what happened to the new IB magnet rumor?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:RM IB parent here. I don't understand those complaining that this will somehow downgrade the RM IB program. Most out-of-cluster RM IB kids are from Wootton/Whitman/WJ or BCC home schools. Most kids from those areas will likely continue to apply to RM as long as it remains county-wide, as the new programs are further away. Even if the RM program becomes regional, it seems likely students from these schools would continue to be able to apply to RM rather than being bused across county.

On the other hand, there are lots of kids who can't make RM IB work logistically because it is too far away, so they either do AP or IB at their home school if offered. Now, they will have the opportunity to go to regional magnet IB schools closer to them. Those IB programs will be stronger because they can pull from top students in a larger catchment area. Seems like a win-win to me.

I agree. But I'm confused why on the map they label RM as "RM Countywide and Regional IB." How can it be both countywide AND regional? Is its region its cluster?

BCC has its own IB. The only reason for BCC kids to go to RM is the peer group. I wonder if Kennedy IB magnet will provide the same peer group as arMIB.

Whitman and Churchill have no special acadamic program so regional IB magnet may still be attactive.

BCC is local only and starts at 11th grade, no? RMIB magnet starts in 9th grade, and I would assume the other programs at the aforementioned three HS will also start at 9th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

"Gutting", "downgrading". Can someone please explain (without histrionics) how moving to 4 regional IB centers will "gut", "downgrade" RMIB?

I would really appreciate an answer that isn't based on fear. I would also appreciate an answer based on honesty - that is, if you think the county-wide IB adds cachet to RM and hence, increases your property values please come out and say so too.

The countywide application pool creates a far, far stronger group of students. Teachers teach to the level of the students. With a top group, discussions are richer, projects have higher expectations and teachers expect more. Its a circular feed.

The regional programs at Einstein, BCC or others area are meh. If you are in a failing school like Einstein then sure a program there can help get your kid out of the path of all the failing students but its not a good program. At BCC, its simply something to have on your school record, nothing more.

You realize that it is the SAME curriculum and it is monitored by the IB, not MCPS. The exams are the SAME exams, that are scored by the IB and not MCPS. Yes, the students and cohorts are different, but to succeed and receive the IB diploma there are very strict criteria that are the set and monitored by IB, an international group. An IB diploma is recognized around the world, and it doesn't matter if it comes from BCC, RM, somewhere in Latin America, somewhere in Africa or somewhere Europe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So students from Churchill, Whitman and WJ could go to Kenndy if they dont make it at RM next year. Since the “cohort” method will be used for Blair, RM, and Poolsville magnet program, this new selection method will reduce the number of students from Wooton, Churchill, WJ and Whitman to be admitted into RM and Blair. Currently, more than 60% of magnet students in RM and Blair magnets are from the four HS catchment area. The cohort methode could reduce the number of students from the four hs to less than 20% for RM and less than 30% for blair. Will the students whose access to RM and Blair magnet is denied due to the “cohort” admission method go to the regional IB megnet? The new centers are further away from RM and blair for these students.

Who even has said anything about cohorts for the high school magnet application program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So students from Churchill, Whitman and WJ could go to Kenndy if they dont make it at RM next year. Since the “cohort” method will be used for Blair, RM, and Poolsville magnet program, this new selection method will reduce the number of students from Wooton, Churchill, WJ and Whitman to be admitted into RM and Blair. Currently, more than 60% of magnet students in RM and Blair magnets are from the four HS catchment area. The cohort methode could reduce the number of students from the four hs to less than 20% for RM and less than 30% for blair. Will the students whose access to RM and Blair magnet is denied due to the “cohort” admission method go to the regional IB megnet? The new centers are further away from RM and blair for these students.

Who even has said anything about cohorts for the high school magnet application program?

