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Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)
Moving to MCPS for 6th grade
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Anonymous
| We are at Pyle and while it’s big, it has a great range of classes and good electives. My child is sufficiently challenged in English and Social Studies, and is doing well in advanced math and language classes. Science is kind of meh in MS. A number of friends in the grade moved from DCPS for 5th or 6th. |
Anonymous
|
They don't call it tracking, but:
The Centers for Enriched Studies (CES) are regional or local-school-only (why they have the latter with a political atmosphere promoting equity is beyond me) elementary magnets. Currently, selection for these is lottery from a pool defined by second-quarter report cards and locally-normed winter MAP-R scores from 3rd grade. These focus on language arts and social studies, with some nod to science, as well. The pool is far larger than the number of seats, though that is less the case at the four local-school Centers. Students identified but not placed are supposed to be afforded an enhanced ELA curriculum ("Enriched Literacy Curriculum" or "ELC") at their home school, though implementation seems to vary. Irrespective of CES selection/ELC placement, students in 3rd grade are identified for accelerated math beginning in 4th grade (at whichever school, local or magnet). That process uses similar, but not the same, metrics (e.g., MAP-M, maybe from the spring, perhaps not locally normed?). The two-year set has kids completing 6th grade math by the end of 5th grade. In rare cases, individual students with true outlier capability are identified for grade skipping before or during these later elementary grades. In a couple of schools, it is alleged that parents have banded together to ask for even greater acceleration for a whole cohort of students, presumably relying on outside enrichment to promote them/cover anything that otherwise would be missed. Irrespective of each of these, there is a GT identification process ("SIPPI") conducted in grades 2, 3, 5 and 8, I think. The GT designation is supposed to guide instruction via enrichments within the standard curriculum, but, given the experiences of families that indicate high variability in implementation and, often, difficulty having teachers identify what, if anything, is provided to address a GT designation, it is pretty clear that MCPS more or less treats this as just going through the motions to comply with COMAR (state law), which requires, quite ambiguously, GT identification and associated instruction. Now, to your DC, who is in 5th grade: Math diverges a bit in MS. Many who completed the accelerated elementary math track continue into another acceleration in 6th. That used to be AIM, which combined 7th and 8th grade math into 1 year, but that course was built on a deprecated curriculum, and most schools are turing to AMP 7+, which is in the newer curriculum and combines the second half of 7th with all of 8th. While AIM covered more, the curricular disconnect left certain pre-Algebra concepts uncovered; AMP 7+, of course, leaves out the first half of 7th grade math, but that is seen by MCPS as something that might more easily be reviewed within the confines of the course due to the spiral curricular nature (repeat of concepts at higher levels/increased complexity from grade to grade). Either AIM or AMP 7+ in 6th lead to Algebra in 7th. Students who had not been in accelerated elementary math can still be placed in these, either by the same process as identification for the Math/Science/CS magnet pool (which is supposed to come with a guarantee of availability of the AIM/AMP 7+ path at the local school if not offered a magnet seat by lottery), or by local school identification (MS math leads are supposed to work with ES teachers to do this). If not identified for AIM/AMP 7+, a student might be placed in AMP 6+, all of 6th and half of 7th (leading to 7+), or, particularly if they had been in elementary math acceleration, completing 6th grade content but not quite as masterfully, into Math 7; each of these lead, generally, to Algebra in 8th grade (1 year ahead of common core standards). Of course, there are those ultra-accelerated kids mentioned above who might take Algebra in 6th. MCPS has an alternative approach for placement for those coming into the system from outside (either another jurisdiction or private). The system has a vested interest in ensuring, as much as possible, successful completion of Algebra due to a state-mandated Algebra test, passage of which is, effectively, a graduation requirement. Also, there should be consideration of the impact that highly-advanced math in MS has on that taken in HS, as a student must take a class each year -- Algebra in 7th, for instance, generally means Calculus in Junior year, with more advanced college content, usually, in Senior year; though there are options for stretching that out or going with a less challenging course than Differential Equations, for instance, it is often difficult for a student to see that as favorable in the eyes of a college admissions officer. There are two criteria-based MS programs, each offered at two schools. The number of seats is small -- maybe 200 total for Math/Science/CS and 185 for Humanities. These programs, like the CES in elementary, are seated via central identification and lottery. There is a separate process for those coming from outside jurisdictions or private, but the time for that may already have passed with respect to the inital lottery -- such identification, now, may place a student in the lottery pool for backfill (i.e., any declined seats from the initial lottery). As noted, those identified but not offered a seat are supposed to be afforded advanced math or advanced social studies ("HIGH") locally. Some schools have adopted a HIGH-for-all model that makes provision of the intended advanced programming challenging when there isn't a whole-class, high-performing