Einstein vs. Northwood, and how does school choice in the DCC work?

[Anonymous]

Pushy Einstein mom checking in again. It looks like the great equalizer will be Honors Biology for all. That looks really new to me. Thanks to the PP who attached the Grade 9 course selection. The support class for kids inAPUSH looks new. Is it mandatory? I would say that the IB kids do end up forming a true cohort. Then, there’s everybody’s else. My DC felt that it was difficult to have friends scattered in all sorts of different academic classes. There were downsides to having students from all different grades in math, science, and foreign language. If the school is trying to have only ninth graders in Honors Biology, that’s probably a good thing. Most students who are college bound can handle AP gov in 10th. It’s much easier than APUSH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pushy Einstein mom checking in again. It looks like the great equalizer will be Honors Biology for all. That looks really new to me. Thanks to the PP who attached the Grade 9 course selection. The support class for kids inAPUSH looks new. Is it mandatory? I would say that the IB kids do end up forming a true cohort. Then, there’s everybody’s else. My DC felt that it was difficult to have friends scattered in all sorts of different academic classes. There were downsides to having students from all different grades in math, science, and foreign language. If the school is trying to have only ninth graders in Honors Biology, that’s probably a good thing. Most students who are college bound can handle AP gov in 10th. It’s much easier than APUSH.

Interesting. my kid will be in high school in the dcc in a few years. When I was in hs, only the strongest science students took bio in 9th. Everyone else took earth science/general science. Same re: the top math students were in Alg in 8th. From what I hear, this high school still tracks kids that way. Not in dc area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pushy Einstein mom checking in again. It looks like the great equalizer will be Honors Biology for all. That looks really new to me. Thanks to the PP who attached the Grade 9 course selection. The support class for kids inAPUSH looks new. Is it mandatory? I would say that the IB kids do end up forming a true cohort. Then, there’s everybody’s else. My DC felt that it was difficult to have friends scattered in all sorts of different academic classes. There were downsides to having students from all different grades in math, science, and foreign language. If the school is trying to have only ninth graders in Honors Biology, that’s probably a good thing. Most students who are college bound can handle AP gov in 10th. It’s much easier than APUSH.

OP here.

From my perspective, AP Gov, which is a semester's worth of college over a year, for a kid who has been in high school a year and proved themselves ready for a challenge, seems totally different from APUSH, which is a year's worth of college in a year, for a 9th grader. My kid has a younger sibling who I could see putting in APUSH in 9th, because he's been doing high school level work by choice on his own since he was 7. But I wouldn't do it for a kid who was appropriately challenged by middle school content in middle school. I also think APUSH is way too much breadth and too little depth, but that's just me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pushy Einstein mom checking in again. It looks like the great equalizer will be Honors Biology for all. That looks really new to me. Thanks to the PP who attached the Grade 9 course selection. The support class for kids inAPUSH looks new. Is it mandatory? I would say that the IB kids do end up forming a true cohort. Then, there’s everybody’s else. My DC felt that it was difficult to have friends scattered in all sorts of different academic classes. There were downsides to having students from all different grades in math, science, and foreign language. If the school is trying to have only ninth graders in Honors Biology, that’s probably a good thing. Most students who are college bound can handle AP gov in 10th. It’s much easier than APUSH.

Interesting. my kid will be in high school in the dcc in a few years. When I was in hs, only the strongest science students took bio in 9th. Everyone else took earth science/general science. Same re: the top math students were in Alg in 8th. From what I hear, this high school still tracks kids that way. Not in dc area.

The state of Maryland has eliminated Matter and Energy for the less-advanced 9th graders. All students take Biology, chemistry, AND physics now. Math acceleration is the same throughout the county.

[Anonymous]

By the way, the best thing about the AP classes is that they come with a textbook.

[Anonymous]

OP here again,

What is connections? I had assumed that my kid would be able to take both music and PE, but it looks like maybe that's prevented by connections? Is it optional?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again,

What is connections? I had assumed that my kid would be able to take both music and PE, but it looks like maybe that's prevented by connections? Is it optional?

