Montgomery County Mathematically Precocious Youth Program

The Montgomery County Mathematically Precocious Youth Program (MCMPYP) is an out of school mathematics enrichment program for freshman, sophomore, and rarely, eighth grade students in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Because of its long name, teachers and students more commonly refer to MCMPYP as "Precocious Math." This program is a division of the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit.

Eligibility & Prerequisites

In order to be able to join MCMPYP, students must be able to score at the ninety-eight percentile of the mathematics section of their local achievement test. Students are required to take the SAT test in the Spring, and a mathematics score of 580 is required to enroll. Additionally, any student who scored 580 or above in an SAT taken to qualify for the Johns Hopkins University CTY is automatically eligible.

Basic Lesson Schedule

A course at MCMPYP takes place from 6:30 PM and continues to 8:30 PM at the Montgomery County Community College usually on Monday nights. In the course that a holiday is on the Monday, the class is usually moved to Tuesday. A summer break is given at the same time of the schools' summer breaks. A two-week long winter break is also given. During the summer, students are given summer problems to help refresh their memory of concepts learned through the year and also to help introduce the concepts learned during the year following the summer.

In the beginning of the typical class, students hand in any tests given to them during the previous class. A topic in math ranging from geometry to trigonometry is given throughout the remainder of the class. Homework and/or tests are given at the end of each class session. Both the homework and tests are designed such that several problems require much thought while others are just concept problems. The amount of homework given is equivalent to the amount a typical student receives from his/her math class in one week.

Syllabus

Geometry

Students in geometry (Year 1 students, Freshman), learn logic, truth tables, parallel lines, transversals, rules of polygons, coordinate geometry, circles, and geometry of solids.

Algebra II

Algebra II is taught after geometry. In Algebra II, students learn functional notation, the laws of exponents, geometric and arithmetic sequences, factoring, logarithmic equations, mathematical induction, and sum notations. Algebra II is taught primarily in Year 2.

Trigonometry

Basic trigonometry, consisting of the uses of tangent, sine, and cosine, is incorporated into the geometry unit. Later in the course, students are introduced to the law of cosines, sines, and tangents, as well as inverse trigonometric functions and problem solving related to trigonometry.

Analytical Geometry

Towards the end of year 2, students learn polar coordinates, polar curves, synthetic division, locus definitions and eccentricity, and curve sketching.

Teachers

Mr. Joe Turk and Ms. Claire Tuckman teach the classes in conjunction with each other. Because first-year and second-year students are taught differently, the teachers spend an hour with each class during the combined two hour session. A five to ten-minute break is given between the classes.

Alumni

Nathaniel Wigman, Christopher Kampmeyer, Ellen Reed, Wanting (Tina) Zheng, Lucas Bohidar, Jordan Miller, and Austin Wright were all students of the 'graduating' class of 2008.

Opportunities

Students enrolled in the Montgomery County Mathematically Precocious Youth Program are eligible for several opportunities. In certain school districts, skipping geometry is allowed, as MCMPYP teaches geometry in the first year. MCMPYP courses count as a course given by regular teachers in the school districts. The skipping of trigonometry is also allowed; however, certain school districts like the Hatboro-Horsham School District do not promote this, as the study of trigonometry is highly critical in a successful comprehension of Calculus. Yet for the most part, schools are encouraged to allow students to be excused from their regular math classes. "Participants should be released from their regularly-scheduled mathematics courses, so that they will have time during the school day to work on the substantial assignments which they will receive each week. Participating schools must be willing to give complete credit and grades for the courses covered so that the student’s total credits and class standings are not compromised."^[1]

Grades

The students in MCMPYP are given tests to take home and complete regularly throughout the year. These tests are each worth 100 points. At the end of each quarter, a final grade is given. This grade will be the grade the students receive for the course, (ex. Geometry). The grade is sent to the student's school as a letter grade, and is incorporated into the corresponding report card.

Future Classes

Due to the high expenses of administering the SAT test, the cost of the weekly room rentals, and the falling number of participating schools in the county, MCMPYP is heading towards its end. The freshman students enrolled in MCMPYP during the 2007-2008 class session will be able to continue their education with MCMPYP into year 2008-2009 as they head into their sophomore year. However, new freshman students in the year 2008-2009 will not be able to enroll into the program.

References

1. ^ Montgomery County Mathematically Precocious Youth Program. Dept. home page. 2009. Montgomery County Community College. 8 June 2009 <http://www.mciu.org/Divisions/CurriculumInstructionProfessionalDevelopment/CurriculumCouncils/MathCouncil/MathematicallyPrecociousYouthProgram/tabid/463/Default.aspx>.