Changes to gifted center admissions

[Anonymous]

I would hope the teacher's selection + the parents would be used. If the parent is just over estimating their snowflake it will come out in testing. If the teacher is missing a child's promise due to behavior issues or shyness, the parent can step in.

[Anonymous]

As the parent of a third grader in one of the "field study" schools that is trying the new selection process, my understanding is that both parent applications and school selections will be used to identify children who will then be tested for admission. All parents will be notified in January about if the school thinks your kid should be further "screened" (tested) or not; at that point, parents can either decline (if their kids were selected) or ask to be screened (if the kids weren't originally selected). I don't know if this will be the case in future years, but it's the model this year for the field test.

[Anonymous]

For the life of my I can't understand why they don't just give the test to all kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As the parent of a third grader in one of the "field study" schools that is trying the new selection process, my understanding is that both parent applications and school selections will be used to identify children who will then be tested for admission. All parents will be notified in January about if the school thinks your kid should be further "screened" (tested) or not; at that point, parents can either decline (if their kids were selected) or ask to be screened (if the kids weren't originally selected). I don't know if this will be the case in future years, but it's the model this year for the field test.

Is this where there is a whole class from just one school? That is completely different because there are so many spots available. The "acceptance rate" will be much higher than at the centers. I hope they compare the test scores between acceptances at the two pilot schools and the centers so parents can be aware of any differences.

[Anonymous]

"For the life of my I can't understand why they don't just give the test to all kids."
+1
This is what FCPS does, plus teacher evals. Seems much fairer than parents having to opt in to a standardized test with that being the virtually sole determinant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd rather not rely on a teacher who may or may not be objective. Sure the vast majority may be great and fair, but god forbid your kid's 3rd grade teacher isn't.

Even if parents may not be qualified or even horribly biased, it doesn't matter because the test itself is an objective measure.

In what ways would a teacher not be objective? Typically, they are not related to the kids in their classes and if they were, the principal could easily set up a situation so that the teacher would not be evaluating his or her own relative.

Although I had many amazing wonderful teachers in my youth, there were a few who were mean spirited and unfairly biased against some kids.

If teachers were such great metrics of a kid's merit why bother pesky things like SATs?

Even a kid's GPA does not rely on the opinion of one single teacher but many.

This just seems like a terrible idea.

teachers aren't necessarily objective but neither are parents. won't the kids still be given the actual HGC test? that should be somewhat objective

Right, but before there was a safety mechanism. If the parents didn't refer, the teacher could. If the teacher didn't refer, the parents could. Now it sounds as if it is teacher or nothing.

I am still not clear about that. I've heard parents can still refer. But OP seems to indicate no. This definitely needs clarification.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the life of my I can't understand why they don't just give the test to all kids.

Well, they do screen all 2nd graders with the G&T test. My guess is that the HGC test is hard, and probably not worth stressing every kid out over.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was an update at our PTA meeting on changes to the GT center admissions. This struck me as a perfect example of a worthy social goal that would blow up due to poor execution. It also struck me as an example of how policy and institutional action -even if well meaning- incites the racial divide and pits people against each other.

The GT liaison announced that the county in response to a study that some demographics were under represented and some demographics were over represented at GT centers was changing the program. The centers will be expanded to offer more spaces and parents will not longer be able to apply. Instead teachers will be trained to identify students that should be selected. The outcome will be a more diverse population in the GT centers.

This is exactly the type of thing that will send white and asian voters over to a lunatic like Trump. It is a problem that african american and hispanic students are under represented at GT centers. The answer isn't to remove an admissions process based on merit and performance with internal selection based on meeting county demographic goals.

The county could have chosen to expand the admissions process to include both parent applications and teacher nominations. This would address minority students whose parents do not respond or understand enough to fill out the application. The admissions for the combined pool should still be based on merit and testing.

If not enough minority students score high enough to compete with the asian students then the county could put in place programs to balance the opportunity gap through after school programs. Many students are achieving not because of a high IQ but because of cultural focus on academics which includes high quality tutoring and study after school. Give the minority students this same tutoring that their own parents can not afford or are unable to provide and you will get more minority students scoring high enough to get in.

