How are the 6th grade enrichment classes for cohort kids who were not accepted to magnet programs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
From what I hear, this is exactly what happened at Pyle over the summer. They were initially just going to give the gifted social studies curriculum to the cohort kids only and then parents started clamoring and complaining to get their kids in. It turns out everyone wants what is best for their kids, so the department adopted the new curriculum for all classes but kept the cohort of kids rejected from the magnet schools together so that those classes would be even more advanced by virtue of peer group. Rather than comparing what kids in the cohort and non-cohort classes are doing, can someone speak to whether or not their kids like the class and are interested in the material?

This is interesting. I don't think they did this for AIM. Does anyone know whether the AIM curriculum was adopted for all Pyle IM 6 classes?

They did not. That AIM class is HARD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Global Humanities Class is definitely a highlight for my kid. As a parent, it's hard to explain in detail the differences between the two classes, because (a) we may not have experience with the other class and (b) we aren't there every day. We get tidbits from our kids like, "We did a government simulation, and our group went all Lord of the Flies and overthrew the leadership and installed a dictator." Or you hear about the different roles and assignment for the literature circle, and the extensions related to the issue addressed in the book.

In the math class they seem to be doing more group projects and thought problems.

More compared to what other class, and how do you know they are doing "more"? Are they doing about the same as the TPMS magnet math classes? If so, then that shows that the new class offerings in the home MS will meet the needs of those students, but otherwise, that's just lip service by MCPS.

I'm the pp here - more than what I have heard about from other parents in the standard (also accellerated, btw) IM class. Covering the same topics, but in the few extra minutes they have out of 45 each day because they're the top cohort in the school, they are getting a few more group projects and a few harder thought questions. That is my perception as a parent.

I appreciate the perspective of the Rosa Poster above. I would encourage you PP/OP to contact the counselling office to figure out a mechanism for taking a deep dive into the differences between classes. If you are a Cabin John or Pyle parent who feels shortchanged that your MS is not actually implementing a different curriculum, here is your proof that it IS happening in some schools.

I’m the Pyle poster who has a child in both classes. You seem really spun up about this and I’m sorry things are not working out for your child as you hoped.

That said, my child is learning and is having a positive experience at Pyle. She enjoys her classes and for the most part the teachers. She’s in 6th grade and is happy and healthy which is our goal. I don’t need nor want my 6th grader in a pressure cooker. It’s 6th grade and it is not going to make or break her future career. She is learning a lot more than DH and I did and we went on to top universities and successfull (financially and emotionally) careers.

So no, I will not be reaching out to her counselor.

As a Bethesda parent who sent both kids to MS magnets, I think PP's comments really reflect the differences I saw on the value parents place on the magnet. I know a number of very bright kids in the Whitman/BCC pyramids who absolutely were qualified for magnets but their parents would not consider sending them because they viewed these schools as "pressure cookers" and valued other things over academic rigor (happiness, ability to be with friends, the belief that MS academics do not affect career/life trajectory, etc.)

I'm not saying those values are wrong. But, they are very different from the values I saw of the other cohorts of parents that do send their kids to MS magnets. For example, I am low SES even though I live in the Whitman/BCC pyramid. I value my kid's happiness but define it differently than my parent peers. I see my kids as happy when they are interested in and excited by the place where they spend their days, i.e. school. Home district school was very boring which caused unhappiness, magnet was harder but more interesting which meant that they were overall happier.

Also, due to my low SES, I am not as confident that my kids can be as successful in career/life, because I recognize how much more other parent peers are able to give them to start their careers -- opportunities to do unpaid internships, introductions to important mentors or first jobs, the ability to full pay for college of choice, etc. If I could do those things, I would be a lot more confident that DC's academics in middle and high school won't affect their college and thus career opportunities. A lot of other magnet parents also had different values -- immigrants place a different value on getting the best education possible at every level, IME. And, "happiness" has a different place and definition by culture.

FWIW, I had kids at both Eastern and TPMS magnets, and I would call neither a "pressure cooker" and neither would either of my kids.

I’m the PP and I think you nailed it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Global Humanities Class is definitely a highlight for my kid. As a parent, it's hard to explain in detail the differences between the two classes, because (a) we may not have experience with the other class and (b) we aren't there every day. We get tidbits from our kids like, "We did a government simulation, and our group went all Lord of the Flies and overthrew the leadership and installed a dictator." Or you hear about the different roles and assignment for the literature circle, and the extensions related to the issue addressed in the book.