DCUM

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So students from Churchill, Whitman and WJ could go to Kenndy if they dont make it at RM next year. Since the “cohort” method will be used for Blair, RM, and Poolsville magnet program, this new selection method will reduce the number of students from Wooton, Churchill, WJ and Whitman to be admitted into RM and Blair. Currently, more than 60% of magnet students in RM and Blair magnets are from the four HS catchment area. The cohort methode could reduce the number of students from the four hs to less than 20% for RM and less than 30% for blair. Will the students whose access to RM and Blair magnet is denied due to the “cohort” admission method go to the regional IB megnet? The new centers are further away from RM and blair for these students.

Who even has said anything about cohorts for the high school magnet application program?

DCUM

Right. Besides DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IB program is intensive and the quality of RMIB is driven by super involved and informed, well-off parents who provide enrichment to their children so that they can excel in the IB path.
It is foolish to think that a regular student will excel at RMIB without all this support outside of the school day. IB is not a panacea for achievement gap. The biggest mistake is to put in in low performing schools thinking that students will excel in it. It is much better to provide AP classes in the school so that interested and able kids can take it. IB model is a sucky model for low performing schools like Watkins Mills.

I agree. It should not be this way, but in practice it is. Teachers are not trained enough in IB. Most IB programs in the US are dismally run. American colleges do not understand how poorly high schools run their IB programs and demand excellent scores that are hard for students to achieve. Please steer clear unless you have a very good understanding of what it entails and how you can support your child.

Your ignorance is showing. Just because a school's average scores are lower than MCPS averages doesn't mean there are not highly advanced and capable students in the school. Watkins Mill has a small, but solid, IB diploma program, and I have several friends whose students excelled in the program. What it didn't have, and the new regional models will give it, was a 9th & 10th grade cohort of students grouped together, where the more rigorous writing and interdisciplinary focus of IB can be enhanced leading up to the diploma classes. Currently, without a cohort, students aren't as focused on the diploma and end up taking a mix of AP and IB classes (a la carte). Creating a cohort and adding students from out-of-area will help focus students towards a full diploma.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So students from Churchill, Whitman and WJ could go to Kenndy if they dont make it at RM next year. Since the “cohort” method will be used for Blair, RM, and Poolsville magnet program, this new selection method will reduce the number of students from Wooton, Churchill, WJ and Whitman to be admitted into RM and Blair. Currently, more than 60% of magnet students in RM and Blair magnets are from the four HS catchment area. The cohort methode could reduce the number of students from the four hs to less than 20% for RM and less than 30% for blair. Will the students whose access to RM and Blair magnet is denied due to the “cohort” admission method go to the regional IB megnet? The new centers are further away from RM and blair for these students.

Who even has said anything about cohorts for the high school magnet application program?

People are conflating the universal review process, which MCPS *has* said will be used starting with this fall's 8th graders, with the inclusion of the cohort component of the selection process, which MCPS *has not* said will be used.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So students from Churchill, Whitman and WJ could go to Kenndy if they dont make it at RM next year. Since the “cohort” method will be used for Blair, RM, and Poolsville magnet program, this new selection method will reduce the number of students from Wooton, Churchill, WJ and Whitman to be admitted into RM and Blair. Currently, more than 60% of magnet students in RM and Blair magnets are from the four HS catchment area. The cohort methode could reduce the number of students from the four hs to less than 20% for RM and less than 30% for blair. Will the students whose access to RM and Blair magnet is denied due to the “cohort” admission method go to the regional IB megnet? The new centers are further away from RM and blair for these students.

Who even has said anything about cohorts for the high school magnet application program?

People are conflating the universal review process, which MCPS *has* said will be used starting with this fall's 8th graders, with the inclusion of the cohort component of the selection process, which MCPS *has not* said will be used.

And the new universal review for 8th graders does not replace the application, as it did for the ES and MS programs. Instead it will be used to create a document to be sent to parents and schools so they'll be informed about available programs in which they may be successful. Then they'll have the option to apply for any of the programs through a streamlined process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IB program is intensive and the quality of RMIB is driven by super involved and informed, well-off parents who provide enrichment to their children so that they can excel in the IB path.
It is foolish to think that a regular student will excel at RMIB without all this support outside of the school day. IB is not a panacea for achievement gap. The biggest mistake is to put in in low performing schools thinking that students will excel in it. It is much better to provide AP classes in the school so that interested and able kids can take it. IB model is a sucky model for low performing schools like Watkins Mills.