cohort. Again, local implementation seems to be varied, and the local courses are not as robust, cross-curricularly tied or rigorous as the magnets. With a local set-aside for magnet seats at TPMS (the home of the Math/Science/CS prpgram for the lower 2/3 of the county), living in TKPK can make the odds of getting placed better; some students not in the program but at the school might access individual classes. There might be a similar set-aside for the other magnets (Eastern is the Humanities magnet for the lower 2/3, Clemente and King ar the M/S/CS and Hum mangnets for the upper 1/3). There are three interest-based MS magnets in lower central MoCo. Living in-bounds for Argyle (Digital Design), Loiederman (Creative/Performing Arts) or Parkland (Aerospace) allows ranked choice among the three, with a reasonably large percent getting their preference. Those interested from outside this Middle School Magnet Consortium area can apply for a lottery (no qualification needed) for 100 out-of-bounds seats at each. While providing enrichment in the focus area, it may be that only the Physics course at Parkland represents a HS-level option not available elsewhere. There are HS magnets, too. Those of highest interest among high performance-focused families seem to be SMaCS (Science, Math and CS) at Blair or Poolesville and the county-wide IB at Richard Montgomery. There are local or regional versions of the latter, but not all have the cohort to offer the most rigorous courses. The former is really quite rigorous. Seats are few. There are a number of other magnets, and each has its advantages and adherents. You'd need to look at the MCPS website to determine which programs are available at which schools and where a student would need to live to be eligible. I wouldn't discount any of them or any local school non-magnet just because of the zealous focus on those two first mentioned. In a few years, probably as your DC is getting to HS (though maybe a year later?), Woodward HS will open (just north of Walter Johnson HS), and it is supposed to have a yet-to-be-identified magnet program. It also will come with redistricting (defining new boundaries for school service areas), and the scope of that is in flux (and the subject of a few long threads on this board). Don't take any of this as gospel (go ask MCPS, if you need that, though they don't always give clear enough answers), but I hope it helps. |
Anonymous
| Move to Howard. |
Anonymous
That doesn’t answer my question. |
Anonymous
|
I was a strong supporter of mcps/public school until the last few years. My kid was in mcps for 3 years but now we are in private. Too much violence going on right now with no repercussions/consequences.
Bethesda schools are no better. |
Anonymous
What are you talking about? My kid is in HIGH and it doesn't have kids who don't need enrichment. OP, MCPS offers two more advanced options in middle school - an advanced social studies course ("Historical Inquiry into Global Humanities" - HIGH - in 6th and 7th, and "Historical Inquiry into American Studies" in 8th); and an advanced math track (where kids can end up in algebra in 7th or 8th, as opposed to the "normal" track of algebra in 9th). Talk to the counselor at the schools you are looking at for info on placement. We know kids from DCPS who successfully had their kids placed into these advanced courses. In terms of schools, if you are looking at Bethesda, options include Pyle (which feeds to Whitman), as well as Westland and Silver Creek (both of which feed to B-CC). We moved from DC and prioritized being near the Bethesda metro for work purposes, so we are at Silver Creek/B-CC and are relatively happy - certainly much happier than we were with DCPS. But many posters here prefer Pyle/Whitman--it was just too suburban for us. |
Anonymous
We are very happy at Pyle |
Anonymous
You're dead wrong. Ask a guidance counselor. |
Anonymous
At some middle schools all kids are in HIGH so I have to agree with that. |
Anonymous
Right. This is school-by-school. Some schools "cohort" the HIGH students. Some offer HIGH for everyone and don't have cohorts. It's down to the principal discretion, which is incredibly frustrating because HIGH was initially developed and offered to meet the needs of "highly able learners" who didn't get a seat at one of the middle school magnets. |
Anonymous
| My kids did/do an MCPS language immersion program for K-5, then private for MS, then MCPS for HS. Working out great for our 3 kids. |
Anonymous
But the first PP was saying that kids are in one social studies class, and some get HIGH and others don’t, so the teacher has to teach two classes in one. That is not the case — if everyone is in HIGH then the class is HIGH, not both HIGH and Global Studies. |
Anonymous
| My kiddo is in 6th grade and considered gifted & talented through MCPS. He attended the Center for enriched studies in 4th and 5th grade. We’re in the Whitman cluster. Which is the the best cluster to be in for the Bethesda area However, he’s bored and on cruise control at his middle school. If you’re looking for an academically challenging curriculum you need to apply for a magnet school and win the lottery, literally, to be accepted. Or attend a private school. Sorry… magic eight ball says outlook is so so. |
Anonymous
| We did this switch. DC tested into the advanced math track, and that plus foreign language (which is considered a HS class even when taken in middle school) were the only challenging classes in middle school. Although some schools were talking about offering some more advanced work in other subjects. We did like the atmosphere better in terms of fewer disruptions and discipline issues than Deal. If you want an environment with more down to earth kids and families, look at North Bethesda. If you want to make social connections and set your kid up for an Ivy admit, you’ll find more parents to compete with at Pyle. |
Anonymous
Did you not hear about the anti-racism (aka CRT) struggle sessions they held a few years ago? It was bonkers. |
