Compacted Math HS Science

[Anonymous]

I think if there is an issue with Chemistry or Physics, then put the requirement there. Don't keep interested kids from a class! This is public education, so the "worthy" idea is quite troubling. Who says a kid that isn't accelerated in math won't someday become a scientist? I was in MCPS back in the 80's when acceleration wasn't happening and we took biology in 8th while taking Geometry. We had no problems in Chemistry while taking Algebra II. Yes, it is important to have good math skills for Physics - I'll agree with that - but put the restriction on Physics...maybe a biology kid won't even be interested in Physics!

[Anonymous]

correction 0n typo above - we took biology and geometry in 9th

[Anonymous]

Don't keep interested kids from a class! This is public education, so the "worthy" idea is quite troubling. Who says a kid that isn't accelerated in math won't someday become a scientist?

Ideals cost money and require the institution to care about those ideals. You're missing both those aspects in MCPS. My son was in compacted math and it wasn't very challenging. Many more kids that couldn't get in would have done fine. MCPS is only allowing a small percentage of kids to take it. HGC is another example. 3% get in yet over 40% test as GT. The other 37% get stuck with lackluster 2.0. Why? MCPS lacks the planning, resource allocation and political clout to fund the schools in a manner that keep programs available, grows facilities to meet increase in growth, and class sizes low. Test scores count and the more bright kids get pushed down into the pool of lower performing kids, the better the school looks based on the scores. A teacher with 35 kids in Biology and limited labs where a good number can learn it on their own without help so she can focus on the lower performing kids is a win for MCPS.

If any kid with an interest and willingness to work gets to take AP Biology they have to build more labs and facilities. Not going to happen and MCPS doesn't care if a kid might become a scientist someday. This isn't their problem. Their problem is shuffling around resources and scoring will on the future PARCC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Don't keep interested kids from a class! This is public education, so the "worthy" idea is quite troubling. Who says a kid that isn't accelerated in math won't someday become a scientist?

Ideals cost money and require the institution to care about those ideals. You're missing both those aspects in MCPS. My son was in compacted math and it wasn't very challenging. Many more kids that couldn't get in would have done fine. MCPS is only allowing a small percentage of kids to take it. HGC is another example. 3% get in yet over 40% test as GT. The other 37% get stuck with lackluster 2.0. Why? MCPS lacks the planning, resource allocation and political clout to fund the schools in a manner that keep programs available, grows facilities to meet increase in growth, and class sizes low. Test scores count and the more bright kids get pushed down into the pool of lower performing kids, the better the school looks based on the scores. A teacher with 35 kids in Biology and limited labs where a good number can learn it on their own without help so she can focus on the lower performing kids is a win for MCPS.

If any kid with an interest and willingness to work gets to take AP Biology they have to build more labs and facilities. Not going to happen and MCPS doesn't care if a kid might become a scientist someday. This isn't their problem. Their problem is shuffling around resources and scoring will on the future PARCC.

A school's test scores look better if the school reduces the performance of high-performing students? Nope, that doesn't make sense.

[Anonymous]

A school's test scores look better if the school reduces the performance of high-performing students? Nope, that doesn't make sense.

In these cases. it does. The PARCC science test would not go into AP level. The scores are gated by a ceiling so any students learning above the ceiling doesn't improve or change the score. If that student is in general education and get the top level of the test (not what other kids are learning in an AP class) then it absolutely raises the scores.

In addition, its expected that AP students receive high scores on standardized tests. If students in general ed receive high scores then it makes the school look like its doing a great job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

A school's test scores look better if the school reduces the performance of high-performing students? Nope, that doesn't make sense.

In these cases. it does. The PARCC science test would not go into AP level. The scores are gated by a ceiling so any students learning above the ceiling doesn't improve or change the score. If that student is in general education and get the top level of the test (not what other kids are learning in an AP class) then it absolutely raises the scores.

