MCCPTA Gifted Education Committee's Complaint about Systemic Failures by MCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My gifted 2e kid is in K (2021-2022), and will be 1st grade(2022-2023) & 2nd grade (2023-2024). So, from my understanding, the lottery system is done by the time she is at 3rd grade (2024-2025), what does that mean? Does not affect us at all?

The new system is being piloted, could be fully implemented or not after the three years.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for posting this on DCUM.
I support the work of the Gifted Education Committee.

One of my children was shut out of a seat at a magnet middle school, despite excellent grades and high MAP scores, and finding CES instruction very easy. The lottery discriminates against high-performing students, and relegates them to general education classes that cannot be sufficiently adjusted, despite the best efforts of the teachers. As a result, my child hates school, because she spends her school days rather bored and frustrated.

Not only that, but MCPS does not implement equal access to accelerated classes in each of their schools. I learned that some middle schools offered Algebra 1 to 6th graders in reasonably good standing, but my child's middle school refused her entry to that class, despite consistently high MAP-M scores, and despite administering a test the summer before 6th grade, on which she answered most questions correctly. I was shown that test: it consisted mostly of Algebra 1 content. She was asked to do well on the content of the class she was asking to enroll in, not on the content of class she was asking to skip! And, when she made a few mistakes, she was refused entry.

It's incredibly short-sighted of MCPS to abandon a portion of the students they serve, the very group that has the potential to do great things, and increase the risk that they become un-motivated, depressed and isolated because they are not adequately challenged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Thank you for posting this on DCUM.
I support the work of the Gifted Education Committee.

One of my children was shut out of a seat at a magnet middle school, despite excellent grades and high MAP scores, and finding CES instruction very easy. The lottery discriminates against high-performing students, and relegates them to general education classes that cannot be sufficiently adjusted, despite the best efforts of the teachers. As a result, my child hates school, because she spends her school days rather bored and frustrated.

Not only that, but MCPS does not implement equal access to accelerated classes in each of their schools. I learned that some middle schools offered Algebra 1 to 6th graders in reasonably good standing, but my child's middle school refused her entry to that class, despite consistently high MAP-M scores, and despite administering a test the summer before 6th grade, on which she answered most questions correctly. I was shown that test: it consisted mostly of Algebra 1 content. She was asked to do well on the content of the class she was asking to enroll in, not on the content of class she was asking to skip! And, when she made a few mistakes, she was refused entry.

It's incredibly short-sighted of MCPS to abandon a portion of the students they serve, the very group that has the potential to do great things, and increase the risk that they become un-motivated, depressed and isolated because they are not adequately challenged.

Sorry to hear that. Do you know if it will make a difference (like more consideration) if the kid did an outside private evaluation of IQ testing or the kid has IEP or special needs or the parents hire an educational advocate to appeal the decision ruling (even it says it is lottery based)?

[Anonymous]

Back in the "old days" we got sent to the library when we were too far ahead of the rest of the class.

And in the library you saw exactly who was motivated to learn and work independent of direction - and who just wasted their time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Thank you for posting this on DCUM.
I support the work of the Gifted Education Committee.

One of my children was shut out of a seat at a magnet middle school, despite excellent grades and high MAP scores, and finding CES instruction very easy. The lottery discriminates against high-performing students, and relegates them to general education classes that cannot be sufficiently adjusted, despite the best efforts of the teachers. As a result, my child hates school, because she spends her school days rather bored and frustrated.

Not only that, but MCPS does not implement equal access to accelerated classes in each of their schools. I learned that some middle schools offered Algebra 1 to 6th graders in reasonably good standing, but my child's middle school refused her entry to that class, despite consistently high MAP-M scores, and despite administering a test the summer before 6th grade, on which she answered most questions correctly. I was shown that test: it consisted mostly of Algebra 1 content. She was asked to do well on the content of the class she was asking to enroll in, not on the content of class she was asking to skip! And, when she made a few mistakes, she was refused entry.