8:07 is correct in whom IB served, as these students had interrupted education. However, having said that, IBO was never designed to be selective. It's gone the other way, however, b/c of people like you.

I worked in an opt in IB school, and while kids struggled, they were introduced to an entirely new way of thinking.

Unfortunately, it's come to this - https://www.ibo.org/excellence-and-equity/
The kids who need it the most - in the challenging schools - were often overlooked.

This initiative challenges school leaders in the USA to consider how to elevate the conversation about what is academically possible for low-income students and students of colour. The focus goes beyond proficiency, with a wider focus on preparing all students to graduate with the skills and tools needed for post-secondary education and lifelong learning. Research indicates that less than 1% of diverse schools nationwide have advanced programmes in which their students reflect the diversity of the overall school population. The E2 Initiative aims to change this statistic.

Through the E2 Initiative, leadership teams at IB World Schools learn how to promote the inclusion and success of under-represented students in the Diploma Programme (DP) and the Career-related Programme (CP).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IB program is intensive and the quality of RMIB is driven by super involved and informed, well-off parents who provide enrichment to their children so that they can excel in the IB path.
It is foolish to think that a regular student will excel at RMIB without all this support outside of the school day. IB is not a panacea for achievement gap. The biggest mistake is to put in in low performing schools thinking that students will excel in it. It is much better to provide AP classes in the school so that interested and able kids can take it. IB model is a sucky model for low performing schools like Watkins Mills.

8:07 is correct in whom IB served, as these students had interrupted education. However, having said that, IBO was never designed to be selective. It's gone the other way, however, b/c of people like you.

I worked in an opt in IB school, and while kids struggled, they were introduced to an entirely new way of thinking.

Unfortunately, it's come to this - https://www.ibo.org/excellence-and-equity/
The kids who need it the most - in the challenging schools - were often overlooked.

This initiative challenges school leaders in the USA to consider how to elevate the conversation about what is academically possible for low-income students and students of colour. The focus goes beyond proficiency, with a wider focus on preparing all students to graduate with the skills and tools needed for post-secondary education and lifelong learning. Research indicates that less than 1% of diverse schools nationwide have advanced programmes in which their students reflect the diversity of the overall school population. The E2 Initiative aims to change this statistic.

Through the E2 Initiative, leadership teams at IB World Schools learn how to promote the inclusion and success of under-represented students in the Diploma Programme (DP) and the Career-related Programme (CP).

I'm not the PP you quoted, but you've got the wrong end of the stick. It's BECAUSE schools are so bad at supporting IB students that in order to succeed in it, students need family support - which often means that wealthy families make it work where poorer families cannot.

I cannot overstate how badly schools teach IB classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So students from Churchill, Whitman and WJ could go to Kenndy if they dont make it at RM next year. Since the “cohort” method will be used for Blair, RM, and Poolsville magnet program, this new selection method will reduce the number of students from Wooton, Churchill, WJ and Whitman to be admitted into RM and Blair. Currently, more than 60% of magnet students in RM and Blair magnets are from the four HS catchment area. The cohort methode could reduce the number of students from the four hs to less than 20% for RM and less than 30% for blair. Will the students whose access to RM and Blair magnet is denied due to the “cohort” admission method go to the regional IB megnet? The new centers are further away from RM and blair for these students.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Churchilll, Wooton, and Whitman students who go to Kennedy IB will have to put up with Kennedy orchestra, band, and chorus. I don't know any particulars, but I don't think that these extracurriculars are going to be at the same level as RM or W home schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So students from Churchill, Whitman and WJ could go to Kenndy if they dont make it at RM next year. Since the “cohort” method will be used for Blair, RM, and Poolsville magnet program, this new selection method will reduce the number of students from Wooton, Churchill, WJ and Whitman to be admitted into RM and Blair. Currently, more than 60% of magnet students in RM and Blair magnets are from the four HS catchment area. The cohort methode could reduce the number of students from the four hs to less than 20% for RM and less than 30% for blair. Will the students whose access to RM and Blair magnet is denied due to the “cohort” admission method go to the regional IB megnet? The new centers are further away from RM and blair for these students.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Churchilll, Wooton, and Whitman students who go to Kennedy IB will have to put up with Kennedy orchestra, band, and chorus. I don't know any particulars, but I don't think that these extracurriculars are going to be at the same level as RM or W home schools.

