MS Magnet letters are starting to arrive

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is interested in science, but only got accepted in Eastern because his reading is stronger. We are struggling if Eastern is a good choice. Any advices are appreciated.

Does he enjoy writing? Eastern has a very strong writing component from what I hear, and if he struggles with that (relatively), I don't think he would like it.

[Anonymous]

He is good at writing. But he likes science too. Will Eastern teach real advanced science?

[Anonymous]

No first hand experience, but heard that Eastern teaches regular (like in local school) science = almost no science.

[Anonymous]

Would attending Eastern help a student become a better write? (I mean a student who is a good fit otherwise and is admitted).

[Anonymous]

^^^^^
I would say definitely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would attending Eastern help a student become a better write? (I mean a student who is a good fit otherwise and is admitted).

Yes, definitely. In ways that the regular humanities curriculum does not even begin to approach.

[Anonymous]

You all are stupid!

[Anonymous]

The acceptance letters come at one time or another! Simple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all are stupid!

.


You revived a 2 year old thread to say this?

[Anonymous]

I started this thread two years ago. Funny to see it revived as we wait for our current 5th grader's results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started this thread two years ago. Funny to see it revived as we wait for our current 5th grader's results.

Did your older kid get in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I started this thread two years ago. Funny to see it revived as we wait for our current 5th grader's results.

Did your older kid get in?

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I started this thread two years ago. Funny to see it revived as we wait for our current 5th grader's results.

and revived only to tell everyone they are stupid!

[Anonymous]

It was probably revived by one of the non-magnet student bullies at one of the ms magnets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If this is the case, explain why on application there is Home High School, and gender.
They definitely use both. Otherwise most kids will be only from W cluster, or only from HGCs. That is not the case.

Can you explain this assumption of yours, please?

I am not PP, if you're talking about this assumption as "otherwise most kids will be only from W cluster or only from HGCs," I think the assumption rests on three things.

First, that admission depends almost entirely on test results. I'm not sure that's true given what I've seen over the years about the tests scores and various decisions to admit or deny students.

Second, is that in these types of standardized group-administered ability tests, the same kind of income/performance level correlations are at work that we see, for example, in the SAT. It doesn't mean that wealthy kids are smarter than poor kids, but that there is some kind of advantage they enjoy in the process that helps them score higher on average as a group -- home tutoring, test prep, exposure to enriching activities, more exposure to books, confidence, less stress and anxiety in life, etc. There are a zillion possibilities.

Third, I also think it's clear that those kids who have enjoyed advanced instruction -- in the HGC, for example -- are likely to score better. My DD, who was in the HGC and a MS magnet, mentioned that at some point (I forget whether she said HGC or MS) they actually received explicit instruction and practice in how to solve Raven-type puzzles. I know her math instruction was more advanced, and so she would likely score better on the math portion of the MS exam, which definitely requires math skills/knowledge that can be taught. I have no idea why the school or teachers teach Ravens, as it's not part of curriculum, but I believe her. I've also watched my son's MAP-M percentiles plummet since he's been taken off the accelerated curriculum track after the introduction of C2.0 -- the lack of accelerated instruction is clearly the cause. It would have the same effect on MS SCAT scores. There's no way he could get the questions that depend on understanding averages if he wasn't exposed to them, but another kid was taking compacted 4/5/6 was or getting the instruction at home

+1 You nailed it!

You and Pp are conflating the W clusters and affluence/education/privilege.

NP: I see the point here, and I can't really stand all of the assumptions about W vs. Downcounty schools, but the truth is that W cluster attendance and affluence/privilege are correlated. That does not mean that there aren't affluent parents in Silver Spring. But it does mean when we look at overall trends of who is advantaged, it tends to correlate with cluster. And research clearly shows that SES affords opportunity in terms of these tests. So I think that that is the point.