Math Placement

District 27 has a comprehensive mathematics program involving multiple course options. Our goal is to place students in appropriate courses that promote student success. The purpose of this document is to provide comprehensive information about our math program and the placement process. Additionally, we address a number of topics related to math advancement and placement. 

Starting in third grade, District 27 provides additional math programming options beyond the grade level math course. The graphic below outlines the major course pathways and subsequent 9th grade high school courses. Additionally, we have a small number of students enrolled in self-contained math courses, which address content below grade level and provide significant support. The availability of self-contained math courses is dependent upon the needs of the students each year. 

Grade Level Pathway 

The courses in this pathway address the Illinois Learning Standards for Math (also known as the Common Core State Standards), which contain rigorous content and skills at each grade level. Upon completion of 8th grade, students will have experienced some traditional algebra content throughout the course sequence and will be fully prepared for the high school algebra course. 

Accelerated Pathway 

Starting in sixth grade, the accelerated pathway consolidates the Grade Level Pathway (Math 6, Math 7, and Math 8) into two years. No content is skipped, which makes the pacing of this course particularly brisk. In Grade 8, students enroll in Algebra. This pathway prepares students for transition to a geometry course at the high school. 

Honors Pathway 

Students enrolled in this pathway take one year of combined Grade 5 and part of Grade 6 Math, one year of pre-algebra, and then move into high school level algebra and geometry courses in grades 7 and 8 respectively. Students must have extremely advanced math skills and conceptual understanding of mathematics to successfully complete all courses within this pathway. Additionally, students must demonstrate fast mathematical thinking and problem-solving in order to keep up with the quick pace of all the courses within this pathway. A small percentage of the student population enrolls in this course sequence. The Honors Pathway prepares students to enroll in Advanced Algebra or Honors Advanced Algebra at the high school.