How do you think this year's high school magnet selection process ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is a major generalization. I am in W cluster, and never prep my kids. Never sent them to any prep classes either. Why am I penalized, I don't know.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is a major generalization. I am in W cluster, and never prep my kids. Never sent them to any prep classes either. Why am I penalized, I don't know.

+1

I agree, too. Definitely feels like we're being penalized and I'd love to hear how exactly that's not the case. Definitely losing my faith in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is a major generalization. I am in W cluster, and never prep my kids. Never sent them to any prep classes either. Why am I penalized, I don't know.

+1

I agree, too. Definitely feels like we're being penalized and I'd love to hear how exactly that's not the case. Definitely losing my faith in MCPS.

How, specifically, is MCPS penalizing you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is a major generalization. I am in W cluster, and never prep my kids. Never sent them to any prep classes either. Why am I penalized, I don't know.

+1

I agree, too. Definitely feels like we're being penalized and I'd love to hear how exactly that's not the case. Definitely losing my faith in MCPS.

When I read the 80-page thread about the boundary analysis, I got the sense that many parents on the west side of the county felt they bought into a stronger school pyramid than those on the eastern side of the county

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS applied last year and DD this year. Last year he had to fill out different applications for the different programs. This year there was only one application. There was still a place to list awards and extracurriculars. That did not change between last year and this year. What struck me as odd was how some kids DD knew applied to 10+ programs. That’s kind of nuts. Is the application process too easy? Now there are loads of waitlists to delve into. One kid got into 7 programs. There will now be 6 (or up to 7 if he decides to just go to home school) spots that will jump down to waitlist. Seems like a lot of work for MCPS but oh well!

Can you please elaborate on the differences between last year's admissions process and this year's? I had one DC go through this last year, and I remember there was a single online application for countywide (SMAC (either Blair or Poolesville)/RMIB/Poolesville Ecology) programs, and separate applications for Blair CAP and Wheaton each. Have they simplified it further? Thanks!

DP. When my first kid applied a few years ago (we live in the upcounty), there were separate applications for RM and Poolesville. And for each program, you had to write a separate essay (so 4, for RM plus 3 Poolesville programs). And they were paper applications, so you had to print everything and separately mail the separate applications. And you had to basically already know which programs you were eligible for. So a lot of parental support was involved in the application process for First Kid.

This year, my other kid applied - one application, on line, with one essay, and it told you everything you were eligible for. Second Kid required no parental support for the application process.

Also, when my first kid applied, there were only 3 testing sites, and basically if you didn't have somebody who could drive you there, too bad. For my other kid, there were several additional testing sites, and there were shuttle buses too.

MCPS has done a lot of work in reducing barriers to entry to the high school magnet programs, and I applaud them for it.

The changes you are referring to were introduced last year - for the current ninth graders. DC had a single online application for SMAC/RMIB/Ecology. There was one exception last year: DCC programs (CAP and Wheaton magnet) had their own applications. My question was if there has been any change between LAST year (not a few years ago) and this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is a major generalization. I am in W cluster, and never prep my kids. Never sent them to any prep classes either. Why am I penalized, I don't know.

+1

I agree, too. Definitely feels like we're being penalized and I'd love to hear how exactly that's not the case. Definitely losing my faith in MCPS.

How, specifically, is MCPS penalizing you?

Isn't the cohort criterion penalizing W clusters?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS applied last year and DD this year. Last year he had to fill out different applications for the different programs. This year there was only one application. There was still a place to list awards and extracurriculars. That did not change between last year and this year. What struck me as odd was how some kids DD knew applied to 10+ programs. That’s kind of nuts. Is the application process too easy? Now there are loads of waitlists to delve into. One kid got into 7 programs. There will now be 6 (or up to 7 if he decides to just go to home school) spots that will jump down to waitlist. Seems like a lot of work for MCPS but oh well!

Can you please elaborate on the differences between last year's admissions process and this year's? I had one DC go through this last year, and I remember there was a single online application for countywide (SMAC (either Blair or Poolesville)/RMIB/Poolesville Ecology) programs, and separate applications for Blair CAP and Wheaton each. Have they simplified it further? Thanks!

