SB 2124 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Under SB 2124, Tomball ISD will be moving back to an accelerated pathway so students take all of 6th grade math and approximately half of 7th grade math in 6th grade TAP math and approximately half of 7th grade math and all of 8th grade math in 7th grade TAP math to provide an unobstructed pathway to Algebra I in 8th grade for students. This would no longer require 7th grade TAP math students to take the Algebra Placement Exam prior to admission to Algebra I in 8th grade starting in the 2024-2025 school year. 

The TISD math department has already started launching curriculum design teams in June 2023 and will continue to hold meetings with campus representatives in 6th and 7th grade math throughout the 2023-2024 school year to ensure that staff and students have everything they need for implementation. The 6th grade TAP math curriculum already includes extensions, resources, and assessments that additionally cover 7th grade math content.

As with any new legislation, there are questions that arise due to any changes that may occur within the school system. The Tomball ISD Secondary Advisory Committee (SAC) has seen multiple presentations on SB 2124 by the TISD math department and has provided feedback regarding decision points. The overall goal of both the SAC and the TISD math department is to make the best decisions for students. Please see the list below for answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding SB 2124:

1. Currently the requirement for students to stay in TAP math is maintaining a 70 at the end of the marking period. Should this change with implementation of SB 2124? 

A. No, it will remain at 70 (passing).

2. What happens if a student passes the 6th grade math TAP class, but does not pass 6th grade math STAAR? 

A. The student will be moved to 7th grade math (where they would take the 7th grade math STAAR).

3. What happens if a student passes the 7th grade TAP math class, but does not pass 8th grade math STAAR? 

A. The student will be moved to 8th grade math (where they would retake the 8th grade math STAAR).

4. What happens if a student has completed both 6th TAP math & 7th TAP math, but is failing Algebra I at the end of the first marking period? 

A. The student will be moved to 8th grade math (where they would retake the 8th grade math STAAR).

5. Should Tomball ISD continue to offer the Algebra Placement Exam to 6th grade students if SB 2124 offers an automatic placement in 8th grade? 

A. Yes, we will continue to offer this opportunity for 6th math TAP students.

6. If Tomball ISD continues to offer the Algebra Placement Exam to 6th grade TAP math students, should this exam be broken into two separate exams (one for 7th grade and one for 8th grade)? 

A. It will be one exam that will include both the 7th grade material not covered in 6th math TAP and all of 8th grade math. 

7. How will the Algebra Placement Exam be different than in the past?

A. The new Algebra Placement Exam will be given in Eduphoria Aware so that students with accommodations such as content clarifiers/content and language supports will have those options available to them when they take the test.

8. Should Tomball ISD continue to offer 8th grade TAP math if advanced students would move into Algebra I under SB 2124 in 8th grade? 

A. The last 8th math TAP course will occur in 2024-2025 for students who were in 7th math TAP in 2023-2024 and did not go into Algebra I. After this, there will not be any students to go into 8th math TAP since 7th math TAP students will move into Algebra I under SB 2124 starting in 2025-2026.

9. What happens if a student completes 6th grade level math and then wants to go in to 7th grade TAP math or Algebra I after the Algebra Placement Exam has occurred? 

A. If the student takes and passes the Credit By Exam (CBE) without Prior Instruction for 7th grade math and 8th grade math after 6th grade, they would be able to enter Algebra I in 7th grade. If the student only takes and passes the 7th grade math, they would be able to go into 8th grade math in 7th grade and then would be able to go into Algebra I in 8th grade.

10. What STAAR test will TAP math students take?

A. Middle school students need to take the STAAR test for the grade level they are enrolled in unless they have covered all standards for a following grade level. Prior to SB 2124 and after its implementation, 6th math TAP students will take the 6th math STAAR test since they will not have covered all of the 7th grade math standards. However, 7th math TAP students that previously took the 7th math STAAR prior to SB 2124 will now take the 8th math STAAR since they will have covered all of the 7th and 8th math standards. Students that are in Algebra I take the Algebra I STAAR EOC. Finally, students that take Algebra I in 7th grade and move on to take Geometry in 8th grade also have to take a STAAR test in 8th grade, so they take the 8th grade math STAAR (which has some standards that vertically align to Geometry).