Blair SMCS - No Decision on Testing or Teacher Recs?

[Anonymous]

From yesterday's magnet info meeting, magnet coordinator says MCPS has not yet made a decision on whether testing or teacher recommendations will be required for Blair SMCS application process. At the 1:10 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7tIVLmhbXM

Richard Montgomery IB has specifically said no test and no recommendations, just application, grades and external assessment (MAP).

Does anyone have any idea what is going on with the criteria based programs? Since it's one common application, shouldn't the criteria be the same? I don't really care one way or the other, but for the sake of the students who are applying to more than one program, can it at least be consistent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From yesterday's magnet info meeting, magnet coordinator says MCPS has not yet made a decision on whether testing or teacher recommendations will be required for Blair SMCS application process. At the 1:10 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7tIVLmhbXM

Richard Montgomery IB has specifically said no test and no recommendations, just application, grades and external assessment (MAP).

Does anyone have any idea what is going on with the criteria based programs? Since it's one common application, shouldn't the criteria be the same? I don't really care one way or the other, but for the sake of the students who are applying to more than one program, can it at least be consistent?

Considering that the first clear announcement - that there will be no CogAT this year - came only late Thursday (RMIB presentation and the update of the FAQ at the MCPS special programs web page), my guess is that Mr. Ostrander probably recorded the Blair SMCS presentation ahead of time. Anyways, you may want to send an email to Mr. Ostrander.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From yesterday's magnet info meeting, magnet coordinator says MCPS has not yet made a decision on whether testing or teacher recommendations will be required for Blair SMCS application process. At the 1:10 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7tIVLmhbXM

Richard Montgomery IB has specifically said no test and no recommendations, just application, grades and external assessment (MAP).

Does anyone have any idea what is going on with the criteria based programs? Since it's one common application, shouldn't the criteria be the same? I don't really care one way or the other, but for the sake of the students who are applying to more than one program, can it at least be consistent?

Considering that the first clear announcement - that there will be no CogAT this year - came only late Thursday (RMIB presentation and the update of the FAQ at the MCPS special programs web page), my guess is that Mr. Ostrander probably recorded the Blair SMCS presentation ahead of time. Anyways, you may want to send an email to Mr. Ostrander.

I can take a guess. It's their only defense in court for not accepting the top 98-99th percentile students into the SMCS program.

MCPS was caught tampering with the grading system (changing assignment grades given back to a student, increasing grades for other students, for example) and didn't bother to deny doing it.

Since CogAT is a Nationally-administered test, removing it as a criteria ensures that no one can argue with MCPS in the future.

It's really time to vote out the entire board so that the CO can be cleaned out.

[Anonymous]

There are no teacher recs or CoGAT. This is plain NUTS because the kids are all back in school and only a few kids are in VA. There is no reason they could not have administered the CoGAT,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From yesterday's magnet info meeting, magnet coordinator says MCPS has not yet made a decision on whether testing or teacher recommendations will be required for Blair SMCS application process. At the 1:10 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7tIVLmhbXM

Richard Montgomery IB has specifically said no test and no recommendations, just application, grades and external assessment (MAP).

Does anyone have any idea what is going on with the criteria based programs? Since it's one common application, shouldn't the criteria be the same? I don't really care one way or the other, but for the sake of the students who are applying to more than one program, can it at least be consistent?

Considering that the first clear announcement - that there will be no CogAT this year - came only late Thursday (RMIB presentation and the update of the FAQ at the MCPS special programs web page), my guess is that Mr. Ostrander probably recorded the Blair SMCS presentation ahead of time. Anyways, you may want to send an email to Mr. Ostrander.

I can take a guess. It's their only defense in court for not accepting the top 98-99th percentile students into the SMCS program.

MCPS was caught tampering with the grading system (changing assignment grades given back to a student, increasing grades for other students, for example) and didn't bother to deny doing it.

Since CogAT is a Nationally-administered test, removing it as a criteria ensures that no one can argue with MCPS in the future.

It's really time to vote out the entire board so that the CO can be cleaned out.

This +1 million

MCPS has its own goals. Those goals are not always aligned with doing what is best for students.

This is just one more example of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From yesterday's magnet info meeting, magnet coordinator says MCPS has not yet made a decision on whether testing or teacher recommendations will be required for Blair SMCS application process. At the 1:10 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7tIVLmhbXM

Richard Montgomery IB has specifically said no test and no recommendations, just application, grades and external assessment (MAP).

Does anyone have any idea what is going on with the criteria based programs? Since it's one common application, shouldn't the criteria be the same? I don't really care one way or the other, but for the sake of the students who are applying to more than one program, can it at least be consistent?

