Changes to gifted center admissions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't have time to read through 5 pages of posts, but if it hasn't already been clarified, the OP is wrong. Either their GT Liaison misunderstood or the OP misunderstood what the liaison was saying.

I went to the liaison meeting in November where Meredith Casper directly said that parents can nominate their child even if the teacher doesn't. All children who are nominated by either teacher or parent will get tested.

There is a PowerPoint that explains this very clearly. I will post it when I'm at my computer.

Also, the MCCPTA likes the new plan and they

Thanks for chiming in. I knew I had heard that parents could still nominate their child. This whole thread is a lot of hysteria.

Sigh... It really isn't. You are just not seeing the big picture of where MCPS wants to go with specialized programs (e.g., magnets) at all level. In their view, the programs have become too specialized supporting mostly Asian and white kids. Giving changing demographics of MCPS, they are not willing to continue that. Quietly, but surely, this is the beginning of the end for MCPS specialized programs.

Well maybe it is the end for a program that seems to only serve Asian and white kids whose parents prep them and advocate for them. Shouldn't other kids have that opportunity if they are also advanced but have no one advocating for them?

I'm sure the non-white/asian students will achieve a lot more in HGCs without the support of their families than their white/asian peers.

I'm not sure what you are trying to say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here - my phone messed up and I couldn't finish the last post. The MCCPTA gifted chold committee approves of the changes (which include creating more seats and more centers btw) and they tend to be critical of mcps offerings for GT services, so that is saying a lot.

PP (from the above post) here:

Here are the powerpoint slides that were presented by Meredith Casper (head of AEI) at the GT Liaison and Parent Meeting in November: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B185q2cGgUpJdU1BQ3J3NFNHdDQ/view

Here is a video of the MCCPTA Gifted Child Committee Presentation from the meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3ccs1ercMU

If you are actually interested in knowing more about GT education and advocating for it in MCPS, I strongly encourage you to attend the meeting each year - it always happens in November. You don't have to be the GT Liaison to attend, any parent can attend. And attending helps prevent misinformation on DC Urban Moms threads like this...
That said, if there's no GT Liaison at your school, the best way you can protect and increase access for GT services in your school and MCPS is by becoming the liaison for your school.

What may seem confusing with the field test is that parents do not have to submit an application the way that parents in the non-field test schools do. This can make it seem like parents don't get to nominate their child, but that is not true. It is just eliminating the 1st barrier to a child attending an HGC program because their parents don't know about it OR they don't feel empowered enough to apply for their child (Meredith Casper mentioned in interviews with families she heard from people in some cultures that the parents didn't feel qualified to make educational decisions about their child and wanted to be told by the teacher what to do, so this universal screening helps to catch those students who may very well be qualified and need the instruction but aren't being nominated by the parents). If a school/teacher does not nominate a child for testing, the parents can still request that the child be tested, just like usual, they just don't have to fill out an application form to do it.

Meredith Casper also reiterated that there are NO QUOTAS of the types of students who will be admitted to each center - it is solely based on test score, teacher recommendations, and parent recommendation (in schools with traditional applications). The place where the change is happening to increase equity is in the potential diversity of who is applying to the program due to changes in the screening process.

Also, there have been complaints for years that there are not enough seats in the HGC programs, and this field test is the pilot to increasing/creating more center programs in ALL districts. It will not water down the curriculum or take students who are not up the educational level, it is just making more room for the students who are ALREADY qualified but as of right now do not get into the program due to space limitations.

Also, Meredith Casper is great and will talk to any parent personally and work with your school to get your child access to the accelerated and enriched instruction that is required for your child. Call her or email her and talk to her if you have concerns about the level of enrichment your child is getting in their school OR if you have questions about the HGC application process instead of relying on inaccurate info on DCUM.

Hope this helps clear things up.

- GT Liaison (in a non-field test school) and parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here - my phone messed up and I couldn't finish the last post. The MCCPTA gifted chold committee approves of the changes (which include creating more seats and more centers btw) and they tend to be critical of mcps offerings for GT services, so that is saying a lot.

PP (from the above post) here:

Here are the powerpoint slides that were presented by Meredith Casper (head of AEI) at the GT Liaison and Parent Meeting in November: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B185q2cGgUpJdU1BQ3J3NFNHdDQ/view

Here is a video of the MCCPTA Gifted Child Committee Presentation from the meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3ccs1ercMU

If you are actually interested in knowing more about GT education and advocating for it in MCPS, I strongly encourage you to attend the meeting each year - it always happens in November. You don't have to be the GT Liaison to attend, any parent can attend. And attending helps prevent misinformation on DC Urban Moms threads like this...
That said, if there's no GT Liaison at your school, the best way you can protect and increase access for GT services in your school and MCPS is by becoming the liaison for your school.

What may seem confusing with the field test is that parents do not have to submit an application the way that parents in the non-field test schools do. This can make it seem like parents don't get to nominate their child, but that is not true. It is just eliminating the 1st barrier to a child attending an HGC program because their parents don't know about it OR they don't feel empowered enough to apply for their child (Meredith Casper mentioned in interviews with families she heard from people in some cultures that the parents didn't feel qualified to make educational decisions about their child and wanted to be told by the teacher what to do, so this universal screening helps to catch those students who may very well be qualified and need the instruction but aren't being nominated by the parents). If a school/teacher does not nominate a child for testing, the parents can still request that the child be tested, just like usual, they just don't have to fill out an application form to do it.

