High points from MS magnet at Blair tonight

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are they also dropping the essay for Eastern?

Yes.

FYI: One of the criteria for evaluation that was mentioned a few times is current reading level.

Reading level?

A relative of ours went to Eastern magnet five years ago; the girl said the sheer volume of writing that needed to be done pretty much from day one was incredible. Without testing an applicant's ability to actually write, how will MCPS make sure the kids are up to task? By having them answer 10 multiple choice analogy questions?

I'm speechless.

I don't think that the essays were a good measure of an applicant's ability to actually write. The application essays were a good measure of an applicant's access to somebody who could help them with their essays, and the test essay was a good measure of an applicant's ability to come up with something in a short period of time in response to a writing prompt.

But did they explicitly say that an essay/writing section wouldn't be on the test? I only heard them say that there wouldn't be an essay on the application itself.

They have given little information about the test itself and have said no sample questions will be available. With respect to the essay, they have implied that there will be an unscored open-ended reply to a prompt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are they giving the test on Saturday if they want more kids to be able to participate? This creates inequities of access like Transportation (only public bus, no school bus on Saturday) and Work Schedules for Saturday workers who will not be able to take off to get their kid to the test. Shouldn't they give the test in school during school hours like they do for 3rd graders?

They are in fact giving the test during school for some locations. They will announce which ones later in the process. I asked the rep about this after the meeting. I imagine that it will be in school at some of the schools that have more FARMS students, but I did not question the rep about the criteria.

[Anonymous]

""I have seen AA and HI students who were taken in highly selective programs just to boost MCPS numbers crash and burn in these programs. Currently, many students in the magnet programs are supplementing in some way and they are not relying just on the magnet programs to get ahead. The test prep centers have also become a tutoring center since many years. Students who are attending these centers are not going there because they need academic intervention, in fact many of these students are much more accelerated than the magnet programs that they are in.

Most AA and HI students are not getting any supplemental help at home or school. Most importantly, even if programs for academic enrichment and accelerations are put in the school, the schools cannot force these students to take supplemental help. The achievement gap has become the problem of the school systems to solve, where as it should be the problem of the parents to solve. The school system need to only provide programs for tutoring and supplementing in the school, and parents should make their children comply in attending these programs.

The AA and HI students who have done well in highly selective programs are usually those who belonged to middle class homes were education is valued, parents are educated and are well aware of the benefit of magnet programs. Most are immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean and do not carry the historical burden of slavery. ""

This is pure BS. My black kid was one of the very few black boys in his MS magnet, but there were a handful of black girls. They all did fine and some were the leaders of their class. Your ideas that black parents are not educated nor do they support education is outdated. BTW, there was plenty of slavery in the Caribbean. Your knowledge of history and culture is very limited.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:""I have seen AA and HI students who were taken in highly selective programs just to boost MCPS numbers crash and burn in these programs. Currently, many students in the magnet programs are supplementing in some way and they are not relying just on the magnet programs to get ahead. The test prep centers have also become a tutoring center since many years. Students who are attending these centers are not going there because they need academic intervention, in fact many of these students are much more accelerated than the magnet programs that they are in.

Most AA and HI students are not getting any supplemental help at home or school. Most importantly, even if programs for academic enrichment and accelerations are put in the school, the schools cannot force these students to take supplemental help. The achievement gap has become the problem of the school systems to solve, where as it should be the problem of the parents to solve. The school system need to only provide programs for tutoring and supplementing in the school, and parents should make their children comply in attending these programs.

The AA and HI students who have done well in highly selective programs are usually those who belonged to middle class homes were education is valued, parents are educated and are well aware of the benefit of magnet programs. Most are immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean and do not carry the historical burden of slavery. ""

This is pure BS. My black kid was one of the very few black boys in his MS magnet, but there were a handful of black girls. They all did fine and some were the leaders of their class. Your ideas that black parents are not educated nor do they support education is outdated. BTW, there was plenty of slavery in the Caribbean. Your knowledge of history and culture is very limited.

Thanks so much for this. My black son is thriving in an HGC alongside a very small number of extremely bright and motivated black kids whose parents are involved and committed to education. The outdated and ignorant statements being spread by the PP not only infuriate me, but they also contribute to the fear-mongering running rampant of this thread. Unqualified black and brown kids are not being pumped into these programs (particularly in schools in the western part of the county), nor does their (very limited) presence dilute the quality of these programs. My recommendation: take a deep breath and find another scapegoat.

[Anonymous]

Glad to hear from parents of black magnet or HGC students. Wish people like you come out and encorage more Bl kids applying and enrolling in the magnet programs.

Many smart black kids from up and middle class are in private schools. It is very hard for mcps magnet program to compete with private schools where smaller classroom and strong acadamic in both math/science and humanity/language are normal. The magnet classes in blair have atleast 30 students per class.

