Magnet Middle Schools/North Bethesda

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 11:18.

If I couldn't afford to live in an area with good public schools, I would make do, and would NOT feel triggered by others lucky enough to provide better academic environments for their kids. Academic success is attained more frequently by students in higher-income areas. It's a fact. Why dispute facts?

I used to live in downtown Silver Spring, and have friends that stayed there, as well as friends that moved to Chevy Chase/Bethesda/Rockville, for the schools. The friends who stayed regret the school environments but stay for commute, financials, or other important reasons. The friends who moved are happy that the schools are so much better. These friends are of various skin colors and nationality. I am mixed race.

I'm not looking down on anybody. Everyone has to deal with their own situation. Just stop assuming that everyone has it in for you and your area.

My downtown SS kid is headed for a top ten school this fall, with nine AP credits under their belt. They scored 1580 on the SAT.

They are in good company, peers-wise, at their DCC school.

You are ignorant.

Wow, this DCC mom is SUPER aggressive & triggered.

Bot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 11:18.

If I couldn't afford to live in an area with good public schools, I would make do, and would NOT feel triggered by others lucky enough to provide better academic environments for their kids. Academic success is attained more frequently by students in higher-income areas. It's a fact. Why dispute facts?

I used to live in downtown Silver Spring, and have friends that stayed there, as well as friends that moved to Chevy Chase/Bethesda/Rockville, for the schools. The friends who stayed regret the school environments but stay for commute, financials, or other important reasons. The friends who moved are happy that the schools are so much better. These friends are of various skin colors and nationality. I am mixed race.

I'm not looking down on anybody. Everyone has to deal with their own situation. Just stop assuming that everyone has it in for you and your area.

My downtown SS kid is headed for a top ten school this fall, with nine AP credits under their belt. They scored 1580 on the SAT.

They are in good company, peers-wise, at their DCC school.

You are ignorant.

Wow, this DCC mom is SUPER aggressive & triggered.

Bot.

I certainly hope it’s a bit, because otherwise it’s really not a good look for Bethesda. I mean, if you want people to think it’s such a great place, you might want to cut back on the jerk factor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 11:18.

If I couldn't afford to live in an area with good public schools, I would make do, and would NOT feel triggered by others lucky enough to provide better academic environments for their kids. Academic success is attained more frequently by students in higher-income areas. It's a fact. Why dispute facts?

I used to live in downtown Silver Spring, and have friends that stayed there, as well as friends that moved to Chevy Chase/Bethesda/Rockville, for the schools. The friends who stayed regret the school environments but stay for commute, financials, or other important reasons. The friends who moved are happy that the schools are so much better. These friends are of various skin colors and nationality. I am mixed race.

I'm not looking down on anybody. Everyone has to deal with their own situation. Just stop assuming that everyone has it in for you and your area.

My downtown SS kid is headed for a top ten school this fall, with nine AP credits under their belt. They scored 1580 on the SAT.

They are in good company, peers-wise, at their DCC school.

You are ignorant.

Wow, this DCC mom is SUPER aggressive & triggered.

Bot.

I certainly hope it’s a bit, because otherwise it’s really not a good look for Bethesda. I mean, if you want people to think it’s such a great place, you might want to cut back on the jerk factor.

Plenty of jerks from all over the county on this forum including a lot of reverse snobbery.

fwiw I have many years of experience as a parent in the DCC and in a W school cluster. there are plenty of educated and highly engaged families in DCC schools and plenty of families who are really happy in school clusters such as Blair, Northwood, Einstein and Wheaton all of which have large numbers of high performing students.
otoh there is more SES diversity in these school clusters and that does tend to result in more variation in student scores (such as SAT scores for instance). You just have to look at MCPS data to see this is the case. It does not make these schools bad or even worse, it does make them a little different. Nothing wrong with pointing that out. If your child attends a DCC school and is studious and high performing he/she will have a strong peer group especially in high school. At the middle school level it might be a little hit or miss depending on the middle school. SSIMs and Sligo for instance seem to do a great job providing for high performers but we have seen many discussions on this forum about dissatisfaction at Newport Mill. When parents post here asking for information we should be able to provide information and opinions without being accused of being elitist or worse racist.
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/pdf/160929%20SAT%20Exam%20Participation%20Perform.pdf
See Table 8A
Old report but the current MCPS reporting format (dashboards) does not allow parents to easily compare their child's score to all other MCPS schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm 11:18.

