What's the point of honors?

[Anonymous]

Honors classes move at a much faster pace and are more intellectually challenging than on grade level classes. The extra point reflects that. AP classes are college level classes that culminate in an AP exam. The coll get board sets the curriculum for AP classes and gives and grades the exams. Teachers give their own tests and assignments in the AP classes throughout the year. It' it a matter of parents wanting to show off that their kid is in honors. Kids who need more challenge need more challenge. Why do people resent children who are smart and work hard for their grades? I don't understand such an attitude. You just sound so incredible jealous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honors classes move at a much faster pace and are more intellectually challenging than on grade level classes. The extra point reflects that. AP classes are college level classes that culminate in an AP exam. The coll get board sets the curriculum for AP classes and gives and grades the exams. Teachers give their own tests and assignments in the AP classes throughout the year. It' it a matter of parents wanting to show off that their kid is in honors. Kids who need more challenge need more challenge. Why do people resent children who are smart and work hard for their grades? I don't understand such an attitude. You just sound so incredible jealous.

^^^ It isn't a matter of parents wanting to show off that their kids are in honors classes.

[Anonymous]

The less serious students are not in honers, thus less distractions in class and teachers can do their job

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The less serious students are not in honers, thus less distractions in class and teachers can do their job

Please read the thread before posting. The issue is that this is NOT what is happening. An honors label is being stuck on a class that is basically an on-level class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honors classes move at a much faster pace and are more intellectually challenging than on grade level classes. The extra point reflects that. AP classes are college level classes that culminate in an AP exam. The coll get board sets the curriculum for AP classes and gives and grades the exams. Teachers give their own tests and assignments in the AP classes throughout the year. It' it a matter of parents wanting to show off that their kid is in honors. Kids who need more challenge need more challenge. Why do people resent children who are smart and work hard for their grades? I don't understand such an attitude. You just sound so incredible jealous.

^^^ It isn't a matter of parents wanting to show off that their kids are in honors classes.

Please read the thread before posting. The issue is that this is NOT what is happening. An honors label is being stuck on a class that is basically an on-level class. The concern is that they really aren't more challenging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our private, honors and regular classes are separate. The textbooks are even different. Honors classes usually have fewer students. So glad we went to private.

They are separate at my mcps too with different books depending on the class. I don't think smaller classes for top students is right though...

Incorrect. They are not separate. They are worked together and the kids have extra homework occasionally and a few extra questions on tests. My daughter's one "honors" class has two refugee kids who barely speak English and have only showed up to class about 4 times.

Very correct at my child's school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our private, honors and regular classes are separate. The textbooks are even different. Honors classes usually have fewer students. So glad we went to private.

They are separate at my mcps too with different books depending on the class. I don't think smaller classes for top students is right though...

Why not? They earned it by working harder and taking school seriously. The content is more challenging, therefore justifying a smaller class. Plus, considering that they are an elite group of kids...there won't be so many of them.

You are assuming that all kids are equally capable and kids that do not score as well are just not working hard/taking it seriously? WOW! My hardest working child has the lower grades. My top performer does very little work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The less serious students are not in honers, thus less distractions in class and teachers can do their job

Please read the thread before posting. The issue is that this is NOT what is happening. An honors label is being stuck on a class that is basically an on-level class.

Exactly... It is not the norm in moco scools to mix.

Ap classes are for kids with tiger moms.

Honors classes are for kids whose parents want to self segregate from the "other" kids.

[Anonymous]

Both ap and honors classes enable the student to get higher gpa points. There is no other reason other than that to take honors or ap. It's not about the challenge. It is about bumping up GPA.

[Anonymous]

We have been in 3 high schools in MCPS and they are all mixed non-honors and honors. They never separate.

[Anonymous]

We have been in two and neither mixed. Also AP classes bring College credit much more important than the gpa.

[Anonymous]

Totally agree with post above 7:27 Couldn't of said it better myself

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The less serious students are not in honers, thus less distractions in class and teachers can do their job

Please read the thread before posting. The issue is that this is NOT what is happening. An honors label is being stuck on a class that is basically an on-level class.

Exactly... It is not the norm in moco scools to mix.