PE is only a few semesters. Stop focusing on connections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pushy Einstein mom checking in again. It looks like the great equalizer will be Honors Biology for all. That looks really new to me. Thanks to the PP who attached the Grade 9 course selection. The support class for kids inAPUSH looks new. Is it mandatory? I would say that the IB kids do end up forming a true cohort. Then, there’s everybody’s else. My DC felt that it was difficult to have friends scattered in all sorts of different academic classes. There were downsides to having students from all different grades in math, science, and foreign language. If the school is trying to have only ninth graders in Honors Biology, that’s probably a good thing. Most students who are college bound can handle AP gov in 10th. It’s much easier than APUSH.

Interesting. my kid will be in high school in the dcc in a few years. When I was in hs, only the strongest science students took bio in 9th. Everyone else took earth science/general science. Same re: the top math students were in Alg in 8th. From what I hear, this high school still tracks kids that way. Not in dc area.

The state of Maryland has eliminated Matter and Energy for the less-advanced 9th graders. All students take Biology, chemistry, AND physics now. Math acceleration is the same throughout the county.

Math is not the same at every middle school.

[Anonymous]

Nobody on DCUM has put their kids in Connections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here again,

What is connections? I had assumed that my kid would be able to take both music and PE, but it looks like maybe that's prevented by connections? Is it optional?

PE is only a few semesters. Stop focusing on connections.

I wouldn't say that that asking one question about something is focusing on it.

I'm just curious if my kid, who loves both music and PE could take them in the same semester. I have no idea if connections is 4 years or one, or if it's something my kid would love even more or benefit and so not be sad about no PE. The first time I heard from it was when I read that form.

Can someone tell me?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again,

What is connections? I had assumed that my kid would be able to take both music and PE, but it looks like maybe that's prevented by connections? Is it optional?

Connections is a mandatory study skills/ study hall class. I haven’t heard anything good about it. The pre-IB English/APUSH kids don’t have to take it. Your kid still gets two electives. Many of the music kids take Health and Tech over the summer online (for $300 per semester course). You could push PE to sophomore year this way. Some kids like saving PE until junior year when they have a tougher courseload overall. It depends how flexible your counselor is, but most understand dedication to music. The school wants health taken by the end of sophomore year.

Northwood might be on a block schedule with 8 classes. I’m not sure. It worked out well for my DD to have the same 7 classes everyday.

[Anonymous]

Connections is only one year. It looks like the APUSH kids now have their own support class, but I don’t know if it’s mandatory. My DD is graduating. Your son won’t miss PE too much if he’s playing a sport. Cross country is no-cut, btw.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here again,

What is connections? I had assumed that my kid would be able to take both music and PE, but it looks like maybe that's prevented by connections? Is it optional?

Connections is a mandatory study skills/ study hall class. I haven’t heard anything good about it. The pre-IB English/APUSH kids don’t have to take it. Your kid still gets two electives. Many of the music kids take Health and Tech over the summer online (for $300 per semester course). You could push PE to sophomore year this way. Some kids like saving PE until junior year when they have a tougher courseload overall. It depends how flexible your counselor is, but most understand dedication to music. The school wants health taken by the end of sophomore year.

Northwood might be on a block schedule with 8 classes. I’m not sure. It worked out well for my DD to have the same 7 classes everyday.

Is it mandatory for four years or one?

So, my kid gets 8 classes at Einstein and could take

English
Math
Bio
History
Language
Connections
Band
PE

I thought it was just 7, but maybe that's an assumption.

Or he could take PreIB English and then skip Connections?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Connections is only one year. It looks like the APUSH kids now have their own support class, but I don’t know if it’s mandatory. My DD is graduating. Your son won’t miss PE too much if he’s playing a sport. Cross country is no-cut, btw.

Yes, and he's runner, but he can't do cross country and marching band can he?

I know there's marching in marching band, but I think he'd like PE on top of that.

[Anonymous]

I don't think connections is mandatory at all. Maybe if you are not in on level English or Math.