If I couldn't afford to live in an area with good public schools, I would make do, and would NOT feel triggered by others lucky enough to provide better academic environments for their kids. Academic success is attained more frequently by students in higher-income areas. It's a fact. Why dispute facts?

I used to live in downtown Silver Spring, and have friends that stayed there, as well as friends that moved to Chevy Chase/Bethesda/Rockville, for the schools. The friends who stayed regret the school environments but stay for commute, financials, or other important reasons. The friends who moved are happy that the schools are so much better. These friends are of various skin colors and nationality. I am mixed race.

I'm not looking down on anybody. Everyone has to deal with their own situation. Just stop assuming that everyone has it in for you and your area.

My downtown SS kid is headed for a top ten school this fall, with nine AP credits under their belt. They scored 1580 on the SAT.

They are in good company, peers-wise, at their DCC school.

You are ignorant.

Wow, this DCC mom is SUPER aggressive & triggered.

LOL, "triggered"?

Educate yourself about MCPS.

[Anonymous]

There have been numerous posts on this board that attempt to adjust test average differences by using racial cohort data as a proxy for SES. This showed similar SES student cohorts at DCC schools performed similar (and sometimes better) than their W's counterparts. Having fewer students facing poverty does not necessarily mean higher achievement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The 2 selective magnets you could apply to from your home address are both in the eastern part of the County (Takoma Park for STEM and Eastern for Humanities), they were placed there to revitalize struggling schools. There are 3 other "magnets" in the Wheaton area that are lottery based (performing arts, aeronautics, and something like digital media?). Same reason to locate them there.

Bethesda-area schools do not house magnets but the general atmosphere is more studious and high-achieving than those in certain lower-income parts of MCPS, because the parents are better educated and place greater emphasis on their children's education, *in general*. The courses offered in each middle school reflect that demographic: everyone at North Bethesda does "advanced" English and World Studies (which are really not advanced at all, just normal), whereas other schools may only have one class of those courses, and the rest of the classes doing the regular (low level) course.

The magnet commute is a bear but completely worth it if your child is at a very high level in either math or English and is academically inclined. The magnets are extremely selective! 5th graders and 8th graders take entrance exams for middle school magnets and high school magnets, respectively, so even if you missed the middle school magnet, your child can always apply in 8th grade to high school magnets. In the meantime, your child can test into the advanced math track, or even be bussed to Walter Johnson high school if they are taking a math or world language course that is so high level it is not offered at the middle school. Please inquire at North Bethesda, they may be able to test your child now or over the summer. My son took a test and was offered the option of being bussed to WJ, but ultimately chose not to.

Ugh. This is such an annoying assumption. The DCC is filled with scientists/professors, etc and there is plenty of dumb money in Bethesda. It doesn’t break down on those lines.

Why would you assume the PP was talking about the DCC when she mentioned "certain lower-income parts of MCPS". I would think the lower-income parts would refer to areas upcounty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The 2 selective magnets you could apply to from your home address are both in the eastern part of the County (Takoma Park for STEM and Eastern for Humanities), they were placed there to revitalize struggling schools. There are 3 other "magnets" in the Wheaton area that are lottery based (performing arts, aeronautics, and something like digital media?). Same reason to locate them there.

Bethesda-area schools do not house magnets but the general atmosphere is more studious and high-achieving than those in certain lower-income parts of MCPS, because the parents are better educated and place greater emphasis on their children's education, *in general*. The courses offered in each middle school reflect that demographic: everyone at North Bethesda does "advanced" English and World Studies (which are really not advanced at all, just normal), whereas other schools may only have one class of those courses, and the rest of the classes doing the regular (low level) course.

The magnet commute is a bear but completely worth it if your child is at a very high level in either math or English and is academically inclined. The magnets are extremely selective! 5th graders and 8th graders take entrance exams for middle school magnets and high school magnets, respectively, so even if you missed the middle school magnet, your child can always apply in 8th grade to high school magnets. In the meantime, your child can test into the advanced math track, or even be bussed to Walter Johnson high school if they are taking a math or world language course that is so high level it is not offered at the middle school. Please inquire at North Bethesda, they may be able to test your child now or over the summer. My son took a test and was offered the option of being bussed to WJ, but ultimately chose not to.

