Incoming 6th grade Ignite!/Discover and previously identified gifted students will be placed in the Language Arts and Communications “Seminar” classes. William and Mary curricular units designed to meet the needs of gifted students are integrated and taught by core Communications and Language Arts classroom teachers. Additional curriculum modifications and enrichments occur throughout the year to serve high ability students by providing higher levels of rigor and complexity around the same standards as regular courses. 

In the spring of the 6th grade and 7th grade years, students can apply for honors classes for the next grade level. Being placed in Seminar or Honors courses in one grade does not guarantee placement in Honors courses in subsequent years.  

Three tiers of math are available for 6th graders:

• Math 6
• Honors Math 6
• Honors Pre- Algebra. 

All three tiers use the McDougall Littell math series and use our school district’s Essential Learnings, the MN State Standards and MCA specifications as their curricular base.

The Honors Math 6 course uses the Math 2 textbook. The Honors Pre-Algebra course uses the Math 3 textbook. Honors course teachers implement Advanced Placement (AP) concepts, assignments, and teaching strategies to present the students with a rigorous course of study that will further develop and enhance their mathematical abilities. 

Honors Math 6

To qualify for Honors Math 6, students must meet two of the following three criteria:

• A score in the 90-96th percentile on the Fall 5th Grade Mathematics MAP
• A score in the 90-96th percentile on the Winter 5th Grade Mathematics MAP
• A quantitative CogAT score at the 90th percentile or higher

Students in Honors Math 6 will likely follow this mathematics course progression:

• Honors Math 6
• Honors Math 7
• Honors Algebra 1

Students will then be able to “skip” Intermediate Algebra in high school and enroll directly in Geometry or an appropriately challenging high school course.

Honors Pre-Algebra

To qualify for Honors Pre-Algebra, students must meet the following criteria:

• A score in the 97th-99th percentile on the Fall 5th Grade Mathematics MAP test OR a score in the 97th-99th percentile on the Winter 5th Grade Mathematics MAP test.
• A quantitative CogAT score at or above the 90th percentile or above OR a nonverbal and quantitative composite CogAT score at the 90th percentile or above.

Students in the sixth grade Honors Pre-Algebra course will likely follow this mathematics course progression:

• Honors Pre-Algebra
• Honors Algebra 1
• Honors Geometry (High School Credit and GPA impact)

In the spring of the 6th grade and 7th grade years, students can apply for honors classes for the next grade level. Being placed in an Honors course in one grade does not guarantee placement in Honors courses in subsequent years.  

Honors Life Science and Honors Earth Science are available in 7th and 8th grade, respectively. Students can be enrolled in these courses if they show strong reading and math test scores and show readiness to engage in more rigorous content and to work on advanced topics at an accelerated pace. 

In the spring of the 6th grade and 7th grade years, students are evaluated for honors science classes for the next grade level. 

Being placed in an Honors course in one grade does not guarantee placement in Honors courses in following years.