"Is MCPS losing its edge?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article points out that at ALL MCPS schools, even in honor classes, there’s a lack of rigor, grade level assignments, and assigned books.

Even in AP classes! Look at your high school’s AP scores and you can easily see that. Very much a lack of rigor.

I’m amazed at the lack of homework and assignments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article points out that at ALL MCPS schools, even in honor classes, there’s a lack of rigor, grade level assignments, and assigned books.

Even in AP classes! Look at your high school’s AP scores and you can easily see that. Very much a lack of rigor.

21 out 25 MCPS schools made the AP honor roll.
MCPS has an AP passing rate of over 70%.
How is it a lack of rigor?

And many, if not most AP courses have a total pass rate of 70% now, so this is nothing special.

[Anonymous]

Was anyone able to read the magazine feature?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It never had an edge. They need to get back to basics.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First of all only the top 2 W schools are the well regarded MCPS schools. MCPS overall was not uniformly good.

Second SAT and ACT scores are a combo of the students studying and parents paying for tutoring. So scores good or bad have little to do with the schools.

People love to roll out this generalization, but it is not true (perhaps in your household it is).

My student was never tutored, for pay or free.
He looked at the SAT paper booklet and did a free online review the evening prior to the exam.
Scored in the 1400's on his first try. Not excellent by DCUM standards, but pretty good for doing none of the above, as you imply.

Of course it's true that more preparation increases your score!
My kid walked into a mock exam and scored a 31 out of 36 or something like that on his ACT. He prepped with tutors and got a 35.

You're flying in the face of all the data, PP. Just because kids can start with a decent score, doesn't mean they can't improve with prep.

And that's just one facet of how wealth helps kids get a good start in life. The other is a usually more stable home life and regular habits, good healthcare, educated parents who can guide them and help them network... and cumulative extra-curriculars, which all significantly help US college admissions. Low-income families cannot afford the more expensive extras over an entire childhood and possibly multiple kids.

To discuss the question, I don't think you can really say a public school system has an edge. Obviously it's easier to educate wealthy kids, and it's easier to cater to a more culturally homogeneous group - without having to deal with bringing them up to speed in English, cultural expectations, or care for outliers (gifted and/or special needs). I say this as an international family who has one child with special needs. We had no language barrier, but sure did cost the county in terms of services and accommodations!

All MCPS can do is educate its resident kids. That's all. I know you're all disappointed by its efforts, but please consider it's one of the best school systems in the nation...

No, that is not true AT ALL! Please get out of your bubble.

[Anonymous]

Publics everywhere are for impoverished, overwhelmed or confused families. Private or homeschool for families of means.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article points out that at ALL MCPS schools, even in honor classes, there’s a lack of rigor, grade level assignments, and assigned books.

Even in AP classes! Look at your high school’s AP scores and you can easily see that. Very much a lack of rigor.

gow do you find AP scores?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article points out that at ALL MCPS schools, even in honor classes, there’s a lack of rigor, grade level assignments, and assigned books.

Even in AP classes! Look at your high school’s AP scores and you can easily see that. Very much a lack of rigor.

21 out 25 MCPS schools made the AP honor roll.
MCPS has an AP passing rate of over 70%.
How is it a lack of rigor?

And many, if not most AP courses have a total pass rate of 70% now, so this is nothing special.

The national AP passing rate is 52%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Publics everywhere are for impoverished, overwhelmed or confused families. Private or homeschool for families of means.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Publics everywhere are for impoverished, overwhelmed or confused families. Private or homeschool for families of means.

Publics are sloppy, slovenly and odiferous. The admin dress like slobs and look shell shocked. The students look disheveled, out of shape, and unhealthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article points out that at ALL MCPS schools, even in honor classes, there’s a lack of rigor, grade level assignments, and assigned books.

Even in AP classes! Look at your high school’s AP scores and you can easily see that. Very much a lack of rigor.

21 out 25 MCPS schools made the AP honor roll.
MCPS has an AP passing rate of over 70%.
How is it a lack of rigor?

And many, if not most AP courses have a total pass rate of 70% now, so this is nothing special.

The national AP passing rate is 52%

You are out-of-date... See last column...
https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/about-ap-scores/score-distributions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article points out that at ALL MCPS schools, even in honor classes, there’s a lack of rigor, grade level assignments, and assigned books.

Even in AP classes! Look at your high school’s AP scores and you can easily see that. Very much a lack of rigor.

21 out 25 MCPS schools made the AP honor roll.
MCPS has an AP passing rate of over 70%.
How is it a lack of rigor?

And many, if not most AP courses have a total pass rate of 70% now, so this is nothing special.

The national AP passing rate is 52%

You are out-of-date... See last column...
https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/about-ap-scores/score-distributions

For about half of those courses have a pass rate below 70%. Even if they all had a 70% pass rate, isn’t that the point. For kids to take a class and demonstrate mastery of the content? It’s like you have a problem with kids and teachers being successful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Publics everywhere are for impoverished, overwhelmed or confused families. Private or homeschool for families of means.

Publics are sloppy, slovenly and odiferous. The admin dress like slobs and look shell shocked. The students look disheveled, out of shape, and unhealthy.

+1

[Anonymous]

Timing of article? Private schools got someone to publish this before privates recruiting season?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article points out that at ALL MCPS schools, even in honor classes, there’s a lack of rigor, grade level assignments, and assigned books.

Even in AP classes! Look at your high school’s AP scores and you can easily see that. Very much a lack of rigor.

21 out 25 MCPS schools made the AP honor roll.
MCPS has an AP passing rate of over 70%.
How is it a lack of rigor?

And many, if not most AP courses have a total pass rate of 70% now, so this is nothing special.

The national AP passing rate is 52%

You are out-of-date... See last column...
https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/about-ap-scores/score-distributions

For about half of those courses have a pass rate below 70%. Even if they all had a 70% pass rate, isn’t that the point. For kids to take a class and demonstrate mastery of the content? It’s like you have a problem with kids and teachers being successful.

MCPS used to have pass rates well above the national average. Now they don't. And the courses have definitely been diluted, in addition to re-norming of scores.