Should Pollard Have Dropped the Accelerated Math Program?

As a student who went through the middle school accelerated math program, I was shocked when I found out that after my grade graduated middle school, the program would no longer be an option for Pollard students. I greatly enjoyed the program and found it incredibly helpful in advancing my work ethic and study techniques, even though I’m much more passionate about creative subjects such as English than I am about math.

On my quest to uncover the reasons as to why the middle school accelerated math program (which I will be referring to as the MSAMP from this point on) was shut down, I reached out to many teachers from the middle and high school both. Most of these teachers did not answer my email, but two of them turned me to someone else who they thought would be more suited to my needs. I then proceeded to email them my short list of questions, but they turned me to someone else as well. I emailed that person, and they did not respond.

In short, I reached out to eight different adults and received zero answers.

This led me to become even more curious as to why the MSAMP was removed. Why wouldn’t anybody answer my questions? It wasn’t as if they were difficult to answer; in fact they were rather simple. I was unable to find anything on the Needham Public Schools website as to why this program was removed. Instead, I found the line, “Our mixed ability groupings in the middle grades provide high expectations for all, with support for those who need it.”

In addition to emailing the eight teachers and administrators, I emailed some students who had gone through the MSAMP with me, asking them to describe their MSAMP experience. They responded with detailed answers on the best and worst parts of the MSAMP, but overall had positive views.

Upon being asked about the benefits of the program, most students talked about the program’s engaging challenge level, allowing students to reach their full potential. They also referenced how the program allowed them to take even more advanced classes in the future. Most students also noted the program’s sense of community through the friends they made in the class. Around 50 students were a part of the MSAMP class of ‘25, and as the same 50 students moved from seventh to eighth to ninth grade together, they have gotten to know each other better as the years progressed. One student declared that although they were unsure why, “there was more diversity in that class than in any class I had been in before, and I was able to find and connect with people who shared similar interests and drives as me. Additionally, because I was among peers who took math seriously, I was able to extend that attitude toward myself. This helped me really challenge myself and my learning, and take it to a new level that would not have been possible without the class. I learned so much and made some of the best friends I have today.”

The biggest benefit of the program, however, was how the program prepared middle school students for a high school workload. One student mentioned that taking accelerated classes in the high school is extremely difficult, and that the pace of the MSAMP “prepared me for essentially the entirety of my current high school experience. [The MSAMP] taught me how to study, and it prepared me for the difficulty and the pacing of accelerated courses at the high school. And, because accelerated math gave more homework than usual, I learned how to manage my time, which has been essential at the high school.” This opinion was the overall consensus of all students interviewed. A different student also pointed out that “the biggest impact separate from the skills [the MSAMP] taught me was how I was able to learn to manage my expectations. Because of the environment I was in, I expected 100s or upper 90s in every single class, and I would get upset if I got anything lower. Being in this class and having the support of the teachers and other students really taught me that I couldn't expect to always have the highest grades. I had to learn how to grapple and be okay with that fact, and also recognize that that was proof that I was being challenged and actually learning something in that class. That was definitely something that lowered the stress level going into high school, and managed my expectations for myself.” This is very truthful in that students gained more realistic views of themselves and their abilities based on how they were assessed in this program, a much more difficult level of learning than they were used to. This allowed students to grow by setting goals and learning that a low grade on a single test is not the end of the world. Students were humbled and calmed down by the program in merely positive ways.

Although a couple of students mentioned tension among students in the MSAMP and students outside of it, the drawbacks listed for the program are minor. The biggest issue referenced was the system in which students were admitted into the program. In sixth grade, the math department had us take a test full of questions unlike we had ever been taught in school before as a way of measuring our abilities in math. A student interviewed said that “those tests… weren't really a good representation of people who would make a good fit in [the MSAMP]. The whole testing system was focused on whether students already knew how to [do] something, rather than if they were able to adapt and learn math quickly. I feel like it's so hard to express myself as a learner just through a single test.” Another student elaborated on this by saying, “I was lucky enough to have been chosen for the accelerated math program normally without the override, but when I saw in my friends who got in and who didn't, the process did end up seeming incredibly random. The process definitely seemed overdependent on the opinions of one teacher, which isn't really fair.” I think this point is incredibly important to consider. I myself had to override to join the MSAMP, but I never got below a B on any MSAMP test. The class was challenging, but it was a positive challenge that potentially many more students who did not get into the program or override could have handled. Students qualified for the MSAMP were unfortunately left out. The admittance process definitely could have changed.

The final question I asked students was if they had anything else they wanted to add. One particular student had many major points about the shut down of the MSAMP. They wrote, “I recognize that the detracking effort for earlier grades is backed by a heavy amount of research concerning the mental growth of students, and how leveled courses affect specifically less privileged groups/minorities. These are important concerns to take into account, but in my personal opinion, removing the accelerated math program is not the best way to go about fixing this. It can disregard the struggles of other minorities, such as Asians, and lump them into the same category as White people, which is not right. Accelerated math was one of the most racially diverse classes that I had ever been in, and that is so important because it helped me do things I wouldn't have been able to do without knowing that other people were in the same situations as me. That being said, we shouldn't disregard the research that went into removing this program which was definitely valid and stemming from the right concerns.”

This student’s response implies that the removal of the MSAMP not only had something to do with young student’s mental states, but the race of people in the program. As an Asian myself, I can quite honestly say that in most classes I’ve been in through my entire student career, I have been one of just two-three Asian students in the entire class. The MSAMP was entirely different. Around 45% of the students were Asian. This is unrelated to the stereotype of Asians being good at math. In fact, there’s really no exact reason as to why this was, but it definitely created an environment where most Asian students felt recognized. The class was extremely diverse in this sense. However, it was not very diverse in terms of races outside of Asian and White. This, of course, was problematic.

Personally, I loved the MSAMP. Initially, I did not want to participate in it, but my parents convinced me that I should. I ended up having a great time with great teachers and great friends, and was ultimately glad for completing the program by the end. In accelerated high school classes now, I definitely feel a lot more confident in my studying and learning abilities than I would have without the program.

There is one final person I was able to interview, who is a current Pollard eighth grader denied the option of the MSAMP. I asked the student what her thoughts are on this. “I am bummed,” she said, “because I won’t have as many opportunities for high school to learn further.”

I then asked her about the Data Science program, which is the math elective that replaced the MSAMP after its removal. Data Science centers around using math to sort through and apply different types of data. She said that although she does not take Data Science, she knows people who do. “My friend… really likes it, but it’s not hard for her. She’s so smart,” the student claimed. When asked if her friend would rather take accelerated math than Data Science, the student answered, “definitely.”

The middle school accelerated math program, though flawed, was generally a very positive challenge for students good at math. It created long lasting friendships and mindsets crucial to our world today. There are plenty of reasons why the program may have shut down that are yet to be revealed, but in any case, the program will surely be missed by many.