Ugh. This is such an annoying assumption. The DCC is filled with scientists/professors, etc and there is plenty of dumb money in Bethesda. It doesn’t break down on those lines.

Why would you assume the PP was talking about the DCC when she mentioned "certain lower-income parts of MCPS". I would think the lower-income parts would refer to areas upcounty.

Yup, nobody here upcounty except us child-neglecting impoverished gang-bangers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The 2 selective magnets you could apply to from your home address are both in the eastern part of the County (Takoma Park for STEM and Eastern for Humanities), they were placed there to revitalize struggling schools. There are 3 other "magnets" in the Wheaton area that are lottery based (performing arts, aeronautics, and something like digital media?). Same reason to locate them there.

Bethesda-area schools do not house magnets but the general atmosphere is more studious and high-achieving than those in certain lower-income parts of MCPS, because the parents are better educated and place greater emphasis on their children's education, *in general*. The courses offered in each middle school reflect that demographic: everyone at North Bethesda does "advanced" English and World Studies (which are really not advanced at all, just normal), whereas other schools may only have one class of those courses, and the rest of the classes doing the regular (low level) course.

The magnet commute is a bear but completely worth it if your child is at a very high level in either math or English and is academically inclined. The magnets are extremely selective! 5th graders and 8th graders take entrance exams for middle school magnets and high school magnets, respectively, so even if you missed the middle school magnet, your child can always apply in 8th grade to high school magnets. In the meantime, your child can test into the advanced math track, or even be bussed to Walter Johnson high school if they are taking a math or world language course that is so high level it is not offered at the middle school. Please inquire at North Bethesda, they may be able to test your child now or over the summer. My son took a test and was offered the option of being bussed to WJ, but ultimately chose not to.

Ugh. This is such an annoying assumption. The DCC is filled with scientists/professors, etc and there is plenty of dumb money in Bethesda. It doesn’t break down on those lines.

Why would you assume the PP was talking about the DCC when she mentioned "certain lower-income parts of MCPS". I would think the lower-income parts would refer to areas upcounty.

DP. Because they were comparing Bethesda with the magnet schools serving Bethesda, namely DCC schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There have been numerous posts on this board that attempt to adjust test average differences by using racial cohort data as a proxy for SES. This showed similar SES student cohorts at DCC schools performed similar (and sometimes better) than their W's counterparts. Having fewer students facing poverty does not necessarily mean higher achievement.

Yes, you can totally get a sense of how one school stacks up to another by looking at SAT averages for similar SES cohorts. The data is available from MCPS at the link below, but the short-list is:

Blair 1326
Walter Johnson 1275
Wooton 1262
Poolesville 1259
Churchill 1257

These results are in line with the high-achiever data by MS which the county also published.

https://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2017/1771102HS%20Princ_SAT%20Partic_Perf%20Class%20of%202017.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm 11:18.

If I couldn't afford to live in an area with good public schools, I would make do, and would NOT feel triggered by others lucky enough to provide better academic environments for their kids. Academic success is attained more frequently by students in higher-income areas. It's a fact. Why dispute facts?

I used to live in downtown Silver Spring, and have friends that stayed there, as well as friends that moved to Chevy Chase/Bethesda/Rockville, for the schools. The friends who stayed regret the school environments but stay for commute, financials, or other important reasons. The friends who moved are happy that the schools are so much better. These friends are of various skin colors and nationality. I am mixed race.

I'm not looking down on anybody. Everyone has to deal with their own situation. Just stop assuming that everyone has it in for you and your area.

You just dug a deeper hole with this response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There have been numerous posts on this board that attempt to adjust test average differences by using racial cohort data as a proxy for SES. This showed similar SES student cohorts at DCC schools performed similar (and sometimes better) than their W's counterparts. Having fewer students facing poverty does not necessarily mean higher achievement.

