Why are we having so many regional magnets when the Watkins Mills and Seneca Valley programs were failures?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the info.

HOWEVER, i cannot find the 73% of the Seneca Valley.

The page shows 52.3% took one or more IB exam; 37.8% took one or more IB exam of a score of 4 or high

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Countywide, about 60% of students in class of 2024 that took at least one IB exams got a score of 4 or higher.

At Watkins Mill this percentage was 57% in 2024 so comparable to the rest of the county.

At Seneca Valley it was 73% which is better than the county average.

These are not the IB programs that sound like failures to me.
https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2025/251002%20Information%20ANNUAL%20HS%20Principals%20AP%20IB%20Exam%20Participation%20Performance%20Class%20of%202024.pdf

Thanks for this, PP. It sounds like those programs were successful, if we assume (as I do) that the goal was to provide a rigorous pathway for motivated students. They were never meant to change the trajectory or demographics of an entire school, but rather to ensure that college-bound kids have access to equitable resources regardless of location or background.

They used total students for the denominator. I used students that took at least one IB exams I the denominator.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many students don't want IB.

This. We are at a non-RM school that offers the IB and my kid much prefers taking AP classes. Zero interest in IB.

Why? What about an IB class makes it less desirable than an AP class?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many students don't want IB.

This. We are at a non-RM school that offers the IB and my kid much prefers taking AP classes. Zero interest in IB.

Why? What about an IB class makes it less desirable than an AP class?

DP with no kids in high school yet so I can't speak to the class experience-- but I would prefer AP because way more colleges accept AP credit than IB credit and that could end up saving us many thousands of dollars in tuition.

[Anonymous]

Old program failed. New program can't fail until you try it for 5 years. 5 years of getting paid to fail is a sweet deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many students don't want IB.

This. We are at a non-RM school that offers the IB and my kid much prefers taking AP classes. Zero interest in IB.

Why? What about an IB class makes it less desirable than an AP class?

DP with no kids in high school yet so I can't speak to the class experience-- but I would prefer AP because way more colleges accept AP credit than IB credit and that could end up saving us many thousands of dollars in tuition.

Non issue. IP Students take AP exams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The MCPS position is that they were failures because RMIB was still around as a countywide program, and if there are no countywide programs then the regional ones will succeed.

The are using the talented students as human shield to game the metrics of the schools with less-talented students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The MCPS position is that they were failures because RMIB was still around as a countywide program, and if there are no countywide programs then the regional ones will succeed.

I don't know how much it would change.


Seneca Valley regional IB - new and the biggest unknown.
Paint Branch regional IB - barely any change
Kennedy regional IB - biggest change with WJ being part of the region
Watkins Mill regional IB -- slight change with QO and some boundary changes from Crown

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DJVQ546789D4/$file/Attachment%20B%20Program%20Analysis%20Data%20Slides%20250724.pdf

RMIB has 475 students. 225 from the same region 4. Almost half of RMIB students come from this region.

110 from RM - region 4
63 from Churchill - region 4
62 from Wootton - region 4
42 Walter Johnson Kennedy region 3.
31 Northwest new SV IB region 6
28 Clarksburg new SVIB region 6 ( IMO, NW and Clarksburg would have the biggest loss here)
19 QO - region 5 Watkins IB regional
17 Damascus region 6 new SV IB
11 Macgruder region 5 Watkins IB regional)

The rest are < 10.

Region 1 BCC IB - no significant population in RMIB from this region. This region is mostly currently served by the current Kennedy region. So not much would change.

BCC
Whitman
Einstein
Blair
Northwood

Region 2
Springbrook IB new region would serve: Sherwood, Blake, Paint Branch.
Springbrook IB regional current enrollment 252 already serves those schools. Nothing would change. RMIB doesn't have any significant population from these schools.

Blake 74
Paint Branch 54
Springbrook 114
Sherwood < 10

Region 3
Kennedy IB regional would serve: Einstein, Woodward, WJ. This one may change due to the Woodward boundary changes.

Current Kennedy IB enrollment 196 total:
Kennedy 86
Einstein 17
WJ 42 from RMIB
Woodward ? -


Region 5
Watkins Mill IB would serve: QO, GHS, Seneca, Crown, Macgruder. This one may change slightly due to Crown.
Current enrollment 163
Current RMIB - 19 for QO
It doesn't appear that a significant portion of Wootton would go to Crown with the new boundary.

GHS 18
WM 111
Rest are < 10

So, out of the 4 current IB programs, I think only Kennedy would see a significant change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The MCPS position is that they were failures because RMIB was still around as a countywide program, and if there are no countywide programs then the regional ones will succeed.

I don't know how much it would change.


Seneca Valley regional IB - new and the biggest unknown.
Paint Branch regional IB - barely any change
Kennedy regional IB - biggest change with WJ being part of the region
Watkins Mill regional IB -- slight change with QO and some boundary changes from Crown

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DJVQ546789D4/$file/Attachment%20B%20Program%20Analysis%20Data%20Slides%20250724.pdf

RMIB has 475 students. 225 from the same region 4. Almost half of RMIB students come from this region.

