TJ Falls to 14th in the Nation Per US News

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To take a principle from security, the most secure encryption algorithms are the ones that still work well even when everyone knows exactly how they work.

The idea that you can guarantee the integrity of a test by making it so super-secret that no one can know what's on it was IMO a silly one to begin with. A good test is one where you know exactly what's going to be on it, but it's still challenging enough that you're not going to do well on it unless you genuinely know what you're doing.

Do you think kids should prep for CoGAT or WISC?

DP. I think admissions should use tests like PSAT, where prep materials are readily available, and prep is assumed, but where it has a somewhat limited effect. Even aside from the Curie controversy, it's absurd to imagine that kids wouldn't tell younger relatives or friends about the types of questions on the Quant Q. Other than the first year Quant Q was given, it was always going to be the case that some kids would have unfair knowledge of the types of problems on the test.

The question was for CoGAT or WISC.

Why are you so concerned with what people "should" do? The reality is that people will prep for CogAT and WISC. If it's important to a school or program to get un-prepped scores or to level the playing field, then they shouldn't use tests that people "shouldn't" prep for but will anyway. Honestly, in FCPS, they probably should provide prep materials for CogAT to everyone. The scores wouldn't be valid in an absolute sense, but they'd be better for gauging relative ability among all students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To take a principle from security, the most secure encryption algorithms are the ones that still work well even when everyone knows exactly how they work.

The idea that you can guarantee the integrity of a test by making it so super-secret that no one can know what's on it was IMO a silly one to begin with. A good test is one where you know exactly what's going to be on it, but it's still challenging enough that you're not going to do well on it unless you genuinely know what you're doing.

Do you think kids should prep for CoGAT or WISC?

DP. I think admissions should use tests like PSAT, where prep materials are readily available, and prep is assumed, but where it has a somewhat limited effect. Even aside from the Curie controversy, it's absurd to imagine that kids wouldn't tell younger relatives or friends about the types of questions on the Quant Q. Other than the first year Quant Q was given, it was always going to be the case that some kids would have unfair knowledge of the types of problems on the test.

The question was for CoGAT or WISC.

Why are you so concerned with what people "should" do? The reality is that people will prep for CogAT and WISC. If it's important to a school or program to get un-prepped scores or to level the playing field, then they shouldn't use tests that people "shouldn't" prep for but will anyway. Honestly, in FCPS, they probably should provide prep materials for CogAT to everyone. The scores wouldn't be valid in an absolute sense, but they'd be better for gauging relative ability among all students.

“It’s ok to cheat if everyone is doing it.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the current race quota based admissions, there is huge talent gap between the bottom couple hundred students, who would have never gotten in on merit basis, and the top hundred kids who are enrolled in most advanced post-AP courses and research.

Sad part is the bottom hundred kids are not only enrolled in minimum rigor courses but also are being convinced to accept Cs and Ds.

it's basically turning into a Charter School. The kids at the top are still stars but the kids at the bottom are drowning and 10% of them return to their base school

Some people keep making these claims but sadly can't back them up with any facts. My child is thriving there and I've not heard anything like this personally.

It's pretty easy. Look at the graduating class subtract the entering class for that year and subtract the froshmores for that year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the current race quota based admissions, there is huge talent gap between the bottom couple hundred students, who would have never gotten in on merit basis, and the top hundred kids who are enrolled in most advanced post-AP courses and research.

Sad part is the bottom hundred kids are not only enrolled in minimum rigor courses but also are being convinced to accept Cs and Ds.

it's basically turning into a Charter School. The kids at the top are still stars but the kids at the bottom are drowning and 10% of them return to their base school

Some people keep making these claims but sadly can't back them up with any facts. My child is thriving there and I've not heard anything like this personally.

It's pretty easy. Look at the graduating class subtract the entering class for that year and subtract the froshmores for that year.

Just not seeing it, but what is crystal clear is how much less toxic things are now. It's a much nicer place these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the current race quota based admissions, there is huge talent gap between the bottom couple hundred students, who would have never gotten in on merit basis, and the top hundred kids who are enrolled in most advanced post-AP courses and research.

Sad part is the bottom hundred kids are not only enrolled in minimum rigor courses but also are being convinced to accept Cs and Ds.

it's basically turning into a Charter School. The kids at the top are still stars but the kids at the bottom are drowning and 10% of them return to their base school

Some people keep making these claims but sadly can't back them up with any facts. My child is thriving there and I've not heard anything like this personally.

It's pretty easy. Look at the graduating class subtract the entering class for that year and subtract the froshmores for that year.

