mcps. sounds about right. (GT admissions changes)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Surprised to see the article said that outside testing was used to qualify. I did not think this was true.

It was just one of the many ways wealthier parents could game the system in past years.

the prior system sounds ridiculous. parent recommendations and teacher recommendations needed to qualify instead of universal screening.

There was also a test.

They changed the test last year. Messed up some of the prep program success rates.

The second statement is not true. The test was very similar to the test the kids aced to get into the CESs in the first place, which is why MCPS won't release the test scores of the admitted students. It was the "peer cohort" criteria that messed up success rates.

[Anonymous]

If all of sudden Asian American students bombed the test then MCPS wouldn't have a problem releasing the data. MCPS isn't trying to hide the fact that the highest scoring students didn't get in but they do not want people to know how the low they relaxed the standards. I also suspect that these lower standards were used to let a few white kids in that otherwise shouldn't be there if it were a truly fair process. Regardless, MCPS itself said in the article that it did not admit the brightest kids. This isn't a secret.

Why is one poster so intent on creating falsehoods to support MCPS in ways that MCPS itself evening trying to claim? Why does she hate Asian Americans so much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Surprised to see the article said that outside testing was used to qualify. I did not think this was true.

It was just one of the many ways wealthier parents could game the system in past years.

the prior system sounds ridiculous. parent recommendations and teacher recommendations needed to qualify instead of universal screening.

There was also a test.

They changed the test last year. Messed up some of the prep program success rates.

The second statement is not true. The test was very similar to the test the kids aced to get into the CESs in the first place, which is why MCPS won't release the test scores of the admitted students. It was the "peer cohort" criteria that messed up success rates.

No it was the difference between competing with 800 vs 4000. But you don't want to believe that.

[Anonymous]

No it was the difference between competing with 800 vs 4000. But you don't want to believe that.

MCPS isn't even saying this. They've been really clear that they had to use the outlier and cohort to achieve the diversity they wanted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I remember seeing this in a previous thread and found it both funny and probably closer to the truth than people want to believe....

Administrator #1: "Wow, look at those SAT scores over there at Blair. It's really amazing isn't it? We need to send out a press release!"
Administrator #2: "Definitely! Hold on a second, all these names of Intel Scholars sound Asian. Let me see the full list of Magnet students. All these names sound Asian and White."
Administrator #1: "Yea, they've been gaming the system for years. Sending their kids to tutors, supplementing education, and actually filling out the application"
Administrator #2: "Oh no, we can't have that! That isn't fair"
Administrator #1: "I know. We send parents information and leave phone mail message constantly in both English and Spanish but Hispanics and African Americans don't apply"
Administrator #2: "It sounds like we need try and make the application easier."
Administrator #1: "I've got a better idea! Lets get rid of the application all together. Test everyone."
Administrator #2: "Brilliant! But what about the fact that Black and Hispanics test lower across the board on all standardized tests, how do we overcome that?"
Administrator #1: "We should just set up quotas by race."
Administrator #2: "I wish. They passed a stupid law against quotas."
Administrator #1: "Let's think, how can we get around the law. Most Whites and Asians like to live in the same snobby rich areas, right?"
Administrator #2: "Right... God I hate those Whites and Asians!"
Administrator #1: "Then lets say that if you live in an area where your home school has other really smart kids then you get penalized in the admissions process."
Administrator #2: "Great Idea! That way, we can say that we aren't giving preference to race, we can disguise it as preference by opportunity."
Administrator #1: "Wait, but won't that make the SAT scores at Blair go down? Won't that make us look bad?"
Administrator #2: "Of course it will but we are doing it for the greater good. Plus, we work for the Government. What are they going to do fire us?
Administrator #1: "Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
Administrator #2: "Ha ha ha ha he he ha ha!"

OMG.

That is spot on! I could definitely see that happening.

[Anonymous]

"You're still here? It's over.

Go home. Go!"

--Ferris Bueller (1986)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If all of sudden Asian American students bombed the test then MCPS wouldn't have a problem releasing the data. MCPS isn't trying to hide the fact that the highest scoring students didn't get in but they do not want people to know how the low they relaxed the standards. I also suspect that these lower standards were used to let a few white kids in that otherwise shouldn't be there if it were a truly fair process. Regardless, MCPS itself said in the article that it did not admit the brightest kids. This isn't a secret.

Why is one poster so intent on creating falsehoods to support MCPS in ways that MCPS itself evening trying to claim? Why does she hate Asian Americans so much?

Why do you ignore the majority of Asian-Americans who live in the rest of the downcounty?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I remember seeing this in a previous thread and found it both funny and probably closer to the truth than people want to believe....

Administrator #1: "Wow, look at those SAT scores over there at Blair. It's really amazing isn't it? We need to send out a press release!"
Administrator #2: "Definitely! Hold on a second, all these names of Intel Scholars sound Asian. Let me see the full list of Magnet students. All these names sound Asian and White."
Administrator #1: "Yea, they've been gaming the system for years. Sending their kids to tutors, supplementing education, and actually filling out the application"
Administrator #2: "Oh no, we can't have that! That isn't fair"
Administrator #1: "I know. We send parents information and leave phone mail message constantly in both English and Spanish but Hispanics and African Americans don't apply"
Administrator #2: "It sounds like we need try and make the application easier."
Administrator #1: "I've got a better idea! Lets get rid of the application all together. Test everyone."
Administrator #2: "Brilliant! But what about the fact that Black and Hispanics test lower across the board on all standardized tests, how do we overcome that?"
Administrator #1: "We should just set up quotas by race."
Administrator #2: "I wish. They passed a stupid law against quotas."
Administrator #1: "Let's think, how can we get around the law. Most Whites and Asians like to live in the same snobby rich areas, right?"
Administrator #2: "Right... God I hate those Whites and Asians!"
Administrator #1: "Then lets say that if you live in an area where your home school has other really smart kids then you get penalized in the admissions process."
Administrator #2: "Great Idea! That way, we can say that we aren't giving preference to race, we can disguise it as preference by opportunity."
Administrator #1: "Wait, but won't that make the SAT scores at Blair go down? Won't that make us look bad?"
Administrator #2: "Of course it will but we are doing it for the greater good. Plus, we work for the Government. What are they going to do fire us?
Administrator #1: "Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
Administrator #2: "Ha ha ha ha he he ha ha!"

