The Honors Math Program at Saint Andrew Catholic School & Preschool begins in the fourth grade and makes provisions to accelerate and to enrich the mathematics studies of students who are identified as capable of advanced instruction. The program is not a separate curriculum. It is, rather, a structure which makes provision for the acceleration of the existing curriculum. The program will enable students to perform on a level at least one year beyond the designated chronological grade equivalent.
As prescribed by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, students in the Honors Math program are identified using the scores from the Terra Nova, a standardized test. Students are admitted to the program in grades four and five. Students are not admitted into the program after grade five. Students may be withdrawn from the Honors Math program due to weak achievement. This decision is made on the archdiocesan level in consultation with the administration and the Honors Math instructor. In the event that a student is removed from the Honors Math program, the student and their family will be informed by letter.
To qualify for Honors Math, as set forth by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, students must achieve an 85 percentile or higher in Reading on the Terra Novas, a 90 percentile or higher in Math on the Terra Novas. They must have a CSI – Cognitive Skills Index –of 125 or above. They must have achieved an 85% or higher in their last level exam and must have a final cumulative grade average of 90 or above on their last report card. Students must maintain an 85% average or higher to remain in the Honors Math program.
Some grades offer Accelerated Math classes. Students are admitted into accelerated math based on teacher recommendation and standardized test scores.