Two paths to magnet program at Richard Montgomery High School

[Anonymous]

Magnet programs take up host school resources. Allowing home school kids easier entry into magnet programs (ex, tpms, rmib) seems reasonable compensation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Show me where it is in RM website and more importantly show me in

MCPS site where I can find information on these two paths?

Click on ib diplomma program on the rm wesite. It is in the first paragraph.

The IB Magnet at Richard Montgomery high school is a four-year IB experience, which includes the Middle Years Programme in grades 9 & 10, followed by the Diploma Programme in grades 11 & 12. Students in the IB Magnet at Richard Montgomery are IB Continuum students, receiving the full benefit of IB teaching and learning during their years at Richard Montgomery. For more information about the IB Middle Years Programme, please visit our IB MYP page. The final two-year International Baccalaureate programme designed for students in grades 11 and 12 is the IB Diploma Programme. Additionally. While not all students who attend Richard Montgomery are in the four year Magnet, all RM students are eligible to participate in the full Diploma Programme offered at the school.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/rmhs/ib/hexagon.aspx

I knew what you were going to point me to. Let me contrast that with what RM cluster parents are provided with:

Pathways to IB

#1 Students apply in grade 8 to enter the Magnet IB at RMHS in grade 9.

#2 This pathway to the Magnet IB at RMHS is open only to students already enrolled in RMHS in grade 10. After students complete an application process that includes an application form, teacher recommendations, an MCPS transcript, and an admissions test, qualified students are selected to join IB in grade 11.

Reference:

Page 10 of http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/rmhs/guidance/Incoming9thGradeParentOrientation.ppt

Please notice the difference in language to RM and non-RM parents. Also notice how the second bullet there says admission test which no longer exist after the new Principal came in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Magnet programs take up host school resources. Allowing home school kids easier entry into magnet programs (ex, tpms, rmib) seems reasonable compensation.

Host schools get extra resource from MCPS and the test score boost from the Highly gifted students. The awards and accolades they get to the school cannot be quantified. So, the host schools are not doing it for free.

What I am pointing to is the "bait and switch" MCPS and RM are practicing. Its not okay to lure Highly Gifted students into one school and switch the program for the kids once they are there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Your snarky comment deserved a snarky response.

Now that you mentioned your detachment to the subject let me explain, I do not have a pony in the race. My kids qualified in multiple magnet programs and chose RM for the promised rigor and my last kid is already in the senior year. I am bringing this to the attention of other non-RM parents.

Most non-RM parents do not know this path and believe that they are sending their kids to a unique program. MCPS and RM has not made this information public and they need to. You may see this as a complain or you may see this as a ask fro transparency.

RM gets extra MCPS money to operate a 4-year magnet. It needs to operate it that way. Otherwise, it should not get the same fund as Blair and Poolesville from MCPS.

And so they are.

Speaking of Poolesville, did you know that kids who are zoned for Poolesville HS are allowed to take magnet classes at Poolesville HS?

I know that. However Poolesville is transparent in that regard and explain this during open house and orientation. RM has not been advertising as a all magnet school, does it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Your snarky comment deserved a snarky response.

Now that you mentioned your detachment to the subject let me explain, I do not have a pony in the race. My kids qualified in multiple magnet programs and chose RM for the promised rigor and my last kid is already in the senior year. I am bringing this to the attention of other non-RM parents.

Most non-RM parents do not know this path and believe that they are sending their kids to a unique program. MCPS and RM has not made this information public and they need to. You may see this as a complain or you may see this as a ask fro transparency.

RM gets extra MCPS money to operate a 4-year magnet. It needs to operate it that way. Otherwise, it should not get the same fund as Blair and Poolesville from MCPS.

And so they are.

Speaking of Poolesville, did you know that kids who are zoned for Poolesville HS are allowed to take magnet classes at Poolesville HS?

I know that. However Poolesville is transparent in that regard and explain this during open house and orientation. RM has not been advertising as a all magnet school, does it?

That's because it isn't.

Could you please explain specifically what you're upset about? The website? The oversight? The RM kids in RMIB classes? The coordinators? The principal? All of the above? Anything else?

[Anonymous]

I don't think this is any different to how TPMS, Eastern and Poolesville operates. We did our research when we bought our house, and one of the reasons we chose RM was specifically for this reason. We were coming from out of state, and I gathered all this from my research.

