PG County Parents, where are you sending your kids to school?

[Anonymous]

19:06, College Park Academy is not online. Or maybe that was a typo and you wondered if it was ONLY MS and HS? If so, yes. I believe they are starting with middle school grades (6-7) and admitting new MSers every year so that within 6 years it will be a full MS and HS program. If others know differently, please correct me.

19:21 - I don't have personal experience with it, but I've read positive things. I think we'll know more after this academic year, when there should be more parent opinions and feedback out there. It's certainly needed and could be wonderful if done well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:19:06, College Park Academy is not online. Or maybe that was a typo and you wondered if it was ONLY MS and HS? If so, yes. I believe they are starting with middle school grades (6-7) and admitting new MSers every year so that within 6 years it will be a full MS and HS program. If others know differently, please correct me.

19:21 - I don't have personal experience with it, but I've read positive things. I think we'll know more after this academic year, when there should be more parent opinions and feedback out there. It's certainly needed and could be wonderful if done well.

There is a physical location and the kids are all there during the school year, but the courses themselves are online courses which are supplemented in the core classes with on site teachers in math, language arts, and science. All of the electives and languages are completely online with no on-site teachers. The kids do the online classes in the school building, but there is no direct or in person instruction in those subjects.

[Anonymous]

The College Park Academy in August will be for grades 6-8, eventually going to 6-12 by fall 2018. Beginning next month students will have the option for having two more in person teachers (social studies and Spanish language). The MSA passing scores were released Monday. The College Park Academy had the third highest scores in the County (behind only the French Immersion magnet programs at Goddard and Hanson).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The College Park Academy in August will be for grades 6-8, eventually going to 6-12 by fall 2018. Beginning next month students will have the option for having two more in person teachers (social studies and Spanish language). The MSA passing scores were released Monday. The College Park Academy had the third highest scores in the County (behind only the French Immersion magnet programs at Goddard and Hanson).

Are those classes actually going to be taught live this year? Last year the coursework was online and the classroom teachers were there to grade things and supplement those courses. Will the school actually be grouping? Friends with kids there said the math class with the on site teacher would have kids in 4 different math courses in it and the teacher spent almost all the time trying to bring the strugglers up to passing grades. The MSA scores don't indicate a ton to me given how much the school has touted itself as a self-selecting TAG magnet. Maybe they're making big changes, but the school as it existed this year looked nothing like the school they had been promising all this time.

[Anonymous]

The school is sill using the blended learning approach, but recognizes younger students need more strucure in the school day. Eveyone learned a lot this year. Board of Education didn't approve the school to open until mid-June last year, which meant a very tight timeframe to get the school open. The incoming 6th grade class had over 500 applicants for about 70 slots. Parents have been wonderfull and understanding that their issues are being addressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The College Park Academy in August will be for grades 6-8, eventually going to 6-12 by fall 2018. Beginning next month students will have the option for having two more in person teachers (social studies and Spanish language). The MSA passing scores were released Monday. The College Park Academy had the third highest scores in the County (behind only the French Immersion magnet programs at Goddard and Hanson).

According to whom? The Maryland Report Card site doesn't rank schools from what I can see. On schooldigger.com, the no. 3 rank goes to CMIT, another very good charter school. That could be because CPA is not mentioned at all on schooldigger. Nor is it mentioned on greatschools.org. The scores for CPA overall appear higher than CMIT but not by more than a few percentage points.

Between not having a very informative website or any information on major school research sites, CPA is not doing itself any favors. I have heard some good things about the school, but also a lot of not-so-great things. Also, who can't achieve top test scores with a school of TAG or TAG-worthy kids? For instance, the top elementary scores in PG are from TAG only schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The College Park Academy in August will be for grades 6-8, eventually going to 6-12 by fall 2018. Beginning next month students will have the option for having two more in person teachers (social studies and Spanish language). The MSA passing scores were released Monday. The College Park Academy had the third highest scores in the County (behind only the French Immersion magnet programs at Goddard and Hanson).