It's incredibly short-sighted of MCPS to abandon a portion of the students they serve, the very group that has the potential to do great things, and increase the risk that they become un-motivated, depressed and isolated because they are not adequately challenged.

Screaming into the void alongside you, PP. That is insanity. Our family’s experience has been similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Thank you for posting this on DCUM.
I support the work of the Gifted Education Committee.

One of my children was shut out of a seat at a magnet middle school, despite excellent grades and high MAP scores, and finding CES instruction very easy. The lottery discriminates against high-performing students, and relegates them to general education classes that cannot be sufficiently adjusted, despite the best efforts of the teachers. As a result, my child hates school, because she spends her school days rather bored and frustrated.

Not only that, but MCPS does not implement equal access to accelerated classes in each of their schools. I learned that some middle schools offered Algebra 1 to 6th graders in reasonably good standing, but my child's middle school refused her entry to that class, despite consistently high MAP-M scores, and despite administering a test the summer before 6th grade, on which she answered most questions correctly. I was shown that test: it consisted mostly of Algebra 1 content. She was asked to do well on the content of the class she was asking to enroll in, not on the content of class she was asking to skip! And, when she made a few mistakes, she was refused entry.

It's incredibly short-sighted of MCPS to abandon a portion of the students they serve, the very group that has the potential to do great things, and increase the risk that they become un-motivated, depressed and isolated because they are not adequately challenged.

Many kids are shut out. High map is subjective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't the VA also on a 3-year run, in the sense that funding for it will end after 3 years? VA students can't take Cogat at home. Just wondering if there's a connection there. Perhaps Cogat can return once VA funding ends. Or if new VA funding is found, Cogat goes away indefinitely.

I mean, there was always a protocol for home schoolers and private schoolers to take the Cogat at their neighborhood school. I can't imagine that's the holdup.

But how unwieldy is that in practice? They'd have to dedicate a lot of resources to each VA child to take the test at their local elementary - scheduling, proctoring, processing. I'd imagine it would take a lot of extra teacher time at a lot of different schools.

Not all home schools allow the testing. Ours did not this year. Mccpta does not care about virtual kids so it’s a nonissue with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want to know the current state of gifted education in MCPS, you should read this 95-page complaint by MCCPTA's Gifted Education Committee, filed on May 2, 2022.

Intro:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14ZwXY8AHOuwVuyd_thk5gZND-nRsusXrt47o2Hs0KEI/edit?fbclid=IwAR3xzJoqqd2rYVXY44MPO8xUIts_keOs4bB7pBLi44nkw9OKp6B84Dqcm6U

"The GEC’s Complaint from the Public (CFP) chronicles systemic failures by MCPS to faithfully implement the gifted education requirements set forth by numerous MCPS policies and Maryland State laws. MCPS’s noncompliance has resulted in an inconsistent and inequitable delivery of enriched and accelerated instruction throughout the County."

Full 95-page complaint:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t3i9kssWABBpzLoduJo-2JVziplDMhBj/view?fbclid=IwAR3UtnOwEwkB8X2IZ2-46hX8INjuzXL7YM0iTgNsFriot-6bCn6SrjC0Ew8

Their concerns seem reasonable; however, the lottery isn't ideal but if I had to prioritize anything it would be expanding the size of these programs. There is no reason any kid who wants to be in a magnet and can do the work shouldn't be but their policy results in this artificial scarcity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Thank you for posting this on DCUM.
I support the work of the Gifted Education Committee.

One of my children was shut out of a seat at a magnet middle school, despite excellent grades and high MAP scores, and finding CES instruction very easy. The lottery discriminates against high-performing students, and relegates them to general education classes that cannot be sufficiently adjusted, despite the best efforts of the teachers. As a result, my child hates school, because she spends her school days rather bored and frustrated.

