 2018 Page | 10