Just not seeing it, but what is crystal clear is how much less toxic things are now. It's a much nicer place these days.

Absolutely the stress level is noticably lower. The stratification is pretty clear and everyone sort of knows where they fit in terms of academic competitiveness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the current race quota based admissions, there is huge talent gap between the bottom couple hundred students, who would have never gotten in on merit basis, and the top hundred kids who are enrolled in most advanced post-AP courses and research.

Sad part is the bottom hundred kids are not only enrolled in minimum rigor courses but also are being convinced to accept Cs and Ds.

it's basically turning into a Charter School. The kids at the top are still stars but the kids at the bottom are drowning and 10% of them return to their base school

Some people keep making these claims but sadly can't back them up with any facts. My child is thriving there and I've not heard anything like this personally.

It's pretty easy. Look at the graduating class subtract the entering class for that year and subtract the froshmores for that year.

Just not seeing it, but what is crystal clear is how much less toxic things are now. It's a much nicer place these days.

Absolutely the stress level is noticably lower. The stratification is pretty clear and everyone sort of knows where they fit in terms of academic competitiveness.

The kids seem as bright as ever just not as cut throat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the current race quota based admissions, there is huge talent gap between the bottom couple hundred students, who would have never gotten in on merit basis, and the top hundred kids who are enrolled in most advanced post-AP courses and research.

Sad part is the bottom hundred kids are not only enrolled in minimum rigor courses but also are being convinced to accept Cs and Ds.

it's basically turning into a Charter School. The kids at the top are still stars but the kids at the bottom are drowning and 10% of them return to their base school

Some people keep making these claims but sadly can't back them up with any facts. My child is thriving there and I've not heard anything like this personally.

It's pretty easy. Look at the graduating class subtract the entering class for that year and subtract the froshmores for that year.

Just not seeing it, but what is crystal clear is how much less toxic things are now. It's a much nicer place these days.

Absolutely the stress level is noticably lower. The stratification is pretty clear and everyone sort of knows where they fit in terms of academic competitiveness.

The kids seem as bright as ever just not as cut throat.

But they're not. The median PSAT score dropped over 100 points. I expect the SAT scores will see a similar drop this year.
The kids that had Math 4 in the Spring of 2022 were the worst class of math 4 students in TJs history, based on an email the math department sent to the students.
Sure, the top students are still very good but now only about a third to maybe half the students are as good as they used to be.

[Anonymous]

Long winded anecdotal posts aside, the school has dropped to 14th place. Thats all you need to know. Standardized tests for entry were the best way to predict success. But because merit isn’t in style anymore we allow mediocrity to go unchecked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Long winded anecdotal posts aside, the school has dropped to 14th place. Thats all you need to know. Standardized tests for entry were the best way to predict success. But because merit isn’t in style anymore we allow mediocrity to go unchecked.

Merit will always be in style. What they are trying to do is fool you into thinking that the changes in merit are small while the changes in diversity re profound when it is closer to the opposite.

[Anonymous]

Huge drop in NMSF this year going to be announced. Stay tuned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Huge drop in NMSF this year going to be announced. Stay tuned.

Class of 2024 was old admissions process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huge drop in NMSF this year going to be announced. Stay tuned.

Class of 2024 was old admissions process.

Oof. Is it almost 2025?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huge drop in NMSF this year going to be announced. Stay tuned.

Class of 2024 was old admissions process.

Oof. Is it almost 2025?

The new admissions class of 2025 had the huge drop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the current race quota based admissions, there is huge talent gap between the bottom couple hundred students, who would have never gotten in on merit basis, and the top hundred kids who are enrolled in most advanced post-AP courses and research.

Sad part is the bottom hundred kids are not only enrolled in minimum rigor courses but also are being convinced to accept Cs and Ds.

it's basically turning into a Charter School. The kids at the top are still stars but the kids at the bottom are drowning and 10% of them return to their base school

Some people keep making these claims but sadly can't back them up with any facts. My child is thriving there and I've not heard anything like this personally.

It's pretty easy. Look at the graduating class subtract the entering class for that year and subtract the froshmores for that year.

Just not seeing it, but what is crystal clear is how much less toxic things are now. It's a much nicer place these days.

Absolutely the stress level is noticably lower. The stratification is pretty clear and everyone sort of knows where they fit in terms of academic competitiveness.

The silver lining is that in order to accommodate the less academically accomplished students, the grading standard has been relaxed. This relieves a lot of the grading stress the more competitive kids are experiencing and allows them to focus more on things like their club and sports activities. They are actually getting a more normal high school experience.

[Anonymous]

81 NMSF from TJ.