My magnet SMACS 6th grader PARCC scores are below expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread confirms my belief that magnet parents (many, not all) prep their kids for the magnet tests and any other standardized test known to them prior to their child taking the test.

Previous PP here, whose kid is in HGC and didn't do so well on the writing part of PARCC. DC didn't prep to get into HGC, but scored very high on the InView, HGC entrance tests, and MAP. I don't know how long the PARCC test is, but I do know that many of DC's peers in HGC stated that they breezed through the test and had a lot of time left over. I honestly think they didn't care that much about the test.

But, even if these kids did prep, it still doesn't mean they aren't smart and deserve to be in HGC.

Also, when your DC is ready to take the SATs, I'm guessing that you will probably have your DC prep for it. I sure know I will.

[Anonymous]

I think it's odd that you would conclude that people prep to get into an HGC based on a couple of kids' scores. (I assume that you concluded this because some HGC kids didn't do well on PARCC).

I compared our home middle school (Sligo) with Eastern Middle School which has a magnet. The scores were from the whole school and I assume the populations are similar. (Sligo's population is probably poorer overall though I am not certain.)

The scores at Eastern were much higher. I am sure that is because of the magnet kids.

I also looked at Oak View which has a small HGC population (just one fourth grade and one fifth grade class). The school is around 65-70% FARMS. The scores weren't great but I assume that most of the scores at the top were HGC kids and that the Oak View scores would be lower if they didn't have an HGC. You can compare the school to other schools that have high FARMS and do not have an HGC. Clearly the HGC kids are bringing up the scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's odd that you would conclude that people prep to get into an HGC based on a couple of kids' scores. (I assume that you concluded this because some HGC kids didn't do well on PARCC).

I compared our home middle school (Sligo) with Eastern Middle School which has a magnet. The scores were from the whole school and I assume the populations are similar. (Sligo's population is probably poorer overall though I am not certain.)

The scores at Eastern were much higher. I am sure that is because of the magnet kids.

I also looked at Oak View which has a small HGC population (just one fourth grade and one fifth grade class). The school is around 65-70% FARMS. The scores weren't great but I assume that most of the scores at the top were HGC kids and that the Oak View scores would be lower if they didn't have an HGC. You can compare the school to other schools that have high FARMS and do not have an HGC. Clearly the HGC kids are bringing up the scores.

I just checked and the FARMS numbers are very similar (43% at Eastern and 46% at Sligo) but I think that the magnet kids at Eastern probably reduce the percentage on FARMS because many of them are coming from wealthier parts of the county.

[Anonymous]

My HGC and MS Magnet kids both exceeded expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the first time that this kid has done so very poorly in ANY standardized test. He has always been in GT and accelerated path in school. He was in HGC and got into both the Humanities and Math center programs. And he does not meet expectation? This is beyond messed up.

I do not queston the accuracy of the PARCC test. I think it is reflecting how poor the instruction and curriculum in MCPS.

OP, did you child messed up on both math and English?
I bet your child was fine with math.
If child messed up on English, that would be understandable. SMAC or Takoma kids get really bad English instructions as far as I know. I would say unless you are very lucky your child pretty much would learn nothing in 6th and 7th grade English and by 8th would loose everything that he/she new after HGC. That is experience of my child now. By 8th grade my Takoma magnet child still can pull amazing creative writing (and still writes stories in free time) but writes terrible essays in school. If you put two writings next to each other you would not even believe that same child can write such amazing stories and so terrible assignments. We even had to bring child to tutor so some skills can be improved, so child would have a chance with magnet test for high school.
Tutor confirmed all of the above.
We do not have PARCC results yet, but I do not expect much, since my child hates to write anything that is not "interesting." I think this is unfortunately attitude of many advanced kids (unless they are from cultures with expectations that all HW done 100% and kids unquestionably follow all rules and requirements).