How does the GT program work in MD?

[Anonymous]

We've recently moved to MD and we are not familiar with this. What grade does GT start? When are the kids tested? What tests do they take? What scores qualify the kids for GT program?

[Anonymous]

All of this is in flux, OP. Nominally, county-wide GT programs start in 3rd grade based on testing that happens in 2nd. However, there is no real differentiation or acceleration in 3rd. So your kid may get the GT label but no services.

THEN, in 3rd grade they take a test for placement for 4th and 5th grades. Ostensibly the top 3-5% of kids will attend centers for enriched studies, where they are in contained classrooms with other gifted kids. In practice....they have made the process less clear in the past year and no one really knows what scores will qualify a child, or what is considered.

THEN, there are tests for magnet middle schools and magnet high schools.

[Anonymous]

Are there GT-type programs in the home schools for kids who are not accepted to the centers, or who choose not to go?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there GT-type programs in the home schools for kids who are not accepted to the centers, or who choose not to go?

Not at our home school. We are at an HGC, but the kids who got waitlisted do not have a GT option at the home school.

However, this year, MCPS offered a different GT program at three elementary schools where one entire class was considered ‘GT’.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of this is in flux, OP. Nominally, county-wide GT programs start in 3rd grade based on testing that happens in 2nd. However, there is no real differentiation or acceleration in 3rd. So your kid may get the GT label but no services.

THEN, in 3rd grade they take a test for placement for 4th and 5th grades. Ostensibly the top 3-5% of kids will attend centers for enriched studies, where they are in contained classrooms with other gifted kids. In practice....they have made the process less clear in the past year and no one really knows what scores will qualify a child, or what is considered.

THEN, there are tests for magnet middle schools and magnet high schools.

My daughter is in her second grade. When is she going to be tested and what test will they use?

[Anonymous]

All of the only applies to mcps...other counties do it differently

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there GT-type programs in the home schools for kids who are not accepted to the centers, or who choose not to go?

NOT ANY MORE! Common core Curriculum 2.0 annihilated that and any teacher's ability to teach beyond the state mandated curriculum.

MCPS only serves a tiny fraction of its gifted students, it's focus is on ESOL and bottom performers. Read the mission statement and keep paying your property taxes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there GT-type programs in the home schools for kids who are not accepted to the centers, or who choose not to go?

NOT ANY MORE! Common core Curriculum 2.0 annihilated that and any teacher's ability to teach beyond the state mandated curriculum.

MCPS only serves a tiny fraction of its gifted students, it's focus is on ESOL and bottom performers. Read the mission statement and keep paying your property taxes.

This is true.

MCPS has explicitly stated that it wants to focus on closing the achievement gap. They are cutting funding to the AEI, which supports accelerated learning opportunities.

Your child’s report card will say ‘Your child was provided enrichment in X subject.’ But that doesn’t really mean anything other than possibly a few extra worksheets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are there GT-type programs in the home schools for kids who are not accepted to the centers, or who choose not to go?

Not at our home school. We are at an HGC, but the kids who got waitlisted do not have a GT option at the home school.

However, this year, MCPS offered a different GT program at three elementary schools where one entire class was considered ‘GT’.

There are 4 schools with local centers and at least some, if not all, have two gifted classes.

[Anonymous]

They are no longer called "gifted" centers. They are now called Centers for Enriched studies, or some such, and they are going to open more in home schools. Basically, they are following the AAP model in FFX.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of the only applies to mcps...other counties do it differently

Yes, sorry, I'm PP who posted about CES - center for enriched studies, which is in mcps.

[Anonymous]

NP - my kid started in the magnet program a few years ago. Have to say that it's been good overall.. but expect to supplement the materials outside of school / at home / via third-party programs if you want to keep your kid on par. The program just isn't designed to accelerate on an individual basis - it's seems to be designed to repeat and reinforce. My kid actually lost ground the first two years of the program before we started supplementing - and the school is still about a full year behind the supplemental materials I provide. If you're okay with that, then not an issue. However, I've heard it gets more 'pressure cooker' down the road, so a parent at 6th grade+ should probably comment about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP - my kid started in the magnet program a few years ago. Have to say that it's been good overall.. but expect to supplement the materials outside of school / at home / via third-party programs if you want to keep your kid on par. The program just isn't designed to accelerate on an individual basis - it's seems to be designed to repeat and reinforce. My kid actually lost ground the first two years of the program before we started supplementing - and the school is still about a full year behind the supplemental materials I provide. If you're okay with that, then not an issue. However, I've heard it gets more 'pressure cooker' down the road, so a parent at 6th grade+ should probably comment about that.

Are you talking about a district other than MCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP - my kid started in the magnet program a few years ago. Have to say that it's been good overall.. but expect to supplement the materials outside of school / at home / via third-party programs if you want to keep your kid on par. The program just isn't designed to accelerate on an individual basis - it's seems to be designed to repeat and reinforce. My kid actually lost ground the first two years of the program before we started supplementing - and the school is still about a full year behind the supplemental materials I provide. If you're okay with that, then not an issue. However, I've heard it gets more 'pressure cooker' down the road, so a parent at 6th grade+ should probably comment about that.

Magnet in MCPS doesn't start until 6th grade (Middle school ).

[Anonymous]

16:06 is incorrect. Magnet starts in 4th, though as other PPs stated, the criteria for admission are less clear. Acceptance was clearly tied to HGC/CES test scores in the past, and no one knows whether that is still the case under the new evaluation system. My guess is yes, since that is the only truly objective information, in addition to MAP scores, and PARCC scores for middle and up.

Also, differentiation does happen at home schools. Reading and math groups are separated by level. Students in the top level do receive accelerated instruction, even if some schools do this much better than others. An accelerated math track, known as Compacted Math, is an option beginning in 4th at the home school as well.