What is the appeal process for MCPS elementary magnet program

[Anonymous]

I beleive my DS's need cannot be met at his homeschool. Unfortunately he is not accepted in the HGC. I think his teacher's recomendation was not glowing. I intend to appeal. However do not know what it takes. Can somone who has successfully done this, please enlighten me. TIA.

[Anonymous]

We did it, not successfully though. And we appealed to two levels. And our child was on the waitlist, and DC's scores were higher than the mean.

DC's teacher trashed her application. On appeal, there was nothing to be done about that.

I hope someone else can provide a hopeful story, but we cannot.

[Anonymous]

That sounds terrible that a teacher would do that to a child. How were you able to find out that the teacher was responsible for your child not getting in? TIA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I beleive my DS's need cannot be met at his homeschool. Unfortunately he is not accepted in the HGC. I think his teacher's recomendation was not glowing. I intend to appeal. However do not know what it takes. Can somone who has successfully done this, please enlighten me. TIA.

If your DS was identified for GT services in Grade 2, you should be able to get your homeschool to provide the same curriculum as the HGC. The only difference are the projects and the amount of HW assigned. If he is a motivated learner, you could make up the difference easily. I would not sweat it too much and you can personally spend more time focusing on his needs, which is always better than a school teacher with 25-30 kids in any school - HGC or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I beleive my DS's need cannot be met at his homeschool. Unfortunately he is not accepted in the HGC. I think his teacher's recomendation was not glowing. I intend to appeal. However do not know what it takes. Can somone who has successfully done this, please enlighten me. TIA.

If your DS was identified for GT services in Grade 2, you should be able to get your homeschool to provide the same curriculum as the HGC. The only difference are the projects and the amount of HW assigned. If he is a motivated learner, you could make up the difference easily. I would not sweat it too much and you can personally spend more time focusing on his needs, which is always better than a school teacher with 25-30 kids in any school - HGC or not.

He was identified GT and we are previleged to be able to provide more challenge for him at home.

However, the concern is that he is being demotivated at school to the point of withdrawal since the homeroom teacher feels he is too enthusiatic (to learn and participate)! He is constantly being reminded that other students in the class need oppertunity to respond and wait for his turn! I understand the teacher's point, but what do I do with my son who knows all the answers and is demonstarting frustration, as a result, by acting out!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I beleive my DS's need cannot be met at his homeschool. Unfortunately he is not accepted in the HGC. I think his teacher's recomendation was not glowing. I intend to appeal. However do not know what it takes. Can somone who has successfully done this, please enlighten me. TIA.

If your DS was identified for GT services in Grade 2, you should be able to get your homeschool to provide the same curriculum as the HGC. The only difference are the projects and the amount of HW assigned. If he is a motivated learner, you could make up the difference easily. I would not sweat it too much and you can personally spend more time focusing on his needs, which is always better than a school teacher with 25-30 kids in any school - HGC or not.

He was identified GT and we are previleged to be able to provide more challenge for him at home.

However, the concern is that he is being demotivated at school to the point of withdrawal since the homeroom teacher feels he is too enthusiatic (to learn and participate)! He is constantly being reminded that other students in the class need oppertunity to respond and wait for his turn! I understand the teacher's point, but what do I do with my son who knows all the answers and is demonstarting frustration, as a result, by acting out!

Have you met the school principal? Also, try to find someone in the school who can advocate for your child and if you have some time try to be home room volunteer and observe how your son is doing. There are also professional advocates but you will have to pay them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I beleive my DS's need cannot be met at his homeschool. Unfortunately he is not accepted in the HGC. I think his teacher's recomendation was not glowing. I intend to appeal. However do not know what it takes. Can somone who has successfully done this, please enlighten me. TIA.

If your DS was identified for GT services in Grade 2, you should be able to get your homeschool to provide the same curriculum as the HGC. The only difference are the projects and the amount of HW assigned. If he is a motivated learner, you could make up the difference easily. I would not sweat it too much and you can personally spend more time focusing on his needs, which is always better than a school teacher with 25-30 kids in any school - HGC or not.

This is wishful thinking and really completely untrue.

There are many many differences and homework is really the least of them. There's also no way that regular ES teachers would be remotely prepared to oversee the projects that they do. Then there's the writing, the vocabulary building, the problem solving in class with a true peer group, etc. etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I beleive my DS's need cannot be met at his homeschool. Unfortunately he is not accepted in the HGC. I think his teacher's recomendation was not glowing. I intend to appeal. However do not know what it takes. Can somone who has successfully done this, please enlighten me. TIA.

If your DS was identified for GT services in Grade 2, you should be able to get your homeschool to provide the same curriculum as the HGC. The only difference are the projects and the amount of HW assigned. If he is a motivated learner, you could make up the difference easily. I would not sweat it too much and you can personally spend more time focusing on his needs, which is always better than a school teacher with 25-30 kids in any school - HGC or not.

This is wishful thinking and really completely untrue.

There are many many differences and homework is really the least of them. There's also no way that regular ES teachers would be remotely prepared to oversee the projects that they do. Then there's the writing, the vocabulary building, the problem solving in class with a true peer group, etc. etc.

Yeah yeah.. lalalala...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
This is wishful thinking and really completely untrue.

