Contingency plans if not admitted to HGC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sooooooo back to what I thought was OP's original question: what's the back up plan? Our DC was not accepted to the HGC program last year, which I assume was mostly (solely?) due to HGC test score (we did not test prep DC for it, which was a mistake in hindsight, as I think most parents do). DC reads several grade levels ahead, did very well on IQ test, and did very well on other MoCo tests and receives good teacher recs, so, yup, count me as one of the parents who thinks that lots of smarts kids are left out of HGC (and I accept that's the way the cookie crumbles--can't always get in, but doesn't mean DC couldn't have benefitted from HGC and done well). Anyway -- DC loves compacted math this year (obviously got in) but otherwise very bored at home school. DC's teacher confirmed DC's reading off the charts and DC has no reading peers in the class. It has taken months to get more challenge in place for DC, who has been literally bored to tears. We will go private next year. But I'd suggest trying the home school and just being pro-active from day one next fall about being sure your DC has a peer group in the class and is appropriately challenged (if you can make public work, I'd say go for it--private is $$!). Good luck, OP!

I don't think most parents do. In fact, I don't know anyone who did.

Just anecdotally, I know two families who are hoping their kids get accepted to HGC (kids are currently in second). One family is prepping their kid for the HGC test and I feel like their kid is basically average to a bit above average. The other family isn't prepping but their kid is so heads and shoulders above everyone - presumably they don't need to.

That would be a mistake, imo, to have an average/above average kid try to get into HGC. The child will not have parents/tutors helping him/her in class. And it doesn't really help if the parent is constantly helping the child with HW in an advanced program. It means the child doesn't belong in that program, and you are taking a spot that may benefit a child who really needs the program.

My DC is HGC, and we did not prep. I had no idea even such a thing existed, tbh. Familiarizing the child to the sample test found on the mcps website is different than buying a test prep book and making the kid take a few times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sooooooo back to what I thought was OP's original question: what's the back up plan? Our DC was not accepted to the HGC program last year, which I assume was mostly (solely?) due to HGC test score (we did not test prep DC for it, which was a mistake in hindsight, as I think most parents do). DC reads several grade levels ahead, did very well on IQ test, and did very well on other MoCo tests and receives good teacher recs, so, yup, count me as one of the parents who thinks that lots of smarts kids are left out of HGC (and I accept that's the way the cookie crumbles--can't always get in, but doesn't mean DC couldn't have benefitted from HGC and done well). Anyway -- DC loves compacted math this year (obviously got in) but otherwise very bored at home school. DC's teacher confirmed DC's reading off the charts and DC has no reading peers in the class. It has taken months to get more challenge in place for DC, who has been literally bored to tears. We will go private next year. But I'd suggest trying the home school and just being pro-active from day one next fall about being sure your DC has a peer group in the class and is appropriately challenged (if you can make public work, I'd say go for it--private is $$!). Good luck, OP!

I don't think most parents do. In fact, I don't know anyone who did.

Just anecdotally, I know two families who are hoping their kids get accepted to HGC (kids are currently in second). One family is prepping their kid for the HGC test and I feel like their kid is basically average to a bit above average. The other family isn't prepping but their kid is so heads and shoulders above everyone - presumably they don't need to.

That would be a mistake, imo, to have an average/above average kid try to get into HGC. The child will not have parents/tutors helping him/her in class. And it doesn't really help if the parent is constantly helping the child with HW in an advanced program. It means the child doesn't belong in that program, and you are taking a spot that may benefit a child who really needs the program.

My DC is HGC, and we did not prep. I had no idea even such a thing existed, tbh. Familiarizing the child to the sample test found on the mcps website is different than buying a test prep book and making the kid take a few times.

I am PP and I agree. Its annoying honestly. I was trying to make the point that if you need to prep - maybe you shouldn't be there....

[Anonymous]

It's ludicrous that people are saying if their child doesn't get in to HGC they'll "just go private." The non-parochial private schools in this area are over $30k a year -- and in case you can't grasp it, that's $200 each day for every single day they go to school. To me and to most parents, this is massive. Sure private may be demonstrably better in some cases, but it is literally not even an option for most of us to spend money like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's ludicrous that people are saying if their child doesn't get in to HGC they'll "just go private." The non-parochial private schools in this area are over $30k a year -- and in case you can't grasp it, that's $200 each day for every single day they go to school. To me and to most parents, this is massive. Sure private may be demonstrably better in some cases, but it is literally not even an option for most of us to spend money like this.

