Does MCAP matter for high school magnet placement?

[Anonymous]

DD is in 6th grade and she had a Level 4 in MCAP for Math and Reading. She has a MAP score 260 for Fall 24. Is this good enough to go to Algebra 1? Her teacher told the class that if they to Algebra 1, they will be taking the MCAP for 9th graders and the MCAP in 6th grade may go to a level 2 or 3. So does this 6th grade MCAP matter for placing into Poolesville or RMIB?

On a related note, do MS teachers not respond to parent emails? Or do they take a long time to respond? Is this normal for MS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD is in 6th grade and she had a Level 4 in MCAP for Math and Reading. She has a MAP score 260 for Fall 24. Is this good enough to go to Algebra 1? Her teacher told the class that if they to Algebra 1, they will be taking the MCAP for 9th graders and the MCAP in 6th grade may go to a level 2 or 3. So does this 6th grade MCAP matter for placing into Poolesville or RMIB?

On a related note, do MS teachers not respond to parent emails? Or do they take a long time to respond? Is this normal for MS?

Copy your AP (Assistant Principal), they could respond faster that way.

[Anonymous]

No, teachers often don't respond.

Algebra in 6th depends on the school. 260 should be as we were told it was around 250 but each school is different. Taking Algebra earlier has nothing to do with getting into speciality programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is in 6th grade and she had a Level 4 in MCAP for Math and Reading. She has a MAP score 260 for Fall 24. Is this good enough to go to Algebra 1? Her teacher told the class that if they to Algebra 1, they will be taking the MCAP for 9th graders and the MCAP in 6th grade may go to a level 2 or 3. So does this 6th grade MCAP matter for placing into Poolesville or RMIB?

On a related note, do MS teachers not respond to parent emails? Or do they take a long time to respond? Is this normal for MS?

Copy your AP (Assistant Principal), they could respond faster that way.

Thank you! I will copy the principal and ask if they received my email.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, teachers often don't respond.

Algebra in 6th depends on the school. 260 should be as we were told it was around 250 but each school is different. Taking Algebra earlier has nothing to do with getting into speciality programs.

My question was about the MCAP levels and if that is considered in acceptance.

[Anonymous]

They do not look at MCAP scores for any magnets or placement. I don’t even think they keep the individual student scores anywhere. It’s certainly not in synergy. I think the scores get sent to you from the state of MD and the schools use the aggregate school scores but don’t look at the individual scores at all. If they were to change that in the future, they certainly wouldn’t look at scores from grade 5 or 6 for high school magnet acceptance. They also don’t look at MAP scores from grade 6 for high school.

The students taking Algebra 1 take the Algebra 1 MCAP (it is different from the grade 6 or 7 or 8 MCAP).

She does not not need to switch to Algebra 1 in grade 6, she should finish pre Algebra and take Algebra 1 in 7th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They do not look at MCAP scores for any magnets or placement. I don’t even think they keep the individual student scores anywhere. It’s certainly not in synergy. I think the scores get sent to you from the state of MD and the schools use the aggregate school scores but don’t look at the individual scores at all. If they were to change that in the future, they certainly wouldn’t look at scores from grade 5 or 6 for high school magnet acceptance. They also don’t look at MAP scores from grade 6 for high school.

The students taking Algebra 1 take the Algebra 1 MCAP (it is different from the grade 6 or 7 or 8 MCAP).

She does not not need to switch to Algebra 1 in grade 6, she should finish pre Algebra and take Algebra 1 in 7th.

Thank you!

My problem is she is not challenged, is breezing through school work. The Math content specialist emailed back saying it is too late to get high school credit and any movement should have taken place within 25 days after school year started. I wasn't even aware of high school credit and honestly don't care about that. I am more concerned about my kid being challenged in school instead of being lazy. While her sibling is doing homework she is playing roblox and is addicted to it. At least if she had some challenges she will work on that. From another thread, it looks like kids who got a 250+ MAP-M in 5th at Frost MS could actually take Algebra 1 in 6th. My kid got a 260. Being in wealthier neighborhoods has its privileges I suppose.

[Anonymous]

OP having been in this situation let me give you some advice. My kid had 260 MAP-M in 3rd grade and took Algebra in 7th. Went on to Poolesville and was completely fine. Could he have taken Alg in 6th? Sure, did it have any long term impact not taking it? No. We are also not in an area where Alg 1 in 6th was offered as any kind of option without a huge fight. He actually ended up in same math class as these kids that took Alg in 6th later and did not have to deal with any scheduling hassles.

Your MCAP question seems to be a side issue and not your main concern.

You should get your daughter in some sort of outside enrichment activity. Chess? If she is interested math on Khan academy or something like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is in 6th grade and she had a Level 4 in MCAP for Math and Reading. She has a MAP score 260 for Fall 24. Is this good enough to go to Algebra 1? Her teacher told the class that if they to Algebra 1, they will be taking the MCAP for 9th graders and the MCAP in 6th grade may go to a level 2 or 3. So does this 6th grade MCAP matter for placing into Poolesville or RMIB?

On a related note, do MS teachers not respond to parent emails? Or do they take a long time to respond? Is this normal for MS?

Copy your AP (Assistant Principal), they could respond faster that way.

Thank you! I will copy the principal and ask if they received my email.

PP is right: _assistant_principal_, not main leader of an impossibly complex organization of hundreds of people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They do not look at MCAP scores for any magnets or placement. I don’t even think they keep the individual student scores anywhere. It’s certainly not in synergy. I think the scores get sent to you from the state of MD and the schools use the aggregate school scores but don’t look at the individual scores at all. If they were to change that in the future, they certainly wouldn’t look at scores from grade 5 or 6 for high school magnet acceptance. They also don’t look at MAP scores from grade 6 for high school.

The students taking Algebra 1 take the Algebra 1 MCAP (it is different from the grade 6 or 7 or 8 MCAP).

She does not not need to switch to Algebra 1 in grade 6, she should finish pre Algebra and take Algebra 1 in 7th.

Thank you!

My problem is she is not challenged, is breezing through school work. The Math content specialist emailed back saying it is too late to get high school credit and any movement should have taken place within 25 days after school year started. I wasn't even aware of high school credit and honestly don't care about that. I am more concerned about my kid being challenged in school instead of being lazy. While her sibling is doing homework she is playing roblox and is addicted to it. At least if she had some challenges she will work on that. From another thread, it looks like kids who got a 250+ MAP-M in 5th at Frost MS could actually take Algebra 1 in 6th. My kid got a 260. Being in wealthier neighborhoods has its privileges I suppose.

If you want your kid to be challenged, encourage a different non-Roblox skill, hobby, or sport. If DC is so into math, there's plenty of online enrichment available for free. But just arguing them into a harder class so they will (theoretically) have more homework won't solve the essential challenge of helping a middle schooler use their time productively. All math ends up in the same place anyway, and independent study is available to anyone with internet access (including at a public library) and curiosity. DC might just need to find their passion, not their limits of mathematical skill.