Yes, you can totally get a sense of how one school stacks up to another by looking at SAT averages for similar SES cohorts. The data is available from MCPS at the link below, but the short-list is:

Blair 1326
Walter Johnson 1275
Wooton 1262
Poolesville 1259
Churchill 1257

These results are in line with the high-achiever data by MS which the county also published.

https://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2017/1771102HS%20Princ_SAT%20Partic_Perf%20Class%20of%202017.pdf

The more diverse school have more variance but seem to do quite well by any serious measure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There have been numerous posts on this board that attempt to adjust test average differences by using racial cohort data as a proxy for SES. This showed similar SES student cohorts at DCC schools performed similar (and sometimes better) than their W's counterparts. Having fewer students facing poverty does not necessarily mean higher achievement.

Yes, you can totally get a sense of how one school stacks up to another by looking at SAT averages for similar SES cohorts. The data is available from MCPS at the link below, but the short-list is:

Blair 1326
Walter Johnson 1275
Wooton 1262
Poolesville 1259
Churchill 1257

These results are in line with the high-achiever data by MS which the county also published.

https://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2017/1771102HS%20Princ_SAT%20Partic_Perf%20Class%20of%202017.pdf

Use these figures with a caveat - Blair and Poolesville skim off students from other clusters attending the magnet programs and CAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There have been numerous posts on this board that attempt to adjust test average differences by using racial cohort data as a proxy for SES. This showed similar SES student cohorts at DCC schools performed similar (and sometimes better) than their W's counterparts. Having fewer students facing poverty does not necessarily mean higher achievement.

Yes, you can totally get a sense of how one school stacks up to another by looking at SAT averages for similar SES cohorts. The data is available from MCPS at the link below, but the short-list is:

Blair 1326
Walter Johnson 1275
Wooton 1262
Poolesville 1259
Churchill 1257

These results are in line with the high-achiever data by MS which the county also published.

https://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2017/1771102HS%20Princ_SAT%20Partic_Perf%20Class%20of%202017.pdf

Use these figures with a caveat - Blair and Poolesville skim off students from other clusters attending the magnet programs and CAP.

The small magnet at Blair is mostly Asian and has little impact on the averages of white students at school of 3000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There have been numerous posts on this board that attempt to adjust test average differences by using racial cohort data as a proxy for SES. This showed similar SES student cohorts at DCC schools performed similar (and sometimes better) than their W's counterparts. Having fewer students facing poverty does not necessarily mean higher achievement.

Yes, you can totally get a sense of how one school stacks up to another by looking at SAT averages for similar SES cohorts. The data is available from MCPS at the link below, but the short-list is:

Blair 1326
Walter Johnson 1275
Wooton 1262
Poolesville 1259
Churchill 1257

These results are in line with the high-achiever data by MS which the county also published.

https://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2017/1771102HS%20Princ_SAT%20Partic_Perf%20Class%20of%202017.pdf

Use these figures with a caveat - Blair and Poolesville skim off students from other clusters attending the magnet programs and CAP.

The small magnet at Blair is mostly Asian and has little impact on the averages of white students at school of 3000.

While only ~22% (~660) of Blair as a whole is white, in the magnet it is ~30% (~120) and in CAP it is ~70% (~210). It may feel "truthy" to feel it has little impact, but the numbers tell a different story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There have been numerous posts on this board that attempt to adjust test average differences by using racial cohort data as a proxy for SES. This showed similar SES student cohorts at DCC schools performed similar (and sometimes better) than their W's counterparts. Having fewer students facing poverty does not necessarily mean higher achievement.

Yes, you can totally get a sense of how one school stacks up to another by looking at SAT averages for similar SES cohorts. The data is available from MCPS at the link below, but the short-list is:

Blair 1326
Walter Johnson 1275
Wooton 1262
Poolesville 1259
Churchill 1257

These results are in line with the high-achiever data by MS which the county also published.

https://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2017/1771102HS%20Princ_SAT%20Partic_Perf%20Class%20of%202017.pdf

Use these figures with a caveat - Blair and Poolesville skim off students from other clusters attending the magnet programs and CAP.

The small magnet at Blair is mostly Asian and has little impact on the averages of white students at school of 3000.

While only ~22% (~660) of Blair as a whole is white, in the magnet it is ~30% (~120) and in CAP it is ~70% (~210). It may feel "truthy" to feel it has little impact, but the numbers tell a different story.

Yes, there are roughly 30 white kids in the stem magnet and the impact on their cohorts overall SAT average can be calculated. It’s been posted here many times. It ends up giving Blair about 20 points which is still higher than any other HS in the county. Personally id include the magnet kids because their part of the larger Blair community.