Middle school magnets - criteria-based

[Anonymous]

There's some talk about a change to better MS Science. Devil would be in the implementation, of course. We've seen that be very different across schools for much of the advanced/enriched curricula.

Even with that, though, it is unlikely to provide something reasonably similar to the magnet program. Just far too little funding vs. the need to make for either enough magnet seats or robust enough local options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD made lottery for both TPMS and Eastern but was selected for neither. High 240s for MAP M and R; I don't remember the exact numbers but M was a point or two higher.

Am a little confused because in ParentVue it says her math recommendation is AMP6+ but I think she should be in AIM....but maybe the issue is that the AIM recommendation is done centrally by MCPS and that hasn't happened yet? In ParentVue it says "teacher recommendation" so that's what I'm thinking.

Bummed that DD won't have any advanced science, though....and her middle school hilariously calls English "Advanced English" even though that's the English class for everyone - there is no differentiation.

Parentvue recommendations are done by the current 5th grade teacher or her current elementary school. If you want her in AIM or another class just register her for it when the time comes and if there is any issue you can show them the lottery letter.

You don't get a choice to register at our school; it says it's done automatically based on teacher recommendation. The only choice we have is for language and elective. But if PP was on the lottery waitlist, then the teacher recommendation shouldn't matter; student has been identified for AIM by central office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD made lottery for both TPMS and Eastern but was selected for neither. High 240s for MAP M and R; I don't remember the exact numbers but M was a point or two higher.

Am a little confused because in ParentVue it says her math recommendation is AMP6+ but I think she should be in AIM....but maybe the issue is that the AIM recommendation is done centrally by MCPS and that hasn't happened yet? In ParentVue it says "teacher recommendation" so that's what I'm thinking.

Bummed that DD won't have any advanced science, though....and her middle school hilariously calls English "Advanced English" even though that's the English class for everyone - there is no differentiation.

Parentvue recommendations are done by the current 5th grade teacher or her current elementary school. If you want her in AIM or another class just register her for it when the time comes and if there is any issue you can show them the lottery letter.

You don't get a choice to register at our school; it says it's done automatically based on teacher recommendation. The only choice we have is for language and elective. But if PP was on the lottery waitlist, then the teacher recommendation shouldn't matter; student has been identified for AIM by central office.

It's very school specific. We were given a form and could choose the math class and the ES teacher had to sign off on it. Then, it was electives/language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD with MAP-M and MAP-R in the 99th percentile. Placed in both lotteries, selected for neither. Low-Moderate FARMS school. Straight A's. Asian.

Looks like there are more posts of people who did not get picked than those who got picked. Would love to know profile of kids who got selected to confirm that this was a true lottery.

I hardly doubt its a true lottery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD with MAP-M and MAP-R in the 99th percentile. Placed in both lotteries, selected for neither. Low-Moderate FARMS school. Straight A's. Asian.

Looks like there are more posts of people who did not get picked than those who got picked. Would love to know profile of kids who got selected to confirm that this was a true lottery.

I hardly doubt its a true lottery.

Hardly doubt? What did that even mean? You don’t doubt it? (Therefore you believe it is?) or you do doubt it, and think it isn’t?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD with MAP-M and MAP-R in the 99th percentile. Placed in both lotteries, selected for neither. Low-Moderate FARMS school. Straight A's. Asian.

Looks like there are more posts of people who did not get picked than those who got picked. Would love to know profile of kids who got selected to confirm that this was a true lottery.

I hardly doubt its a true lottery.

They clearly stated it's a lottery of the top 15%. Look up lottery and the dictionary if you don't understand how these work.

[Anonymous]

My child is finishing up at the TPMS magnet and got in through the old method (non-lottery). I remember DCUM when results were announced. It seems like the fact that DCUM is not deluged with acceptance announcements today indicates the lottery is working, according to MCPS' goals of diversifying it. Before it was DCUM parent after DCUM parent announcing acceptances the day after the letters were mailed. Lots arrived yesterday. That this isn't happening might mean more kids are getting in whose parents don't use DCUM, which indicates a different SES mix than in years past.

Of course I may be wrong about timing and tomorrow this happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child is finishing up at the TPMS magnet and got in through the old method (non-lottery). I remember DCUM when results were announced. It seems like the fact that DCUM is not deluged with acceptance announcements today indicates the lottery is working, according to MCPS' goals of diversifying it. Before it was DCUM parent after DCUM parent announcing acceptances the day after the letters were mailed. Lots arrived yesterday. That this isn't happening might mean more kids are getting in whose parents don't use DCUM, which indicates a different SES mix than in years past.

Of course I may be wrong about timing and tomorrow this happens.

You are probably correct and for me that means that it was not a true lottery. Some groups got more acceptances that others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is finishing up at the TPMS magnet and got in through the old method (non-lottery). I remember DCUM when results were announced. It seems like the fact that DCUM is not deluged with acceptance announcements today indicates the lottery is working, according to MCPS' goals of diversifying it. Before it was DCUM parent after DCUM parent announcing acceptances the day after the letters were mailed. Lots arrived yesterday. That this isn't happening might mean more kids are getting in whose parents don't use DCUM, which indicates a different SES mix than in years past.