Ap classes are for kids with tiger moms.

Honors classes are for kids whose parents want to self segregate from the "other" kids.

Mom or an AP and Honors student. I am certainly no tiger mom, nor do I feel a need to segregate my child from kids who chose to take another academic track. My son chose to take honors and AP courses because he wants to raise his GPA. The college he wants to attend accepts students with an average 4.2 GPA. So to go to this college, he needs these courses. It has nothing to do with my being able to brag to my friends that he is an honors student (although I am very proud of him). Maybe I will brag when he gets accepted to his college of choice

I know exactly what is happening with these sour grapes posts like the one quoted above. There is certainly a jealousy factor here...or maybe they have been exposed to some of these "tiger moms," which I am sure can be plentiful especially in the W schools. I feel badly for posters like above who feel a need to bash families who decide to take the more challenging route. Maybe your kid has other things going for him. Maybe he or she is a star soccer player or playing a major role in the drama club. Please let kids who succeed feel good about it, whether it be in academics, sports, or other pursuits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The less serious students are not in honers, thus less distractions in class and teachers can do their job

Please read the thread before posting. The issue is that this is NOT what is happening. An honors label is being stuck on a class that is basically an on-level class.

Exactly... It is not the norm in moco scools to mix.

Ap classes are for kids with tiger moms.

Honors classes are for kids whose parents want to self segregate from the "other" kids.

Mom or an AP and Honors student. I am certainly no tiger mom, nor do I feel a need to segregate my child from kids who chose to take another academic track. My son chose to take honors and AP courses because he wants to raise his GPA. The college he wants to attend accepts students with an average 4.2 GPA. So to go to this college, he needs these courses. It has nothing to do with my being able to brag to my friends that he is an honors student (although I am very proud of him). Maybe I will brag when he gets accepted to his college of choice

I know exactly what is happening with these sour grapes posts like the one quoted above. There is certainly a jealousy factor here...or maybe they have been exposed to some of these "tiger moms," which I am sure can be plentiful especially in the W schools. I feel badly for posters like above who feel a need to bash families who decide to take the more challenging route. Maybe your kid has other things going for him. Maybe he or she is a star soccer player or playing a major role in the drama club. Please let kids who succeed feel good about it, whether it be in academics, sports, or other pursuits.

One more thing...let me add that my DS is not in a MCPS. He is in a private and there are absolutely no mixing of regular and honors classes. I don't know what the case is for MCPS, but one thing I WILL say is that MCPS elementary and middle schools prepared my DS well for his private high school course load.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The less serious students are not in honers, thus less distractions in class and teachers can do their job

Please read the thread before posting. The issue is that this is NOT what is happening. An honors label is being stuck on a class that is basically an on-level class.

Exactly... It is not the norm in moco scools to mix.

Ap classes are for kids with tiger moms.

Honors classes are for kids whose parents want to self segregate from the "other" kids.

Mom or an AP and Honors student. I am certainly no tiger mom, nor do I feel a need to segregate my child from kids who chose to take another academic track. My son chose to take honors and AP courses because he wants to raise his GPA. The college he wants to attend accepts students with an average 4.2 GPA. So to go to this college, he needs these courses. It has nothing to do with my being able to brag to my friends that he is an honors student (although I am very proud of him). Maybe I will brag when he gets accepted to his college of choice

I know exactly what is happening with these sour grapes posts like the one quoted above. There is certainly a jealousy factor here...or maybe they have been exposed to some of these "tiger moms," which I am sure can be plentiful especially in the W schools. I feel badly for posters like above who feel a need to bash families who decide to take the more challenging route. Maybe your kid has other things going for him. Maybe he or she is a star soccer player or playing a major role in the drama club. Please let kids who succeed feel good about it, whether it be in academics, sports, or other pursuits.

The lady doth protest too much me thinks

Top schools do not take weighted GPA. They also don't expect to see more than 5 AP classes. Honors have no affect on college entrance at all.

You may need to lie to yourself to feel better about your decisions, or maybe this is your oldest child and you don't really understand how it works.

You should let your kid take a few classes in the general population. It's cheaper than the $2500 you probably spent on his overseas "volunteer" work.