"Enriched" Classes for MS have now become the "advanced" water down classes at our MS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are the different schools' requiments so different? Does Cabin John/Hoover have so many highly able students as part of their cohort compared to Frost/Pyle?

I think this is the decision of the principal. I don't mind all students taking more advanced courses, as long as they're really more advanced than before.

So from reading the posts here, at Frost and Pyle, they require a MAP score of at least 95%, but at Hoover and CJ they will just allow anyone in for the Enriched Humanities? That doesn't make sense. The curriculum description look exactly the same across all schools. So if they are slotting students in more advanced courses, it must mean those kids are more advanced else why else would schools allow this?

Because those schools are scared of the parents' reaction that their kid didn't get in! That seems obvious to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Newsflash for incoming 6th grade parents. MCPS MS curriculum is really lame. It does not surprise me that a school like Hoover feels it can make do without an on-level section of History and Math.

Have people considered that maybe there is no need to be "gifted" to benefit from these enriched classes, and that is why they are offering them to everyone. There are no "advanced or honors" classes in the regular curriculum, so there is no curricular distinction between "advanced" and "gifted", hence they are just sticking everyone in the gifted classes.

So why is central office touting these incredibly enriched classes to satiate the masses of highly abled cohorts? If they are touting the rollout of such classs for the specific cohort at the middle school, but then do away with it by allowing anyone in, then what's all the touting for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Newsflash for incoming 6th grade parents. MCPS MS curriculum is really lame. It does not surprise me that a school like Hoover feels it can make do without an on-level section of History and Math.

Have people considered that maybe there is no need to be "gifted" to benefit from these enriched classes, and that is why they are offering them to everyone. There are no "advanced or honors" classes in the regular curriculum, so there is no curricular distinction between "advanced" and "gifted", hence they are just sticking everyone in the gifted classes.

So why is central office touting these incredibly enriched classes to satiate the masses of highly abled cohorts? If they are touting the rollout of such classs for the specific cohort at the middle school, but then do away with it by allowing anyone in, then what's all the touting for?

....because it is the SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION that is making this choice. It isn't the Central Office. It is the principal and assistant principals choosing not to have a gatekeeping measure and to offer the deeper and more nuanced curriculum to the entire school population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Newsflash for incoming 6th grade parents. MCPS MS curriculum is really lame. It does not surprise me that a school like Hoover feels it can make do without an on-level section of History and Math.

Have people considered that maybe there is no need to be "gifted" to benefit from these enriched classes, and that is why they are offering them to everyone. There are no "advanced or honors" classes in the regular curriculum, so there is no curricular distinction between "advanced" and "gifted", hence they are just sticking everyone in the gifted classes.

So why is central office touting these incredibly enriched classes to satiate the masses of highly abled cohorts? If they are touting the rollout of such classs for the specific cohort at the middle school, but then do away with it by allowing anyone in, then what's all the touting for?

My child is in CES and I ABSOLUTELY agree that the enriched curriculum would benefit many more children than just the “gifted” kids. It is just obviously a better way to teach any normally able child. I wish MCPS would make it available, in at least some form, at all the elementary schools instead of the current curriculum. However, I also see the benefits of at least approximate cohort for speed, pacing, and group discussion. There must be a balance out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Newsflash for incoming 6th grade parents. MCPS MS curriculum is really lame. It does not surprise me that a school like Hoover feels it can make do without an on-level section of History and Math.

Have people considered that maybe there is no need to be "gifted" to benefit from these enriched classes, and that is why they are offering them to everyone. There are no "advanced or honors" classes in the regular curriculum, so there is no curricular distinction between "advanced" and "gifted", hence they are just sticking everyone in the gifted classes.

So why is central office touting these incredibly enriched classes to satiate the masses of highly abled cohorts? If they are touting the rollout of such classs for the specific cohort at the middle school, but then do away with it by allowing anyone in, then what's all the touting for?

....because it is the SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION that is making this choice. It isn't the Central Office. It is the principal and assistant principals choosing not to have a gatekeeping measure and to offer the deeper and more nuanced curriculum to the entire school population.

+1

What is wrong with some of the people on this board! This is not difficult the understand. The majority of schools are following the cohort model and limiting admittance to the class based on established criteria. Hoover and Cabin John parents need to complain to their school administration. FULL STOP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are the different schools' requiments so different? Does Cabin John/Hoover have so many highly able students as part of their cohort compared to Frost/Pyle?

