Apex at WJ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rumor from kid in program: MCPS considering making APEX an “opt in” vs “test-in” program. In his view will make it less rigorous.

Opt in doesn't make it less rigorous, just less exclusive. AP courses are AP courses, they don't change based on who is sitting in the seats. If you have 50 kids currently earning As and Bs and add in 20 more that are less prepared, you don't change the As and Bs, you just add 20 Cs to the list. Don't confuse lowering average scores with less rigor. It's the same rigor, just lower average outcome.

Wrong.

1. AP courses in APEX go more in-depth and have more work than regular AP courses.

2. You should know by now, that the quality of the peer cohort makes a big difference to any program. A classroom discussion between top 10th percentilers will be different from a classroom discussion with any student who chooses to opt in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rumor from kid in program: MCPS considering making APEX an “opt in” vs “test-in” program. In his view will make it less rigorous.

Opt in doesn't make it less rigorous, just less exclusive. AP courses are AP courses, they don't change based on who is sitting in the seats. If you have 50 kids currently earning As and Bs and add in 20 more that are less prepared, you don't change the As and Bs, you just add 20 Cs to the list. Don't confuse lowering average scores with less rigor. It's the same rigor, just lower average outcome.

Wrong.

1. AP courses in APEX go more in-depth and have more work than regular AP courses.

2. You should know by now, that the quality of the peer cohort makes a big difference to any program. A classroom discussion between top 10th percentilers will be different from a classroom discussion with any student who chooses to opt in.

They should offer the APEX style cohort to more kids. Plenty of talented, smart kids who don’t make it into APEX. Also the difference between being in the top 10% at WJ and being top 25% is often .001 difference in wgpa.

- APEX mom

[Anonymous]

They should offer the APEX style cohort to more kids. Plenty of talented, smart kids who don’t make it into APEX. Also the difference between being in the top 10% at WJ and being top 25% is often .001 difference in wgpa.

- APEX mom


This may be true, but expanding the APEX cohort will dilute the strong relationships the kids build within the program. This happened somewhat when the program was expanded from about 60 students to 90 students a few years ago. If it is expanded much further, the students won't travel together in the same way as they have in the past and do now and they won't really get to know one another.

- Also an APEX parent. One student attended APEX when it was 60 students, and one attends in the current program of 90 students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They should offer the APEX style cohort to more kids. Plenty of talented, smart kids who don’t make it into APEX. Also the difference between being in the top 10% at WJ and being top 25% is often .001 difference in wgpa.

- APEX mom


This may be true, but expanding the APEX cohort will dilute the strong relationships the kids build within the program. This happened somewhat when the program was expanded from about 60 students to 90 students a few years ago. If it is expanded much further, the students won't travel together in the same way as they have in the past and do now and they won't really get to know one another.

- Also an APEX parent. One student attended APEX when it was 60 students, and one attends in the current program of 90 students.

I agree. No more dilution.

- also an APEX parent.

[Anonymous]

Why not have 3 separate APEX cohorts -50 students in each. Plenty of high stats kids to fill those seats. They will get to know all the kids in their cohort. No dilution. You’re kidding yourself if you think there’s not enough smart kids for this.

Otherwise we’re going to lose APEX level students to all the new IB programs MCPS is adding in other schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not have 3 separate APEX cohorts -50 students in each. Plenty of high stats kids to fill those seats. They will get to know all the kids in their cohort. No dilution. You’re kidding yourself if you think there’s not enough smart kids for this.

Otherwise we’re going to lose APEX level students to all the new IB programs MCPS is adding in other schools.

As a parent, I strongly prefer the APEX model to the IB model.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not have 3 separate APEX cohorts -50 students in each. Plenty of high stats kids to fill those seats. They will get to know all the kids in their cohort. No dilution. You’re kidding yourself if you think there’s not enough smart kids for this.

Otherwise we’re going to lose APEX level students to all the new IB programs MCPS is adding in other schools.

There are currently 87 students in APEX right now, three sections of 29.

Some accepted students are lost to magnets.

The IB model in the USA is flawed, because a lot of colleges don't understand it and want unrealistic scores from applicants, and because a lot of high schools teachers are not trained to teach the coursework. Additionally, MCPS wants to use the IB to to make some schools in lower-income neighborhoods more attractive.
Bottom line - please do your research before enrolling for an IB program. Most of them are not good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not have 3 separate APEX cohorts -50 students in each. Plenty of high stats kids to fill those seats. They will get to know all the kids in their cohort. No dilution. You’re kidding yourself if you think there’s not enough smart kids for this.

Otherwise we’re going to lose APEX level students to all the new IB programs MCPS is adding in other schools.

While this is a great idea, high school scheduling is so complex that it wouldn't be possible to schedule three separate groups of 50 students to travel together.

Current high school teacher, former teacher at WJ (familiar with the APEX program)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why not have 3 separate APEX cohorts -50 students in each. Plenty of high stats kids to fill those seats. They will get to know all the kids in their cohort. No dilution. You’re kidding yourself if you think there’s not enough smart kids for this.

Otherwise we’re going to lose APEX level students to all the new IB programs MCPS is adding in other schools.

While this is a great idea, high school scheduling is so complex that it wouldn't be possible to schedule three separate groups of 50 students to travel together.

Current high school teacher, former teacher at WJ (familiar with the APEX program)

Blair organizes SMAC kids into blocks for freshman year. There are 4 of approx. 25 and they have the magnet classes together. It allows the teachers to make longer periods when they need to.

[Anonymous]

We already lose kids to Blair, CAP, IB... Dilute APEX more and we will lose more. Exclusivity and the cohort is what keeps many kids at WJ, their home school.

I too would not like it to be expanded further.

Another APEX mom

[Anonymous]

What will MCPS do with APEX kids when half of WJ goes to Woodward? This must be on their minds too.

[Anonymous]

I would assume they will let existing APEX kids stay at WJ to finish..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would assume they will let existing APEX kids stay at WJ to finish..

I think the poster was thinking that some of the kids that would have qualified for the WJ APEX program would be zoned for Woodward, thus, perhaps no need for a long-term expansion of the program.

[Anonymous]

I hope so. I support the Woodward opening (maybe they’ll have APEX too), but it would be best if they open Woodward just for ninth graders, and make it optional for older grades. High school is so hard/stressful already for kids and switching schools/programs midstream would be awful and frankly debestating for some kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would assume they will let existing APEX kids stay at WJ to finish..

I think the poster was thinking that some of the kids that would have qualified for the WJ APEX program would be zoned for Woodward, thus, perhaps no need for a long-term expansion of the program.

It’s certainly a factor to consider. I would prefer to see then replicate APEX at Woodward. I also prefer it to IB. It’s a great option.