[Anonymous]

With respect to the previous couple of posts, I'll repeat what I said in an earlier post: every kid in the MS and HS magnet programs is fully qualified to be in these programs. It is a rigorous selection process that does a good job of identifying the students who are likely to benefit from and succeed in these programs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Glad to hear from parents of black magnet or HGC students. Wish people like you come out and encorage more Bl kids applying and enrolling in the magnet programs.

Many smart black kids from up and middle class are in private schools. It is very hard for mcps magnet program to compete with private schools where smaller classroom and strong acadamic in both math/science and humanity/language are normal. The magnet classes in blair have atleast 30 students per class.

JUST STOP. Even when pretending to be supportive, you have to work in a dig making these Black folks responsible for ALL Black folks. How about we don't hold you responsible for the Tiki Torch Brigade and you STFU about how Black and Latinx kids are "ruining" MCPS magnets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With respect to the previous couple of posts, I'll repeat what I said in an earlier post: every kid in the MS and HS magnet programs is fully qualified to be in these programs. It is a rigorous selection process that does a good job of identifying the students who are likely to benefit from and succeed in these programs

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With respect to the previous couple of posts, I'll repeat what I said in an earlier post: every kid in the MS and HS magnet programs is fully qualified to be in these programs. It is a rigorous selection process that does a good job of identifying the students who are likely to benefit from and succeed in these programs

While up to now this true.

The angst comes from the fact that the county is changing the criteria hence the fear of these programs are going to lose their rigor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With respect to the previous couple of posts, I'll repeat what I said in an earlier post: every kid in the MS and HS magnet programs is fully qualified to be in these programs. It is a rigorous selection process that does a good job of identifying the students who are likely to benefit from and succeed in these programs

While up to now this true.

The angst comes from the fact that the county is changing the criteria hence the fear of these programs are going to lose their rigor.

The angst comes from the fact that there are some people who believe that the only way to get more kids from certain groups into the magnet programs is to make the magnet programs easier and worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With respect to the previous couple of posts, I'll repeat what I said in an earlier post: every kid in the MS and HS magnet programs is fully qualified to be in these programs. It is a rigorous selection process that does a good job of identifying the students who are likely to benefit from and succeed in these programs

While up to now this true.

The angst comes from the fact that the county is changing the criteria hence the fear of these programs are going to lose their rigor.

The angst comes from the fact that there are some people who believe that the only way to get more kids from certain groups into the magnet programs is to make the magnet programs easier and worse.

Statistically, they have a point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With respect to the previous couple of posts, I'll repeat what I said in an earlier post: every kid in the MS and HS magnet programs is fully qualified to be in these programs. It is a rigorous selection process that does a good job of identifying the students who are likely to benefit from and succeed in these programs

While up to now this true.

The angst comes from the fact that the county is changing the criteria hence the fear of these programs are going to lose their rigor.

The angst comes from the fact that there are some people who believe that the only way to get more kids from certain groups into the magnet programs is to make the magnet programs easier and worse.

Statistically, they have a point.

No, they don't. But thanks for demonstrating what's underlying the angst.

[Anonymous]

Sure they do. Based on all available evidence on standardized testing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are they giving the test on Saturday if they want more kids to be able to participate? This creates inequities of access like Transportation (only public bus, no school bus on Saturday) and Work Schedules for Saturday workers who will not be able to take off to get their kid to the test. Shouldn't they give the test in school during school hours like they do for 3rd graders?

Have you heard something called 'carpool'? Or you can request mcps to provide school bus for? you neighbothood. There is still time to do so.

PP is correct -- giving the test on a Saturday is a barrier to entry. Can it be overcome, with effort? Yes, probably. But it's a barrier nonetheless.

if a kid or parent can't figure that one out not sure how they'll figure out the rest of life. or a gifted program. or an intense HS. or college. or a serious job search.

Yes, people with issues could "figure it out" but that doesn't change the illogic of completely changing the admission procedures in an attempt to remove barriers to access to then turn around and put up a barrier that could easily be avoided by doing the tests in school. AEI/Choice Programs - are you listening??

It's not a barrier. It's putting a critical mass of students in a few locations to take a test instead of a few students in tons of locations to take the same test.

What's the excuse going to be when it's sports tryouts or a competition? Oh, it's not at my local library/school/church so guess I'll complain about a "barrier"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It's not a barrier. It's putting a critical mass of students in a few locations to take a test instead of a few students in tons of locations to take the same test.

What's the excuse going to be when it's sports tryouts or a competition? Oh, it's not at my local library/school/church so guess I'll complain about a "barrier"?

When you have to put in an extra effort to get somewhere, that's a barrier. We're talking about students, not fissile material. It's possible to give the tests in school during the school day, when the students are there anyway.