In the math class they seem to be doing more group projects and thought problems.

More compared to what other class, and how do you know they are doing "more"? Are they doing about the same as the TPMS magnet math classes? If so, then that shows that the new class offerings in the home MS will meet the needs of those students, but otherwise, that's just lip service by MCPS.

I'm the pp here - more than what I have heard about from other parents in the standard (also accellerated, btw) IM class. Covering the same topics, but in the few extra minutes they have out of 45 each day because they're the top cohort in the school, they are getting a few more group projects and a few harder thought questions. That is my perception as a parent.

I appreciate the perspective of the Rosa Poster above. I would encourage you PP/OP to contact the counselling office to figure out a mechanism for taking a deep dive into the differences between classes. If you are a Cabin John or Pyle parent who feels shortchanged that your MS is not actually implementing a different curriculum, here is your proof that it IS happening in some schools.

I’m the Pyle poster who has a child in both classes. You seem really spun up about this and I’m sorry things are not working out for your child as you hoped.

That said, my child is learning and is having a positive experience at Pyle. She enjoys her classes and for the most part the teachers. She’s in 6th grade and is happy and healthy which is our goal. I don’t need nor want my 6th grader in a pressure cooker. It’s 6th grade and it is not going to make or break her future career. She is learning a lot more than DH and I did and we went on to top universities and successfull (financially and emotionally) careers.

So no, I will not be reaching out to her counselor.

As a Bethesda parent who sent both kids to MS magnets, I think PP's comments really reflect the differences I saw on the value parents place on the magnet. I know a number of very bright kids in the Whitman/BCC pyramids who absolutely were qualified for magnets but their parents would not consider sending them because they viewed these schools as "pressure cookers" and valued other things over academic rigor (happiness, ability to be with friends, the belief that MS academics do not affect career/life trajectory, etc.)

I'm not saying those values are wrong. But, they are very different from the values I saw of the other cohorts of parents that do send their kids to MS magnets. For example, I am low SES even though I live in the Whitman/BCC pyramid. I value my kid's happiness but define it differently than my parent peers. I see my kids as happy when they are interested in and excited by the place where they spend their days, i.e. school. Home district school was very boring which caused unhappiness, magnet was harder but more interesting which meant that they were overall happier.

Also, due to my low SES, I am not as confident that my kids can be as successful in career/life, because I recognize how much more other parent peers are able to give them to start their careers -- opportunities to do unpaid internships, introductions to important mentors or first jobs, the ability to full pay for college of choice, etc. If I could do those things, I would be a lot more confident that DC's academics in middle and high school won't affect their college and thus career opportunities. A lot of other magnet parents also had different values -- immigrants place a different value on getting the best education possible at every level, IME. And, "happiness" has a different place and definition by culture.

FWIW, I had kids at both Eastern and TPMS magnets, and I would call neither a "pressure cooker" and neither would either of my kids.

Sometimes parents who opted out of the magnets use "pressure cooker" as a polite excuse rather than being candid and saying "my kid isn't a socially awkward bookworm and we want him/her to have a more athletic/hipper peer group."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Global Humanities Class is definitely a highlight for my kid. As a parent, it's hard to explain in detail the differences between the two classes, because (a) we may not have experience with the other class and (b) we aren't there every day. We get tidbits from our kids like, "We did a government simulation, and our group went all Lord of the Flies and overthrew the leadership and installed a dictator." Or you hear about the different roles and assignment for the literature circle, and the extensions related to the issue addressed in the book.

In the math class they seem to be doing more group projects and thought problems.

More compared to what other class, and how do you know they are doing "more"? Are they doing about the same as the TPMS magnet math classes? If so, then that shows that the new class offerings in the home MS will meet the needs of those students, but otherwise, that's just lip service by MCPS.

I'm the pp here - more than what I have heard about from other parents in the standard (also accellerated, btw) IM class. Covering the same topics, but in the few extra minutes they have out of 45 each day because they're the top cohort in the school, they are getting a few more group projects and a few harder thought questions. That is my perception as a parent.