DP. When my first kid applied a few years ago (we live in the upcounty), there were separate applications for RM and Poolesville. And for each program, you had to write a separate essay (so 4, for RM plus 3 Poolesville programs). And they were paper applications, so you had to print everything and separately mail the separate applications. And you had to basically already know which programs you were eligible for. So a lot of parental support was involved in the application process for First Kid.

This year, my other kid applied - one application, on line, with one essay, and it told you everything you were eligible for. Second Kid required no parental support for the application process.

Also, when my first kid applied, there were only 3 testing sites, and basically if you didn't have somebody who could drive you there, too bad. For my other kid, there were several additional testing sites, and there were shuttle buses too.

MCPS has done a lot of work in reducing barriers to entry to the high school magnet programs, and I applaud them for it.

The changes you are referring to were introduced last year - for the current ninth graders. DC had a single online application for SMAC/RMIB/Ecology. There was one exception last year: DCC programs (CAP and Wheaton magnet) had their own applications. My question was if there has been any change between LAST year (not a few years ago) and this year.

Yes, there has been a change in the last year. There is now only one application for ALL programs. CAP and Wheaton are part of the same application as RMIB, SMACS, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is a major generalization. I am in W cluster, and never prep my kids. Never sent them to any prep classes either. Why am I penalized, I don't know.

+1

I agree, too. Definitely feels like we're being penalized and I'd love to hear how exactly that's not the case. Definitely losing my faith in MCPS.

When I read the 80-page thread about the boundary analysis, I got the sense that many parents on the west side of the county felt they bought into a stronger school pyramid than those on the eastern side of the county

So? I thought MCPS stated that other schools were as equally good, but even if they aren't, that doesn't mean MCPS should be favoring one side over the other for a county wide program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is a major generalization. I am in W cluster, and never prep my kids. Never sent them to any prep classes either. Why am I penalized, I don't know.

+1

I agree, too. Definitely feels like we're being penalized and I'd love to hear how exactly that's not the case. Definitely losing my faith in MCPS.

How, specifically, is MCPS penalizing you?

Isn't the cohort criterion penalizing W clusters?

I’m a different poster, but this doesn’t seem unequal to me. Your school has a large enough group of high performers to have enriched classes at your home school. Many schools do not, so kids are left without peers and without opportunities for enrichment. So they go to the magnet. I don’t see who loses there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the central office did a really good job. For application based magnets, there is no cohort criteria like middle school.

What is “cohort criteria “?

It's a way to offset the well-documented advantages that some schools have over others. Just look at a post on the boundary study and you'll see that many parents believe some schools are much better than others and confer advantages to their students. The cohort criteria simply recognize that this is true.

It's a way to get more students from other schools into magnets because collectively, they don't score as high. Western side of the county was over represented, and MCPS didn't like that. It's no longer about serving the needs of the highest performers in the *county*, but rather, within each school. This means that a student who performs at a much higher level in School A will not get in if they have a peer cohort at the home school even though that student performs at a higher level than another student at school B who did get in, but doesn't have a peer cohort at School B. This means that the peer cohort at the magnet is not the highest performers in the county, but rather only within their home school, which means the ability levels are going to be wider.

Because the western side of the county is hoarding opportunity by using outside enrichment to game the system, the cohort criteria was introduced to nullify that advantage and identify actual outliers as opposed to the most prepped.

LOL I suppose if you make your HSer study and prep for the SATs you are gaming the system, too. Oh, I know.. but that's "different".

The cohort criteria does not nullify outside enrichment since I know that there are folks who live in the SS area who also provide outside enrichment for their kids; conversely, there are plenty of students on the western side of the county who have never gone to a Dr Li class, like my kid. I didn't even know what that was.

The cohort criteria was used because the magnets were dominated by a certain area, and MCPS did not like that, and the change in criteria came about after the Metis report.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is a major generalization. I am in W cluster, and never prep my kids. Never sent them to any prep classes either. Why am I penalized, I don't know.

