Magnet MS results - Takoma Park & Eastern - anyone heard today?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Previously, the median for accepted students was at 75% of the full test score. For example, if the full score for math was 60, the median score for the accepted students was at 40 to 47. These scores were printed on the rejection letter from MCPS. My DC received two althought her score were at the median of accepted students. She was not enrolled because the accepted students from her ES and MS have scores aboved the publiched median.
Last year, the HS magnet test became much easier. The median for the accepted students were 55/60 in one of the catagory.
When MCPS waters down the test, instead of a normal distribution curve (bell curve), the curve will be like a plateau. Now, AEI can admitt anyone they want. There is nor difference between 99% and 93% or 90%. The kids are equally smart.
I would like to see if MCPS is willing to publish the accepted students' median MAP-w and MAP-r scores, at least these tests are open ended, and no one prepares for them.

For the last time, the test this year was a secret, and no one could not prep even if he or she wanted to. Someone above said that once word got out that it was the COGAT, the later test takers prepped. I don't know "how word got out." It certainly wasn't on this site, which would really be the only way for the "masses" to know. Moreover, how could you even prep in a week for such a test? It seems that there are some on this thead who are bitter that there are kids scoring extremely high and are attributing it to "being prepped." Of course, next year, the kids can all prep babes on knowledge gleaned from this thead!

Hence the reason why there aren't too many kids from CS...they could not prep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Previously, the median for accepted students was at 75% of the full test score. For example, if the full score for math was 60, the median score for the accepted students was at 40 to 47. These scores were printed on the rejection letter from MCPS. My DC received two althought her score were at the median of accepted students. She was not enrolled because the accepted students from her ES and MS have scores aboved the publiched median.
Last year, the HS magnet test became much easier. The median for the accepted students were 55/60 in one of the catagory.
When MCPS waters down the test, instead of a normal distribution curve (bell curve), the curve will be like a plateau. Now, AEI can admitt anyone they want. There is nor difference between 99% and 93% or 90%. The kids are equally smart.
I would like to see if MCPS is willing to publish the accepted students' median MAP-w and MAP-r scores, at least these tests are open ended, and no one prepares for them.

For the last time, the test this year was a secret, and no one could not prep even if he or she wanted to. Someone above said that once word got out that it was the COGAT, the later test takers prepped. I don't know "how word got out." It certainly wasn't on this site, which would really be the only way for the "masses" to know. Moreover, how could you even prep in a week for such a test? It seems that there are some on this thead who are bitter that there are kids scoring extremely high and are attributing it to "being prepped." Of course, next year, the kids can all prep babes on knowledge gleaned from this thead!

Hence the reason why there aren't too many kids from CS...they could not prep.

They did not prep, but still had kids receiving straight 99s. My child at a different center did too with no prep. Indeed, the DCAAP director said multiple times at the parent meeting that there would be no math on test. (Not the most honest person...)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a parent who has a child finishing up at TPMS Magnet I can tell you that unless a student has a support structure at home, they will have difficulty succeeding. If filling out an application was too overwhelming, there is probably little chance they will be able to keep up with the workload. Political correctness will not allow MCPS to ever admit this so inevitably standards and expectations will be lowered.

I know that the private schools are excited by these changes.

If they scored the 99s needed, with no support structure, then they are a cut above the supported students and will be fine. Thanks for the concern .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Previously, the median for accepted students was at 75% of the full test score. For example, if the full score for math was 60, the median score for the accepted students was at 40 to 47. These scores were printed on the rejection letter from MCPS. My DC received two althought her score were at the median of accepted students. She was not enrolled because the accepted students from her ES and MS have scores aboved the publiched median.
Last year, the HS magnet test became much easier. The median for the accepted students were 55/60 in one of the catagory.
When MCPS waters down the test, instead of a normal distribution curve (bell curve), the curve will be like a plateau. Now, AEI can admitt anyone they want. There is nor difference between 99% and 93% or 90%. The kids are equally smart.
I would like to see if MCPS is willing to publish the accepted students' median MAP-w and MAP-r scores, at least these tests are open ended, and no one prepares for them.

For the last time, the test this year was a secret, and no one could not prep even if he or she wanted to. Someone above said that once word got out that it was the COGAT, the later test takers prepped. I don't know "how word got out." It certainly wasn't on this site, which would really be the only way for the "masses" to know. Moreover, how could you even prep in a week for such a test? It seems that there are some on this thead who are bitter that there are kids scoring extremely high and are attributing it to "being prepped." Of course, next year, the kids can all prep babes on knowledge gleaned from this thead!

Hence the reason why there aren't too many kids from CS...they could not prep.

