TJ admissions change from Merit to Essay impact to Asian American Students

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This part is true.

"Admissions changed to Essay based, and increased enrollment of 8th grade algebra1 students”

If you didn’t enroll Algebra 1 in 7th grade, then it tells us that you failed to meet the benchmark score on the Iowa test and failed to achieve an advanced pass on the SOL. One thing FPCS knows for sure is that most of those students who enrolled in entry level math 7 honors are definitely non-Asian. Therefore, even without knowing your background, they do know where your background excels. They can recruit from just about any school across the county and be certain that those applicants who present Geometry HN or higher at the time of application are mostly likely Asians. So, skim from the bottom and not from the top. No need to rely exclusively on the applicants zip code. They can just look at the math course in 7th grade.

Is it a coincidence that Algebra 1 offers went up and Asian American student quota came down?

Merit Test based Admissions:
Class of 2019, Asian American 70.20%; algebra 1 offers 5%
Class of 2020, Asian American 71.34%; algebra 1 offers 5%
Class of 2021, Asian American 74.90%; algebra 1 offers 4%
Class of 2023, Asian American 72.87%; algebra 1 offers 4%
Class of 2024, Asian American 73.05%; algebra 1 offers 4%

Admissions changed to Essay based, and increased enrollment of 8th grade algebra1 students:
Class of 2025, Asian American 54.36%; algebra 1 offers =31%
Class of 2026, Asian American 59.82%; algebra 1 offers >25%
Class of 2027, Asian American 61.64%; algebra 1 offers >25%
Class of 2028, Asian American 57.27%; algebra 1 offers >25%

Page 10 has Algebra1 numbers:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BWE23Y004896/$file/TJ%20White%20Paper%2011.17.2020.pdf
Increase in Algebra 1 admits:
https://fcag.org/documents/TJ_Class_of_2025_analysis.pdf

You seem to be equating URM with Algebra 1 and Asian with not-Algebra 1. Actually, the admissions process was designed to select for location - and not all middle schools push Algebra in 7th grade. Many highly discourage it, in Fairfax and other districts. The new admissions process does not select for race, it selects for location, for all the middle schools in Nova.

Ask yourself this question: Would the location have been selected if that criterion resulted in Asian representation increasing from 70+ percent to say 85+ percent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This part is true.

"Admissions changed to Essay based, and increased enrollment of 8th grade algebra1 students”

If you didn’t enroll Algebra 1 in 7th grade, then it tells us that you failed to meet the benchmark score on the Iowa test and failed to achieve an advanced pass on the SOL. One thing FPCS knows for sure is that most of those students who enrolled in entry level math 7 honors are definitely non-Asian. Therefore, even without knowing your background, they do know where your background excels. They can recruit from just about any school across the county and be certain that those applicants who present Geometry HN or higher at the time of application are mostly likely Asians. So, skim from the bottom and not from the top. No need to rely exclusively on the applicants zip code. They can just look at the math course in 7th grade.

Is it a coincidence that Algebra 1 offers went up and Asian American student quota came down?

Merit Test based Admissions:
Class of 2019, Asian American 70.20%; algebra 1 offers 5%
Class of 2020, Asian American 71.34%; algebra 1 offers 5%
Class of 2021, Asian American 74.90%; algebra 1 offers 4%
Class of 2023, Asian American 72.87%; algebra 1 offers 4%
Class of 2024, Asian American 73.05%; algebra 1 offers 4%

Admissions changed to Essay based, and increased enrollment of 8th grade algebra1 students:
Class of 2025, Asian American 54.36%; algebra 1 offers =31%
Class of 2026, Asian American 59.82%; algebra 1 offers >25%
Class of 2027, Asian American 61.64%; algebra 1 offers >25%
Class of 2028, Asian American 57.27%; algebra 1 offers >25%

Page 10 has Algebra1 numbers:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BWE23Y004896/$file/TJ%20White%20Paper%2011.17.2020.pdf
Increase in Algebra 1 admits:
https://fcag.org/documents/TJ_Class_of_2025_analysis.pdf

You seem to be equating URM with Algebra 1 and Asian with not-Algebra 1. Actually, the admissions process was designed to select for location - and not all middle schools push Algebra in 7th grade. Many highly discourage it, in Fairfax and other districts. The new admissions process does not select for race, it selects for location, for all the middle schools in Nova.