Not only that, but MCPS does not implement equal access to accelerated classes in each of their schools. I learned that some middle schools offered Algebra 1 to 6th graders in reasonably good standing, but my child's middle school refused her entry to that class, despite consistently high MAP-M scores, and despite administering a test the summer before 6th grade, on which she answered most questions correctly. I was shown that test: it consisted mostly of Algebra 1 content. She was asked to do well on the content of the class she was asking to enroll in, not on the content of class she was asking to skip! And, when she made a few mistakes, she was refused entry.

It's incredibly short-sighted of MCPS to abandon a portion of the students they serve, the very group that has the potential to do great things, and increase the risk that they become un-motivated, depressed and isolated because they are not adequately challenged.

Many kids are shut out. High map is subjective.

I think it shows readiness and is a good indicator of how a student will perform in some areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Thank you for posting this on DCUM.
I support the work of the Gifted Education Committee.

One of my children was shut out of a seat at a magnet middle school, despite excellent grades and high MAP scores, and finding CES instruction very easy. The lottery discriminates against high-performing students, and relegates them to general education classes that cannot be sufficiently adjusted, despite the best efforts of the teachers. As a result, my child hates school, because she spends her school days rather bored and frustrated.

Not only that, but MCPS does not implement equal access to accelerated classes in each of their schools. I learned that some middle schools offered Algebra 1 to 6th graders in reasonably good standing, but my child's middle school refused her entry to that class, despite consistently high MAP-M scores, and despite administering a test the summer before 6th grade, on which she answered most questions correctly. I was shown that test: it consisted mostly of Algebra 1 content. She was asked to do well on the content of the class she was asking to enroll in, not on the content of class she was asking to skip! And, when she made a few mistakes, she was refused entry.

It's incredibly short-sighted of MCPS to abandon a portion of the students they serve, the very group that has the potential to do great things, and increase the risk that they become un-motivated, depressed and isolated because they are not adequately challenged.

Sorry to hear that. Do you know if it will make a difference (like more consideration) if the kid did an outside private evaluation of IQ testing or the kid has IEP or special needs or the parents hire an educational advocate to appeal the decision ruling (even it says it is lottery based)?

No it's a lottery. You can't appeal it. That's the beauty of it. However, you could appeal that you weren't in the pool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't the VA also on a 3-year run, in the sense that funding for it will end after 3 years? VA students can't take Cogat at home. Just wondering if there's a connection there. Perhaps Cogat can return once VA funding ends. Or if new VA funding is found, Cogat goes away indefinitely.

I mean, there was always a protocol for home schoolers and private schoolers to take the Cogat at their neighborhood school. I can't imagine that's the holdup.

But how unwieldy is that in practice? They'd have to dedicate a lot of resources to each VA child to take the test at their local elementary - scheduling, proctoring, processing. I'd imagine it would take a lot of extra teacher time at a lot of different schools.

Not all home schools allow the testing. Ours did not this year. Mccpta does not care about virtual kids so it’s a nonissue with them.

There was no testing this year other than MAP. So there was nothing for the home school to allow or not allow.

As for how unwieldy it is in practice, to PPs point, what they did in past years was just tell each home school or private school family to reach out and find the date/time for their home school. The 'outside' kid then did the test alongside their neighborhood peers. It was pretty easy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Thank you for posting this on DCUM.
I support the work of the Gifted Education Committee.

One of my children was shut out of a seat at a magnet middle school, despite excellent grades and high MAP scores, and finding CES instruction very easy. The lottery discriminates against high-performing students, and relegates them to general education classes that cannot be sufficiently adjusted, despite the best efforts of the teachers. As a result, my child hates school, because she spends her school days rather bored and frustrated.

Not only that, but MCPS does not implement equal access to accelerated classes in each of their schools. I learned that some middle schools offered Algebra 1 to 6th graders in reasonably good standing, but my child's middle school refused her entry to that class, despite consistently high MAP-M scores, and despite administering a test the summer before 6th grade, on which she answered most questions correctly. I was shown that test: it consisted mostly of Algebra 1 content. She was asked to do well on the content of the class she was asking to enroll in, not on the content of class she was asking to skip! And, when she made a few mistakes, she was refused entry.

