Silver Spring International Middle School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last night at the BOE meeting, Taylor said they are not changing middle school programs with these boundary/programming votes. So I would assume all MS programs are staying for now.

Of course, that could and likely will change in the future. But anyone who says they know when and how that will happen is lying.

You missed part of what Taylor said. He said that the resolution vote referencing secondary schools (high school and middle school) provides the framework for regional programs (at the middle school level). No changes are being made now because MCPS is waiting to see what the math requirements will be for secondary school. However, we shou=ld fully prepare for the countywide middle school magnet programs to convert to regional programs, just as the high school programs are converting.

Do you honestly think they will not make this change?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last night at the BOE meeting, Taylor said they are not changing middle school programs with these boundary/programming votes. So I would assume all MS programs are staying for now.

Of course, that could and likely will change in the future. But anyone who says they know when and how that will happen is lying.

You missed part of what Taylor said. He said that the resolution vote referencing secondary schools (high school and middle school) provides the framework for regional programs (at the middle school level). No changes are being made now because MCPS is waiting to see what the math requirements will be for secondary school. However, we shou=ld fully prepare for the countywide middle school magnet programs to convert to regional programs, just as the high school programs are converting.

Do you honestly think they will not make this change?

Going from 2 to 6 middle school magnets each for humanities and math/science would be a great move and parents would be thrilled.

Hence I assume they will *not* do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last night at the BOE meeting, Taylor said they are not changing middle school programs with these boundary/programming votes. So I would assume all MS programs are staying for now.

Of course, that could and likely will change in the future. But anyone who says they know when and how that will happen is lying.

You missed part of what Taylor said. He said that the resolution vote referencing secondary schools (high school and middle school) provides the framework for regional programs (at the middle school level). No changes are being made now because MCPS is waiting to see what the math requirements will be for secondary school. However, we shou=ld fully prepare for the countywide middle school magnet programs to convert to regional programs, just as the high school programs are converting.

Do you honestly think they will not make this change?

I verbatim said “that could and likely will change.” Why so aggressive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SSIMS enrollment will be bigger than it looks in the tables because that doesn't count any out of boundary student attending for immersion. Also SSIMS has a very large capacity so even at the lower enrollment it's still a pretty typical middle school size.

There are no changes to middle school programs announced so far.

MCPS appears to be unclear with its data.

The “data effects” file, showing predicted utilization for each year, are “resident only,” as if the Programs don’t continue at the Middle School level.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13aVDvOla-vaOwcewF8bo7BBUgHkwR5tb/view

If you look at the numbers in the “data table” file, at least for current year 25-26, SSIMS had more transfers out than in. So it’s possible the utilization in ‘27 is even lower for SSIMS if the Programs are in fact continuing as they said in ‘27.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cdtTBaAd7ZcPh5mczdbJc4MS_HkOVfuJ/view

It looks like Takoma Park, in the “modified option B data table” that is now adopted, shows Takoma as taking in 250 extra transfer students in ‘25-‘26. The “data effects” tables shows only 106 seats for Takoma available (with residents only). It sure seems like Takoma will be past 100% utilization in ‘27

It seems that the Middle School programs as we know them are gone once ‘27 arrives and maybe there are almost no transfers? Did the “regional programs” information give indications on programs at the Middel School level?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has avoided answering questions about the future of immersion programs. At this point, they have not said they are changing, but I would expect when they review boundaries for elementary schools, they will be reviewing and likely changing immersion programs.

But to specifically answer your question, at this point, I would assume French immersion will be continuing at SCES and SSIMS.

Spanish immersion at SSIMS will likely end, as most of the students in that program came from Rolling Terrace Elementary and that school has been rezoned to Takoma Park MS.

So where will these Spanish immersion students go for MS now? Westland?

I'm not so sure about the future of middle school Spanish immersion for the dual immersion kids. Rolling Terrace is a neighborhood dual immersion program. I would think the only meaningful way to continue Spanish for them would be to offer it at TPMS, but I've not heard that mentioned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has avoided answering questions about the future of immersion programs. At this point, they have not said they are changing, but I would expect when they review boundaries for elementary schools, they will be reviewing and likely changing immersion programs.

But to specifically answer your question, at this point, I would assume French immersion will be continuing at SCES and SSIMS.

Spanish immersion at SSIMS will likely end, as most of the students in that program came from Rolling Terrace Elementary and that school has been rezoned to Takoma Park MS.

So where will these Spanish immersion students go for MS now? Westland?