I appreciate the perspective of the Rosa Poster above. I would encourage you PP/OP to contact the counselling office to figure out a mechanism for taking a deep dive into the differences between classes. If you are a Cabin John or Pyle parent who feels shortchanged that your MS is not actually implementing a different curriculum, here is your proof that it IS happening in some schools.

I’m the Pyle poster who has a child in both classes. You seem really spun up about this and I’m sorry things are not working out for your child as you hoped.

That said, my child is learning and is having a positive experience at Pyle. She enjoys her classes and for the most part the teachers. She’s in 6th grade and is happy and healthy which is our goal. I don’t need nor want my 6th grader in a pressure cooker. It’s 6th grade and it is not going to make or break her future career. She is learning a lot more than DH and I did and we went on to top universities and successfull (financially and emotionally) careers.

So no, I will not be reaching out to her counselor.

As a Bethesda parent who sent both kids to MS magnets, I think PP's comments really reflect the differences I saw on the value parents place on the magnet. I know a number of very bright kids in the Whitman/BCC pyramids who absolutely were qualified for magnets but their parents would not consider sending them because they viewed these schools as "pressure cookers" and valued other things over academic rigor (happiness, ability to be with friends, the belief that MS academics do not affect career/life trajectory, etc.)

I'm not saying those values are wrong. But, they are very different from the values I saw of the other cohorts of parents that do send their kids to MS magnets. For example, I am low SES even though I live in the Whitman/BCC pyramid. I value my kid's happiness but define it differently than my parent peers. I see my kids as happy when they are interested in and excited by the place where they spend their days, i.e. school. Home district school was very boring which caused unhappiness, magnet was harder but more interesting which meant that they were overall happier.

Also, due to my low SES, I am not as confident that my kids can be as successful in career/life, because I recognize how much more other parent peers are able to give them to start their careers -- opportunities to do unpaid internships, introductions to important mentors or first jobs, the ability to full pay for college of choice, etc. If I could do those things, I would be a lot more confident that DC's academics in middle and high school won't affect their college and thus career opportunities. A lot of other magnet parents also had different values -- immigrants place a different value on getting the best education possible at every level, IME. And, "happiness" has a different place and definition by culture.

FWIW, I had kids at both Eastern and TPMS magnets, and I would call neither a "pressure cooker" and neither would either of my kids.

Well said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Sometimes parents who opted out of the magnets use "pressure cooker" as a polite excuse rather than being candid and saying "my kid isn't a socially awkward bookworm and we want him/her to have a more athletic/hipper peer group."

And sometimes magnet parents use "needs more challenge" as a polite excuse rather than being candid and saying "my kid isn't a shallow petty bully who lives for social climbing in cliques and drinks and smokes weed in middle school just to be popular".

I'm glad my kids escaped that scene. My kids are glad too.

BTW, you know that you are speaking largely out of stereotype about bookworms, right? The magnet is full of highly motivated kids who in addition to being driven scholars are also driven soccer players, swimmers, etc. Football, of course, is not popular because these kids and parents like to protect their brains and the evidence is clear about the serious long term brain damage that football causes......

[Anonymous]

NP. I wouldn't say the magnet is full of kids who are also driven soccer players, swimmers etc. There are some of these kids but the percentage of bookworm kids is much much higher than in the non-magnets. It's not a bad thing and it makes some kids more comfortable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
From what I hear, this is exactly what happened at Pyle over the summer. They were initially just going to give the gifted social studies curriculum to the cohort kids only and then parents started clamoring and complaining to get their kids in. It turns out everyone wants what is best for their kids, so the department adopted the new curriculum for all classes but kept the cohort of kids rejected from the magnet schools together so that those classes would be even more advanced by virtue of peer group. Rather than comparing what kids in the cohort and non-cohort classes are doing, can someone speak to whether or not their kids like the class and are interested in the material?

This is interesting. I don't think they did this for AIM. Does anyone know whether the AIM curriculum was adopted for all Pyle IM 6 classes?

They did not. That AIM class is HARD.

