Stories
New math paths in Middle school
August 1, 2025
Head of Middle School Mark Bosick describes the math program in Sixth to Eighth Grades
New in 2025-26, students in Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grades at Aspen Country Day School have more choices in their course progression in mathematics. This is part of a curriculum initiative designed to ensure that all students experience an engaging, vibrant education and are prepared for the next steps in their learning journey.
Our Approach
Our middle school mathematics program reflects our commitment to honoring each student’s unique developmental journey. It is designed to foster deep conceptual understanding while strengthening critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Each course builds upon the last, ensuring that students are well-prepared for future academic challenges. While the typical progression through our math program is sequential, we recognize that learning is not always linear. Though movement between courses is less common, it is possible, and we prioritize transitions that allow students to advance rather than move to less rigorous coursework.
Comprehensive placement process
Our placement decisions are guided by a holistic view of each student, considering not only their mathematical proficiency but also their social and emotional development, abstract reasoning skills, learning habits, and self-confidence. Because these factors evolve at different rates for each student, a strong partnership between the school and families is essential to providing the best support and fostering growth.
Placement into math courses is based on:
- Teacher recommendation*
- IXL diagnostic assessments and MAP Growth scores
- Standardized Test such as the UCLA – MDTP
*Teacher recommendation takes into consideration the student’s assessment average along with student skills such as time management, organization, communication, and effort.
A new guiding curriculum: Illustrative Mathematics
As part of a comprehensive curriculum initiative underway in 2025-26, Aspen Country Day School has worked with The Lavinia Group to refresh the math curriculum in Middle School. Our chosen curriculum, Illustrative Mathematics, follows a carefully structured, problem‑based design. Each lesson unfolds through a “warm‑up, activity, synthesis, cool‑down” sequence, guiding students from concrete examples to abstract reasoning and inviting them to talk through ideas, collaborate, and justify their thinking.