I'm not so sure about the future of middle school Spanish immersion for the dual immersion kids. Rolling Terrace is a neighborhood dual immersion program. I would think the only meaningful way to continue Spanish for them would be to offer it at TPMS, but I've not heard that mentioned.

Westland MS is in Region 1 and has Spanish immersion. Alternatively students could articulate to White Oak MS but that’s now outside the region.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has avoided answering questions about the future of immersion programs. At this point, they have not said they are changing, but I would expect when they review boundaries for elementary schools, they will be reviewing and likely changing immersion programs.

But to specifically answer your question, at this point, I would assume French immersion will be continuing at SCES and SSIMS.

Spanish immersion at SSIMS will likely end, as most of the students in that program came from Rolling Terrace Elementary and that school has been rezoned to Takoma Park MS.

So where will these Spanish immersion students go for MS now? Westland?

I'm not so sure about the future of middle school Spanish immersion for the dual immersion kids. Rolling Terrace is a neighborhood dual immersion program. I would think the only meaningful way to continue Spanish for them would be to offer it at TPMS, but I've not heard that mentioned.

Westland MS is in Region 1 and has Spanish immersion. Alternatively students could articulate to White Oak MS but that’s now outside the region.

Newport Mill MS is also in Region 1 and has Spanish immersion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has avoided answering questions about the future of immersion programs. At this point, they have not said they are changing, but I would expect when they review boundaries for elementary schools, they will be reviewing and likely changing immersion programs.

But to specifically answer your question, at this point, I would assume French immersion will be continuing at SCES and SSIMS.

Spanish immersion at SSIMS will likely end, as most of the students in that program came from Rolling Terrace Elementary and that school has been rezoned to Takoma Park MS.

So where will these Spanish immersion students go for MS now? Westland?

I'm not so sure about the future of middle school Spanish immersion for the dual immersion kids. Rolling Terrace is a neighborhood dual immersion program. I would think the only meaningful way to continue Spanish for them would be to offer it at TPMS, but I've not heard that mentioned.

Westland MS is in Region 1 and has Spanish immersion. Alternatively students could articulate to White Oak MS but that’s now outside the region.

Newport Mill MS is also in Region 1 and has Spanish immersion

TWI is a whole school model so if TT wanted kids at RTES to continue it, he would have zoned them to a MS that offers immersion. They are going to TPMS and no plans have been announced to offer it there, so I seriously doubt it will happen.

My gut is that TT is on track to end all immersion programs (in the name of access/equity) and the first ones to be removed in 2027 will be TWI (which Mcps has poorly implemented and kids are scoring badly in).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has avoided answering questions about the future of immersion programs. At this point, they have not said they are changing, but I would expect when they review boundaries for elementary schools, they will be reviewing and likely changing immersion programs.

But to specifically answer your question, at this point, I would assume French immersion will be continuing at SCES and SSIMS.

Spanish immersion at SSIMS will likely end, as most of the students in that program came from Rolling Terrace Elementary and that school has been rezoned to Takoma Park MS.

So where will these Spanish immersion students go for MS now? Westland?

I'm not so sure about the future of middle school Spanish immersion for the dual immersion kids. Rolling Terrace is a neighborhood dual immersion program. I would think the only meaningful way to continue Spanish for them would be to offer it at TPMS, but I've not heard that mentioned.

Westland MS is in Region 1 and has Spanish immersion. Alternatively students could articulate to White Oak MS but that’s now outside the region.

I get that, but Rolling Terrace is not a lottery based choice program. It would be a big change for this not to be a neighborhood continuation in MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SSIMS enrollment will be bigger than it looks in the tables because that doesn't count any out of boundary student attending for immersion. Also SSIMS has a very large capacity so even at the lower enrollment it's still a pretty typical middle school size.

There are no changes to middle school programs announced so far.

MCPS appears to be unclear with its data.

The “data effects” file, showing predicted utilization for each year, are “resident only,” as if the Programs don’t continue at the Middle School level.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13aVDvOla-vaOwcewF8bo7BBUgHkwR5tb/view

If you look at the numbers in the “data table” file, at least for current year 25-26, SSIMS had more transfers out than in. So it’s possible the utilization in ‘27 is even lower for SSIMS if the Programs are in fact continuing as they said in ‘27.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cdtTBaAd7ZcPh5mczdbJc4MS_HkOVfuJ/view

It looks like Takoma Park, in the “modified option B data table” that is now adopted, shows Takoma as taking in 250 extra transfer students in ‘25-‘26. The “data effects” tables shows only 106 seats for Takoma available (with residents only). It sure seems like Takoma will be past 100% utilization in ‘27

It seems that the Middle School programs as we know them are gone once ‘27 arrives and maybe there are almost no transfers? Did the “regional programs” information give indications on programs at the Middel School level?