Ask yourself this question: Would the location have been selected if that criterion resulted in Asian representation increasing from 70+ percent to say 85+ percent?

Maybe, if we lived in a different district with those demographics. Friend, you seem to be thinking that everything is about race. There were a lot of stated and unstated reasons for the admissions change. If you are going to ignore all of them, then you'll be having a conversation with yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This part is true.

"Admissions changed to Essay based, and increased enrollment of 8th grade algebra1 students”

If you didn’t enroll Algebra 1 in 7th grade, then it tells us that you failed to meet the benchmark score on the Iowa test and failed to achieve an advanced pass on the SOL. One thing FPCS knows for sure is that most of those students who enrolled in entry level math 7 honors are definitely non-Asian. Therefore, even without knowing your background, they do know where your background excels. They can recruit from just about any school across the county and be certain that those applicants who present Geometry HN or higher at the time of application are mostly likely Asians. So, skim from the bottom and not from the top. No need to rely exclusively on the applicants zip code. They can just look at the math course in 7th grade.

Is it a coincidence that Algebra 1 offers went up and Asian American student quota came down?

Merit Test based Admissions:
Class of 2019, Asian American 70.20%; algebra 1 offers 5%
Class of 2020, Asian American 71.34%; algebra 1 offers 5%
Class of 2021, Asian American 74.90%; algebra 1 offers 4%
Class of 2023, Asian American 72.87%; algebra 1 offers 4%
Class of 2024, Asian American 73.05%; algebra 1 offers 4%

Admissions changed to Essay based, and increased enrollment of 8th grade algebra1 students:
Class of 2025, Asian American 54.36%; algebra 1 offers =31%
Class of 2026, Asian American 59.82%; algebra 1 offers >25%
Class of 2027, Asian American 61.64%; algebra 1 offers >25%
Class of 2028, Asian American 57.27%; algebra 1 offers >25%

Page 10 has Algebra1 numbers:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BWE23Y004896/$file/TJ%20White%20Paper%2011.17.2020.pdf
Increase in Algebra 1 admits:
https://fcag.org/documents/TJ_Class_of_2025_analysis.pdf

You seem to be equating URM with Algebra 1 and Asian with not-Algebra 1. Actually, the admissions process was designed to select for location - and not all middle schools push Algebra in 7th grade. Many highly discourage it, in Fairfax and other districts. The new admissions process does not select for race, it selects for location, for all the middle schools in Nova.

The above admission data shows that Algebra 1 selection basis resulted in lowered Asian representation. The 1200+ Asian students that were declined offers were not Algebra 1, had much higher math than that. How many non-Asian with higher math of Geometry & Alg2 were declined offers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People act as though MIT didn't also change their admissions policies over the years. They had a tons of suicides and lawsuits over them. They made a concerted effort to not take lopsided kids with no life. Didn't impact their rankings at all.

speaking of which, MIT has gone back to test required.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This part is true.

"Admissions changed to Essay based, and increased enrollment of 8th grade algebra1 students”

If you didn’t enroll Algebra 1 in 7th grade, then it tells us that you failed to meet the benchmark score on the Iowa test and failed to achieve an advanced pass on the SOL. One thing FPCS knows for sure is that most of those students who enrolled in entry level math 7 honors are definitely non-Asian. Therefore, even without knowing your background, they do know where your background excels. They can recruit from just about any school across the county and be certain that those applicants who present Geometry HN or higher at the time of application are mostly likely Asians. So, skim from the bottom and not from the top. No need to rely exclusively on the applicants zip code. They can just look at the math course in 7th grade.

Is it a coincidence that Algebra 1 offers went up and Asian American student quota came down?