Different schools have different pros/cons. W schools have the wealth; title 1 schools have more resources. RM, Rockville, Poolesville - they don't have the wealth, but they are not "poor" enough to get additional resources. I think it's great that each school has something to offer those in the cluster. It's one of the great things about MCPS.

Many parents would rather have their kids go to W cluster schools than RM because of the "undesirables" at RM. That's fine. Then hopefully such parents are not the ones complaining about the unfair magnet application.

Is it "fair" that certain schools have test in magnet programs such that the other kids have to take a 1 hour bus ride to get there while the local kids don't have to -- and btw my DC did have to do this for the ES magnet. Wouldn't it be "fair" if *every* school had a magnet program? Unfortunately, MCPS doesn't have that kind of money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Magnet programs take up host school resources. Allowing home school kids easier entry into magnet programs (ex, tpms, rmib) seems reasonable compensation.

Host schools get extra resource from MCPS and the test score boost from the Highly gifted students. The awards and accolades they get to the school cannot be quantified. So, the host schools are not doing it for free.

What I am pointing to is the "bait and switch" MCPS and RM are practicing. Its not okay to lure Highly Gifted students into one school and switch the program for the kids once they are there.

Host schools often do not receive enough extra resources for supporting magnet program staff. Teacher staffing is set by enrollment, if a magnet teacher is only teaching magnet classes then that translates to fewer available teachers for the comprehensive program. My kids have been affected by this kind of imbalance at both Eastern MS and Einstein HS (VAC program).

Test scores and accolades are meaningless when you have to have crowded compressive classes to accommodate the staffing needs of the magnet program.

I'm not anti-magnet, but I am aware that the needs of host comprehensive programs and magnet programs are often in conflict. Allowing kids who have to share their school resources a bit of leg up in admissions or multiple entry paths seems fair.

[Anonymous]

I've been saying all along that this is the beginning of the end. Have you noticed NMSF drop this year? No, 33 is not bad but even just a few years ago, IB produced equal or more than Blair SMAC. This year IB is outnumbered by a dozen or so. That's a one sign but a significant one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Show me where it is in RM website and more importantly show me in

MCPS site where I can find information on these two paths?

Click on ib diplomma program on the rm wesite. It is in the first paragraph.

The IB Magnet at Richard Montgomery high school is a four-year IB experience, which includes the Middle Years Programme in grades 9 & 10, followed by the Diploma Programme in grades 11 & 12. Students in the IB Magnet at Richard Montgomery are IB Continuum students, receiving the full benefit of IB teaching and learning during their years at Richard Montgomery. For more information about the IB Middle Years Programme, please visit our IB MYP page. The final two-year International Baccalaureate programme designed for students in grades 11 and 12 is the IB Diploma Programme. Additionally. While not all students who attend Richard Montgomery are in the four year Magnet, all RM students are eligible to participate in the full Diploma Programme offered at the school.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/rmhs/ib/hexagon.aspx

I knew what you were going to point me to. Let me contrast that with what RM cluster parents are provided with:

Pathways to IB

#1 Students apply in grade 8 to enter the Magnet IB at RMHS in grade 9.

#2 This pathway to the Magnet IB at RMHS is open only to students already enrolled in RMHS in grade 10. After students complete an application process that includes an application form, teacher recommendations, an MCPS transcript, and an admissions test, qualified students are selected to join IB in grade 11.

Reference:

Page 10 of http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/rmhs/guidance/Incoming9thGradeParentOrientation.ppt

Please notice the difference in language to RM and non-RM parents. Also notice how the second bullet there says admission test which no longer exist after the new Principal came in.

I have seen #2 before on the mcps website. IMO, they have this other pathway not just for incoming JWMS students matriculating into 11th who didn't join MYP, but it also allows those who move into the cluster AFTER MS, so they also have a pathway to join RMIB.

http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/rmhs/ib/myp/

Tenth graders at Richard Montgomery have an opportunity to continue on into the IB Diploma Programme for their 11th and 12th grade years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Magnet programs take up host school resources. Allowing home school kids easier entry into magnet programs (ex, tpms, rmib) seems reasonable compensation.