No, no planned changes to middle school programs as of right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has avoided answering questions about the future of immersion programs. At this point, they have not said they are changing, but I would expect when they review boundaries for elementary schools, they will be reviewing and likely changing immersion programs.

But to specifically answer your question, at this point, I would assume French immersion will be continuing at SCES and SSIMS.

Spanish immersion at SSIMS will likely end, as most of the students in that program came from Rolling Terrace Elementary and that school has been rezoned to Takoma Park MS.

So where will these Spanish immersion students go for MS now? Westland?

I'm not so sure about the future of middle school Spanish immersion for the dual immersion kids. Rolling Terrace is a neighborhood dual immersion program. I would think the only meaningful way to continue Spanish for them would be to offer it at TPMS, but I've not heard that mentioned.

Westland MS is in Region 1 and has Spanish immersion. Alternatively students could articulate to White Oak MS but that’s now outside the region.

Newport Mill MS is also in Region 1 and has Spanish immersion

TWI is a whole school model so if TT wanted kids at RTES to continue it, he would have zoned them to a MS that offers immersion. They are going to TPMS and no plans have been announced to offer it there, so I seriously doubt it will happen.

My gut is that TT is on track to end all immersion programs (in the name of access/equity) and the first ones to be removed in 2027 will be TWI (which Mcps has poorly implemented and kids are scoring badly in).

They might be but they haven't released any data that shows this. They did release a poorly designed evaluation where they compared kids in TWI schools (not differentiating between the schools) to an unspecified group of comparison schools. Their analysis showed some worse outcomes for certain groups in 4th and 5th grade. The problem is test scores for these groups are pretty bad across schools (regardless of the presence of TWI) and they are different greatly in how bad they are between different schools. Schools vary greatly in how effectively they are run and also in their populations even within demographic groups. It's embarrassing that they are trying to make conclusions about twi based on their stated methodology.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has avoided answering questions about the future of immersion programs. At this point, they have not said they are changing, but I would expect when they review boundaries for elementary schools, they will be reviewing and likely changing immersion programs.

But to specifically answer your question, at this point, I would assume French immersion will be continuing at SCES and SSIMS.

Spanish immersion at SSIMS will likely end, as most of the students in that program came from Rolling Terrace Elementary and that school has been rezoned to Takoma Park MS.

So where will these Spanish immersion students go for MS now? Westland?

I'm not so sure about the future of middle school Spanish immersion for the dual immersion kids. Rolling Terrace is a neighborhood dual immersion program. I would think the only meaningful way to continue Spanish for them would be to offer it at TPMS, but I've not heard that mentioned.

Westland MS is in Region 1 and has Spanish immersion. Alternatively students could articulate to White Oak MS but that’s now outside the region.

I get that, but Rolling Terrace is not a lottery based choice program. It would be a big change for this not to be a neighborhood continuation in MS.

Why do we think that RTES students interested in continuing immersion in MS would not simply be given the option to go to whichever MS hosts that immersion program in their assigned zone? Those who wish to exit immersion will go to TPMS (unless they get into one of the non-TPMS magnets -- Eastern Humanities or MSMC). Those who wish to stick with immersion will go to SSIMS, adding to the SSIMS utilization and subtracting from the TPMS utilization projected in the tables. That's how it works for those with other home middle schools.

Of course, if still angling to close SSIMS, the immersion programs, should they decide to keep them at all, might be assigned elsewhere (e.g., combined with Westland if they want to keep only one per region).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has avoided answering questions about the future of immersion programs. At this point, they have not said they are changing, but I would expect when they review boundaries for elementary schools, they will be reviewing and likely changing immersion programs.

But to specifically answer your question, at this point, I would assume French immersion will be continuing at SCES and SSIMS.

Spanish immersion at SSIMS will likely end, as most of the students in that program came from Rolling Terrace Elementary and that school has been rezoned to Takoma Park MS.

So where will these Spanish immersion students go for MS now? Westland?

I'm not so sure about the future of middle school Spanish immersion for the dual immersion kids. Rolling Terrace is a neighborhood dual immersion program. I would think the only meaningful way to continue Spanish for them would be to offer it at TPMS, but I've not heard that mentioned.

