Did MCPS do a sneaky thing for the magnet lotteries?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This whole thread is depressing, and none of the kids are winning except the white ones.

Don't fret. There won't be any white kids in MCPS in 10 years.

I love all these drama queen posts.

I used to work for a woman who's very involved in moco conservative politics and this was basically her lament. It was creepy and sad and I'm so glad I don't work for her anymore.

Partly why I think some of these posts are pure astroturf or the work of some wacky Q.

I think so too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks like they greatly expanded the "considered" pool for the lottery in order to get their desired demographics. For the CESes they considered 11,446 students. Isn't that almost every child in that grade? The same goes for middle schools where the "considered" pool was almost double what it was in previous years. Does anyone have an explanation for how this happened and why this was done in such secrecy?

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/schoolchoice/210818%20CES%20Secondary%20App%20Prog%20Admission%20Results.pdf

I heard they're lowering the cutoff to 80% this year! They're so sneaky!

The actual rumor is they're lowering it by 5% per year and this is just the beginning.

They released this year's FAQ, and cutoff is not specified:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1in8H2GM2fA-V3knp5ijlWT2mcbxdvbs9Ul9NCA1HgwE/edit

Last year's FAQ clearly specifies 85% cutoff:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l0Zy-bCfG7O8E-F64VOnit_54fjOIU_lTR1JyU8SSMg/edit
"a locally normed minimum of 85th percentile"

Sneaky is the right word describing MCPS.

From this year’s FAQ:

What are locally normed scores?
Gifted and talented experts recommend the use of local norms of assessment scores as an equitable approach to ensure equity and access in identification of students for program access. Additionally, the current draft of Gifted and Talented Definitions from the Maryland State Department of Education includes the use of local norms as part of the gifted and talented identification process. MCPS locally normed scores are designed to examine test takers in relation to one another within MCPS. As part of the middle school magnet identification process, scores obtained on the MAP assessment were locally normed.


Clearly the people answering the question are not so gifted. They answered WHY use locally normed scores but they still refuse to answer WHAT are locally normed scores. Designed to examine test takers in relation to one another? That is incredibly vague and misleading. THIS is why people think they are sneaky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If all those kids thrive in the magnet program, that will be a clear indication that MCPS can and should expand the offering to have more seats for more kids. Ridiculous to keep so many students away from a wonderful program that could give them a more suitable education.

But it is important to remember that there are some highly able students who are desperate for the pace and content of the magnets, and they should probably be considered priority if there are limited seats - the programs are supposed to be about providing enrichment to kids who are slowly going bananas in regular classrooms.

Or, on the other hand, it's a clear indication that MCPS should dismantle the existing magnet program and offer the magnet curriculum to kids in their home schools.

In my limited personal experience, the number of really "highly able" students is much smaller than the number of seats. At least in the previous, pre-form, test-to-get-in admissions processes, most of the kids in the magnet programs were just regular bright middle-class/upper-middle-class kids from families with educated parents.

Magnet programs generally attract better educated teachers who are more passionate about the material, and teaching the material in their home schools would end or at least greatly diminish this effect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks like they greatly expanded the "considered" pool for the lottery in order to get their desired demographics. For the CESes they considered 11,446 students. Isn't that almost every child in that grade? The same goes for middle schools where the "considered" pool was almost double what it was in previous years. Does anyone have an explanation for how this happened and why this was done in such secrecy?

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/schoolchoice/210818%20CES%20Secondary%20App%20Prog%20Admission%20Results.pdf

I heard they're lowering the cutoff to 80% this year! They're so sneaky!

The actual rumor is they're lowering it by 5% per year and this is just the beginning.

They released this year's FAQ, and cutoff is not specified:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1in8H2GM2fA-V3knp5ijlWT2mcbxdvbs9Ul9NCA1HgwE/edit

Last year's FAQ clearly specifies 85% cutoff:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l0Zy-bCfG7O8E-F64VOnit_54fjOIU_lTR1JyU8SSMg/edit
"a locally normed minimum of 85th percentile"

Sneaky is the right word describing MCPS.

From this year’s FAQ:

What are locally normed scores?
Gifted and talented experts recommend the use of local norms of assessment scores as an equitable approach to ensure equity and access in identification of students for program access. Additionally, the current draft of Gifted and Talented Definitions from the Maryland State Department of Education includes the use of local norms as part of the gifted and talented identification process. MCPS locally normed scores are designed to examine test takers in relation to one another within MCPS. As part of the middle school magnet identification process, scores obtained on the MAP assessment were locally normed.


Clearly the people answering the question are not so gifted. They answered WHY use locally normed scores but they still refuse to answer WHAT are locally normed scores. Designed to examine test takers in relation to one another? That is incredibly vague and misleading. THIS is why people think they are sneaky.