OMG.

That is spot on! I could definitely see that happening.

Why do the administrators care that there are less Hispanics and blacks in the program. It's not like the superintendent would fire them

[Anonymous]

Has the new screening process actually increased the children of color in the CES? Our very diverse Focus school had about a dozen students admitted but as far as I know, they were all white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I remember seeing this in a previous thread and found it both funny and probably closer to the truth than people want to believe....

Administrator #1: "Wow, look at those SAT scores over there at Blair. It's really amazing isn't it? We need to send out a press release!"
Administrator #2: "Definitely! Hold on a second, all these names of Intel Scholars sound Asian. Let me see the full list of Magnet students. All these names sound Asian and White."
Administrator #1: "Yea, they've been gaming the system for years. Sending their kids to tutors, supplementing education, and actually filling out the application"
Administrator #2: "Oh no, we can't have that! That isn't fair"
Administrator #1: "I know. We send parents information and leave phone mail message constantly in both English and Spanish but Hispanics and African Americans don't apply"
Administrator #2: "It sounds like we need try and make the application easier."
Administrator #1: "I've got a better idea! Lets get rid of the application all together. Test everyone."
Administrator #2: "Brilliant! But what about the fact that Black and Hispanics test lower across the board on all standardized tests, how do we overcome that?"
Administrator #1: "We should just set up quotas by race."
Administrator #2: "I wish. They passed a stupid law against quotas."
Administrator #1: "Let's think, how can we get around the law. Most Whites and Asians like to live in the same snobby rich areas, right?"
Administrator #2: "Right... God I hate those Whites and Asians!"
Administrator #1: "Then lets say that if you live in an area where your home school has other really smart kids then you get penalized in the admissions process."
Administrator #2: "Great Idea! That way, we can say that we aren't giving preference to race, we can disguise it as preference by opportunity."
Administrator #1: "Wait, but won't that make the SAT scores at Blair go down? Won't that make us look bad?"
Administrator #2: "Of course it will but we are doing it for the greater good. Plus, we work for the Government. What are they going to do fire us?
Administrator #1: "Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
Administrator #2: "Ha ha ha ha he he ha ha!"

OMG.

That is spot on! I could definitely see that happening.

Why do the administrators care that there are less Hispanics and blacks in the program. It's not like the superintendent would fire them

You might want to look up BoE meeting minutes - especially the one, I think in April/May, after all the kerfuffle about the new MS Magnet admissions process, where one of the members (Rocca, I believe) asked why the minority enrollment did not change significantly in spite of the new admissions process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Surprised to see the article said that outside testing was used to qualify. I did not think this was true.

It was just one of the many ways wealthier parents could game the system in past years.

the prior system sounds ridiculous. parent recommendations and teacher recommendations needed to qualify instead of universal screening.

There was also a test.

They changed the test last year. Messed up some of the prep program success rates.

You have no idea what you are talking about. They didn't change' the test, they shortened it! Instead of a full-battery CogAt, they only administered a screener. Same text, only 1/3 in length. Didn't mess up any of the prep programs, kids who attended those had all the advantages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"You're still here? It's over.

Go home. Go!"

--Ferris Bueller (1986)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Surprised to see the article said that outside testing was used to qualify. I did not think this was true.

It was just one of the many ways wealthier parents could game the system in past years.

the prior system sounds ridiculous. parent recommendations and teacher recommendations needed to qualify instead of universal screening.

There was also a test.

They changed the test last year. Messed up some of the prep program success rates.

You have no idea what you are talking about. They didn't change' the test, they shortened it! Instead of a full-battery CogAt, they only administered a screener. Same text, only 1/3 in length. Didn't mess up any of the prep programs, kids who attended those had all the advantages.

Is that you Dr. Li?

[Anonymous]

Why do people constantly bring up prep programs? Are there any statistics on the percentage of magnet students who went through a prep program? Is there any evidence that the students who do go through such a program score significantly better than they would have otherwise?

I have 2 kids who have been in the magnet programs from 4th grade through high school. The only prep they had was glancing briefly at the sample questions on the MCPS website.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Surprised to see the article said that outside testing was used to qualify. I did not think this was true.

It was just one of the many ways wealthier parents could game the system in past years.

the prior system sounds ridiculous. parent recommendations and teacher recommendations needed to qualify instead of universal screening.

There was also a test.

They changed the test last year. Messed up some of the prep program success rates.

This is positively Trumpian!

FYI: *even MCPS* is not claiming what you believe. If what you believe is true, MCPS could just shrug and say, "tough luck, the test changed, and your kids did not do well." But they don't, because we are talking about kids who had no problem acing the new test, and aced PARCC/MAP/etc. They were not admitted to TPMS/Eastern this year solely because of the peer group criterion. These are kids for whom the test did not make any difference.



A thought experiment: MCPS could have first tried universal testing along with a new test but without the peer group criterion. Why do you think they included the peer group factor on top of the other two?