According to whom? The Maryland Report Card site doesn't rank schools from what I can see. On schooldigger.com, the no. 3 rank goes to CMIT, another very good charter school. That could be because CPA is not mentioned at all on schooldigger. Nor is it mentioned on greatschools.org. The scores for CPA overall appear higher than CMIT but not by more than a few percentage points.

Between not having a very informative website or any information on major school research sites, CPA is not doing itself any favors. I have heard some good things about the school, but also a lot of not-so-great things. Also, who can't achieve top test scores with a school of TAG or TAG-worthy kids? For instance, the top elementary scores in PG are from TAG only schools.

sounds like they don't need to. Lots of applicants for few seats

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The College Park Academy in August will be for grades 6-8, eventually going to 6-12 by fall 2018. Beginning next month students will have the option for having two more in person teachers (social studies and Spanish language). The MSA passing scores were released Monday. The College Park Academy had the third highest scores in the County (behind only the French Immersion magnet programs at Goddard and Hanson).

According to whom? The Maryland Report Card site doesn't rank schools from what I can see. On schooldigger.com, the no. 3 rank goes to CMIT, another very good charter school. That could be because CPA is not mentioned at all on schooldigger. Nor is it mentioned on greatschools.org. The scores for CPA overall appear higher than CMIT but not by more than a few percentage points.

Between not having a very informative website or any information on major school research sites, CPA is not doing itself any favors. I have heard some good things about the school, but also a lot of not-so-great things. Also, who can't achieve top test scores with a school of TAG or TAG-worthy kids? For instance, the top elementary scores in PG are from TAG only schools.

What is CMIT? Thx.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the pp was referring to several years ago when a bunch of the staff were having extramarital affairs with each other. Also have heard that some of the teachers have been seen "partying."

Teachers can't party? No social life for them?

[Anonymous]

check out this website with help making your decision - http://www.schooldigger.com/go/MD/schoolrank.aspx

includes 2014 MSA test scores

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The College Park Academy in August will be for grades 6-8, eventually going to 6-12 by fall 2018. Beginning next month students will have the option for having two more in person teachers (social studies and Spanish language). The MSA passing scores were released Monday. The College Park Academy had the third highest scores in the County (behind only the French Immersion magnet programs at Goddard and Hanson).

According to whom? The Maryland Report Card site doesn't rank schools from what I can see. On schooldigger.com, the no. 3 rank goes to CMIT, another very good charter school. That could be because CPA is not mentioned at all on schooldigger. Nor is it mentioned on greatschools.org. The scores for CPA overall appear higher than CMIT but not by more than a few percentage points.

Between not having a very informative website or any information on major school research sites, CPA is not doing itself any favors. I have heard some good things about the school, but also a lot of not-so-great things. Also, who can't achieve top test scores with a school of TAG or TAG-worthy kids? For instance, the top elementary scores in PG are from TAG only schools.

What is CMIT? Thx.

Chesapeake Math and IT Academy public charter school in Laurel. They are opening an elementary school in Laurel in the fall and another middle school in South County, also this fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The College Park Academy in August will be for grades 6-8, eventually going to 6-12 by fall 2018. Beginning next month students will have the option for having two more in person teachers (social studies and Spanish language). The MSA passing scores were released Monday. The College Park Academy had the third highest scores in the County (behind only the French Immersion magnet programs at Goddard and Hanson).

According to whom? The Maryland Report Card site doesn't rank schools from what I can see. On schooldigger.com, the no. 3 rank goes to CMIT, another very good charter school. That could be because CPA is not mentioned at all on schooldigger. Nor is it mentioned on greatschools.org. The scores for CPA overall appear higher than CMIT but not by more than a few percentage points.

Between not having a very informative website or any information on major school research sites, CPA is not doing itself any favors. I have heard some good things about the school, but also a lot of not-so-great things. Also, who can't achieve top test scores with a school of TAG or TAG-worthy kids? For instance, the top elementary scores in PG are from TAG only schools.

sounds like they don't need to. Lots of applicants for few seats

Ok. But any charter doing at least somewhat well is going to fetch a lot of lottery applicants, especially if the regular public school options are lackluster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the pp was referring to several years ago when a bunch of the staff were having extramarital affairs with each other. Also have heard that some of the teachers have been seen "partying."

