TJ admissions results out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS has been strangely silent on a press release. I’m also very curious about how the “free meals for all” policy affected the applicant pool including special education, etc.

Based on the article, I don’t think any kids with IEPs were admitted this year. The Special Education experience factor is tiny (20Pts?) and the free meals experience factor is 90 points. If you had a school where a lot of kids checked yes to the meals questions, that would overwhelm any kids that might have the special education.

Has FCPS issued a press release? The Washington Post article was strangely silent on Special Education.

Don't a lot of parents also buy those designations with private diagnosis to get their kids extra time on exams? I read this had tripled over the past decade especially at upper middle class schools.

What you are thinking of is a 504 plan. Those are quite easy to get. Accommodations (like extended time) cost the school system almost nothing so they don’t fight if if the parents provide data. 504 are not legally binding on the school. An IEP is a different story. It’s a legal document and involves the provision of special education services and goals that are tracked quarterly with data sheets. IEPs are not easy to get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS has been strangely silent on a press release. I’m also very curious about how the “free meals for all” policy affected the applicant pool including special education, etc.

Based on the article, I don’t think any kids with IEPs were admitted this year. The Special Education experience factor is tiny (20Pts?) and the free meals experience factor is 90 points. If you had a school where a lot of kids checked yes to the meals questions, that would overwhelm any kids that might have the special education.

Has FCPS issued a press release? The Washington Post article was strangely silent on Special Education.

Don't a lot of parents also buy those designations with private diagnosis to get their kids extra time on exams? I read this had tripled over the past decade especially at upper middle class schools.

Is it really good to disclose this information? DD was diagnosed with ADHD but I have never mentioned it to the school. She's high IQ ADHD. She doesn't struggle with her grades. She's straight A with all honor courses. She's now waitlisted for TJ. I hesitated whether I should file an appeal to disclose this information. I am afraid this marker will follow her in her whole life and it may not be good for her to be treated differently. Maybe it sounds good to have extra exam time for now. But who knows if she may loose some opportunities in the future because of this reason? ADHD is considered as a disability. There is discrimination on disabilities no matter what. I also don't want her to take ADHD medication. They are harmful to the health, right? Actually I don't know if it's good or not to keep it unknown to the school. Anybody has experience dealing with this?

I think you would need a 504 or IEP to qualify as special ed. If your DD doesn't need any accommodations, it would be difficult to obtain a 504 or IEP.

The doctor recommended 504. But we didn't use it since I never disclose this information to the school.

What did you do with that information? Anything at all?

Why bother having her evaluated?

No, Nothing. I didn't tell anybody outside of our family.

Why did you have her evaluated?

She was depressed in 2020-2021 mainly because of lacking the social life I think. When I took her to see the doctor, the doctor diagnosed her as having both depression and ADHD. I then ordered a full test on her to verify the diagnose.
Her depression recovered very well since the school got back to normal. Because of her ADHD diagnose, we began to learn ADHD symptoms and found that her father also has ADHD ...... high IQ ADHD. He didn't know it before. It could now explain a lot of things in his life.

[Anonymous]

The TJ admissions office give perference points for both 504 and IEPs?

[Anonymous]

https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Exhibit-B-PLF-Memo-Master-122-PLF-Memo-ISO-MSJ-with-unredacted-and-unsealed-exhibits-12.22.21-copy-2.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Exhibit-B-PLF-Memo-Master-122-PLF-Memo-ISO-MSJ-with-unredacted-and-unsealed-exhibits-12.22.21-copy-2.pdf

So “experience factors” were just a small % of overall score.

Guess the haters will need to find something new to whine about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS has been strangely silent on a press release. I’m also very curious about how the “free meals for all” policy affected the applicant pool including special education, etc.

Based on the article, I don’t think any kids with IEPs were admitted this year. The Special Education experience factor is tiny (20Pts?) and the free meals experience factor is 90 points. If you had a school where a lot of kids checked yes to the meals questions, that would overwhelm any kids that might have the special education.

Has FCPS issued a press release? The Washington Post article was strangely silent on Special Education.

Don't a lot of parents also buy those designations with private diagnosis to get their kids extra time on exams? I read this had tripled over the past decade especially at upper middle class schools.