Merit Test based Admissions:
Class of 2019, Asian American 70.20%; algebra 1 offers 5%
Class of 2020, Asian American 71.34%; algebra 1 offers 5%
Class of 2021, Asian American 74.90%; algebra 1 offers 4%
Class of 2023, Asian American 72.87%; algebra 1 offers 4%
Class of 2024, Asian American 73.05%; algebra 1 offers 4%

Admissions changed to Essay based, and increased enrollment of 8th grade algebra1 students:
Class of 2025, Asian American 54.36%; algebra 1 offers =31%
Class of 2026, Asian American 59.82%; algebra 1 offers >25%
Class of 2027, Asian American 61.64%; algebra 1 offers >25%
Class of 2028, Asian American 57.27%; algebra 1 offers >25%

Page 10 has Algebra1 numbers:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BWE23Y004896/$file/TJ%20White%20Paper%2011.17.2020.pdf
Increase in Algebra 1 admits:
https://fcag.org/documents/TJ_Class_of_2025_analysis.pdf

from the boardocs document page 10, Figure 2, it shows there are consistently over 200+ applicants with Algebra 2 trig, how many of those are likely from FCPS?

About a hundred, would be my guess.

[Anonymous]

The average number of Asian students per admitted class for the 10 years prior to the change was 330. The average since the change was 321.

So, on average, there are 9 fewer Asian kids per class after the change.

Nine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The average number of Asian students per admitted class for the 10 years prior to the change was 330. The average since the change was 321.

So, on average, there are 9 fewer Asian kids per class after the change.

Nine.

Out of how many Asian applicants? What is their GPA level? How ready are they now in math and science? And, how is the gap in each of those criteria between Asian applicants and other groups?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The average number of Asian students per admitted class for the 10 years prior to the change was 330. The average since the change was 321.

So, on average, there are 9 fewer Asian kids per class after the change.

Nine.

However the overall Asian student percent has gone done. The total number of seats were expanded, but Asian students were solely excluded from participating in the expanded seat assignment. Why wilfully exclude the 1000+ declined Asian applicants from not receiving a single seat from the expanded seat quota?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The average number of Asian students per admitted class for the 10 years prior to the change was 330. The average since the change was 321.

So, on average, there are 9 fewer Asian kids per class after the change.

Nine.

However the overall Asian student percent has gone done. The total number of seats were expanded, but Asian students were solely excluded from participating in the expanded seat assignment. Why wilfully exclude the 1000+ declined Asian applicants from not receiving a single seat from the expanded seat quota?

You're making up fake data to be outraged about. The admissions roughly track the applicant pool. The admissions change was supposed to change interest in the school and increase the underrepresented applicants by geographic as well as racial and SES demographic. And it did. More underrepresented applicants applied and were admitted. That doesn't mean that the represented demographic was excluded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The average number of Asian students per admitted class for the 10 years prior to the change was 330. The average since the change was 321.

So, on average, there are 9 fewer Asian kids per class after the change.

Nine.

However the overall Asian student percent has gone done. The total number of seats were expanded, but Asian students were solely excluded from participating in the expanded seat assignment. Why wilfully exclude the 1000+ declined Asian applicants from not receiving a single seat from the expanded seat quota?

You're making up fake data to be outraged about. The admissions roughly track the applicant pool. The admissions change was supposed to change interest in the school and increase the underrepresented applicants by geographic as well as racial and SES demographic. And it did. More underrepresented applicants applied and were admitted. That doesn't mean that the represented demographic was excluded.

+1
They were expanded the size of the class to minimize the impact on groups sending a lot of kids already while creating space for new groups to also go. That’s a positive thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The average number of Asian students per admitted class for the 10 years prior to the change was 330. The average since the change was 321.

So, on average, there are 9 fewer Asian kids per class after the change.

Nine.

However the overall Asian student percent has gone done. The total number of seats were expanded, but Asian students were solely excluded from participating in the expanded seat assignment. Why wilfully exclude the 1000+ declined Asian applicants from not receiving a single seat from the expanded seat quota?

