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Milpitas Unified School District

Math Acceleration Program

MATH ACCELERATION PROGRAM

Summer 2026 Math Acceleration Test Dates

Monday and Tuesday, July 20th - 21st, 2026

SPRING / SUMMER 2026 MATH PLACEMENT FOR POSSIBLE ACCELERATION

The Milpitas Unified School District has created math acceleration opportunities for all students to ensure appropriate math placement.  Similarly, the district places great emphasis on the developmental and social emotional well being of our students. As such, Milpitas math teachers, site and district leaders, work together yearly to review the district’s placement procedures to make sure we provide students opportunity to accelerate at a developmentally appropriate pace. Please know, some students who may have academic capabilities to handle higher level courses may not be emotionally ready for those courses. This is ok as each individual student has a unique math journey/pathway. Please see Math Acceleration Parent Letter 2026. 

MATH PLACEMENT RUBRIC

Each Spring/Summer Milpitas students in 6th-11th grade are provided acceleration opportunities in math. Acceleration opportunities are guided by the math placement rubric. The rubric takes into consideration various metrics in identifying students who show an aptitude for accelerated placement. The rubrics differ slightly between the grade levels and schools. Please visit the math placement rubrics page for specific metrics used at each grade level and school.

YEARLY ACCELERATION OPPORTUNITIES AND PARAMETERS

Math acceleration opportunities occur yearly. Students who perform well on the math placement rubrics will be given the opportunity to enter into the next highest math class at the start of their subsequent school year.  Students can only accelerate one level of math per year. Students may not accelerate over two math levels in any given calendar year. As an example, should a 6th grade student perform well on the rubric they will be given the option to start their 7th grade school year in Math 8. Please see the math pathway diagram for a year by year pathway progression.

MATH ACCELERATION TESTS

  • Current 6th grade students will take a diagnostic test using MDTP along with a Performance Task during the month of May.  Parents and students will have an opportunity to opt-out of these assessments. A parent opt-out letter is available from your school or by downloading the student opt-out letter. Letters should be turned into the student’s classroom teacher by the end of April.
  • Current 7th grade students will take two tests using MDTP along with a Performance Task in May. 
  • Current 8th-11th grade students will have the opportunity to test for acceleration during this Summer. Interested students should fill out the Intent to Attempt Math Acceleration Form for the 26-27 School Year. Sign ups begin Tuesday, March 24th and end on Wednesday, June 3rd at 5pm. The specific testing dates are July 20th and July 21st, 2026. Testing dates and times will be sent to students over the Summer in mid July via email.  The test will be administered at Milpitas High School. Please see Official 2026-2027 MUSD's Guide for High School Math Acceleration for more information. 
  • Think of a performance task as the "show me" part of learning. Rather than just picking an answer from a list (like a multiple-choice test), a student actually performs a complex action to demonstrate what they know. It’s the difference between being asked to identify a recipe (traditional testing) and being asked to cook a three-course meal for a dinner party (performance task).
    Core Characteristics
    A true performance task usually involves several key elements:
    • Authenticity: It mirrors real-world challenges. Instead of solving a math worksheet, you might be asked to design a budget for a fictional company.
    • Open-Endedness: There isn’t always one "right" way to get to the finish line. It allows for creativity and individual strategy.
    • Higher-Order Thinking: You have to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information rather than just recalling facts.
    • Process + Product: The goal is both the final result (the presentation, the model, the report) and the steps taken to get there.
    • **For examples, please visit the CAASPP website.
  • *Special Note for current Math 1 Students
    • REQUIRED: Students currently enrolled in Math 1, who wish to skip over Math 2 and enroll in Math 3 in the Fall, must enroll and complete a Math 2 or Geometry class over the summer.  The required Math 2/Geometry class may be taken through any accredited program, college, or university.  This is due to UC/CSU requiring Math 2/Geometry seat time for their admission. Students will not be allowed to participate in the MDTP Math 3 Readiness Test without taking a summer Math 2 or Geometry class.
  • MUSD and SJCC Partnership: Summer Math Jam Course Opportunities – San Jose Community College Milpitas Extension and Milpitas Unified School District have partnered to offer Milpitas students free summer opportunities to further their mathematics education. The SJCC Math Jam courses will be taught by credentialed community college professors. While these classes are not required, they have been designed to specifically prepare students for the MDTP diagnostic testing within the MUSD mathematics pathway. We will send out the Math Jam Registration Form between the last week of March to early April. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: What is the math acceleration rubric?
A: All students are assessed according to specific grade level/school specific rubrics used to determine math placement.

Q: How do I sign my student up for the possibility to accelerate in Math?
A: All current 6th and 7th grade students will automatically be afforded the opportunity to accelerate in May.  All current 8th-11th grade students who wish to accelerate will fill out the Intent to Attempt Math Acceleration Form indicating the appropriate diagnostic test they will take in late July/early August. 

Q: How and when will our student be notified of student math placement?
A: All families of current 6th and 7th grade students will be notified via e-mail of their performance on the rubric during the first two weeks of Summer. All incoming high school students will be notified of their placement shortly after the late July/early August test administration, typically a week later.

Q: Our family has moved into Milpitas Unified School District over the Summer. Can my student still be afforded an acceleration opportunity?
A: Yes. Please complete the following steps:

  1. Complete your student’s district registration.
  2. Confirm your student has been given a 5 digit student ID.
  3. Students entering 7th and 8th grade will be given an acceleration opportunity in the Fall of 2026. Students entering 9th-12th grades will fill out the Intent to Attempt Math Acceleration Form.

Q: What other Summer courses are accepted by MHS for acceleration? 
A: Click Math 1- Summer Class Options, Math 2- Summer Class Options, and Math 3- Summer Class Options to view the different programs MHS accepts. Students attempting to acclerate through any Math class higher than Integrated Math 3 will have to find a Math class and get it validated by their counselor. Any student taking a summer class needs to ensure that we receive their transcripts no later than August 6th, 2026. 

Q: Will calculators be allowed on the tests? 
A: Yes, but ONLY for certain assessments. Please see 2026 Calculator Rules for which tests allows calculators. 

For additional FAQs, please see document. 

A chart outlines math acceleration pathways for grades 6-12.

**MHS Math Pathways for Acceleration Additional Diagram**

ADDITONAL QUESTIONS
For additional questions regarding the specific timing of the assessment, please reach out to your school site. For questions regarding the placement rubric or the math placement policy itself, please feel free to reach out to Maurissa Koide, Director of Learning and Development, at mkoide@musd.org or 408-635-2600 x6054.