I guess some people have the money....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sooooooo back to what I thought was OP's original question: what's the back up plan? Our DC was not accepted to the HGC program last year, which I assume was mostly (solely?) due to HGC test score (we did not test prep DC for it, which was a mistake in hindsight, as I think most parents do). DC reads several grade levels ahead, did very well on IQ test, and did very well on other MoCo tests and receives good teacher recs, so, yup, count me as one of the parents who thinks that lots of smarts kids are left out of HGC (and I accept that's the way the cookie crumbles--can't always get in, but doesn't mean DC couldn't have benefitted from HGC and done well). Anyway -- DC loves compacted math this year (obviously got in) but otherwise very bored at home school. DC's teacher confirmed DC's reading off the charts and DC has no reading peers in the class. It has taken months to get more challenge in place for DC, who has been literally bored to tears. We will go private next year. But I'd suggest trying the home school and just being pro-active from day one next fall about being sure your DC has a peer group in the class and is appropriately challenged (if you can make public work, I'd say go for it--private is $$!). Good luck, OP!

I don't think most parents do. In fact, I don't know anyone who did.

Just anecdotally, I know two families who are hoping their kids get accepted to HGC (kids are currently in second). One family is prepping their kid for the HGC test and I feel like their kid is basically average to a bit above average. The other family isn't prepping but their kid is so heads and shoulders above everyone - presumably they don't need to.

That would be a mistake, imo, to have an average/above average kid try to get into HGC. The child will not have parents/tutors helping him/her in class. And it doesn't really help if the parent is constantly helping the child with HW in an advanced program. It means the child doesn't belong in that program, and you are taking a spot that may benefit a child who really needs the program.

My DC is HGC, and we did not prep. I had no idea even such a thing existed, tbh. Familiarizing the child to the sample test found on the mcps website is different than buying a test prep book and making the kid take a few times.

I am PP and I agree. Its annoying honestly. I was trying to make the point that if you need to prep - maybe you shouldn't be there....

PP here.. yes, I was agreeing with you. My DC tells me there are a couple of kids that cry, seem stressed out in class when they can't get something. A parent who has a friend who was a proctor at one of the tests told her that a couple of kids cried during the testing because they were so stressed out. Yes it's a someone I know who knows someone scenario, but I believe it, judging by some of the parental angst I read on here alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our older dc was not admitted to the hgc several years ago, and we thought seriously about private for him but let it roll at our home school. It was a mistake - he loved staying there from a social perspective, but he was not at all challenged and I think he started middle school at a disadvantage because he had been coasting the past two years versus all the kids who returned from the hgc. Our younger is currently at an hgc and her experience is wildly different than his non-hgc one - she loves school, has engaging projects and debates/discussions, her reading has blossomed because she is actually given great material and challenged to analyze it.

Ps to those who said above that the kids not admitted are not hgc "material," my spouse and I believe that our older dc has the greater intellectual curiousity of our two kids (and he also had higher wisc scores than his sibling), despite not having been admitted to the hgc. He is a slower worker and has anxiety so I suspect that is why he didn't score as well on the test, but I have no doubt that his teacher rec's were just as positive if not more so than younger dc's and he would have thrived there just as much as she does.

Very similar experience to yours, pp.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There is this thing called testing. Maybe you should do some research.

So to compare a given public elementary school with a given private elementary school, we'd use results from standardized tests? But I thought that private elementary schools don't give standardized tests, don't teach to standardized tests, etc. I thought that was one of the major advantages of private elementary schools.

You have to take tests to be admitted to private school. They are much more rigorous than the standard MCPS testing, and your child is being tested against other children who are on a college prep track, so the pool of students is higher. This was enlightening for us. Our son was in "honors English" in MCPS, accelerated a year ahead. We thought he was deficient in writing. School thought he was "fine" - top 1/2 of boys in accelerated class in another of those darn Bethesda schools. The private school testing, conducted on more than one occasion showed him to be in the bottom 1/2 of the testing pool. Same kid, vastly different expectations for educational attainment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There is this thing called testing. Maybe you should do some research.

So to compare a given public elementary school with a given private elementary school, we'd use results from standardized tests? But I thought that private elementary schools don't give standardized tests, don't teach to standardized tests, etc. I thought that was one of the major advantages of private elementary schools.

You have to take tests to be admitted to private school. They are much more rigorous than the standard MCPS testing, and your child is being tested against other children who are on a college prep track, so the pool of students is higher. This was enlightening for us. Our son was in "honors English" in MCPS, accelerated a year ahead. We thought he was deficient in writing. School thought he was "fine" - top 1/2 of boys in accelerated class in another of those darn Bethesda schools. The private school testing, conducted on more than one occasion showed him to be in the bottom 1/2 of the testing pool. Same kid, vastly different expectations for educational attainment.

+1000 I don't think a lot of people realize how deficient MCPS is with English compared to private schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's ludicrous that people are saying if their child doesn't get in to HGC they'll "just go private." The non-parochial private schools in this area are over $30k a year -- and in case you can't grasp it, that's $200 each day for every single day they go to school. To me and to most parents, this is massive. Sure private may be demonstrably better in some cases, but it is literally not even an option for most of us to spend money like this.