It's incredibly short-sighted of MCPS to abandon a portion of the students they serve, the very group that has the potential to do great things, and increase the risk that they become un-motivated, depressed and isolated because they are not adequately challenged.

Sorry to hear that. Do you know if it will make a difference (like more consideration) if the kid did an outside private evaluation of IQ testing or the kid has IEP or special needs or the parents hire an educational advocate to appeal the decision ruling (even it says it is lottery based)?

No it's a lottery. You can't appeal it. That's the beauty of it. However, you could appeal that you weren't in the pool.

+1 One of the things MCCPTA GEC is asking for is for the notification of whether your child is "in pool" happen BEFORE the lottery to give parents a chance to appeal before the big lottery draw. Under the current system, you get one letter that tells you: If your child was in pool; and If they to a lucky number. This means that the appeals process can only get you onto the wait list for future seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to know the current state of gifted education in MCPS, you should read this 95-page complaint by MCCPTA's Gifted Education Committee, filed on May 2, 2022.

Intro:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14ZwXY8AHOuwVuyd_thk5gZND-nRsusXrt47o2Hs0KEI/edit?fbclid=IwAR3xzJoqqd2rYVXY44MPO8xUIts_keOs4bB7pBLi44nkw9OKp6B84Dqcm6U

"The GEC’s Complaint from the Public (CFP) chronicles systemic failures by MCPS to faithfully implement the gifted education requirements set forth by numerous MCPS policies and Maryland State laws. MCPS’s noncompliance has resulted in an inconsistent and inequitable delivery of enriched and accelerated instruction throughout the County."

Full 95-page complaint:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t3i9kssWABBpzLoduJo-2JVziplDMhBj/view?fbclid=IwAR3UtnOwEwkB8X2IZ2-46hX8INjuzXL7YM0iTgNsFriot-6bCn6SrjC0Ew8

Their concerns seem reasonable; however, the lottery isn't ideal but if I had to prioritize anything it would be expanding the size of these programs. There is no reason any kid who wants to be in a magnet and can do the work shouldn't be but their policy results in this artificial scarcity.

I agree with you that the "pie" should be bigger.

[Anonymous]

I have a HSer in magent, and it has made such a difference in DC being challenged and engaged. DC did not bother to apply to MS magnet due to commute issues, and we regret it. DC did go to HGC (when it was called that). DC was sooo bored in MS, and the teachers could do nothing for DC. MS was the pits for DC. Just a waste of 3 years.

We are almost out of the game with magnet in MCPS, but I think what MCPS is doing to these kids is just awful. Making kids who are bored at school because they are not challenged even more bored and probably hate school even more.

And no, we never prepped or did any kind of tutoring at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn't the VA also on a 3-year run, in the sense that funding for it will end after 3 years? VA students can't take Cogat at home. Just wondering if there's a connection there. Perhaps Cogat can return once VA funding ends. Or if new VA funding is found, Cogat goes away indefinitely.

I mean, there was always a protocol for home schoolers and private schoolers to take the Cogat at their neighborhood school. I can't imagine that's the holdup.

But how unwieldy is that in practice? They'd have to dedicate a lot of resources to each VA child to take the test at their local elementary - scheduling, proctoring, processing. I'd imagine it would take a lot of extra teacher time at a lot of different schools.

Not all home schools allow the testing. Ours did not this year. Mccpta does not care about virtual kids so it’s a nonissue with them.

There was no testing this year other than MAP. So there was nothing for the home school to allow or not allow.

As for how unwieldy it is in practice, to PPs point, what they did in past years was just tell each home school or private school family to reach out and find the date/time for their home school. The 'outside' kid then did the test alongside their neighborhood peers. It was pretty easy.

What are you talking about? There were MCAP for some kids, which is a graduation requirement.