Host schools get extra resource from MCPS and the test score boost from the Highly gifted students. The awards and accolades they get to the school cannot be quantified. So, the host schools are not doing it for free.

What I am pointing to is the "bait and switch" MCPS and RM are practicing. Its not okay to lure Highly Gifted students into one school and switch the program for the kids once they are there.

What is this "bait and switch"? They lure you into RMIB magnet, and then they stick you in regular classes, or *gasp*, they put in "not as qualified" RM kids in with your super duper smart kids?

[Anonymous]

In the end, no one cares if it's fair or not, given the complexities of "fair".

What matters is that information is clearly communicated to all and that the selective programs stay selective, instead of being diluted with lower-performing students. And I say this as a parent whose child was not accepted to a magnet program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been saying all along that this is the beginning of the end. Have you noticed NMSF drop this year? No, 33 is not bad but even just a few years ago, IB produced equal or more than Blair SMAC. This year IB is outnumbered by a dozen or so. That's a one sign but a significant one.

It's amazing how the dismissal of Jennifer Hoover in the spring of 2017 affected the scores on tests taken in the fall of 2016 by students selected for the program in the spring of 2014.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Magnet programs take up host school resources. Allowing home school kids easier entry into magnet programs (ex, tpms, rmib) seems reasonable compensation.

Host schools get extra resource from MCPS and the test score boost from the Highly gifted students. The awards and accolades they get to the school cannot be quantified. So, the host schools are not doing it for free.

What I am pointing to is the "bait and switch" MCPS and RM are practicing. Its not okay to lure Highly Gifted students into one school and switch the program for the kids once they are there.

What is this "bait and switch"? They lure you into RMIB magnet, and then they stick you in regular classes, or *gasp*, they put in "not as qualified" RM kids in with your super duper smart kids?

Yes, I think that's the OP's/PP's bait-and-switch. You think your kid will be in an exclusive special program with only special kids, but it turns out that they let non-special kids in!!!!!!!1!!!!!!!!1!!!!!1!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been saying all along that this is the beginning of the end. Have you noticed NMSF drop this year? No, 33 is not bad but even just a few years ago, IB produced equal or more than Blair SMAC. This year IB is outnumbered by a dozen or so. That's a one sign but a significant one.

It's amazing how the dismissal of Jennifer Hoover in the spring of 2017 affected the scores on tests taken in the fall of 2016 by students selected for the program in the spring of 2014.

No, it's not as cut and dry like that. Even when my kid was there - class of 2015 - the message from principal was loud and clear. He does not support IB and tried to mix IB with non-IB kids. It's a slow decline but if you have younger kids, something you should keep an eye on. My money is on continuing decline of IB stats - SAT scores, NMSF, IB test scores and such.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Magnet programs take up host school resources. Allowing home school kids easier entry into magnet programs (ex, tpms, rmib) seems reasonable compensation.

Host schools get extra resource from MCPS and the test score boost from the Highly gifted students. The awards and accolades they get to the school cannot be quantified. So, the host schools are not doing it for free.

What I am pointing to is the "bait and switch" MCPS and RM are practicing. Its not okay to lure Highly Gifted students into one school and switch the program for the kids once they are there.

What is this "bait and switch"? They lure you into RMIB magnet, and then they stick you in regular classes, or *gasp*, they put in "not as qualified" RM kids in with your super duper smart kids?

Yes, I think that's the OP's/PP's bait-and-switch. You think your kid will be in an exclusive special program with only special kids, but it turns out that they let non-special kids in!!!!!!!1!!!!!!!!1!!!!!1!!!!!!!!

How do they know that those RM kids are not super smart, too? JWMS GS rating is an 8, test scores rated 9. Do those kids somehow become dumber when they hit 11th grade? There are several kids in the cluster who made it to HGC and MS magnets. Are those kids not as smart as those from the W clusters? Are the kids who move into the cluster after MS not smart enough to get int RMIB? Do people not realize that some parents of very smart kids actually *choose* to live in the RM cluster for various reasons, one could be that they want their smart kid to go to RMIB without the commute?

I guess I could make the assumption that all W cluster kids are only "smart" because their parents can buy the high test scores and grades via tutors and afterschool enrichment activities. Without these things, they'd be just as dumb as the RM cluster kids.