Is it really good to disclose this information? DD was diagnosed with ADHD but I have never mentioned it to the school. She's high IQ ADHD. She doesn't struggle with her grades. She's straight A with all honor courses. She's now waitlisted for TJ. I hesitated whether I should file an appeal to disclose this information. I am afraid this marker will follow her in her whole life and it may not be good for her to be treated differently. Maybe it sounds good to have extra exam time for now. But who knows if she may loose some opportunities in the future because of this reason? ADHD is considered as a disability. There is discrimination on disabilities no matter what. I also don't want her to take ADHD medication. They are harmful to the health, right? Actually I don't know if it's good or not to keep it unknown to the school. Anybody has experience dealing with this?

I think you would need a 504 or IEP to qualify as special ed. If your DD doesn't need any accommodations, it would be difficult to obtain a 504 or IEP.

The doctor recommended 504. But we didn't use it since I never disclose this information to the school.

What did you do with that information? Anything at all?

Why bother having her evaluated?

No, Nothing. I didn't tell anybody outside of our family.

Why did you have her evaluated?

She was depressed in 2020-2021 mainly because of lacking the social life I think. When I took her to see the doctor, the doctor diagnosed her as having both depression and ADHD. I then ordered a full test on her to verify the diagnose.
Her depression recovered very well since the school got back to normal. Because of her ADHD diagnose, we began to learn ADHD symptoms and found that her father also has ADHD ...... high IQ ADHD. He didn't know it before. It could now explain a lot of things in his life.

I think many high achievers have undiagnosed ADHD. The ability to hyperfocus is amazing when you want to academically succeed.

Glad to hear she’s doing better. No need to medicate or disclose unless it’s causing an issue. If she doesn’t need an IEP (which some people with ADHD do) then it’s not considered an “experience factor”.

[Anonymous]

And for this generation there isn’t really a stigma for ADHD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Exhibit-B-PLF-Memo-Master-122-PLF-Memo-ISO-MSJ-with-unredacted-and-unsealed-exhibits-12.22.21-copy-2.pdf

So “experience factors” were just a small % of overall score.

Guess the haters will need to find something new to whine about.

I don't call 1/3 of the score a small percentage

Also, you have to remember most of these kids have a high GPA and did very well on the problem set so the only differentiator left is the the profile and extra factors

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Exhibit-B-PLF-Memo-Master-122-PLF-Memo-ISO-MSJ-with-unredacted-and-unsealed-exhibits-12.22.21-copy-2.pdf

So “experience factors” were just a small % of overall score.

Guess the haters will need to find something new to whine about.

I don't call 1/3 of the score a small percentage

Also, you have to remember most of these kids have a high GPA and did very well on the problem set so the only differentiator left is the the profile and extra factors

90/1125

8% of total max score

[Anonymous]

The portrait sheet and essay were *each* 300 pts.

Each graded by two evaluators.

Lots of variability there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The portrait sheet and essay were *each* 300 pts.

Each graded by two evaluators.

Lots of variability there.

And do they normalize those scores? So most applicants get “typical” and “above average” is truly above the average application?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Exhibit-B-PLF-Memo-Master-122-PLF-Memo-ISO-MSJ-with-unredacted-and-unsealed-exhibits-12.22.21-copy-2.pdf

So “experience factors” were just a small % of overall score.

Guess the haters will need to find something new to whine about.

I don't call 1/3 of the score a small percentage

Also, you have to remember most of these kids have a high GPA and did very well on the problem set so the only differentiator left is the the profile and extra factors

90/1125

8% of total max score

This is some bad math. The score is effectively out of 900 points, as that is what is available to all kids with no experience factors. The minimum possible score is 3.5*75 + 60 + 60 = 382.5. The maximum is 900. So, effectively, there is a 517.5 point range between the minimum and maximum possible scores. Economically disadvantaged isa bonus of 90/517.5 = 17.4% of the total score range. Kids who are truly economically disadvantaged are likely to also get the 45 points for attending an underrepresented middle school, which would then be a bonus of 135/517.5 = 26% of the available points.

