Rockville clusters getting stronger?

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[Post New]06/01/2015 09:12
quote
Anonymous
RM test scores for non-magnet kids are really hard to figure b/c RMIB kids score so high. Magnet kids consider anything below 2300 as a "so-so" score and many retake below 2300 score.
[Post New]06/01/2015 09:21
quote
Anonymous
It doesn't surprise me that much. If you check out the scores for minority kids in RM in the At A Glance sheet, you'll see that those kids' scores are pretty good in comparison to a lot of other schools around here. And from what I understand, there are not a lot of minority kids (sans Asians) in the IB program, so their scores are not skewed by kids in the IB. Yes, there are a lot of pretty high income families in the RM cluster, too.
[Post New]06/01/2015 09:43
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:It doesn't surprise me that much. If you check out the scores for minority kids in RM in the At A Glance sheet, you'll see that those kids' scores are pretty good in comparison to a lot of other schools around here. And from what I understand, there are not a lot of minority kids (sans Asians) in the IB program, so their scores are not skewed by kids in the IB. Yes, there are a lot of pretty high income families in the RM cluster, too.


At a Glance has test scores by race?
[Post New]06/01/2015 09:47
quote
Anonymous
The magnet is also only about 20% of the school..and a portion of them are actually from the neighborhood anyways.
[Post New]06/01/2015 09:56
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It doesn't surprise me that much. If you check out the scores for minority kids in RM in the At A Glance sheet, you'll see that those kids' scores are pretty good in comparison to a lot of other schools around here. And from what I understand, there are not a lot of minority kids (sans Asians) in the IB program, so their scores are not skewed by kids in the IB. Yes, there are a lot of pretty high income families in the RM cluster, too.


At a Glance has test scores by race?


For MSA, yes, not for SAT.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/04201.pdf
[Post New]06/01/2015 10:07
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Anonymous
MSA is more important since everyone takes it.
[Post New]06/01/2015 10:46
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Anonymous
Julius West IS an IB school.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/westms/myp/
[Post New]06/01/2015 14:39
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Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Julius West IS an IB school.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/westms/myp/



Yes JW is IB but it's not a magnet...so everyone at JW is from the RM cluster (unlike the RM IB magnet program, which pulls top students from the whole county.) So this suggests that JW's high test scores (as evidenced by the greatschools rating) is a good indicator of the general caliber of students attending RM, whether they are magnet students or not.
[Post New]06/01/2015 14:54
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Julius West IS an IB school.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/westms/myp/


My understanding is that the IB part of the MS is not that significant. I'm not discounting that the kids there are doing well. Just saying that I'm not sure how much the "IB" factor at JW plays into the higher ranking. My kids aren't at JW yet, so I don't really know for sure. Just from what I have "heard". Any JW parents able to provide input?


[Post New]06/01/2015 14:57
quote
Anonymous
Yes, rockville schools are on an upswing. Great teachers and motivated students.
[Post New]06/01/2015 15:00
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Julius West IS an IB school.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/westms/myp/


My understanding is that the IB part of the MS is not that significant. I'm not discounting that the kids there are doing well. Just saying that I'm not sure how much the "IB" factor at JW plays into the higher ranking. My kids aren't at JW yet, so I don't really know for sure. Just from what I have "heard". Any JW parents able to provide input?




I'd also like to hear from a JW parent because I'm confused too (I'm in the RM cluster but kids still in elementary). I thought that ALL JW students do the IB program? I didn't think it is something that kids test into, but rather that all students are taught the IB curriculum? And if this is the case, then it means that RM cluster students are overall testing well, whether a kid is a future IB magnet kid or not.
[Post New]06/01/2015 15:08
quote
Anonymous
Two paths:

All JW students are in the MYP program (which is the IB curriculum for 6th - 10th grade). If they go to RM, they continue through 10th grade. At that time they can apply to the actual IB program for 11th and 12th grade joining the magnet students. Less than 50 do but it is not very competitive at that point..

JW students as well as other MoCo kids can also apply to the selective magnet which begins in 9th grade. They are in seperate classes from the neighborhood kids. Though if non-magnet kids continue for 11 and 12th grades they are in the same classes...and some IB classes are open to anyone in the school.
[Post New]06/01/2015 15:49
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Two paths:

All JW students are in the MYP program (which is the IB curriculum for 6th - 10th grade). If they go to RM, they continue through 10th grade. At that time they can apply to the actual IB program for 11th and 12th grade joining the magnet students. Less than 50 do but it is not very competitive at that point..

JW students as well as other MoCo kids can also apply to the selective magnet which begins in 9th grade. They are in seperate classes from the neighborhood kids. Though if non-magnet kids continue for 11 and 12th grades they are in the same classes...and some IB classes are open to anyone in the school.


Thanks for the clarification! So it sounds like all JW students are in IB (MYP) program, there are no "special magnet kids" that can be said to be skewing the school's testing scores. So a greatschools "9" rating at JW is just as legitimate as a rating for any other school. Whether a person wants to put any weight behind greatschools ratings in general is up to them, but the point is that no one can say that JW's scores are somehow skewed or not representative of the actual neighborhood's student body.
[Post New]06/01/2015 15:59
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Two paths:

All JW students are in the MYP program (which is the IB curriculum for 6th - 10th grade). If they go to RM, they continue through 10th grade. At that time they can apply to the actual IB program for 11th and 12th grade joining the magnet students. Less than 50 do but it is not very competitive at that point..

JW students as well as other MoCo kids can also apply to the selective magnet which begins in 9th grade. They are in seperate classes from the neighborhood kids. Though if non-magnet kids continue for 11 and 12th grades they are in the same classes...and some IB classes are open to anyone in the school.


It is FAR less than 50. Less than 10 most likely.
[Post New]06/01/2015 16:40
quote
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Two paths:

All JW students are in the MYP program (which is the IB curriculum for 6th - 10th grade). If they go to RM, they continue through 10th grade. At that time they can apply to the actual IB program for 11th and 12th grade joining the magnet students. Less than 50 do but it is not very competitive at that point..

JW students as well as other MoCo kids can also apply to the selective magnet which begins in 9th grade. They are in seperate classes from the neighborhood kids. Though if non-magnet kids continue for 11 and 12th grades they are in the same classes...and some IB classes are open to anyone in the school.


So in RM, the choices for 9/10 graders are:

1. MYP IB
2. Magnet IB

Is there an option to not be in either IB type programs? Or can kids opt out of MYP IB in RM starting in 9th?
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