Why is it ludicrous? My child will be leaving the home school no matter what as she isn't getting what she needs from the school. She did not get into HGC, but she did get into private, so that is the route we are taking. So, if it is not an option for you, then it is not an option for anyone? Who are you to judge me??? Let me judge you then. I cannot believe you are so cheap that you would not consider private. See, it's not ok to do that either. It just looks like you are jealous that I can afford private and you cannot (for the record, you do not know what sacrifices I am making to afford private in the first place).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's ludicrous that people are saying if their child doesn't get in to HGC they'll "just go private." The non-parochial private schools in this area are over $30k a year -- and in case you can't grasp it, that's $200 each day for every single day they go to school. To me and to most parents, this is massive. Sure private may be demonstrably better in some cases, but it is literally not even an option for most of us to spend money like this.

Why is it ludicrous? My child will be leaving the home school no matter what as she isn't getting what she needs from the school. She did not get into HGC, but she did get into private, so that is the route we are taking. So, if it is not an option for you, then it is not an option for anyone? Who are you to judge me??? Let me judge you then. I cannot believe you are so cheap that you would not consider private. See, it's not ok to do that either. It just looks like you are jealous that I can afford private and you cannot (for the record, you do not know what sacrifices I am making to afford private in the first place).

+100

Privates are not just for the wealthy. Financial aid is available. If someone is willing to make the effort, think out of the box, and make some sacrifices, they can send their child to private school. I think people are just closed to the idea because of the "Why pay for something you can get for free?" attitude. And that is fine...just don't mock those who chose the route of private just because you can't/don't want to afford it.

[Anonymous]

Yes, this is true. Our DC did not get into an HGC so he stayed in home school. He did compacted math at our local MS and became an academic leader at his home school. He got into a magnet program for middle, but we have decided to go private. It will be a financial sacrifice but he got some FA and the smaller class size plus all the opportunities for extracurricular activities plus the philosophy of the private school make me feel it will be worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think practically all of the local privates can compare favorably to HGC. I'm speaking of DC and Potomac/Bethesda area schools - not sure about others. I've toured some and the quality of curriculum and student work (especially in English and social studies as well as foreign language) far outshines MCPS. Would definitely be a huge step up from regular elementary in terms of curriculum as well as opportunity to participate in class. Students are encouraged to excel in private - that in and of itself is HUGE.

MY DS was not accepted at magnet. I am starting private school search. Could you tell what are considered some good privates in Bethesda area?

Please try Feynman School in North Bethesda. It is a private school for the gifted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think practically all of the local privates can compare favorably to HGC. I'm speaking of DC and Potomac/Bethesda area schools - not sure about others. I've toured some and the quality of curriculum and student work (especially in English and social studies as well as foreign language) far outshines MCPS. Would definitely be a huge step up from regular elementary in terms of curriculum as well as opportunity to participate in class. Students are encouraged to excel in private - that in and of itself is HUGE.

MY DS was not accepted at magnet. I am starting private school search. Could you tell what are considered some good privates in Bethesda area?

Lots of great schools in Bethesda, Potomac, and DC. The application season has just passed, but you have plenty of time to do your research for next year. What grade is your DC entering?

6th

PP, I highly recommend WES (Washington Episcopal School). There are others you can check as well - St. Andrew's, Sandy Spring Friends...these schools may have openings in some grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the person asking about Pinecrest...we didn't get an email so I'm assuming my kid didn't get in. I guess there is a possibity still of wait pool, since it doesn't sound like they email kid's parents who were only waitlisted. But otherwise we will just stay at home school. We do like it there. I think my kid will be fine there...had a few reservations about HGC actually. I would have liked to have had the option to send DC for sure, rather than be told no out right but...it's 4th and 5th grade. No two years will make or break any kids total educational experience. Hopefully they will continue some level of differentiation at the home school. I really think appeals tend to go no where and I just don't want to invest too much time/energy/attention to it. And as far as middle school magnets go...take one thing at a time. I'm sure some friends of DC's will go to HGC, but plenty of very smart kids will be left. But as for the whole process. Ugh.

+1
I agree with everything you said...including the "ugh"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Well for us, it is a data point that matters. It says a lot about a school. The students test higher for a number of reasons. Better teachers. Better learning environment. Better parent involvement. Maybe this doesn't matter to you. That is fine too. Some people are totally fine with mediocrity. That is what makes us so diverse.

You're not fine with mediocrity; you don't believe in settling; you put your kid in private school; and yet here you still are, arguing on the MD Public Schools forum with people who have chosen to settle for mediocrity. Why?

+1