Teachers can't party? No social life for them?

Well. There's partying= having a good time and then there's using illegal drugs and having really poor judgment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The College Park Academy in August will be for grades 6-8, eventually going to 6-12 by fall 2018. Beginning next month students will have the option for having two more in person teachers (social studies and Spanish language). The MSA passing scores were released Monday. The College Park Academy had the third highest scores in the County (behind only the French Immersion magnet programs at Goddard and Hanson).

According to whom? The Maryland Report Card site doesn't rank schools from what I can see. On schooldigger.com, the no. 3 rank goes to CMIT, another very good charter school. That could be because CPA is not mentioned at all on schooldigger. Nor is it mentioned on greatschools.org. The scores for CPA overall appear higher than CMIT but not by more than a few percentage points.

Between not having a very informative website or any information on major school research sites, CPA is not doing itself any favors. I have heard some good things about the school, but also a lot of not-so-great things. Also, who can't achieve top test scores with a school of TAG or TAG-worthy kids? For instance, the top elementary scores in PG are from TAG only schools.

What is CMIT? Thx.

Chesapeake Math and IT Academy public charter school in Laurel. They are opening an elementary school in Laurel in the fall and another middle school in South County, also this fall.

My daughter goes to CMIT. She has been there since it opened three years ago. She will also attend the high school this year. We love it. She has learned a lot. Test scores are always good. They do ability grouping, but the work is challenging for all. We have to pay for bus service (about $2000). Students travel as far as Clinton all the way to Laurel near Sweltzer Lane. The new elementary school will be next door (through a patch of woods). The students go on field trips regularly. Some students traveled to Costa Rica this summer and most traveled to Boston to visit Harvard and MIT. They are sponsoring a trip to Paris/London for spring break.

Students can also get Microsoft Certified. For a NEW school, it has done surprisingly well. Not sure what the high school will be like, but willing to give it that shot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The College Park Academy in August will be for grades 6-8, eventually going to 6-12 by fall 2018. Beginning next month students will have the option for having two more in person teachers (social studies and Spanish language). The MSA passing scores were released Monday. The College Park Academy had the third highest scores in the County (behind only the French Immersion magnet programs at Goddard and Hanson).

According to whom? The Maryland Report Card site doesn't rank schools from what I can see. On schooldigger.com, the no. 3 rank goes to CMIT, another very good charter school. That could be because CPA is not mentioned at all on schooldigger. Nor is it mentioned on greatschools.org. The scores for CPA overall appear higher than CMIT but not by more than a few percentage points.

Between not having a very informative website or any information on major school research sites, CPA is not doing itself any favors. I have heard some good things about the school, but also a lot of not-so-great things. Also, who can't achieve top test scores with a school of TAG or TAG-worthy kids? For instance, the top elementary scores in PG are from TAG only schools.

What is CMIT? Thx.

Chesapeake Math and IT Academy public charter school in Laurel. They are opening an elementary school in Laurel in the fall and another middle school in South County, also this fall.

My daughter goes to CMIT. She has been there since it opened three years ago. She will also attend the high school this year. We love it. She has learned a lot. Test scores are always good. They do ability grouping, but the work is challenging for all. We have to pay for bus service (about $2000). Students travel as far as Clinton all the way to Laurel near Sweltzer Lane. The new elementary school will be next door (through a patch of woods). The students go on field trips regularly. Some students traveled to Costa Rica this summer and most traveled to Boston to visit Harvard and MIT. They are sponsoring a trip to Paris/London for spring break.

Students can also get Microsoft Certified. For a NEW school, it has done surprisingly well. Not sure what the high school will be like, but willing to give it that shot.

Thanks for your input, especially since my child will begin CMIT this fall. Can you provide details on the transportation? Did you try the aftercare, and what did you think?