I'm a firm believer that education is about equal opportunity and education is the best way to push social progressive improvements. It needs to be executed in a manner though that is not zero sum, pitting groups against each other or throwing our merit as measurement.

Asian voters did move over to Trump. Yes, even those who claimed that they did not support Trump went and voted for him. Not because Trump will actually achieve something, but basically because Trump promised them some kind of action to stem illegal immigrants, and not give the illegals a path to legal citizenship.

[Anonymous]

The problem isn't teacher doing the selection rather it's the fact teachers will be forced to reach certain mix by school admin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the life of my I can't understand why they don't just give the test to all kids.

Well, they do screen all 2nd graders with the G&T test. My guess is that the HGC test is hard, and probably not worth stressing every kid out over.

But they don't actually use the second grade info for anything, right?
If you dont' want every kid taking a "hard" test, then why not use the second grade info - say everyone who scored in the top 25% of the second grade test takes the HCG test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the life of my I can't understand why they don't just give the test to all kids.

Well, they do screen all 2nd graders with the G&T test. My guess is that the HGC test is hard, and probably not worth stressing every kid out over.

So what if they are stressed? There is no downside to it if they flunk this hard test. At least we all will know just how big the achievement GAP is at 2nd grade. That is where it starts does it not?

Asians should just boycott the magnet program and try and get a parallel system for their kids education. This is a blow to their civil rights.

I am so sick of the stupidity of MCPS curriculum 2.0 and the attempt to bridge the gap by idiotic means.

I am glad that we are almost out of MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Why can't MCPS not be sued over this? We should have a demonstration against this stupidity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why can't MCPS not be sued over this? We should have a demonstration against this stupidity.

Who says they won't be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem isn't teacher doing the selection rather it's the fact teachers will be forced to reach certain mix by school admin.

I wonder how the county might accomplish this legally? My understanding is setting quotas is against the law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was an update at our PTA meeting on changes to the GT center admissions. This struck me as a perfect example of a worthy social goal that would blow up due to poor execution. It also struck me as an example of how policy and institutional action -even if well meaning- incites the racial divide and pits people against each other.

The GT liaison announced that the county in response to a study that some demographics were under represented and some demographics were over represented at GT centers was changing the program. The centers will be expanded to offer more spaces and parents will not longer be able to apply. Instead teachers will be trained to identify students that should be selected. The outcome will be a more diverse population in the GT centers.

This is exactly the type of thing that will send white and asian voters over to a lunatic like Trump. It is a problem that african american and hispanic students are under represented at GT centers. The answer isn't to remove an admissions process based on merit and performance with internal selection based on meeting county demographic goals.

The county could have chosen to expand the admissions process to include both parent applications and teacher nominations. This would address minority students whose parents do not respond or understand enough to fill out the application. The admissions for the combined pool should still be based on merit and testing.

If not enough minority students score high enough to compete with the asian students then the county could put in place programs to balance the opportunity gap through after school programs. Many students are achieving not because of a high IQ but because of cultural focus on academics which includes high quality tutoring and study after school. Give the minority students this same tutoring that their own parents can not afford or are unable to provide and you will get more minority students scoring high enough to get in.

I'm a firm believer that education is about equal opportunity and education is the best way to push social progressive improvements. It needs to be executed in a manner though that is not zero sum, pitting groups against each other or throwing our merit as measurement.

I do not think that any school system can take place of home environment as well as parent involvement. Send all the URMs to after school tutoring - they will still not bridge the achievement gap. The focus on education starts from when the child is a baby. It is not a function of after school tutoring. We have organizations like George B Thomas Academy, that are extremely affordable to AA and HI, and yet, they are under utilized.

You can lead a horse to the water but you can't make it drink. Now to put students in the HGC because they have to make a diversity quota is insulting to the students who get their by merit as well as those who get their by the color of their skins.