Congratulations to the 3 MCPS Seniors who are Intel/Regeneron finalists

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WTF on these posters claiming MCPS wants to “close the gap” on Asian Americans winning contests?! So mean spirited. Obviously everyone at MCPS is thrilled for these kids. Shame on you.

It is sarcasm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dude, there is like 4 non-asian kids in that group. LOL

This made me laugh!

even better if you're an adult and not a kid

I am 46

I also typed is instead of are. However, I am white so it’s okay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not an OP. But...

It is evidence that MCPS was not happy that the 4th/5th grade HGCs were full of Asian Americans and not enough Hispanic and African Americans. That was (and is) the achievement gap that MCPS is trying to close by rename the HGC to CES and adding the cohort criteria.

It is evidence that MCPS was not happy that the middle school magnet at Eastern and TPMS were full of Asian Americans and not enough Hispanic and African Americans. That was (and is) the achievement gap that MCPS is trying to close by adding the cohort criteria.

Eventually, Blair SMAC selection criteria will be changed too to "close the achievement gap"...

Eventually, there will be no more Regeneron Finalist from MCPS...

No evidence to support a single one of these claims. The poster is bitter and crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand why Montgomery County is rethinking the criteria for selecting kids for the magnet program for the overall good of society. But as a parent of a SMACS graduate who was an InTel finalist, I often wonder if my DC would have been admitted to the magnet program under the current criteria given that we live in a W school district where he would have had a cohort and, therefore, might no longer be eligible. While he was always a bright kid, the experience of being at the magnet with like minded kids is what allowed him to reach this level at this age. Should less privileged kids be given these opportunities? Definitely. Will these formative experiences change the trajectory of my DC’s life long term? I really don’t know. It seems more likely to change the direction for a less privileged student. But selfishly, I am glad that these criteria were not in place at the time.

'

I am a parent of a Blair SMACS senior and agree. The experience of being in the magnet has been transformative for my DC, and I don't know that the cohort experience would have sufficed for DC's needs and goals.

Selfishly, I am glad DC went through years ago and not now.

I would agree with this and it is why I am really hoping they don't use the approach they are currently using for middle school magnets. It is probably true as a PP pointed out that these three students are outliers who would be identified in any admissions process but I think the probability of having this many students become finalists would decline if the peer group was different. SMAC Magnet teachers can go fast and deep because their students are interested and capable both in terms of their ability and in terms of the study skills they bring to the program. The current application process screens for all three attributes.

I think you can make a great argument for casting the net as widely as possible for our youngest students - to identify raw potential and nurture it in a CES. I also applaud the universal screening process for the middle school magnet although I really, really hate the peer cohort criteria which is so backwards and I don't think much of their selection criteria in general.

I believe the High school magnets should not change their screening process for a couple of reasons. First, by now bright students have had ample opportunity to be identified and to prove themselves. Second, it is nearly impossible to "provide scaffolding" to a student who is not prepared in a high school magnet where many of the courses go well beyond AP level coursework. Teachers would be forced to go slower or teach less challenging material if there are students who need a lot of support. Third, there are plenty of options for an enriched and rigorous curriculum in every MCPS high school (AP and IB options exist in every high school) so if a student from a low performing school has lower test scores there is no rationale to give them a bump in the admissions process because of their home school.

btw There is something special about Blair SMAC. The application process does a terrific job identifying students who love the subject matter and are willing to push themselves quite hard to get through an interesting but challenging curriculum. This in turn attracts teachers who are highly committed to teaching students who relish the depth and challenge of the curriculum. If you start to mess with this you risk losing the "secret sauce" that has made Blair the high school that has the highest overall number of Intel/Regeneron finalists in the country. This feat is especially noteworthy because the program is so small - just a hundred students admitted per year. I think it is that concentration of talent which is a big part of that explanation. These students feed off each other intellectually and support each other emotionally for the four years of high school, in the classroom and out of it.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-blair-high-school-leads-the-nation-in-intel-science-finalists/2014/03/09/b09b5b72-a7a4-11e3-b61e-8051b8b52d06_story.html?utm_term=.6595e9558afe

[Anonymous]

It can also be argued the new selection criteria will result in higher outcomes since it emphasizes aptitude over the extent one has engaged in outside enrichment. This was a smart move by the county which I applaud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It can also be argued the new selection criteria will result in higher outcomes since it emphasizes aptitude over the extent one has engaged in outside enrichment. This was a smart move by the county which I applaud.