PP, can you describe some of the work your DC gets in AIM? Do they do puzzles or require more explanation or theory? DD came from out of district for 6th and was offered AIM or IM and we ended up advising her to do IM because we weren't sure of the rigor of the class or content and wanted to reduce stress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Global Humanities Class is definitely a highlight for my kid. As a parent, it's hard to explain in detail the differences between the two classes, because (a) we may not have experience with the other class and (b) we aren't there every day. We get tidbits from our kids like, "We did a government simulation, and our group went all Lord of the Flies and overthrew the leadership and installed a dictator." Or you hear about the different roles and assignment for the literature circle, and the extensions related to the issue addressed in the book.

In the math class they seem to be doing more group projects and thought problems.

More compared to what other class, and how do you know they are doing "more"? Are they doing about the same as the TPMS magnet math classes? If so, then that shows that the new class offerings in the home MS will meet the needs of those students, but otherwise, that's just lip service by MCPS.

I'm the pp here - more than what I have heard about from other parents in the standard (also accellerated, btw) IM class. Covering the same topics, but in the few extra minutes they have out of 45 each day because they're the top cohort in the school, they are getting a few more group projects and a few harder thought questions. That is my perception as a parent.

I appreciate the perspective of the Rosa Poster above. I would encourage you PP/OP to contact the counselling office to figure out a mechanism for taking a deep dive into the differences between classes. If you are a Cabin John or Pyle parent who feels shortchanged that your MS is not actually implementing a different curriculum, here is your proof that it IS happening in some schools.

I’m the Pyle poster who has a child in both classes. You seem really spun up about this and I’m sorry things are not working out for your child as you hoped.

That said, my child is learning and is having a positive experience at Pyle. She enjoys her classes and for the most part the teachers. She’s in 6th grade and is happy and healthy which is our goal. I don’t need nor want my 6th grader in a pressure cooker. It’s 6th grade and it is not going to make or break her future career. She is learning a lot more than DH and I did and we went on to top universities and successfull (financially and emotionally) careers.

So no, I will not be reaching out to her counselor.

As a Bethesda parent who sent both kids to MS magnets, I think PP's comments really reflect the differences I saw on the value parents place on the magnet. I know a number of very bright kids in the Whitman/BCC pyramids who absolutely were qualified for magnets but their parents would not consider sending them because they viewed these schools as "pressure cookers" and valued other things over academic rigor (happiness, ability to be with friends, the belief that MS academics do not affect career/life trajectory, etc.)

I'm not saying those values are wrong. But, they are very different from the values I saw of the other cohorts of parents that do send their kids to MS magnets. For example, I am low SES even though I live in the Whitman/BCC pyramid. I value my kid's happiness but define it differently than my parent peers. I see my kids as happy when they are interested in and excited by the place where they spend their days, i.e. school. Home district school was very boring which caused unhappiness, magnet was harder but more interesting which meant that they were overall happier.

Also, due to my low SES, I am not as confident that my kids can be as successful in career/life, because I recognize how much more other parent peers are able to give them to start their careers -- opportunities to do unpaid internships, introductions to important mentors or first jobs, the ability to full pay for college of choice, etc. If I could do those things, I would be a lot more confident that DC's academics in middle and high school won't affect their college and thus career opportunities. A lot of other magnet parents also had different values -- immigrants place a different value on getting the best education possible at every level, IME. And, "happiness" has a different place and definition by culture.

FWIW, I had kids at both Eastern and TPMS magnets, and I would call neither a "pressure cooker" and neither would either of my kids.

Well said.

I wanted to address the three PPs comments.
To the first PP I bolded. If your child is happy and sufficiently challenged in their home middle school you absolutely made the right call to stay in your home school. There are some children who crave more enrichment and challenge at school and these are the children who really need a magnet program where they are with teachers and peers who understand them.

To the second PP I bolded, I have seen three magnet programs up close and I would not describe any of them as a pressure cooker. They have been challenging and the work load can be heavy at times but the work tends to be interesting and engaging (very little busy work) and much of the work is collaborative which can make it more enjoyable.
I am also always bemused by people who don't realize how social these kids are. In fact this is one of the reasons many kids (including mine) want to apply to magnet programs- the peer group. What I have observed is a largely happy, social group of kids who support each other and who are a cohesive group. Very few cliques and generally very little drama. This is especially true at Blair SMAC where there is a group of experienced teachers who really pay attention to the social and emotional health of the students especially in 9th grade which can be a tough transition. What I see is a group of students who care about each other and who hold their teachers in warm regard. If you walk into a magnet class you typically hear a lot of discussion and a lot of laughter.
I will just also note that at least a third of magnet kids are on varsity athletic teams at Blair and a good chunk are in the band/orchestra, drama club and on the school newspaper and in clubs like Debate and Model UN.

