The foundation for success in high school mathematics and beyond is laid in the early years of elementary school. Students learn both essential skills and concepts in numerical fluency, place values, whole number operations, fractions and decimals, and problem solving. New concepts are carefully modeled and developed with ample practice for numerical fluency. Students learn to communicate about mathematics and explain their reasoning. Grades K-5 establishes this foundation, while middle school begins the transition into Pre-Algebra and Algebra.
Seventh Grade
The Pre-Algebra curriculum guides students in making the transition from basic arithmetic to more abstract mathematics. This course provides students with an introduction to the concepts of algebra and geometry, while at the same time solidifies their grasp of the basic arithmetic skills using whole numbers, decimals, positive and negative integers, and especially fractions. There is an emphasis on meaningful problem solving and data analysis. Other topics include measurement, patterns and function, probability, and graphing.
Eighth Grade
The Algebra I curriculum familiarizes students with the concept of algebraic functions, specifically linear functions and their relationships to their graphs. Skills include graphing points, graphing functions, graphing relations, writing ratios, writing proportions, solving proportions, graphing proportions as functions of a variable, identifying linear functions from tables, graphing relations from tables, identifying a formula from a table, finding the equation of a line from a point and given slope, finding the equation of a line from two points, finding the slope of a line from two points, finding the slope of a line from a graph, finding the equation of a line from a graph, finding intersection points algebraically, finding intersection points graphically, identifying quadratic relationships from tables and graphs, identifying graphs of absolute values, and using linear equations, quadratic equations, and absolute value equations to model word problems. The course includes a brief overview of some Pre-Algebra concepts such as number operations, fractions, decimals, and greatest common factors before moving into algebraic concepts.