Middle School Magnet Test

[Anonymous]

+1

Yes, parents will rationalize a low or poor score in subsections they know their child is not historically strong in as ... oh well she really didn't try. This makes them feel better. The irony is when their child scores really well, these same parents will also say my child did not study or prep and didn't really try. This also makes them feel well and proud. Certain human behavior is highly predictable particularly here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's parents rationalizing why their child bombed on the test. Very common psychological behaviour. Kids not good in a subject and then parent goes on to explain the poor score in that subject was because the child didn't try.

We see this protective response all the time. Humans are frail beings indeed.

Not a protective response. I was surprised that DC's Writing score was below median so we talked. DC admitted really want to go to computer program, but didn't want to go to Humanity program, so didn't put in much effort in the writing test. It is DC's way to take things in own hand. Kids!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No. The test has a carefully designed "escape hatch" for kids who are being pushed to take the test but don't actually want to attend the magnet. At the beginning of the test, the kid has to mark on a scale of 1-10 how much they want to attend the magnet. For a kid who wants to attend, the correct answer is obviously 10. The kid who has no interest in 3 intense years of science marks 1-5, and the test readers know how to interpret this as a lack of desire.

(Geez, some of you claim such familiarity with the magnets and magnet testing. But none of you knew this?)

Can you then explain why my kid put a 4 down (+/- interest) but then got in to both humanities and science/math schools. She ultimately decided to go in the fall after attending both open houses.

What "escape hatch" crap are you babbling about. If the child puts down a zero for this scaled question and then proceeds to score way above the mean in all subsections of both tests (including written response ) why would MCPS reject the kid (at their own potential legal peril). That would never happen. I assure you if the child bombed on the test -- bye bye. Yes, I have intimate familiarity with the process. You don't.

I can hear the lawyers now when MCPS states the child answered 0 to this question but had the highest score out of all 700 candidates. If the escape hatch was exercised it would have been when she signed to papers to go to the neighborhood school.

You're not only ignorant, you're rude. You should be ashamed. I actually do have "intimate" experience with the escape hatch, but a lot of your wording suggests it's brand new to you. Yes, DC got very high scores but put down "0" and, when we called Rockville, they told us the "0" explained DC not being accepted.

[Anonymous]

^^ I should add that when the same kid went through the HS magnet process, DC reported putting a 10 and got in. DC #2 put 10 for both the MS and HS magnet tests, and got in both times.

Result: my kids have been through 3 magnets and also discussed the escape question with me each time. I'd say this represents a lot more "intimacy" than your nasty bluster.

And PS, it's not "scaled." I doubt you even know what "scaled" means in this context.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1

Yes, parents will rationalize a low or poor score in subsections they know their child is not historically strong in as ... oh well she really didn't try. This makes them feel better. The irony is when their child scores really well, these same parents will also say my child did not study or prep and didn't really try. This also makes them feel well and proud. Certain human behavior is highly predictable particularly here.

And some posters, like you, are predictably asses.

-- signed, both kids in magnets right now

[Anonymous]

Not a protective response. I was surprised that DC's Writing score was below median so we talked. DC admitted really want to go to computer program, but didn't want to go to Humanity program, so didn't put in much effort in the writing test. It is DC's way to take things in own hand. Kids!

Alas, even kids make excuses to their parents. It makes them feel better. Kids!

[Anonymous]

You're not only ignorant, you're rude. You should be ashamed. I actually do have "intimate" experience with the escape hatch, but a lot of your wording suggests it's brand new to you. Yes, DC got very high scores but put down "0" and, when we called Rockville, they told us the "0" explained DC not being accepted.

^^ I should add that when the same kid went through the HS magnet process, DC reported putting a 10 and got in. DC #2 put 10 for both the MS and HS magnet tests, and got in both times.

Result: my kids have been through 3 magnets and also discussed the escape question with me each time. I'd say this represents a lot more "intimacy" than your nasty bluster.

And PS, it's not "scaled." I doubt you even know what "scaled" means in this context.