They did not prep, but still had kids receiving straight 99s. My child at a different center did too with no prep. Indeed, the DCAAP director said multiple times at the parent meeting that there would be no math on test. (Not the most honest person...)

They could not prepped this year. New test and the belief there wouldn't be math test...hence the results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent who has a child finishing up at TPMS Magnet I can tell you that unless a student has a support structure at home, they will have difficulty succeeding. If filling out an application was too overwhelming, there is probably little chance they will be able to keep up with the workload. Political correctness will not allow MCPS to ever admit this so inevitably standards and expectations will be lowered.

I know that the private schools are excited by these changes.

If they scored the 99s needed, with no support structure, then they are a cut above the supported students and will be fine. Thanks for the concern .

+100
Well said

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Previously, the median for accepted students was at 75% of the full test score. For example, if the full score for math was 60, the median score for the accepted students was at 40 to 47. These scores were printed on the rejection letter from MCPS. My DC received two althought her score were at the median of accepted students. She was not enrolled because the accepted students from her ES and MS have scores aboved the publiched median.
Last year, the HS magnet test became much easier. The median for the accepted students were 55/60 in one of the catagory.
When MCPS waters down the test, instead of a normal distribution curve (bell curve), the curve will be like a plateau. Now, AEI can admitt anyone they want. There is nor difference between 99% and 93% or 90%. The kids are equally smart.
I would like to see if MCPS is willing to publish the accepted students' median MAP-w and MAP-r scores, at least these tests are open ended, and no one prepares for them.

This is absolutely true. The tests are made easier so other criteria can be used in the selection.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent who has a child finishing up at TPMS Magnet I can tell you that unless a student has a support structure at home, they will have difficulty succeeding. If filling out an application was too overwhelming, there is probably little chance they will be able to keep up with the workload. Political correctness will not allow MCPS to ever admit this so inevitably standards and expectations will be lowered.

I know that the private schools are excited by these changes.

If they scored the 99s needed, with no support structure, then they are a cut above the supported students and will be fine. Thanks for the concern .

But this year's test is easier than last years'. So I wouldn't give too much importance to 99 percent. Even in the old magnet class, let me tell you that 50% of the class was not anywhere of the same caliber as the top 20%. Now that top 20% along with many others are denied. I would be interested to see how national awards won by Takoma gets affected in this year's class.

[Anonymous]

They didn't necessarily make the test easier, it is the reporting of the data that is drastically different. This grade took the full COGAT test two years ago for admission to the center programs, so same test format for a lower grade. What is interesting is the difference in the reporting of scores. Two years ago, the county provided the median scores for each of the three sections along with each student's raw scores. Now, the county does not want to provide this information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Previously, the median for accepted students was at 75% of the full test score. For example, if the full score for math was 60, the median score for the accepted students was at 40 to 47. These scores were printed on the rejection letter from MCPS. My DC received two althought her score were at the median of accepted students. She was not enrolled because the accepted students from her ES and MS have scores aboved the publiched median.
Last year, the HS magnet test became much easier. The median for the accepted students were 55/60 in one of the catagory.
When MCPS waters down the test, instead of a normal distribution curve (bell curve), the curve will be like a plateau. Now, AEI can admitt anyone they want. There is nor difference between 99% and 93% or 90%. The kids are equally smart.
I would like to see if MCPS is willing to publish the accepted students' median MAP-w and MAP-r scores, at least these tests are open ended, and no one prepares for them.

This is absolutely true. The tests are made easier so other criteria can be used in the selection.

OMG, people - it's the COGAT. No one has made any test easier. This is a nationally normed assessment designed for the purpose of classifying student learning profiles. http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/tests.htm#c This is the same test the current 5th Graders took to get into the CESes. (Indeed, you could legitimately complain that using the same test gave a significant advantage to the CES students in that they had experienced this testing environment and these question types before).

There is a post in another thread where a parent is concerned with a 65 %ile on the nonverbal section; the test wasn't easy. It's just that the people who feel that the results of the test were very high, and yet they did not get admitted feel that there were too many high scorers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent who has a child finishing up at TPMS Magnet I can tell you that unless a student has a support structure at home, they will have difficulty succeeding. If filling out an application was too overwhelming, there is probably little chance they will be able to keep up with the workload. Political correctness will not allow MCPS to ever admit this so inevitably standards and expectations will be lowered.

I know that the private schools are excited by these changes.

If they scored the 99s needed, with no support structure, then they are a cut above the supported students and will be fine. Thanks for the concern .

