Online Math Classes

Art of Problem Solving

AoPS was started by Richard Rusczyk, who participated in national math competitions in high school and went to Princeton. AoPS wrote a set of math texts for Algebra to Calculus, has online, interactive classes for high school math and computer programming, they also have a series of elementary math books called Beast Academy in cartoon format.

The online classes meet once a week for 1.5 hours. The students have homework which consists of about 10 problems per week and reading the textbook. The courses run for 13 weeks and cost around $340. The series of courses include the standard pre-algebra to calculus series, number theory, probability, group theory, math competitions and computer science. New classes sections start every month and run year round.

Stanford EPGY

EPGY is a Stanford program that has computer based math and language arts for K-8 and high school. GiftedandTalented.com is the new home for EPGY. The online math class is starts in 1^st grade and goes through Algebra 1. The online class is self-paced and adaptive. The format of the class is a short three minute video on a new topic, then a series of problems for the student. If the student answers the problems correctly, then move on to the next topic and watch a new video. If the student misses a problem, they are given more problems to work or hints to help them solve the problem. They can also go back and re-watch the video. The course has a well thought out curriculum that follows curriculum standards. The software tracks the student’s progress in detail. The pace of the course can be adjusted by the parent. The cost is $60/quarter. In the past, you could only sign-up for EPGY through a school or academic center. This no longer a requirement. You can register for the math course at: EPGY Registration.

Text Books

Art of Problem Solving

The Art of Problem Solving mathematics curriculum is specifically designed for outstanding math students in grades 6-12, and presents a much broader and deeper exploration of challenging mathematics than a typical math curriculum. The Art of Problem Solving texts have been used by tens of thousands of high-performing students, including many winners of major national contests such as MATHCOUNTS and the AMC.

Beast Academy

Beast Academy is the new elementary school curriculum from Art of Problem Solving! When complete, Beast Academy will provide a full, rigorous, and entertaining curriculum for aspiring math beasts in grades 2-5. The series consists of 8 books per grade, which consist of four sets of two books: a Guide book presenting the lessons and a Practice book providing exercises and problems to reinforce the lessons.

Life of Fred

Life of Fred is a fun series of math textbooks that start with elementary math and go to calculus, statistics and linear algebra. The books tell the story of Fred Gauss, a five year old professor of mathematics at Kittens University. Through the adventures of Fred, students learn math. Some kids just like to read the story and skip the problems. Eventually, they go back and work on the problems. Periodically, the books have review quizzes called bridge tests.

Gifted Education Programs

John Hopkins CTY

CTY is a program for gifted students that offers online courses, summer camps and family programs. The program requires taking a test which can be done in San Jose. CTY is known for their summer camps (New Yorker article on Nerd Camp) which start in 7^th grade.

Math Competitions

Math Kangaroo

Math Kangaroo is an international math contest for kids in Grades 1 to 12. Math Kangaroo is a 75 minute test covering 25 questions. The questions are challenging and rely on problem solving skills. The contest is held the third Thursday in March across the globe. For the second year, X Academy is hosting a test center at Louden Nelson Community Center in downtown Santa Cruz. The upcoming contest will be on March 19, 2015 starting at 4:00. Registration has already started and is open until December 15, 2014. The registration deadline is December 15, but the test will fill up before then, so register soon. The registration fee is $20 and parents can sign up their students in the contest at: Math Kangaroo Registration.

Santa Cruz County Math Contest

May 2, 2015, at Aptos High School

The Math Contest provides students in grades 5-8 with both a team competition and an individual test format. The team competition requires students work together using problem-solving strategies, showing work and providing clear and detailed explanations. The individual test for all grade levels uses a free response format. The 8th grade test includes questions that reflect state requirements for 8th grade Algebra. Students receive certificates of participation and contest winners receive achievement medals.

AMC8

The AMC 8 is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple choice examination in middle school mathematics designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem-solving skills. The contest is held in November every year at a local school.

AMC 10/12

The AMC 10 is a 25-question, 75-minute, multiple choice examination in secondary school mathematics containing problems which can be understood and solved with algebra and geometry concepts. The AMC 12 is a 25-question, 75-minute, multiple choice examination in secondary school mathematics containing problems which can be understood and solved with pre-calculus concepts. Two different versions of the contests are given on two dates, about two weeks apart, in February. Each AMC 10 and AMC 12 contest contain about 12 of the same math problems.

Bay Area Mathematical Olympiad

The Bay Area Mathematical Olympiad (BAMO) is an annual competition for hundreds of Bay Area middle and high school students, consisting of 4 or 5 proof-type math problems with a time limit of 4 hours. It is typically held on the last Tuesday of every February. This year's test will be on February 24, 2015. The exams are proctored at schools and at several open sites around the Bay Area. They are graded the following weekend by a group of Bay Area mathematicians, teachers, and Math Circle enthusiasts.

Math Olympiad for Elementary and Middle Schools

Math Problem solving contests for teams of up to 35 students in grades 4 through 8. It is open only to schools, home schools, and institutes – not individuals. School math clubs meet weekly for an hour. Club members explore a topic or strategy in depth, using Creative Problem Solving in School Mathematics (or other sources), or they practice for the contests, using non-routine problems from MOEMS® Contest Problems Volume 3, Math Olympiad Contest Problems Volume 2 or Mathematical Olympiads Contest Problems for Elementary and Middle Schools (or other sources). The highlight for students are the five monthly contests, given from November to March. No traveling is required. These contests provide an incentive for students to intensify their study of math.

Math Counts

The MATHCOUNTS Competition Series is a national program that provides bright students the opportunity to compete head-to-head against their peers from other schools, cities and states in four levels of competition: school, chapter (local), state and national. MATHCOUNTS provides preparation and competition materials and, with the leadership of the National Society of Professional Engineers, hosts more than 500 Chapter Competitions, 56 State Competitions and the National Competition each year. This year, the top four students from each U.S. state and territory will compete at the 2015 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS National Competition in Boston, MA. Students win hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships each year at the local, state and national levels. There is a registration fee for students to participate in this program and registration is limited only to schools. Participation beyond the school level is limited 10 students per school.