A 3.5 GPA + Economically disadvantaged gives 352.5 points.
A 3.5 GPA + "underrepresented school" gives 307.5 points
A 4.0 GPA with no experience factors gives 300 points

The experience factors are huge.

[Anonymous]

Kids who are truly economically disadvantaged are likely to also get the 45 points for attending an underrepresented middle school, which would then be a bonus of 135/517.5 = 26% of the available points.

Underrepresented schools are not counted anymore. It's unfortunate for my child's score.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Exhibit-B-PLF-Memo-Master-122-PLF-Memo-ISO-MSJ-with-unredacted-and-unsealed-exhibits-12.22.21-copy-2.pdf

So “experience factors” were just a small % of overall score.

Guess the haters will need to find something new to whine about.

I don't call 1/3 of the score a small percentage

Also, you have to remember most of these kids have a high GPA and did very well on the problem set so the only differentiator left is the the profile and extra factors

90/1125

8% of total max score

This is some bad math. The score is effectively out of 900 points, as that is what is available to all kids with no experience factors. The minimum possible score is 3.5*75 + 60 + 60 = 382.5. The maximum is 900. So, effectively, there is a 517.5 point range between the minimum and maximum possible scores. Economically disadvantaged isa bonus of 90/517.5 = 17.4% of the total score range. Kids who are truly economically disadvantaged are likely to also get the 45 points for attending an underrepresented middle school, which would then be a bonus of 135/517.5 = 26% of the available points.

A 3.5 GPA + Economically disadvantaged gives 352.5 points.
A 3.5 GPA + "underrepresented school" gives 307.5 points
A 4.0 GPA with no experience factors gives 300 points

The experience factors are huge.

Wow. That's some creative math gymnastics to make an invalid point. They aren't "huge" when you compare to the most significant scores -- the essay and the portrait. Funny how you left those high-point scores out. 240 points in play for *each* of those.

And it's disingenuous to exclude the experience factors. They do count towards the total score.

So the available points for the total score are 742.5. And ED is 12% of that. Not "huge".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Exhibit-B-PLF-Memo-Master-122-PLF-Memo-ISO-MSJ-with-unredacted-and-unsealed-exhibits-12.22.21-copy-2.pdf

So “experience factors” were just a small % of overall score.

Guess the haters will need to find something new to whine about.

I don't call 1/3 of the score a small percentage

Also, you have to remember most of these kids have a high GPA and did very well on the problem set so the only differentiator left is the the profile and extra factors

90/1125

8% of total max score

This is some bad math. The score is effectively out of 900 points, as that is what is available to all kids with no experience factors. The minimum possible score is 3.5*75 + 60 + 60 = 382.5. The maximum is 900. So, effectively, there is a 517.5 point range between the minimum and maximum possible scores. Economically disadvantaged isa bonus of 90/517.5 = 17.4% of the total score range. Kids who are truly economically disadvantaged are likely to also get the 45 points for attending an underrepresented middle school, which would then be a bonus of 135/517.5 = 26% of the available points.

A 3.5 GPA + Economically disadvantaged gives 352.5 points.
A 3.5 GPA + "underrepresented school" gives 307.5 points
A 4.0 GPA with no experience factors gives 300 points

The experience factors are huge.

Wow. That's some creative math gymnastics to make an invalid point. They aren't "huge" when you compare to the most significant scores -- the essay and the portrait. Funny how you left those high-point scores out. 240 points in play for *each* of those.

And it's disingenuous to exclude the experience factors. They do count towards the total score.

So the available points for the total score are 742.5. And ED is 12% of that. Not "huge".

The essay is way too easy, it doesn't differentiate at all. I would bet over 1500 applicants got a perfect score. The portrait should be about why STEM, instead it's another set of UN type factors like overcoming diversity etc.

Other posters have talked about the GPA shell game going on where its better to be getting a higher GPA from easier classes

Look here's the point call it what it is. It's not a STEM school anymore. It's not taking the best folks in STEM. It's taking a cross section of folks from each middle school area with extra factors that have nothing to do with actual STEM talent or interest. There are hundreds of folks that are better at and actually interested in STEM that are not getting in.