We are excited to announce that every Hamilton Algebra student passed the High School Algebra test at the end of last year! Our Class of 2023 Algebra students are now moving on to more advanced math in their freshman year.
While the students are the ones ultimately taking the test their success stems from the support of their parents and the guidance of their teacher, Ms. Val Stoilova who is starting her 7th year teaching math at Hamilton.
This year Ms. Stoilova will have 32 students in her algebra class. These students all achieved an A in 7th grade math as well as scoring at or above benchmark on their Star360 assessment. Their overall class performance is also considered before they’re enrolled in Algebra.
“Algebra is a high school course and some students are ready for it and others are not, which is totally fine, as they will take it in high school as freshmen.” Ms. Stoilova says. “It's not an easy class, especially because there is a test to pass at the end of the year, so it's really up to the students. They need to be motivated, determined, and hard working.”
Ms. Stoilova sets high expectations for her students. She pushes them because she knows they can do great things. And she sees parent support as an invaluable asset for these students. In the past, Ms. Stoilova notes, there was math anxiety in students. However over the last several years that has changed. Students love math, are confident with the material, and want to learn.
To prepare the students for the test Ms. Stoilova takes the kids through the textbook and about a month before the exam she administers three practice tests. The class reviews the problems and answers together to discuss any questions.
“It's really a culminating effort of working hard all year and showing up every day ready to learn.” Ms. Stoilova says. “My goal is really for the students to be prepared, so when the exam day comes, they don't feel overwhelmed. They are confident and calm.”
Previously Hamilton 8th graders have had about a 90% pass rate of the Algebra entrance exam so to have a 100% pass rate is exciting. If a student doesn’t pass the test, they have to retake Algebra in high school, but they don't fail math at Hamilton.
We are encouraged by and proud of these test results. Congratulations to the students and to Ms. Stoilova for the achievement!