5/2 Assessment

This is a short placeholder entry.  I decided to administer the AoPS algebra assessment last week since the 5th graders are currently choosing next year’s math course. In our district 6th graders have the option to opt-up to Algebra I. This is determined via a set of opaque measures which often leave parents uncertain about the best choice.

https://data.artofproblemsolving.com//products/diagnostics/intro-algebra-pretest.pdf

Some notes for future reference.

• While this is useful for parents. I think its best done out of club after all. I would just offer links in the future even knowing only  a small portion of parents would take advantage of them.
• There is no time limit for the 12 questions. I thought that would be sufficient but most kids only finished about 7.  So it probably takes closer 1:30-2 hours.   (This could be threaded through several weeks.)
•  To make up for that, I’m going to grade what I have and give the parents links to the full test so they can finish it they they desire.
• It takes a lot of work to keep kids focused on something so “class-like”. Another reason why I don’t think I will do this again. I did decently since I know all the kids well but it required constantly moving between tables and encouraging them to keep going / checking in.  I was a little surprised how difficult some of the kids found the questions “This makes my brain hurt.”