There are many many differences and homework is really the least of them. There's also no way that regular ES teachers would be remotely prepared to oversee the projects that they do. Then there's the writing, the vocabulary building, the problem solving in class with a true peer group, etc. etc.

This information is actually very helpful. Can anyone identify a list of services the magnet student in elementary school magnet get (in various subjects) that students at regular elementary school would not get. This would definitely help e justify the need during the appeal process.

[Anonymous]

I think the way to go about it is to think about what needs your child has that are not being met in your home school.

A large part of this could be social. Does your child have peers? Is he able to work with others at a level appropriate to him, or is he always off in the corner working on something at his own level? Does he fit in/make friends, or is it hard for him to find kids who are interested in what he's interested in, or at his level. (Example: kids who play with army men vs. a kid who reads World War II histories.)

Look at his MARP-R scores. At what grade level does he read? My son who was admitted to an HGC read, in third grade, at a 12th grade+ level. My daughter, who in third grade read at a 6th grade level, was not admitted. So while they will say something like "HGC kids typically read two or more grade levels above," in reality most of them read at the top of the high school level.

Do you have outside testing, like IQ testing? If so, you should look for an IQ score on the WISC that's 135 or better (I learned this from an educational consultant and I believe it was accurate for last year's pool). It's not that there aren't kids with a lower IQ in the program, but more that a score lower than that won't help you make your case on appeal.

If his scores on all the tests were well below the mean, unless there are some really significant extenuating circumstances, it will be hard to make your case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the way to go about it is to think about what needs your child has that are not being met in your home school.

A large part of this could be social. Does your child have peers? Is he able to work with others at a level appropriate to him, or is he always off in the corner working on something at his own level? Does he fit in/make friends, or is it hard for him to find kids who are interested in what he's interested in, or at his level. (Example: kids who play with army men vs. a kid who reads World War II histories.)

Look at his MARP-R scores. At what grade level does he read? My son who was admitted to an HGC read, in third grade, at a 12th grade+ level. My daughter, who in third grade read at a 6th grade level, was not admitted. So while they will say something like "HGC kids typically read two or more grade levels above," in reality most of them read at the top of the high school level.

Do you have outside testing, like IQ testing? If so, you should look for an IQ score on the WISC that's 135 or better (I learned this from an educational consultant and I believe it was accurate for last year's pool). It's not that there aren't kids with a lower IQ in the program, but more that a score lower than that won't help you make your case on appeal.

If his scores on all the tests were well below the mean, unless there are some really significant extenuating circumstances, it will be hard to make your case.

Sounds like MCPS speak.

[Anonymous]

Why not relaize your kid might not be what you expect them to be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the way to go about it is to think about what needs your child has that are not being met in your home school.

A large part of this could be social. Does your child have peers? Is he able to work with others at a level appropriate to him, or is he always off in the corner working on something at his own level? Does he fit in/make friends, or is it hard for him to find kids who are interested in what he's interested in, or at his level. (Example: kids who play with army men vs. a kid who reads World War II histories.)

Look at his MARP-R scores. At what grade level does he read? My son who was admitted to an HGC read, in third grade, at a 12th grade+ level. My daughter, who in third grade read at a 6th grade level, was not admitted. So while they will say something like "HGC kids typically read two or more grade levels above," in reality most of them read at the top of the high school level.

Do you have outside testing, like IQ testing? If so, you should look for an IQ score on the WISC that's 135 or better (I learned this from an educational consultant and I believe it was accurate for last year's pool). It's not that there aren't kids with a lower IQ in the program, but more that a score lower than that won't help you make your case on appeal.

If his scores on all the tests were well below the mean, unless there are some really significant extenuating circumstances, it will be hard to make your case.

Sounds like MCPS speak.

No, I have no affiliation with MCPS. I"m a parent of one kid in an HCG. I have another child who did not get in; we did appeal but it was not accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why not relaize your kid might not be what you expect them to be?

I take it you are speaking from experience, PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the way to go about it is to think about what needs your child has that are not being met in your home school.

A large part of this could be social. Does your child have peers? Is he able to work with others at a level appropriate to him, or is he always off in the corner working on something at his own level? Does he fit in/make friends, or is it hard for him to find kids who are interested in what he's interested in, or at his level. (Example: kids who play with army men vs. a kid who reads World War II histories.)

Look at his MARP-R scores. At what grade level does he read? My son who was admitted to an HGC read, in third grade, at a 12th grade+ level. My daughter, who in third grade read at a 6th grade level, was not admitted. So while they will say something like "HGC kids typically read two or more grade levels above," in reality most of them read at the top of the high school level.

Do you have outside testing, like IQ testing? If so, you should look for an IQ score on the WISC that's 135 or better (I learned this from an educational consultant and I believe it was accurate for last year's pool). It's not that there aren't kids with a lower IQ in the program, but more that a score lower than that won't help you make your case on appeal.

If his scores on all the tests were well below the mean, unless there are some really significant extenuating circumstances, it will be hard to make your case.

Sounds like MCPS speak.

Even if it were MCPS speak, so what? We are working within the system. We *have* to work within the system. If a successful appeal entails understanding the system (and it does), what is the harm in articulating the requirements MCPS is looking for here?