Westland MS is in Region 1 and has Spanish immersion. Alternatively students could articulate to White Oak MS but that’s now outside the region.

Newport Mill MS is also in Region 1 and has Spanish immersion

TWI is a whole school model so if TT wanted kids at RTES to continue it, he would have zoned them to a MS that offers immersion. They are going to TPMS and no plans have been announced to offer it there, so I seriously doubt it will happen.

My gut is that TT is on track to end all immersion programs (in the name of access/equity) and the first ones to be removed in 2027 will be TWI (which Mcps has poorly implemented and kids are scoring badly in).

But he is proposing creating a bunch of mandarin programs in high schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has avoided answering questions about the future of immersion programs. At this point, they have not said they are changing, but I would expect when they review boundaries for elementary schools, they will be reviewing and likely changing immersion programs.

But to specifically answer your question, at this point, I would assume French immersion will be continuing at SCES and SSIMS.

Spanish immersion at SSIMS will likely end, as most of the students in that program came from Rolling Terrace Elementary and that school has been rezoned to Takoma Park MS.

So where will these Spanish immersion students go for MS now? Westland?

I'm not so sure about the future of middle school Spanish immersion for the dual immersion kids. Rolling Terrace is a neighborhood dual immersion program. I would think the only meaningful way to continue Spanish for them would be to offer it at TPMS, but I've not heard that mentioned.

Westland MS is in Region 1 and has Spanish immersion. Alternatively students could articulate to White Oak MS but that’s now outside the region.

I get that, but Rolling Terrace is not a lottery based choice program. It would be a big change for this not to be a neighborhood continuation in MS.

Why do we think that RTES students interested in continuing immersion in MS would not simply be given the option to go to whichever MS hosts that immersion program in their assigned zone? Those who wish to exit immersion will go to TPMS (unless they get into one of the non-TPMS magnets -- Eastern Humanities or MSMC). Those who wish to stick with immersion will go to SSIMS, adding to the SSIMS utilization and subtracting from the TPMS utilization projected in the tables. That's how it works for those with other home middle schools.

Of course, if still angling to close SSIMS, the immersion programs, should they decide to keep them at all, might be assigned elsewhere (e.g., combined with Westland if they want to keep only one per region).

I was assuming SSIMS would lose Spanish since there would no longer be a program specifically feeding into that school, although neighborhood kids have had an option to do Spanish there (if eligible) in recent years. Maybe there would be a good cohort of RTES kids willing go to Westland or wherever there is still a program, but neighborhood kids attending a dual immersion program without needing to commute might not continue on to farway Westland in significant numbers. Someone mentioned Newport Mills above, so maybe that's possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS has avoided answering questions about the future of immersion programs. At this point, they have not said they are changing, but I would expect when they review boundaries for elementary schools, they will be reviewing and likely changing immersion programs.

But to specifically answer your question, at this point, I would assume French immersion will be continuing at SCES and SSIMS.

Spanish immersion at SSIMS will likely end, as most of the students in that program came from Rolling Terrace Elementary and that school has been rezoned to Takoma Park MS.

So where will these Spanish immersion students go for MS now? Westland?

I'm not so sure about the future of middle school Spanish immersion for the dual immersion kids. Rolling Terrace is a neighborhood dual immersion program. I would think the only meaningful way to continue Spanish for them would be to offer it at TPMS, but I've not heard that mentioned.

Westland MS is in Region 1 and has Spanish immersion. Alternatively students could articulate to White Oak MS but that’s now outside the region.

I get that, but Rolling Terrace is not a lottery based choice program. It would be a big change for this not to be a neighborhood continuation in MS.

Why do we think that RTES students interested in continuing immersion in MS would not simply be given the option to go to whichever MS hosts that immersion program in their assigned zone? Those who wish to exit immersion will go to TPMS (unless they get into one of the non-TPMS magnets -- Eastern Humanities or MSMC). Those who wish to stick with immersion will go to SSIMS, adding to the SSIMS utilization and subtracting from the TPMS utilization projected in the tables. That's how it works for those with other home middle schools.

Of course, if still angling to close SSIMS, the immersion programs, should they decide to keep them at all, might be assigned elsewhere (e.g., combined with Westland if they want to keep only one per region).

We are not zoned for SSIMS but live nearby and know many families that are, and there is a lot of concern that Taylor et al. are still angling to close it. Decreasing the utilization was simply the first step.