Confused about the HCG testing process

[Anonymous]

I'm just looking for clarification. Is it the parents who request their child take the test? Does the current year teacher request it? What is the difference between the HCG test and the test taken in the 2nd grade (is that to see who might be eligible to take the HCG test)? Can I find all this on the MCPS website? I looked and did not find it.

[Anonymous]

For HCG there is a form that the parent's of every 3rd grader gets in the mail in the fall. It is due in November. The teacher plays no role in this part. although they do have a recommendation checklist that they have to fill out if you apply.

The test in 2nd grade is the Inview test. You get the results in June along with a letter that says whether your kid is "gifted" or not. Near as I can tell this test and the "gifted" designation mean nothing. No matter how well you do on this or the MAP you might be in the top reading/math group but that's it. You get nothing special. You can apply to HGC even if you are not "gifted". I think this was not always the case.

The HGC test is unknown but sounds like its an IQ test similar to the COGAT.

[Anonymous]

Also, the percentage of the county designated as 'gifted' from the Inview test is significantly larger than the percentage of students in the HGC's.

[Anonymous]

Overview -

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/


Elementary =
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/elementary/


HGC (Highly Gifted Center)
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/elementary/highly-gifted-centers.aspx

You are very welcome!

[Anonymous]

Process -

1) Begining of 3rd grade - applications are invite for parents for next academic year (4th grade)

2) Applications are made available on http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/admissions/applications.aspx around September.

Schools may or may not advertise the program too heavily.

3) Parents fill the application and mail it in to the admissions office by early November. (Due date was November 8th last year)

4) Admissions office conducts the HGC admissions test in your child's school for those students whose application forms they received. (Early January). It is a 3 hour exam. 3 parts - English, Math, IQ

5) If your child has scored above the cut off in all 3 sections of the admissions test, their application is further evaluated based on -
1) Grades in 2 grade
2) 3 grade teacher recommendation
3) What the parents wrote in the application form.

6) You are informed of the decision in Feb or March.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Process -

1) Begining of 3rd grade - applications are invite for parents for next academic year (4th grade)

2) Applications are made available on http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/admissions/applications.aspx around September.

Schools may or may not advertise the program too heavily.

3) Parents fill the application and mail it in to the admissions office by early November. (Due date was November 8th last year)

4) Admissions office conducts the HGC admissions test in your child's school for those students whose application forms they received. (Early January). It is a 3 hour exam. 3 parts - English, Math, IQ

5) If your child has scored above the cut off in all 3 sections of the admissions test, their application is further evaluated based on -
1) Grades in 2 grade
2) 3 grade teacher recommendation
3) What the parents wrote in the application form.

6) You are informed of the decision in Feb or March.

Has MCPS ever stated that there is a minimum score to be evaluated further?

[Anonymous]

DD's 2nd grade teacher also provided a recommendation. Not sure if that's standard at our school, or if it is something she asked to be able to do. But it is possible.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Process -

1) Begining of 3rd grade - applications are invite for parents for next academic year (4th grade)

2) Applications are made available on http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/admissions/applications.aspx around September.

Schools may or may not advertise the program too heavily.

3) Parents fill the application and mail it in to the admissions office by early November. (Due date was November 8th last year)

4) Admissions office conducts the HGC admissions test in your child's school for those students whose application forms they received. (Early January). It is a 3 hour exam. 3 parts - English, Math, IQ

5) If your child has scored above the cut off in all 3 sections of the admissions test, their application is further evaluated based on -
1) Grades in 2 grade
2) 3 grade teacher recommendation
3) What the parents wrote in the application form.

6) You are informed of the decision in Feb or March.

Has MCPS ever stated that there is a minimum score to be evaluated further?

No. My guess is that they fill the seats with those kids who are top scorers in all three sections. And that is the reason that some schools (like Coldspring ES) where competition is higher and kids are more prepared...the cut-off is higher than other HGCs.

In my DC's home school - the principal, asst. principal, counselors, 2nd and 3rd grade teachers sat together and discussed the files of each child. My DC's home room teacher had told me to make DC apply for HGC because she said she will advocate for DC, as she thought DC would be a perfect fit. I did rely on her input because we all think that our kids are special, but the teachers who are seeing hundreds of children in their classrooms have a better idea of who would be a good fit.

[Anonymous]

No. My guess is that they fill the seats with those kids who are top scorers in all three sections. And that is the reason that some schools (like Coldspring ES) where competition is higher and kids are more prepared...the cut-off is higher than other HGCs.