Of course I may be wrong about timing and tomorrow this happens.

You are probably correct and for me that means that it was not a true lottery. Some groups got more acceptances that others.

Do you really understand how a lottery work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Got letter that student was placed in both lottery pools and did not get a spot. I presume this mean he will be placed in HIGH and AIM at our local school.

I think that's correct.

Did you read the letter? It's pretty clear if you are in the lottery you get placed in the courses at local school.

[Anonymous]

Got spot in humanities program which is surprising based on my kid's interests. Now will have to decide because they were prepped for their spot at Argyle. Lucky to get choices. And really, it's just luck. My other kid didn't get in a few years ago and was much better suited in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD with MAP-M and MAP-R in the 99th percentile. Placed in both lotteries, selected for neither. Low-Moderate FARMS school. Straight A's. Asian.

Looks like there are more posts of people who did not get picked than those who got picked. Would love to know profile of kids who got selected to confirm that this was a true lottery.

I hardly doubt its a true lottery.

They clearly stated it's a lottery of the top 15%. Look up lottery and the dictionary if you don't understand how these work.

Because the kids from our ES were not the top students but one of the parents had connections and it was interesting the kids selected were all friends. There were much brighter kids who should have been sent. These were good smart kids but they were not at the top.

The 15% is now absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We'll get a high-level picture of the lottery results probably sometime over the summer when MCPS presents them to the BOE. Almost certainly, it won't be detailed enough to allow for community critique, as is the case with almost everything put to the board.

MCPS did do a much better job of posting a proper FAQ, even though that, itself, was after the measures that would be used were already past, and even though there was some detail omitted (specifics on adjustments for those receiving services, current-year school FARMS rate tranches for local norming, etc.).

I sincerely doubt it wasn't a true lottery after the inclusion adjustments, though. The worst I reasonably could see, there, would be that the company contracted to perform it might be asked to run it over in case there was a huge statistical anomaly in magnet selection (e.g., hugely disproportionate gender balance or very lumpy distribution across schools vs. their identified population). Even if they had such a mechanism, I doubt it would be based on MCPS review -- too much that could get them in trouble when they know the community is asking for info.

Of course, shining that light will be resisted, and only a determined BOE champion or a slew of community lawsuits (kt was too easy from a legal/procedural perspective to brush aside the one effort

Why is MCPS so secretive and sneaky? Other school districts including FCPS release a lot more data and try to keep the community involved by valuing transparency.

I think it definitely comes off that way, but that, I think, is rooted in a few things:

1) Time available for staff to compose/disseminate info.
2) Reviews required by upper management.
3) The perception of a heavy lift to engage early vs. a light lift to post late (ignoring the resulting lift of calls fielded by teachers/schools & front-line staff).
4) An assumption by upper management that open data at the level of detail will simply invite criticism instead of address it (coupled with the ease of claiming data transparency compromises student privacy -- dubious, but useful)
5) For this issue, and those similar, a perception of privilege that blinds those focused on other priorities to the needs of this sizeable minority.

I don't think staff are trying to pull the wool over our eyes. If that's being done -- and that's a big "if" -- it's by upper management.

There have been a few BOE members who ran on a plank of open data/data transparency. Either they lost that interest, or they are vulnerable to the Board/MCPS dynamic that has them, underpaid, part-time & with almost zero independent staff, beholden to that which MCPS puts on the agenda, rather than the other way around. If I had a nickel for each time I've seen some glossed over item at a meeting with only the briefest of inquiry (and no real follow-up)...and I don't even watch that many meetings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD with MAP-M and MAP-R in the 99th percentile. Placed in both lotteries, selected for neither. Low-Moderate FARMS school. Straight A's. Asian.

Looks like there are more posts of people who did not get picked than those who got picked. Would love to know profile of kids who got selected to confirm that this was a true lottery.

I hardly doubt its a true lottery.

They clearly stated it's a lottery of the top 15%. Look up lottery and the dictionary if you don't understand how these work.

Because the kids from our ES were not the top students but one of the parents had connections and it was interesting the kids selected were all friends. There were much brighter kids who should have been sent. These were good smart kids but they were not at the top.

The 15% is now absurd.

What year are you talking about? Before the lottery? It wasn’ta lottery before the 2020-2021 school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is finishing up at the TPMS magnet and got in through the old method (non-lottery). I remember DCUM when results were announced. It seems like the fact that DCUM is not deluged with acceptance announcements today indicates the lottery is working, according to MCPS' goals of diversifying it. Before it was DCUM parent after DCUM parent announcing acceptances the day after the letters were mailed. Lots arrived yesterday. That this isn't happening might mean more kids are getting in whose parents don't use DCUM, which indicates a different SES mix than in years past.

Of course I may be wrong about timing and tomorrow this happens.

You are probably correct and for me that means that it was not a true lottery. Some groups got more acceptances that others.

It is a true lottery in that names are randomly selected from a pool. They've stated this clearly.