Changes to the HGC for next year (and to middle/high school magnet application in the future)

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05/08/2017 16:13

Subject: Changes to the HGC for next year (and to middle/high school magnet application in the future)

quote

Anonymous

The documents posted on the agenda for tomorrow's Board of Education Business Meeting includes an update on the Choice Study report and the MCPS response to it. I found the sections on the gifted centers to be interesting, especially the following:

1) "As of July 1, 2017, the Center Programs for the Highly Gifted now will be called the Centers for Enriched Studies, labeling curriculum and not students. [As was announced previously], there will be both regional centers at Lucy V. Barnsley, Clearspring, Cold Spring, Dr. Charles R. Drew, Fox Chapel, Oak View, and Pine Crest elementary schools; and local centers at Spark M. Matsunaga, Piney Branch, and Stonegate elementary schools.

2) The pilot process used to identify students for testing for HGC admission this year will expand next year to all schools. This takes away the need for parents to apply for their kids, and a central review process will identify students. Parents can still opt in or out of testing.

3) They claim to be working on adding better enrichment at local schools: "Schools with significant numbers of highly able students will receive support from staff in the Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs on programing for students who need enriched or accelerated instruction. All 39 schools in the field test will receive information about the programmatic needs of their students with additional support being given to schools that evidenced significant numbers of students who could benefit from enriched and accelerated instruction."

4) There will be changes made to the application process for the middle and high school magnets, but those aren't yet determined: "It is anticipated that a field test will be conducted during the 2017–2018 school year selection process. Learnings from both the elementary school model and the middle school field test will determine any programmatic changes considered for the 2018–2019 school year, looking first at the middle schools and then at the high schools. Staff will continue to consult with experts and practitioners to identify best practices, effective models, and possible obstacles. This work will continue to build toward a coherent articulation model that supports students from elementary school through graduation."

There's also some interesting info about the new Two-Way Spanish Immersion programs at two local schools.

As the parent of a student who went through the HGC application at a pilot school this year, I think that especially change #2 (and maybe #3, if they go about it in a similar way) is a good thing. It opens the application pool wider, but still requires students to take an assessment and meet requirements to be accepted.

Document is here: http://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/ALXLAU4F2C1A/$file/Choice%20Study%20Update.pdf