In addition, its expected that AP students receive high scores on standardized tests. If students in general ed receive high scores then it makes the school look like its doing a great job.

Please explain exactly how this would work. MCPS does not report test scores separately for "general education" and "not general education". MCPS does report the number of students receiving a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP test.

[Anonymous]

Please explain exactly how this would work. MCPS does not report test scores separately for "general education" and "not general education". MCPS does report the number of students receiving a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP test.

The schools do look at the breakdown internally.

There just aren't enough spaces to accommodate the students who want to take the AP course. If they add requirements, fewer students are eligible and fewer get turned turn for lack of space. If there are more requirements, they are likely to have more 5s than 3s on the AP exams.

PARCC doesn't test up to AP level. MCPS only needs to get the majority of kids testing well enough on PARCC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Don't keep interested kids from a class! This is public education, so the "worthy" idea is quite troubling. Who says a kid that isn't accelerated in math won't someday become a scientist?

Ideals cost money and require the institution to care about those ideals. You're missing both those aspects in MCPS. My son was in compacted math and it wasn't very challenging. Many more kids that couldn't get in would have done fine. MCPS is only allowing a small percentage of kids to take it. HGC is another example. 3% get in yet over 40% test as GT. The other 37% get stuck with lackluster 2.0. Why? MCPS lacks the planning, resource allocation and political clout to fund the schools in a manner that keep programs available, grows facilities to meet increase in growth, and class sizes low. Test scores count and the more bright kids get pushed down into the pool of lower performing kids, the better the school looks based on the scores. A teacher with 35 kids in Biology and limited labs where a good number can learn it on their own without help so she can focus on the lower performing kids is a win for MCPS.

If any kid with an interest and willingness to work gets to take AP Biology they have to build more labs and facilities. Not going to happen and MCPS doesn't care if a kid might become a scientist someday. This isn't their problem. Their problem is shuffling around resources and scoring will on the future PARCC.

HGC math is the same as general education under 2.0.

[Anonymous]

One of the best science schools in the county, Wootton, has ALL 10th graders take bio. It works out exceptionally well. But then again Wootton kids take between 5 and 8 credits of science in 4 years of high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:RM decided you must have geometry in 8th grade to take Biology as a 9th grader. If you are not in compacted math you will not get to geometry until 9th grade and must wait till 10th grade for Biology. The only way to get to an AP science is to double up a math.

At Whitman, kids usually take AP science classes as juniors and seniors. If the kids don't take Biology in 9 the grade, then what science would they take?

[Anonymous]

Why do different high schools all have different requirements for eligibility?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the best science schools in the county, Wootton, has ALL 10th graders take bio. It works out exceptionally well. But then again Wootton kids take between 5 and 8 credits of science in 4 years of high school.

Odd -- are you talking about AP bio, regular or honors bio? What science do they take in 9th grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

HGC math is the same as general education under 2.0.

HGC math was the same before 2.0, also.

[Anonymous]

This is a requirement for regular biology in 9th grade. Kids who are taking algebra in 8th grade will take an into science class called energy and matter. They will take bio in 10th , Chen in 11, physics in 12. Interesting about Wooten.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Please explain exactly how this would work. MCPS does not report test scores separately for "general education" and "not general education". MCPS does report the number of students receiving a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP test.

The schools do look at the breakdown internally.

There just aren't enough spaces to accommodate the students who want to take the AP course. If they add requirements, fewer students are eligible and fewer get turned turn for lack of space. If there are more requirements, they are likely to have more 5s than 3s on the AP exams.

PARCC doesn't test up to AP level. MCPS only needs to get the majority of kids testing well enough on PARCC.

So you're saying that MCPS is doing all of this to make themselves look good on their own internal data, that they don't report publicly? That does not make sense.

And yes, the proportion of students who score a 5 might be higher. But the number of students who score at least a 3 would be a lot lower. And that's what they report publicly.

And yes, PARCC doesn't test up to the AP level. That's what the AP tests are for.