Wootton is within the Watkins Mill region, not Kennedy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So students from Churchill, Whitman and WJ could go to Kenndy if they dont make it at RM next year. Since the “cohort” method will be used for Blair, RM, and Poolsville magnet program, this new selection method will reduce the number of students from Wooton, Churchill, WJ and Whitman to be admitted into RM and Blair. Currently, more than 60% of magnet students in RM and Blair magnets are from the four HS catchment area. The cohort methode could reduce the number of students from the four hs to less than 20% for RM and less than 30% for blair. Will the students whose access to RM and Blair magnet is denied due to the “cohort” admission method go to the regional IB megnet? The new centers are further away from RM and blair for these students.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Churchilll, Wooton, and Whitman students who go to Kennedy IB will have to put up with Kennedy orchestra, band, and chorus. I don't know any particulars, but I don't think that these extracurriculars are going to be at the same level as RM or W home schools.

Wow. That must be because Latinx people have less musical talent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So students from Churchill, Whitman and WJ could go to Kenndy if they dont make it at RM next year. Since the “cohort” method will be used for Blair, RM, and Poolsville magnet program, this new selection method will reduce the number of students from Wooton, Churchill, WJ and Whitman to be admitted into RM and Blair. Currently, more than 60% of magnet students in RM and Blair magnets are from the four HS catchment area. The cohort methode could reduce the number of students from the four hs to less than 20% for RM and less than 30% for blair. Will the students whose access to RM and Blair magnet is denied due to the “cohort” admission method go to the regional IB megnet? The new centers are further away from RM and blair for these students.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Churchilll, Wooton, and Whitman students who go to Kennedy IB will have to put up with Kennedy orchestra, band, and chorus. I don't know any particulars, but I don't think that these extracurriculars are going to be at the same level as RM or W home schools.

If these students go to Kennedy, they will lift the orchestra and band in Kennedy as long as the music teachers are capable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IB program is intensive and the quality of RMIB is driven by super involved and informed, well-off parents who provide enrichment to their children so that they can excel in the IB path.
It is foolish to think that a regular student will excel at RMIB without all this support outside of the school day. IB is not a panacea for achievement gap. The biggest mistake is to put in in low performing schools thinking that students will excel in it. It is much better to provide AP classes in the school so that interested and able kids can take it. IB model is a sucky model for low performing schools like Watkins Mills.

I agree. It should not be this way, but in practice it is. Teachers are not trained enough in IB. Most IB programs in the US are dismally run. American colleges do not understand how poorly high schools run their IB programs and demand excellent scores that are hard for students to achieve. Please steer clear unless you have a very good understanding of what it entails and how you can support your child.

Your ignorance is showing. Just because a school's average scores are lower than MCPS averages doesn't mean there are not highly advanced and capable students in the school. Watkins Mill has a small, but solid, IB diploma program, and I have several friends whose students excelled in the program. What it didn't have, and the new regional models will give it, was a 9th & 10th grade cohort of students grouped together, where the more rigorous writing and interdisciplinary focus of IB can be enhanced leading up to the diploma classes. Currently, without a cohort, students aren't as focused on the diploma and end up taking a mix of AP and IB classes (a la carte). Creating a cohort and adding students from out-of-area will help focus students towards a full diploma.

It's not about poor scores. It's about poor teachers. I've spent years in MCPS and can tell you that the best teachers are in wealthy areas, and sometimes Focus elementaries. It stands to reason, no one wants to have a harder job of it. The IB program needs special training that even good teachers sometimes lack, so imagine what happens in lower-performing schools.

I'm not saying it's not worth a try! But I highly, highly doubt the graduating students will have good scores on their IB exams. I'd be delighted to be proved wrong.