In my DC's home school - the principal, asst. principal, counselors, 2nd and 3rd grade teachers sat together and discussed the files of each child. My DC's home room teacher had told me to make DC apply for HGC because she said she will advocate for DC, as she thought DC would be a perfect fit. I did rely on her input because we all think that our kids are special, but the teachers who are seeing hundreds of children in their classrooms have a better idea of who would be a good fit.

MCPS purposely presents incomplete data when they present the median scores without any variance data (e.g., quartiles, range or spread, high or low, 95 % confidence intervals). This is not how statistical data is typically presented. They do NOT PRESENT ANY CUTOFF INFOrMATION.

This is the wiggle room factor for those with brains. It has nothing to do with conspiracy theories but human nature; each school has their agendas and chosen preferences.
Over the years of the HGC existence the school PTA representatives know what this means.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No. My guess is that they fill the seats with those kids who are top scorers in all three sections. And that is the reason that some schools (like Coldspring ES) where competition is higher and kids are more prepared...the cut-off is higher than other HGCs.

In my DC's home school - the principal, asst. principal, counselors, 2nd and 3rd grade teachers sat together and discussed the files of each child. My DC's home room teacher had told me to make DC apply for HGC because she said she will advocate for DC, as she thought DC would be a perfect fit. I did rely on her input because we all think that our kids are special, but the teachers who are seeing hundreds of children in their classrooms have a better idea of who would be a good fit.

MCPS purposely presents incomplete data when they present the median scores without any variance data (e.g., quartiles, range or spread, high or low, 95 % confidence intervals). This is not how statistical data is typically presented. They do NOT PRESENT ANY CUTOFF INFOrMATION.

This is the wiggle room factor for those with brains. It has nothing to do with conspiracy theories but human nature; each school has their agendas and chosen preferences.
Over the years of the HGC existence the school PTA representatives know what this means.

Well, that's not how statistical data are typically presented for studies. But then this isn't a study. Nobody is looking to replicate results.

Also, there can't be any confidence intervals, because this is a census, not a sample. How much statistics have you had?

[Anonymous]

Well, that's not how statistical data are typically presented for studies. But then this isn't a study. Nobody is looking to replicate results.

Also, there can't be any confidence intervals, because this is a census, not a sample. How much statistics have you had?

NP: It has everything to do with being transparent about the selection process. I understand fully what the poster means by just presenting the median. You have revealed what you know about presenting lies via "statistics".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Well, that's not how statistical data are typically presented for studies. But then this isn't a study. Nobody is looking to replicate results.

Also, there can't be any confidence intervals, because this is a census, not a sample. How much statistics have you had?

NP: It has everything to do with being transparent about the selection process. I understand fully what the poster means by just presenting the median. You have revealed what you know about presenting lies via "statistics".

What information do you want to know about the selection process? MCPS says, "Criteria used to evaluate candidates include above-grade-level achievement; teacher, parent, and community recommendations; test scores, and report card grades." What would you consider "transparent"? How is it lying to just present the median, which is in any case only one of multiple criteria? And why do you care? Do you think that MCPS is rejecting more-qualified applicants in favor of less-qualified applicants? And if so, what goal is MCPS trying to achieve?

[Anonymous]

No. My guess is that they fill the seats with those kids who are top scorers in all three sections. And that is the reason that some schools (like Coldspring ES) where competition is higher and kids are more prepared...the cut-off is higher than other HGCs.

In my DC's home school - the principal, asst. principal, counselors, 2nd and 3rd grade teachers sat together and discussed the files of each child. My DC's home room teacher had told me to make DC apply for HGC because she said she will advocate for DC, as she thought DC would be a perfect fit. I did rely on her input because we all think that our kids are special, but the teachers who are seeing hundreds of children in their classrooms have a better idea of who would be a good fit.

This function may play much more of a role in the selection process than the objective HGC test you'll are bellyaching over in a number of cases. This is easily masked by presenting only the median score so one can't easily figure this out...beyond half scored higher than and half score lower than. How many high scorers were rejected vs how many low scorers were accepted?

I see where the posters are coming from, they have a point and I have not heard them disagree or object to the process...simply informing.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps test score is "not" the only criteria for a reason - given all the talk on the other thread about paying for prep courses. But also because a "bad day" should not fully determine the outcome.

Teacher input seems valuable given the fact that teachers see how children are performing in the classroom daily. But it also leaves room for uncertainty and preferences that may not be coming from the right place.

There is no perfect system or way to decide. And what one person may think is the best system, another will dislike.