You're making up fake data to be outraged about. The admissions roughly track the applicant pool. The admissions change was supposed to change interest in the school and increase the underrepresented applicants by geographic as well as racial and SES demographic. And it did. More underrepresented applicants applied and were admitted. That doesn't mean that the represented demographic was excluded.

+1
They were expanded the size of the class to minimize the impact on groups sending a lot of kids already while creating space for new groups to also go. That’s a positive thing.

Groups = race?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The average number of Asian students per admitted class for the 10 years prior to the change was 330. The average since the change was 321.

So, on average, there are 9 fewer Asian kids per class after the change.

Nine.

However the overall Asian student percent has gone done. The total number of seats were expanded, but Asian students were solely excluded from participating in the expanded seat assignment. Why wilfully exclude the 1000+ declined Asian applicants from not receiving a single seat from the expanded seat quota?

You're making up fake data to be outraged about. The admissions roughly track the applicant pool. The admissions change was supposed to change interest in the school and increase the underrepresented applicants by geographic as well as racial and SES demographic. And it did. More underrepresented applicants applied and were admitted. That doesn't mean that the represented demographic was excluded.

+1
They were expanded the size of the class to minimize the impact on groups sending a lot of kids already while creating space for new groups to also go. That’s a positive thing.

Groups = race?

Groups = school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This part is true.

"Admissions changed to Essay based, and increased enrollment of 8th grade algebra1 students”

If you didn’t enroll Algebra 1 in 7th grade, then it tells us that you failed to meet the benchmark score on the Iowa test and failed to achieve an advanced pass on the SOL. One thing FPCS knows for sure is that most of those students who enrolled in entry level math 7 honors are definitely non-Asian. Therefore, even without knowing your background, they do know where your background excels. They can recruit from just about any school across the county and be certain that those applicants who present Geometry HN or higher at the time of application are mostly likely Asians. So, skim from the bottom and not from the top. No need to rely exclusively on the applicants zip code. They can just look at the math course in 7th grade.

Is it a coincidence that Algebra 1 offers went up and Asian American student quota came down?

Merit Test based Admissions:
Class of 2019, Asian American 70.20%; algebra 1 offers 5%
Class of 2020, Asian American 71.34%; algebra 1 offers 5%
Class of 2021, Asian American 74.90%; algebra 1 offers 4%
Class of 2023, Asian American 72.87%; algebra 1 offers 4%
Class of 2024, Asian American 73.05%; algebra 1 offers 4%

Admissions changed to Essay based, and increased enrollment of 8th grade algebra1 students:
Class of 2025, Asian American 54.36%; algebra 1 offers =31%
Class of 2026, Asian American 59.82%; algebra 1 offers >25%
Class of 2027, Asian American 61.64%; algebra 1 offers >25%
Class of 2028, Asian American 57.27%; algebra 1 offers >25%

Page 10 has Algebra1 numbers:
https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BWE23Y004896/$file/TJ%20White%20Paper%2011.17.2020.pdf
Increase in Algebra 1 admits:
https://fcag.org/documents/TJ_Class_of_2025_analysis.pdf

I don't have any kids in FCPS; I'm not Asian. I was only a lowly Algebra I in 8th grade kid; my strengths are in language arts. As a taxpayer, however, I am shocked that the average math education level at our flagship STEM high school has been so impacted by the new admissions change. Diversity is a noble goal, but it must also result in the best STEM students getting into our magnet STEM school. Lowering the standard will prove to be a huge mistake for the school and FCPS. Yes, it will take a few years to fully manifest, but it will happen. If fewer kids are qualified for those advanced math classes, the classes will be reduced or eliminated. As an earlier post implied, the school's national ranking, reputation, and qualify of STEM education will decline unless other highly reputed STEM schools elsewhere follow the same wrongheaded path to mediocrity.

[Anonymous]

Agreed. Algebra I versus Geometry should definitely detract from getting an admittance. Especially if the kid went through a public school that had Geometry as an option. They should have to have something else of merit to admit them.

[Anonymous]

Also why are the Prince William and Arlington rates of admittance so much higher than Fairfax?