Meredith Casper also reiterated that there are NO QUOTAS of the types of students who will be admitted to each center - it is solely based on test score, teacher recommendations, and parent recommendation (in schools with traditional applications). The place where the change is happening to increase equity is in the potential diversity of who is applying to the program due to changes in the screening process.

Also, there have been complaints for years that there are not enough seats in the HGC programs, and this field test is the pilot to increasing/creating more center programs in ALL districts. It will not water down the curriculum or take students who are not up the educational level, it is just making more room for the students who are ALREADY qualified but as of right now do not get into the program due to space limitations.

Also, Meredith Casper is great and will talk to any parent personally and work with your school to get your child access to the accelerated and enriched instruction that is required for your child. Call her or email her and talk to her if you have concerns about the level of enrichment your child is getting in their school OR if you have questions about the HGC application process instead of relying on inaccurate info on DCUM.

Hope this helps clear things up.

- GT Liaison (in a non-field test school) and parent

Thank you!!

[Anonymous]

12:26 - You Rock!!!

[Anonymous]

It will not water down the curriculum or take students who are not up the educational level, it is just making more room for the students who are ALREADY qualified but as of right now do not get into the program due to space limitations.



How will this happen at the two schools that will have their own HGC classes? Will the class be very small or are approx. 1/3 of the kids at Stonegate (with only 75 kids/grade) performing at the same level as the kids at the current HGCs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: It will not water down the curriculum or take students who are not up the educational level, it is just making more room for the students who are ALREADY qualified but as of right now do not get into the program due to space limitations.



How will this happen at the two schools that will have their own HGC classes? Will the class be very small or are approx. 1/3 of the kids at Stonegate (with only 75 kids/grade) performing at the same level as the kids at the current HGCs?

PP here - honestly, I don't remember exactly what Meredith Casper said on this topic other than those two schools were chosen for specific reasons (can't remember what the reasons were and I can't locate my notes at the moment).

I do know that she said that ALL HGC classes are generally filled to maximum (27 kids) because you can't have under-enrolled classes with people on a waiting list. You may want to email her the question directly ([e-mail]) and post the answer here for the rest of us so we have clarification.

The other thing that was mentioned in her presentation is that ALL MCPS teachers in certain grades (3rd grade, I believe, but again can't find my notes) were given training over the summer on how to better implement enriched and accelerated curriculum into the standard curriculum and that this re-training is going to expand to all grades soon so that students are getting deeper into the curriculum. She also does one-on-one consults in schools if your particular child is not being given the appropriate enriched/accelerated materials in their class.

[Anonymous]

How can there be equality when there are wildly different standards across the county. Kids that are performing 15+ points higher on their testing who are definitely qualified are denied entrance because of where they live. Now they are opening up more seats for the not as qualified children. How does this make sense? How is this fair?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How can there be equality when there are wildly different standards across the county. Kids that are performing 15+ points higher on their testing who are definitely qualified are denied entrance because of where they live. Now they are opening up more seats for the not as qualified children. How does this make sense? How is this fair?

The kids are "qualified" based on the cluster that they live. You can always move to a different cluster so it's no as competitive. You take the good with the bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How can there be equality when there are wildly different standards across the county. Kids that are performing 15+ points higher on their testing who are definitely qualified are denied entrance because of where they live. Now they are opening up more seats for the not as qualified children. How does this make sense? How is this fair?

It's a field test this year, which means they are testing this in 2 areas to see if it is effective and are then planning to expand it if it is. Sorry your school cluster wasn't chosen for this one year.

[Anonymous]

If they have one gt cassroom in eac h school eventually..some schools will be 50% gt and some will be 15% gt...very fair

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If they have one gt cassroom in eac h school eventually..some schools will be 50% gt and some will be 15% gt...very fair

It seems more likely the few schools that would lack sufficiently qualified students would be folded together into another school. The world is an imperfect place and at times people have to improvise to find a reasonable solution. It's not rocket science, and seriously why expect the worst most unreasonable outcome.

[Anonymous]

How would it only be a few schools that don't have a whole class of qualified kids? The current program is design for the top 5ish percent. Takes a couple of kids per school. An expansion to include a whole class at most schools is a completely different program

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How would it only be a few schools that don't have a whole class of qualified kids? The current program is design for the top 5ish percent. Takes a couple of kids per school. An expansion to include a whole class at most schools is a completely different program

I don't believe the ultimate plan is for the program to go in every school. Just expanded access, which putting the program in additional schools will do. This will expand to the middle school magnets eventually, too, which currently has fewer spots than the HGC does.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they have one gt cassroom in eac h school eventually..some schools will be 50% gt and some will be 15% gt...very fair

It seems more likely the few schools that would lack sufficiently qualified students would be folded together into another school. The world is an imperfect place and at times people have to improvise to find a reasonable solution. It's not rocket science, and seriously why expect the worst most unreasonable outcome.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How would it only be a few schools that don't have a whole class of qualified kids? The current program is design for the top 5ish percent. Takes a couple of kids per school. An expansion to include a whole class at most schools is a completely different program

Everyone on here constantly complains that their gifted child isn't getting what they need and very few make it to HGC. There is even a statistic thrown around that 40% of MCPS is considered gifted. So maybe they are trying to open HGC up to more qualified students.