Bragging about your children does not lend credibility or logic to your statement. MCPS would not reject the high performing student on the basis of a single response on a multiple choice scantron sheet. You are deluded to think MCPS would reject a student from the magnet program in the top 1 percent of all scorers on their test. This is not correct. You spread misinformation. And you know nothing about the process.

[Anonymous]

^^ yawn. Go pick a fight with someone else. But before you do that, call the MCPS offices in Rockville and get your facts straight about how MCPS deals with kids who are being forced into magnet programs against their wishes by tiger parents. This will put you on firmer ground, because you're obviously speculating now, when you viciously attack the next poster.

[Anonymous]

^^ yawn. Go pick a fight with someone else. But before you do that, call the MCPS offices in Rockville and get your facts straight about how MCPS deals with kids who are being forced into magnet programs against their wishes by tiger parents. This will put you on firmer ground, because you're obviously speculating now, when you viciously attack the next poster.

More spittle. Nonsense. If your child is under 18 parents must enroll kids in school. It's the law. You do not know what you babble about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

^^ yawn. Go pick a fight with someone else. But before you do that, call the MCPS offices in Rockville and get your facts straight about how MCPS deals with kids who are being forced into magnet programs against their wishes by tiger parents. This will put you on firmer ground, because you're obviously speculating now, when you viciously attack the next poster.

More spittle. Nonsense. If your child is under 18 parents must enroll kids in school. It's the law. You do not know what you babble about.

READ, jerk. The post refers to magnet schools. There is no law saying parents must enroll their kids in specific *magnet* schools in order to meet the under-18 schooling requirements.

[Anonymous]

More spittle and spattle. I repeat, no child in school (magnet or otherwise) will be expelled because they tell the teacher they are bored or have little interest in program/school and would prefer to read at home. All 3 of my kids fall into that category. We could not homeschool (no one at home to supervise) they had to go to school (it's the law) and they qualified for magnet programs and gifted centers. The teachers don't like little kids telling them they are bored or their exams are too easy but then again I dare the school to expel them from the programs. It has not happened. You do not know what you are babbling about. Show me the data or evidence or simply close the trap.

[Anonymous]

READ, jerk. The post refers to magnet schools. There is no law saying parents must enroll their kids in specific *magnet* schools in order to meet the under-18 schooling requirements.

???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Not a protective response. I was surprised that DC's Writing score was below median so we talked. DC admitted really want to go to computer program, but didn't want to go to Humanity program, so didn't put in much effort in the writing test. It is DC's way to take things in own hand. Kids!

Alas, even kids make excuses to their parents. It makes them feel better. Kids!

Speechless. Assume whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More spittle and spattle. I repeat, no child in school (magnet or otherwise) will be expelled because they tell the teacher they are bored or have little interest in program/school and would prefer to read at home. All 3 of my kids fall into that category. We could not homeschool (no one at home to supervise) they had to go to school (it's the law) and they qualified for magnet programs and gifted centers. The teachers don't like little kids telling them they are bored or their exams are too easy but then again I dare the school to expel them from the programs. It has not happened. You do not know what you are babbling about. Show me the data or evidence or simply close the trap.

Words fail. If your kids inherited your powers of logic, they are not in magnets. (Hint: the rest of us are talking about a single question on the magnet test but here you are ranting about schools in general.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:More spittle and spattle. I repeat, no child in school (magnet or otherwise) will be expelled because they tell the teacher they are bored or have little interest in program/school and would prefer to read at home. All 3 of my kids fall into that category. We could not homeschool (no one at home to supervise) they had to go to school (it's the law) and they qualified for magnet programs and gifted centers. The teachers don't like little kids telling them they are bored or their exams are too easy but then again I dare the school to expel them from the programs. It has not happened. You do not know what you are babbling about. Show me the data or evidence or simply close the trap.

Words fail. If your kids inherited your powers of logic, they are not in magnets. (Hint: the rest of us are talking about a single question on the magnet test but here you are ranting about schools in general.)