[Anonymous]

I don’t have a child doing the cohort class, since mine is at the Eastern Humanities magnet, but asked my child’s Pyle friends (former HGC) and they like the new World Studies. It sounds to me like they incorporated a little of what Eastern offers in their Literature class. Literature is an extra magnet elective at Eastern where the class does more close reading and discussion.

The new World Studies at non magnet schools did not pick up the Eastern curriculum, as they are doing different novels, etc., but it sounds like the cohort World Studies class has more fiction reading and analysis/writing that ties into the World Studies class. In that sense, they have taken a piece of what the English/Lit classes do with Social Studies at Eastern.

The Pyle kids also seemed pretty happy with math but couldn’t say how it differed. I can’t compare to Takoma Park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a child doing the cohort class, since mine is at the Eastern Humanities magnet, but asked my child’s Pyle friends (former HGC) and they like the new World Studies. It sounds to me like they incorporated a little of what Eastern offers in their Literature class. Literature is an extra magnet elective at Eastern where the class does more close reading and discussion.

The new World Studies at non magnet schools did not pick up the Eastern curriculum, as they are doing different novels, etc., but it sounds like the cohort World Studies class has more fiction reading and analysis/writing that ties into the World Studies class. In that sense, they have taken a piece of what the English/Lit classes do with Social Studies at Eastern.

The Pyle kids also seemed pretty happy with math but couldn’t say how it differed. I can’t compare to Takoma Park.

Thanks for sharing.

[Anonymous]

I'm just going to comment on the earlier comment of "due to my low SES, I am not as confident that my kids can be as successful in career/life, because I recognize how much more other parent peers are able to give them to start their careers." It drives me nuts when I see people posting that they don't expect much from low SES kids because they are making that an excuse for low performance and lack of ambition. If the kid is smart and works hard, they can do just fine, despite a low SES.

My parents were poor, even though they both worked 6 days a week. We lived in an apartment with 1 bathroom for 4 people, but were in a good school district. I was on free lunch at school as a kid. I never get the outside tutoring, private lessons, or other paid enrichment that my peers had. It was a strain to pay for field trips and the $75 for a graphing calculator for math class in the mid 90s was a huge cost for us. There were way fewer programs to help poor families pay for school costs and colleges didn't waive tuition for low income families back then. I was even docked points for every paper I turned in for my history class in 9th grade because the teacher wanted everything to be turned in on the new fancy inkjets, which were not available at school where I did my work using the library's dot matrix printer. (Yes, that was allowed back then, or at least I didn't know enough to know that I could complain and my parents were equally clueless.) I did not go to a magnet school, as they were new to Baltimore County when I was a freshman and there was no public transportation to get me there, and my parents couldn't drive me across town because they both had to work. I won't even get into the social issues of being poor in a rich town.

I worked my butt off, was a National Merit Finalist, took every AP I could (including those not associated with classes), joined lots of school clubs. I was accepted to several top colleges and was also offered a full scholarship to several MD state schools. I went to MIT, then went to law school, and am now a lawyer making more than my electrical engineer husband (who came from an upper middle class family with a stay-at-home mom and who also went to MIT).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm just going to comment on the earlier comment of "due to my low SES, I am not as confident that my kids can be as successful in career/life, because I recognize how much more other parent peers are able to give them to start their careers." It drives me nuts when I see people posting that they don't expect much from low SES kids because they are making that an excuse for low performance and lack of ambition. If the kid is smart and works hard, they can do just fine, despite a low SES.

My parents were poor, even though they both worked 6 days a week. We lived in an apartment with 1 bathroom for 4 people, but were in a good school district. I was on free lunch at school as a kid. I never get the outside tutoring, private lessons, or other paid enrichment that my peers had. It was a strain to pay for field trips and the $75 for a graphing calculator for math class in the mid 90s was a huge cost for us. There were way fewer programs to help poor families pay for school costs and colleges didn't waive tuition for low income families back then. I was even docked points for every paper I turned in for my history class in 9th grade because the teacher wanted everything to be turned in on the new fancy inkjets, which were not available at school where I did my work using the library's dot matrix printer. (Yes, that was allowed back then, or at least I didn't know enough to know that I could complain and my parents were equally clueless.) I did not go to a magnet school, as they were new to Baltimore County when I was a freshman and there was no public transportation to get me there, and my parents couldn't drive me across town because they both had to work. I won't even get into the social issues of being poor in a rich town.