110 from RM - region 4
63 from Churchill - region 4
62 from Wootton - region 4
42 Walter Johnson Kennedy region 3.
31 Northwest new SV IB region 6
28 Clarksburg new SVIB region 6 ( IMO, NW and Clarksburg would have the biggest loss here)
19 QO - region 5 Watkins IB regional
17 Damascus region 6 new SV IB
11 Macgruder region 5 Watkins IB regional)

The rest are < 10.

Region 1 BCC IB - no significant population in RMIB from this region. This region is mostly currently served by the current Kennedy region. So not much would change.

BCC
Whitman
Einstein
Blair
Northwood

Region 2
Springbrook IB new region would serve: Sherwood, Blake, Paint Branch.
Springbrook IB regional current enrollment 252 already serves those schools. Nothing would change. RMIB doesn't have any significant population from these schools.

Blake 74
Paint Branch 54
Springbrook 114
Sherwood < 10

Region 3
Kennedy IB regional would serve: Einstein, Woodward, WJ. This one may change due to the Woodward boundary changes.

Current Kennedy IB enrollment 196 total:
Kennedy 86
Einstein 17
WJ 42 from RMIB
Woodward ? -


Region 5
Watkins Mill IB would serve: QO, GHS, Seneca, Crown, Macgruder. This one may change slightly due to Crown.
Current enrollment 163
Current RMIB - 19 for QO
It doesn't appear that a significant portion of Wootton would go to Crown with the new boundary.

GHS 18
WM 111
Rest are < 10

So, out of the 4 current IB programs, I think only Kennedy would see a significant change.

No, Einstein is in region 1.

[Anonymous]

i completely agree with you. The definition of in sanity. Those programs are failures, so we'll make more regions with even more programs and hope for a different outcome.

[Anonymous]

The regional programs were less successful because they did not signal "best in the County" as RMIB did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The MCPS position is that they were failures because RMIB was still around as a countywide program, and if there are no countywide programs then the regional ones will succeed.

I don't know how much it would change.


Seneca Valley regional IB - new and the biggest unknown.
Paint Branch regional IB - barely any change
Kennedy regional IB - biggest change with WJ being part of the region
Watkins Mill regional IB -- slight change with QO and some boundary changes from Crown

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DJVQ546789D4/$file/Attachment%20B%20Program%20Analysis%20Data%20Slides%20250724.pdf

RMIB has 475 students. 225 from the same region 4. Almost half of RMIB students come from this region.

110 from RM - region 4
63 from Churchill - region 4
62 from Wootton - region 4
42 Walter Johnson Kennedy region 3.
31 Northwest new SV IB region 6
28 Clarksburg new SVIB region 6 ( IMO, NW and Clarksburg would have the biggest loss here)
19 QO - region 5 Watkins IB regional
17 Damascus region 6 new SV IB
11 Macgruder region 5 Watkins IB regional)

The rest are < 10.

Region 1 BCC IB - no significant population in RMIB from this region. This region is mostly currently served by the current Kennedy region. So not much would change.

BCC
Whitman
Einstein
Blair
Northwood

Region 2
Springbrook IB new region would serve: Sherwood, Blake, Paint Branch.
Springbrook IB regional current enrollment 252 already serves those schools. Nothing would change. RMIB doesn't have any significant population from these schools.

Blake 74
Paint Branch 54
Springbrook 114
Sherwood < 10

Region 3
Kennedy IB regional would serve: Einstein, Woodward, WJ. This one may change due to the Woodward boundary changes.

Current Kennedy IB enrollment 196 total:
Kennedy 86
Einstein 17
WJ 42 from RMIB
Woodward ? -


Region 5
Watkins Mill IB would serve: QO, GHS, Seneca, Crown, Macgruder. This one may change slightly due to Crown.
Current enrollment 163
Current RMIB - 19 for QO
It doesn't appear that a significant portion of Wootton would go to Crown with the new boundary.

GHS 18
WM 111
Rest are < 10

So, out of the 4 current IB programs, I think only Kennedy would see a significant change.

I don’t think families zoned for WJ will willingly send their kids to Kennedy IB

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many students don't want IB.

Its a waste of time.
- Magnet IB alum parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many students don't want IB.

This. We are at a non-RM school that offers the IB and my kid much prefers taking AP classes. Zero interest in IB.

Why? What about an IB class makes it less desirable than an AP class?

DP with no kids in high school yet so I can't speak to the class experience-- but I would prefer AP because way more colleges accept AP credit than IB credit and that could end up saving us many thousands of dollars in tuition.

Non issue. IP Students take AP exams.

What do you mean? Like, they self-study to cover the AP course content and then register for exams separately?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many students don't want IB.

Its a waste of time.
- Magnet IB alum parent.

Hm.. is that why RMIB gets 1000 applications for 100 seats? All those high performing students think "it's a waste of time, but I'm gonna go there anyways."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Many students don't want IB.

Its a waste of time.
- Magnet IB alum parent.

Hm.. is that why RMIB gets 1000 applications for 100 seats? All those high performing students think "it's a waste of time, but I'm gonna go there anyways."

PP here, also a magnet IB alum parent here.