But this year's test is easier than last years'. So I wouldn't give too much importance to 99 percent. Even in the old magnet class, let me tell you that 50% of the class was not anywhere of the same caliber as the top 20%. Now that top 20% along with many others are denied. I would be interested to see how national awards won by Takoma gets affected in this year's class.

learning math at home or outside school is admirable. It is not the same thing as demonstrating a capacity for high level learning. It appears you believe you have inside knowledge as to who should be in the magnets. I disagree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent who has a child finishing up at TPMS Magnet I can tell you that unless a student has a support structure at home, they will have difficulty succeeding. If filling out an application was too overwhelming, there is probably little chance they will be able to keep up with the workload. Political correctness will not allow MCPS to ever admit this so inevitably standards and expectations will be lowered.

I know that the private schools are excited by these changes.

If they scored the 99s needed, with no support structure, then they are a cut above the supported students and will be fine. Thanks for the concern .

+100
Well said

If they speak English fluently they will be fine. they'll get in a college, they'll find some sort of job, they'll probably get married first then have kids. See, they'll be fine.
Move along, mcps has some escuela to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure if this information was sent to all the families who applied to the MS magnets but just in case this two page FAQs from MCPS describes their selection process this year and also outlines the appeals process. The deadline to appeal is February 23rd

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/curriculum/specialprograms/middle/Frequently%20Asked%20Questions%20Eastern%20and%20Takoma%20Park%20Magnet%20ProgramsFINAL.pdf

It is very unfortunate there are not both more magnet seats and stronger home school programs and appropriate grouping for the many highly intelligent, engaged and hardworking students in all parts of MCPS. Let's work on that.

But if you are appealing based on a change in the percent of HGC students who got in this year compared to the percent of students who got in from that HGC last year, know that seems to be the case for all HGCs. If you are appealing because you believe the decline was greater in your HGC than in other HGCs consider whether your HGC's median levels have tended to be highest for the portion of the application exam most influenced by in home or outside the home prepping. If that is the case, consider the impact of the removal of that style math from the admissions test. In addition, consider how many additional students scored at or above the median acceptance test levels as a result of the expansion of the pool by several hundred percent. Oh and upthread somewhere is reference to an MCPS official saying the admission committee wouldn't know your home ES. Ok, appeal away.

It is very unfortunate there are not both more magnet seats and stronger home school programs and appropriate grouping for the many highly intelligent, engaged and hardworking students in all parts of MCPS. Let's work on that.


THIS, FULL STOP. MCPS magnet program and # admitted is sub-scale in size, given how large the county is and how large the budget is. Fairfax and Arlington can serve a larger % of total student body. This isn't about "gifted" versus "very smart", this is having too small a program that shuts out top gifted students due to lack of size and space, as well as terrible logistics/transportation implications.

[Anonymous]

We are not appealing, but how can the admission committee not know your home school and then say you have a peer group.

[Anonymous]

We are not appealing, but how can the admission committee claim they don't know the student's home school and then claim the student has a peer group...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Previously, the median for accepted students was at 75% of the full test score. For example, if the full score for math was 60, the median score for the accepted students was at 40 to 47. These scores were printed on the rejection letter from MCPS. My DC received two althought her score were at the median of accepted students. She was not enrolled because the accepted students from her ES and MS have scores aboved the publiched median.
Last year, the HS magnet test became much easier. The median for the accepted students were 55/60 in one of the catagory.
When MCPS waters down the test, instead of a normal distribution curve (bell curve), the curve will be like a plateau. Now, AEI can admitt anyone they want. There is nor difference between 99% and 93% or 90%. The kids are equally smart.
I would like to see if MCPS is willing to publish the accepted students' median MAP-w and MAP-r scores, at least these tests are open ended, and no one prepares for them.

This is absolutely true. The tests are made easier so other criteria can be used in the selection.

OMG, people - it's the COGAT. No one has made any test easier. This is a nationally normed assessment designed for the purpose of classifying student learning profiles. http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/tests.htm#c This is the same test the current 5th Graders took to get into the CESes. (Indeed, you could legitimately complain that using the same test gave a significant advantage to the CES students in that they had experienced this testing environment and these question types before).

There is a post in another thread where a parent is concerned with a 65 %ile on the nonverbal section; the test wasn't easy. It's just that the people who feel that the results of the test were very high, and yet they did not get admitted feel that there were too many high scorers.

As the parent of a child accepted to one of the magnets whose child is not in the HGC/CES, I had not realized this was the same test those students took (we didn't apply so our child had never taken the COGAT before or anything like that). Absolutely, one could very reasonably say HGC/CES kids had a testing advantage because of that, so even less reason for complaints on their part.