Similarly, there's no evidence that supports the belief that the cohort criteria reduced the magnet's quality. There have always been more qualified students than seats. The new means by which these seats are awarded better serves the overall population than before since the cohort criteria allows MCPS to serve the needs of more students than was previously possible. Sure, some selfish parents won't let it go, but there is no question that this was a wise decision by MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Even MCPS admitted that they see “more diversity in ability”, and teacher need to provide extra scaffolding,

And please don’t delittle those kids who were excluded by cohort citeria, saying they perform good just because of outside enrichment, majority of them are just smart kids with busy parents working demanding jobs, those kids are doing similar things just like other 5th graders in MCPS.

Universal screening is great but with so many highly able kids identified Why don’t they extend the full magnet ciiriculum to home school instead only one or two courses

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It can also be argued the new selection criteria will result in higher outcomes since it emphasizes aptitude over the extent one has engaged in outside enrichment. This was a smart move by the county which I applaud.

Similarly, there's no evidence that supports the belief that the cohort criteria reduced the magnet's quality. There have always been more qualified students than seats. The new means by which these seats are awarded better serves the overall population than before since the cohort criteria allows MCPS to serve the needs of more students than was previously possible. Sure, some selfish parents won't let it go, but there is no question that this was a wise decision by MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand why Montgomery County is rethinking the criteria for selecting kids for the magnet program for the overall good of society. But as a parent of a SMACS graduate who was an InTel finalist, I often wonder if my DC would have been admitted to the magnet program under the current criteria given that we live in a W school district where he would have had a cohort and, therefore, might no longer be eligible. While he was always a bright kid, the experience of being at the magnet with like minded kids is what allowed him to reach this level at this age. Should less privileged kids be given these opportunities? Definitely. Will these formative experiences change the trajectory of my DC’s life long term? I really don’t know. It seems more likely to change the direction for a less privileged student. But selfishly, I am glad that these criteria were not in place at the time.

'

I am a parent of a Blair SMACS senior and agree. The experience of being in the magnet has been transformative for my DC, and I don't know that the cohort experience would have sufficed for DC's needs and goals.

Selfishly, I am glad DC went through years ago and not now.

I would agree with this and it is why I am really hoping they don't use the approach they are currently using for middle school magnets. It is probably true as a PP pointed out that these three students are outliers who would be identified in any admissions process but I think the probability of having this many students become finalists would decline if the peer group was different. SMAC Magnet teachers can go fast and deep because their students are interested and capable both in terms of their ability and in terms of the study skills they bring to the program. The current application process screens for all three attributes.

I think you can make a great argument for casting the net as widely as possible for our youngest students - to identify raw potential and nurture it in a CES. I also applaud the universal screening process for the middle school magnet although I really, really hate the peer cohort criteria which is so backwards and I don't think much of their selection criteria in general.

I believe the High school magnets should not change their screening process for a couple of reasons. First, by now bright students have had ample opportunity to be identified and to prove themselves. Second, it is nearly impossible to "provide scaffolding" to a student who is not prepared in a high school magnet where many of the courses go well beyond AP level coursework. Teachers would be forced to go slower or teach less challenging material if there are students who need a lot of support. Third, there are plenty of options for an enriched and rigorous curriculum in every MCPS high school (AP and IB options exist in every high school) so if a student from a low performing school has lower test scores there is no rationale to give them a bump in the admissions process because of their home school.

btw There is something special about Blair SMAC. The application process does a terrific job identifying students who love the subject matter and are willing to push themselves quite hard to get through an interesting but challenging curriculum. This in turn attracts teachers who are highly committed to teaching students who relish the depth and challenge of the curriculum. If you start to mess with this you risk losing the "secret sauce" that has made Blair the high school that has the highest overall number of Intel/Regeneron finalists in the country. This feat is especially noteworthy because the program is so small - just a hundred students admitted per year. I think it is that concentration of talent which is a big part of that explanation. These students feed off each other intellectually and support each other emotionally for the four years of high school, in the classroom and out of it.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/montgomery-blair-high-school-leads-the-nation-in-intel-science-finalists/2014/03/09/b09b5b72-a7a4-11e3-b61e-8051b8b52d06_story.html?utm_term=.6595e9558afe

Should have added that I have a child in the program but he is my youngest so like the previous two posters I am agreeing with I don’t have a child who will apply in the future. The three of us are sharing our experience with this forum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not an OP. But...

It is evidence that MCPS was not happy that the 4th/5th grade HGCs were full of Asian Americans and not enough Hispanic and African Americans. That was (and is) the achievement gap that MCPS is trying to close by rename the HGC to CES and adding the cohort criteria.

