APS Intensified MS Classes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DHMS has teams for the core classes (which overlap with classes that are offered as intensified or not), but each team has intensified and non intensified classes. So your kid could have non-core classes with a mix of kids… homeroom (which could be any kids from the same team, intensified or not) or PE and other electives (with kids from any team, and intensified or not). As others have said math is a whole different ball game.

Perfect - so there's not a intensified team and general population team. I like that.

Wait - does this apply to all MS? Like, if you are at Kenmore or TJ, maybe you want some separation? No one that I know with kids at TJ will give me a straight answer on whether they like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DHMS has teams for the core classes (which overlap with classes that are offered as intensified or not), but each team has intensified and non intensified classes. So your kid could have non-core classes with a mix of kids… homeroom (which could be any kids from the same team, intensified or not) or PE and other electives (with kids from any team, and intensified or not). As others have said math is a whole different ball game.

Perfect - so there's not an intensified team and general population team. I like that.

That’s not what I said at all. Each team has both intensified and not intensified kids within it. You can choose intensified classes or not intensified classes and it doesn’t affect which team you’re on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DHMS has teams for the core classes (which overlap with classes that are offered as intensified or not), but each team has intensified and non intensified classes. So your kid could have non-core classes with a mix of kids… homeroom (which could be any kids from the same team, intensified or not) or PE and other electives (with kids from any team, and intensified or not). As others have said math is a whole different ball game.

Perfect - so there's not a intensified team and general population team. I like that.

Wait - does this apply to all MS? Like, if you are at Kenmore or TJ, maybe you want some separation? No one that I know with kids at TJ will give me a straight answer on whether they like it.

Why do you want separation, but just at these schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DHMS has teams for the core classes (which overlap with classes that are offered as intensified or not), but each team has intensified and non intensified classes. So your kid could have non-core classes with a mix of kids… homeroom (which could be any kids from the same team, intensified or not) or PE and other electives (with kids from any team, and intensified or not). As others have said math is a whole different ball game.

Perfect - so there's not a intensified team and general population team. I like that.

Wait - does this apply to all MS? Like, if you are at Kenmore or TJ, maybe you want some separation? No one that I know with kids at TJ will give me a straight answer on whether they like it.

Why do you want separation, but just at these schools?

No, more like, is it the same at all middle schools. Every parent I meet from those schools are cagey about what happens there, like maybe there is separation, but they just don't want to say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DHMS has teams for the core classes (which overlap with classes that are offered as intensified or not), but each team has intensified and non intensified classes. So your kid could have non-core classes with a mix of kids… homeroom (which could be any kids from the same team, intensified or not) or PE and other electives (with kids from any team, and intensified or not). As others have said math is a whole different ball game.

Perfect - so there's not a intensified team and general population team. I like that.

Wait - does this apply to all MS? Like, if you are at Kenmore or TJ, maybe you want some separation? No one that I know with kids at TJ will give me a straight answer on whether they like it.

Why do you want separation, but just at these schools?

No, more like, is it the same at all middle schools. Every parent I meet from those schools are cagey about what happens there, like maybe there is separation, but they just don't want to say.

Are they cagey or do they just not know the answer? My DH would have no idea. He doesn't pay that much attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I asked about intensified courses previously. I've talked to other parents and they've said the same thing here about it not being much more work. I did see on the APS website though, that if you are at all interested in things like TJHS, ArlTech, or IB at W-L that you really want to take the intensified courses, especially in 8th grade. Does anyone know how that plays out?

Also, has anyone been turned away from those courses so far? Like, do they make space for all students, or are there kids who don't get them?

Does intensified courses mean your kid is in a different cohort?

Your kid is not in a different cohort. Many students take a mix of classes with only some intensified. I have not heard of anyone turned down, I think they make space. OTOH the classes can get very overcrowded (instead of opening up an additional one) and unfortunately, the teachers don’t counsel anyone out (don’t know if they could), which sometimes defeats the purpose of “intensified”, imo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I asked about intensified courses previously. I've talked to other parents and they've said the same thing here about it not being much more work. I did see on the APS website though, that if you are at all interested in things like TJHS, ArlTech, or IB at W-L that you really want to take the intensified courses, especially in 8th grade. Does anyone know how that plays out?

Also, has anyone been turned away from those courses so far? Like, do they make space for all students, or are there kids who don't get them?

Does intensified courses mean your kid is in a different cohort?

Your kid is not in a different cohort. Many students take a mix of classes with only some intensified. I have not heard of anyone turned down, I think they make space. OTOH the classes can get very overcrowded (instead of opening up an additional one) and unfortunately, the teachers don’t counsel anyone out (don’t know if they could), which sometimes defeats the purpose of “intensified”, imo.

This. They let anyone take the classes in middle school and they are very full. This is different by high school. By high school the teacher is recommending you and I think you can insist and take it anyway but then the classes are harder and those kids do poorly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I asked about intensified courses previously. I've talked to other parents and they've said the same thing here about it not being much more work. I did see on the APS website though, that if you are at all interested in things like TJHS, ArlTech, or IB at W-L that you really want to take the intensified courses, especially in 8th grade. Does anyone know how that plays out?

Also, has anyone been turned away from those courses so far? Like, do they make space for all students, or are there kids who don't get them?

Does intensified courses mean your kid is in a different cohort?

Anyone can get into them (which is not ideal, honestly).

The kids aren't in any kind of different cohort but if this is code for not being with screw up kids, not necessarily. There are plenty of kids who do not give a crap about school and are disruptive with pushy parents who place them in intensified classes and they don't really belong in them.

We didn't see weed out of kids until really sophomore year of high school.

No, not code for not being with screw up kids. I am more curious if the students become a cohort that is together throughout middle school. Like do they see the same kids and that becomes your friend group?

Although, I would not want kids who don't want to be in those classes there, but I get it. We all want our kids to have the best opportunities.

Does anyone know what percentage of students are in those classes?

No, not at all. Probably due to the large size. It’s unusual to have the same person in more than 2 classes with you. And then the next year you have zero classes with that person.