Kent believes that all students can reach any level of success in math and that this is best achieved through the participation in the California State Standards programs Math 5, Math 6, Math 7 and Math 8. These courses create more meaningful and deeper understanding of middle school math concepts.
Students learning at a suitable pace is crucial to their longitudinal success in the higher grades. Therefore, 7th and 8th graders will be placed in one of two pathways based on the class prerequisites and assessments described in detail on this site.
The following flowchart explains the math course pathways available at Kent. Click here for detailed Class Descriptions & Prerequisites.
The Kent Math Department follows the California’s adopted state standards and is in agreement with the following statements found on the Common Core State Initiative website:
The Common Core calls for greater focus in mathematics. Rather than racing to cover many topics in a mile-wide, inch-deep curriculum, the standards ask math teachers to significantly narrow and deepen the way time and energy are spent in the classroom.
This focus will help students gain strong foundations, including a solid understanding of concepts, a high degree of procedural skill and fluency, and the ability to apply the math they know to solve problems inside and outside the classroom.
Rigor refers to deep, authentic command of mathematical concepts, not making math harder or introducing topics at earlier grades. To help students meet the standards, educators will need to pursue, with equal intensity, three aspects of rigor in the major work of each grade: conceptual understanding, procedural skills and fluency, and application.
The Math Department provides several opportunities for extending student learning. Mathletes is a zero period class open to all students. The class focuses on preparing students for Mathlete competitions. In grade level classes, teachers provide problems designed to challenge and enrich student learning in mathematics. Here are some examples.
In addition to in class support, Kent offers a math intervention class. Extended Math is a support class where students work on prerequisite and intervention skills while receiving one-on-one and small group instruction.