Considering that the first clear announcement - that there will be no CogAT this year - came only late Thursday (RMIB presentation and the update of the FAQ at the MCPS special programs web page), my guess is that Mr. Ostrander probably recorded the Blair SMCS presentation ahead of time. Anyways, you may want to send an email to Mr. Ostrander.

Assuming we care that much about the blair program. I get it if you really need a leg up but the best grades rarely compete with access and resources at the subsequent levels of life. What is Blair without the magnet? Kennedy?
I can take a guess. It's their only defense in court for not accepting the top 98-99th percentile students into the SMCS program.

MCPS was caught tampering with the grading system (changing assignment grades given back to a student, increasing grades for other students, for example) and didn't bother to deny doing it.

Since CogAT is a Nationally-administered test, removing it as a criteria ensures that no one can argue with MCPS in the future.

It's really time to vote out the entire board so that the CO can be cleaned out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From yesterday's magnet info meeting, magnet coordinator says MCPS has not yet made a decision on whether testing or teacher recommendations will be required for Blair SMCS application process. At the 1:10 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7tIVLmhbXM

Richard Montgomery IB has specifically said no test and no recommendations, just application, grades and external assessment (MAP).

Does anyone have any idea what is going on with the criteria based programs? Since it's one common application, shouldn't the criteria be the same? I don't really care one way or the other, but for the sake of the students who are applying to more than one program, can it at least be consistent?

Considering that the first clear announcement - that there will be no CogAT this year - came only late Thursday (RMIB presentation and the update of the FAQ at the MCPS special programs web page), my guess is that Mr. Ostrander probably recorded the Blair SMCS presentation ahead of time. Anyways, you may want to send an email to Mr. Ostrander.

I can take a guess. It's their only defense in court for not accepting the top 98-99th percentile students into the SMCS program.

MCPS was caught tampering with the grading system (changing assignment grades given back to a student, increasing grades for other students, for example) and didn't bother to deny doing it.

Since CogAT is a Nationally-administered test, removing it as a criteria ensures that no one can argue with MCPS in the future.

It's really time to vote out the entire board so that the CO can be cleaned out.

This +1 million

MCPS has its own goals. Those goals are not always aligned with doing what is best for students.

This is just one more example of that.

Assuming we care that much about the blair program. I get it if you really need a leg up but the best grades rarely compete with access and resources at the subsequent levels of life. What is Blair without the magnet? Kennedy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are no teacher recs or CoGAT. This is plain NUTS because the kids are all back in school and only a few kids are in VA. There is no reason they could not have administered the CoGAT,

They should just have a surprise test. Covering Math, Science, Cogat, or whatever else. People will still complain that 'other' kids prepped for everything under the sun and that therefore their unadulterated genius kid didn't make it.

[Anonymous]

If they test they will not meet equity goals. So they got rid of the test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they test they will not meet equity goals. So they got rid of the test.

Exactly!

[Anonymous]

Grades can be inflated and teacher recommendations are always subjective. I would think the coGat would be key. Can we include a child’s previous intelligence tests? At this point this seems like a random lottery with very minimal entrance requirements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From yesterday's magnet info meeting, magnet coordinator says MCPS has not yet made a decision on whether testing or teacher recommendations will be required for Blair SMCS application process. At the 1:10 mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7tIVLmhbXM

Richard Montgomery IB has specifically said no test and no recommendations, just application, grades and external assessment (MAP).

Does anyone have any idea what is going on with the criteria based programs? Since it's one common application, shouldn't the criteria be the same? I don't really care one way or the other, but for the sake of the students who are applying to more than one program, can it at least be consistent?

Aren't teacher recs known to be unreliable and biased? That would be a bad idea. This should be based on objective metrics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are no teacher recs or CoGAT. This is plain NUTS because the kids are all back in school and only a few kids are in VA. There is no reason they could not have administered the CoGAT,

They should just have a surprise test. Covering Math, Science, Cogat, or whatever else. People will still complain that 'other' kids prepped for everything under the sun and that therefore their unadulterated genius kid didn't make it.

Perhaps, but is there even a strong correlation to student performance and the CogAT or is it just some silly roadblock?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they test they will not meet equity goals. So they got rid of the test.

They could easily give the CogAT and still do a lottery of the top 15%. It wouldn't change anything, but I can't help but wonder how effective was the CogAT at identifying top students for these programs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they test they will not meet equity goals. So they got rid of the test.

Simply put. The truth. If there is ANY objective test, even if the format is unknown till the test is administered, equity goals won't be met. Raceblind is racist. Absolutely convoluted and sad.