I worked my butt off, was a National Merit Finalist, took every AP I could (including those not associated with classes), joined lots of school clubs. I was accepted to several top colleges and was also offered a full scholarship to several MD state schools. I went to MIT, then went to law school, and am now a lawyer making more than my electrical engineer husband (who came from an upper middle class family with a stay-at-home mom and who also went to MIT).

I think PP was explaining that they want their child to do as you did, and that they put an extra focus on high academic achievement because for a low SES kid that is the best path to the scholarships and education that will give them the choices in life that are more readily available to a high SES kid.

[Anonymous]

I think I'm behind here. My DD was accepted to the AIMS class but not the World History class cohort. But I didn't even know it existed! Where is the transparency of what classes are offered? Or did I miss it?

Also, what was the criteria used? Was it the magnet test? Because our elementary school discouraged taking the test unless we thought we really wanted our child to attend the magnet school so I didn't have my DS sit for the test. The school said that the test was awful and kids cry while taking it so why subject your children to it if you don't intend to send them to a different school anyway which we weren't considering anyway.

Is it possible to get recommended to move up to the cohort class in 7th grade if you didn't get in 6th grade?

Our school counselor is useless and is not being transparent about offering information so I'm trying to figure this out on my own. If you have any other resources for information, please share.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think I'm behind here. My DD was accepted to the AIMS class but not the World History class cohort. But I didn't even know it existed! Where is the transparency of what classes are offered? Or did I miss it?

Also, what was the criteria used? Was it the magnet test? Because our elementary school discouraged taking the test unless we thought we really wanted our child to attend the magnet school so I didn't have my DS sit for the test. The school said that the test was awful and kids cry while taking it so why subject your children to it if you don't intend to send them to a different school anyway which we weren't considering anyway.

Is it possible to get recommended to move up to the cohort class in 7th grade if you didn't get in 6th grade?

Our school counselor is useless and is not being transparent about offering information so I'm trying to figure this out on my own. If you have any other resources for information, please share.

At least for the 18-19 school year taking the magnet class wasn’t a prerequisite. There are no “special” classes for grade 7, although I have been told they will try to keep the cohort together which doesn’t mean all that much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think I'm behind here. My DD was accepted to the AIMS class but not the World History class cohort. But I didn't even know it existed! Where is the transparency of what classes are offered? Or did I miss it?

Also, what was the criteria used? Was it the magnet test? Because our elementary school discouraged taking the test unless we thought we really wanted our child to attend the magnet school so I didn't have my DS sit for the test. The school said that the test was awful and kids cry while taking it so why subject your children to it if you don't intend to send them to a different school anyway which we weren't considering anyway.

Is it possible to get recommended to move up to the cohort class in 7th grade if you didn't get in 6th grade?

Our school counselor is useless and is not being transparent about offering information so I'm trying to figure this out on my own. If you have any other resources for information, please share.

At least for the 18-19 school year taking the magnet class wasn’t a prerequisite. There are no “special” classes for grade 7, although I have been told they will try to keep the cohort together which doesn’t mean all that much.

The Middle School Course Catalog lists a new 7th grade social studies option that sounds like a continuation of the magnet 6th. It's only being offered at 20 middle schools, though. There doesn't seem to be a magnet 7th grade math option listed. From https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/curriculum/middleschool/2019-2020MiddleSchoolCourseBulletin.pdf

Historical Inquiry into Global Humanities 7 (2121)
This course is built around the core Grade 7 social studies curriculum, Historical Inquiry in World Studies 7, which
includes historical content from civilizations of Latin America, Africa, and medieval Europe as well as global interactions
following the Columbian Exchange. Cohort students will go beyond this core as they learn additional content, explore
deeper connections to today, engage in investigative inquiry to strengthen their writing through Document Based Questions,
and enhance their learning through relevant literature connections. They also will participate in the National History
Day (NHD) competition to research historical topics related to a NHD annual theme. (2019-2020 available at 20 middle schools)