It is evidence that MCPS was not happy that the middle school magnet at Eastern and TPMS were full of Asian Americans and not enough Hispanic and African Americans. That was (and is) the achievement gap that MCPS is trying to close by adding the cohort criteria.

Eventually, Blair SMAC selection criteria will be changed too to "close the achievement gap"...

Eventually, there will be no more Regeneron Finalist from MCPS...

So you’re saying non Asian kids are incapable of high achievement because they’re inherently not as smart as Asians? OK, racist.

So you're saying non Asian kids are incapable of getting accepted to the Magnet program if it is based purely on merit (and actually filling out the application)? Ok, racist.

[Anonymous]

Congratulations! This is one of the reasons my fifth grader wants to go to Blair SMAC one day (and my second grader wants to do whatever his older brother is doing). My husband was a semifinalist way back when it was the Westinghouse contest, and I'd only read about it in my middle school math textbook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even MCPS admitted that they see “more diversity in ability”, and teacher need to provide extra scaffolding,

And please don’t delittle those kids who were excluded by cohort citeria, saying they perform good just because of outside enrichment, majority of them are just smart kids with busy parents working demanding jobs, those kids are doing similar things just like other 5th graders in MCPS.

Universal screening is great but with so many highly able kids identified Why don’t they extend the full magnet ciiriculum to home school instead only one or two courses

This claim needs a citation.

[Anonymous]

copied from another post:

From another topic, reference to the impact of change in the magnet admissions process:

====

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/...de%205%20Parent%20FAQ's%20.pdf

And here is the excerpt:

Has the program itself changed as a result of the new screening process for the Science, math, computer science program?

We still have many top math students in our new sixth grade class, and we are seeing a greater diversity in ability. This is an important opportunity for highly-able students to be able to step up into a more rigorous curriculum. What has changed is not the rigor of the program or our expectations of students. What has changed is instruction and what the teachers need to do. Our teachers are expected to provide supports and scaffolding to help all magnet students attain the level of mastery of students working at a high level in mathematics.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even MCPS admitted that they see “more diversity in ability”, and teacher need to provide extra scaffolding,

And please don’t delittle those kids who were excluded by cohort citeria, saying they perform good just because of outside enrichment, majority of them are just smart kids with busy parents working demanding jobs, those kids are doing similar things just like other 5th graders in MCPS.

Universal screening is great but with so many highly able kids identified Why don’t they extend the full magnet ciiriculum to home school instead only one or two courses

This claim needs a citation.

[Anonymous]

I coach several scholastic teams. Do you think that students who did not earn their place in this program and have no skin in the game will perform as well? There is a reason that I choose my teams carefully, vetting both parents and students. I don't want to waste my time with people who are used to handouts or who cannot be serious and dedicated. While auditioning for the team is open for all, I am looking at merit and discipline. There is a reason that the winners of this competition are who they are. These opportunities need consistent effort and dedication. Kids have to put in grueling hours daily and learn to sacrifice leisure time. This is hard core committment which requires singular focus. Thankfully, those who do well in this kind of endeavor have the brains, dedication, support system and the cohort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I coach several scholastic teams. Do you think that students who did not earn their place in this program and have no skin in the game will perform as well? There is a reason that I choose my teams carefully, vetting both parents and students. I don't want to waste my time with people who are used to handouts or who cannot be serious and dedicated. While auditioning for the team is open for all, I am looking at merit and discipline. There is a reason that the winners of this competition are who they are. These opportunities need consistent effort and dedication. Kids have to put in grueling hours daily and learn to sacrifice leisure time. This is hard core committment which requires singular focus. Thankfully, those who do well in this kind of endeavor have the brains, dedication, support system and the cohort.

This is the case for young people who want to be part of any high level academic, athletic or music program

[Anonymous]

Here's the actual citation.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/...de%205%20Parent%20FAQ's%20.pdf

Here's the excerpt:

Has the program itself changed as a result of the new screening process for the Science, math, computer science program?

We have a record number of top students in our sixth-grade class. This is an important opportunity for highly-able students to be able to step up into a more rigorous curriculum. We've even have had to step up the rigor of program from earlier years when admission was largely a matter of parent recommendations.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even MCPS admitted that they see “more diversity in ability”, and teacher need to provide extra scaffolding,

And please don’t delittle those kids who were excluded by cohort citeria, saying they perform good just because of outside enrichment, majority of them are just smart kids with busy parents working demanding jobs, those kids are doing similar things just like other 5th graders in MCPS.

Universal screening is great but with so many highly able kids identified Why don’t they extend the full magnet ciiriculum to home school instead only one or two courses

This claim needs a citation.