They're a very sneaky school district.
The kind you don't bring home to mother.
They're super sneak, super sneak, super sneaky!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If all those kids thrive in the magnet program, that will be a clear indication that MCPS can and should expand the offering to have more seats for more kids. Ridiculous to keep so many students away from a wonderful program that could give them a more suitable education.

But it is important to remember that there are some highly able students who are desperate for the pace and content of the magnets, and they should probably be considered priority if there are limited seats - the programs are supposed to be about providing enrichment to kids who are slowly going bananas in regular classrooms.

Or, on the other hand, it's a clear indication that MCPS should dismantle the existing magnet program and offer the magnet curriculum to kids in their home schools.

In my limited personal experience, the number of really "highly able" students is much smaller than the number of seats. At least in the previous, pre-form, test-to-get-in admissions processes, most of the kids in the magnet programs were just regular bright middle-class/upper-middle-class kids from families with educated parents.

Magnet programs generally attract better educated teachers who are more passionate about the material, and teaching the material in their home schools would end or at least greatly diminish this effect.

The first post is flat-out wrong. The second post is debatable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks like they greatly expanded the "considered" pool for the lottery in order to get their desired demographics. For the CESes they considered 11,446 students. Isn't that almost every child in that grade? The same goes for middle schools where the "considered" pool was almost double what it was in previous years. Does anyone have an explanation for how this happened and why this was done in such secrecy?

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/schoolchoice/210818%20CES%20Secondary%20App%20Prog%20Admission%20Results.pdf

I heard they're lowering the cutoff to 80% this year! They're so sneaky!

The actual rumor is they're lowering it by 5% per year and this is just the beginning.

They released this year's FAQ, and cutoff is not specified:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1in8H2GM2fA-V3knp5ijlWT2mcbxdvbs9Ul9NCA1HgwE/edit

Last year's FAQ clearly specifies 85% cutoff:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l0Zy-bCfG7O8E-F64VOnit_54fjOIU_lTR1JyU8SSMg/edit
"a locally normed minimum of 85th percentile"

Sneaky is the right word describing MCPS.

From this year’s FAQ:

What are locally normed scores?
Gifted and talented experts recommend the use of local norms of assessment scores as an equitable approach to ensure equity and access in identification of students for program access. Additionally, the current draft of Gifted and Talented Definitions from the Maryland State Department of Education includes the use of local norms as part of the gifted and talented identification process. MCPS locally normed scores are designed to examine test takers in relation to one another within MCPS. As part of the middle school magnet identification process, scores obtained on the MAP assessment were locally normed.


Clearly the people answering the question are not so gifted. They answered WHY use locally normed scores but they still refuse to answer WHAT are locally normed scores. Designed to examine test takers in relation to one another? That is incredibly vague and misleading. THIS is why people think they are sneaky.

They're a very sneaky school district.
The kind you don't bring home to mother.
They're super sneak, super sneak, super sneaky!

This is why it's time to vote out the current Board - all of them need to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks like they greatly expanded the "considered" pool for the lottery in order to get their desired demographics. For the CESes they considered 11,446 students. Isn't that almost every child in that grade? The same goes for middle schools where the "considered" pool was almost double what it was in previous years. Does anyone have an explanation for how this happened and why this was done in such secrecy?

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/schoolchoice/210818%20CES%20Secondary%20App%20Prog%20Admission%20Results.pdf

I heard they're lowering the cutoff to 80% this year! They're so sneaky!

The actual rumor is they're lowering it by 5% per year and this is just the beginning.

They released this year's FAQ, and cutoff is not specified:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1in8H2GM2fA-V3knp5ijlWT2mcbxdvbs9Ul9NCA1HgwE/edit

Last year's FAQ clearly specifies 85% cutoff:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l0Zy-bCfG7O8E-F64VOnit_54fjOIU_lTR1JyU8SSMg/edit
"a locally normed minimum of 85th percentile"

Sneaky is the right word describing MCPS.

From this year’s FAQ:

What are locally normed scores?
Gifted and talented experts recommend the use of local norms of assessment scores as an equitable approach to ensure equity and access in identification of students for program access. Additionally, the current draft of Gifted and Talented Definitions from the Maryland State Department of Education includes the use of local norms as part of the gifted and talented identification process. MCPS locally normed scores are designed to examine test takers in relation to one another within MCPS. As part of the middle school magnet identification process, scores obtained on the MAP assessment were locally normed.


Clearly the people answering the question are not so gifted. They answered WHY use locally normed scores but they still refuse to answer WHAT are locally normed scores. Designed to examine test takers in relation to one another? That is incredibly vague and misleading. THIS is why people think they are sneaky.

They're a very sneaky school district.
The kind you don't bring home to mother.
They're super sneak, super sneak, super sneaky!

This is why it's time to vote out the current Board - all of them need to go.

What do you have against Rick James?

[Anonymous]

what is HGC/CES

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:what is HGC/CES

Formerly known as Highly Gifted Centers, and now known as Centers for Enriched Studies.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/elementary/highly-gifted-centers.aspx