+1

I agree, too. Definitely feels like we're being penalized and I'd love to hear how exactly that's not the case. Definitely losing my faith in MCPS.

How, specifically, is MCPS penalizing you?

Isn't the cohort criterion penalizing W clusters?

I’m a different poster, but this doesn’t seem unequal to me. Your school has a large enough group of high performers to have enriched classes at your home school. Many schools do not, so kids are left without peers and without opportunities for enrichment. So they go to the magnet. I don’t see who loses there.

Have you looked at the "enriched classes"? Please. You think one or two enriched classes for high performers who scored better than those who got into magnets using "peer cohort" is better than a whole magnet program? If that's the case, then MCPS could have provided the enrich classes at TP and moved the magnet to the western side of the county where there are a lot more higher performers. And yes, there are a lot more higher performers on the western side of the county. Even MCPS' own reports show this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is a major generalization. I am in W cluster, and never prep my kids. Never sent them to any prep classes either. Why am I penalized, I don't know.

+1

I agree, too. Definitely feels like we're being penalized and I'd love to hear how exactly that's not the case. Definitely losing my faith in MCPS.

How, specifically, is MCPS penalizing you?

Isn't the cohort criterion penalizing W clusters?

How does it penalize the W clusters?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
So? I thought MCPS stated that other schools were as equally good, but even if they aren't, that doesn't mean MCPS should be favoring one side over the other for a county wide program.

It's not a county-wide program. There are the middle-school magnet programs at Clemente/MLK, and there are the middle-school magnet programs at Takoma Park/Eastern.

Also, MCPS isn't favoring one side over the other. MCPS is saying that the outliers at each school get admitted to the middle-school magnet programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
So? I thought MCPS stated that other schools were as equally good, but even if they aren't, that doesn't mean MCPS should be favoring one side over the other for a county wide program.

It's not a county-wide program. There are the middle-school magnet programs at Clemente/MLK, and there are the middle-school magnet programs at Takoma Park/Eastern.

Also, MCPS isn't favoring one side over the other. MCPS is saying that the outliers at each school get admitted to the middle-school magnet programs.

It's county wide for the southern part of the county. Clemente is for the northern side of the county. People who live in the W clusters are zoned for TP/Eastern magnet, not Clemente, which serves the northern portions of the county.

When MCPS uses peer cohort criteria, it does favor one side of the other because one side has waaay more higher performers than the other side, but they are effective giving the other side a bump up because of where they live.

And to PP's question of "how is it penalizing w clusters".. it does so because a student who happens to live in that cluster who scores higher than another student in another cluster but doesn't get in because of "peer cohort" basically is penalized because of where that student lives. If you pluck that student out of a W cluster, and put them in a school out east, then that student would probably get in. And no... families shouldn't have to move just so their kids don't get penalized for where they live. That would be gaming the system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is a major generalization. I am in W cluster, and never prep my kids. Never sent them to any prep classes either. Why am I penalized, I don't know.

+1

I agree, too. Definitely feels like we're being penalized and I'd love to hear how exactly that's not the case. Definitely losing my faith in MCPS.

How, specifically, is MCPS penalizing you?

Isn't the cohort criterion penalizing W clusters?

I’m a different poster, but this doesn’t seem unequal to me. Your school has a large enough group of high performers to have enriched classes at your home school. Many schools do not, so kids are left without peers and without opportunities for enrichment. So they go to the magnet. I don’t see who loses there.

Have you looked at the "enriched classes"? Please. You think one or two enriched classes for high performers who scored better than those who got into magnets using "peer cohort" is better than a whole magnet program? If that's the case, then MCPS could have provided the enrich classes at TP and moved the magnet to the western side of the county where there are a lot more higher performers. And yes, there are a lot more higher performers on the western side of the county. Even MCPS' own reports show this.

The idea that there are somehow more high-performers on the western part of the county seems more like wishful thinking on the part of some parents.