Administrators said they insist a student can take either pathway and it comes down to the family's choice. But some teachers disagree with this idea.

"The integrated math program is a four year program that is designed to provide the same mathematics content," Secondary Math Coordinator Chip Sharp said.

Regardless of the choice, CPS said they assure parents their students will be ready for higher education.

"Parents will have an opportunity to interact with the teacher, students will have an opportunity to interact with the teacher before any recommendation is made. At this point, there should not be a situation where a person feels pressed into one path or another" Sharp said.

However Dorrie Crawford said she wanted her son to take the traditional path, but because of low grades, he was forced into the integrated program.

"I was not given an option. When we put my son in summer school to repeat Geometry. We were under the impression that if he got a higher grade, he would move to Algebra IIl," Crawford said.

Integrated I is comparable to Algebra and Integrated III is a lot like Algebra II. Tom ended up taking Integrated II which is similar to Geometry, a course he had already taken on the traditional path. He spent an extra year re-learning the same information.

"To me, if the student gets a choice, they are going to do a lot better if they get to choose then getting forced," Tom Crawford said.

Tom's mother said she sent a number of e-mails to the school trying to get her son out of Integrated, but was told that was not possible.

"I'm his parent. I think that the guidance people and the math people do a wonderful job in their recommendations but I have also had my son a lot longer then they have, I know a lot more about my son," Crawford said. "I felt I lost my choice and as a parent, don't take away my choices. That is not right."

Findings from a 2007 CPS task force report indicated a need for more communication with parents. It was its first recommendation.

"Our intent was to make sure the student was in the right place," Sharp said. "And I think everyone was after the same ultimate goal, what we want to makes sure is that our communication is as rich as possible."

Administrators said there has never been an agenda behind offering the two programs. They said it is an added learning opportunity for students and are working to improve communication lines. The elementary school offers one pathway called Investigations.