I think this is the decision of the principal. I don't mind all students taking more advanced courses, as long as they're really more advanced than before.

So from reading the posts here, at Frost and Pyle, they require a MAP score of at least 95%, but at Hoover and CJ they will just allow anyone in for the Enriched Humanities? That doesn't make sense. The curriculum description look exactly the same across all schools. So if they are slotting students in more advanced courses, it must mean those kids are more advanced else why else would schools allow this?

Because those schools are scared of the parents' reaction that their kid didn't get in! That seems obvious to me.

As someone who a) works for the county, and b) has a 6th grader in AIM and enriched Global Humanities - this statement is 100% accurate. Principals simply get worn down by all of the parents whose child(ren) are excluded from the enrichment opportunities. Putting all 6th graders into these enriched courses appeases those parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are the different schools' requiments so different? Does Cabin John/Hoover have so many highly able students as part of their cohort compared to Frost/Pyle?

I think this is the decision of the principal. I don't mind all students taking more advanced courses, as long as they're really more advanced than before.

So from reading the posts here, at Frost and Pyle, they require a MAP score of at least 95%, but at Hoover and CJ they will just allow anyone in for the Enriched Humanities? That doesn't make sense. The curriculum description look exactly the same across all schools. So if they are slotting students in more advanced courses, it must mean those kids are more advanced else why else would schools allow this?

Because those schools are scared of the parents' reaction that their kid didn't get in! That seems obvious to me.

As someone who a) works for the county, and b) has a 6th grader in AIM and enriched Global Humanities - this statement is 100% accurate. Principals simply get worn down by all of the parents whose child(ren) are excluded from the enrichment opportunities. Putting all 6th graders into these enriched courses appeases those parents.

A bit off-topic, but my child is in 4th and didn't make it into the CES despite pretty good scores all around. The school has offered a 'pilot' enriched ELA class this year; originally, it had 30 kids in it, 'identified', presumably, by the school. By week 3 of the school year, the school decided to open a second section of the same class with 28 kids in it (I wonder, why?) Now exactly half of the grade is in 'advanced' ELA; If the trend continues, next year it will be the entire grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are the different schools' requiments so different? Does Cabin John/Hoover have so many highly able students as part of their cohort compared to Frost/Pyle?

I think this is the decision of the principal. I don't mind all students taking more advanced courses, as long as they're really more advanced than before.

So from reading the posts here, at Frost and Pyle, they require a MAP score of at least 95%, but at Hoover and CJ they will just allow anyone in for the Enriched Humanities? That doesn't make sense. The curriculum description look exactly the same across all schools. So if they are slotting students in more advanced courses, it must mean those kids are more advanced else why else would schools allow this?

Because those schools are scared of the parents' reaction that their kid didn't get in! That seems obvious to me.

As someone who a) works for the county, and b) has a 6th grader in AIM and enriched Global Humanities - this statement is 100% accurate. Principals simply get worn down by all of the parents whose child(ren) are excluded from the enrichment opportunities. Putting all 6th graders into these enriched courses appeases those parents.

A bit off-topic, but my child is in 4th and didn't make it into the CES despite pretty good scores all around. The school has offered a 'pilot' enriched ELA class this year; originally, it had 30 kids in it, 'identified', presumably, by the school. By week 3 of the school year, the school decided to open a second section of the same class with 28 kids in it (I wonder, why?) Now exactly half of the grade is in 'advanced' ELA; If the trend continues, next year it will be the entire grade.

Yep, the same thing happened with compacted math at our school. Suddenly there was another class of 30 kids who all deserved compacted math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are the different schools' requiments so different? Does Cabin John/Hoover have so many highly able students as part of their cohort compared to Frost/Pyle?

I think this is the decision of the principal. I don't mind all students taking more advanced courses, as long as they're really more advanced than before.

So from reading the posts here, at Frost and Pyle, they require a MAP score of at least 95%, but at Hoover and CJ they will just allow anyone in for the Enriched Humanities? That doesn't make sense. The curriculum description look exactly the same across all schools. So if they are slotting students in more advanced courses, it must mean those kids are more advanced else why else would schools allow this?

Because those schools are scared of the parents' reaction that their kid didn't get in! That seems obvious to me.

As someone who a) works for the county, and b) has a 6th grader in AIM and enriched Global Humanities - this statement is 100% accurate. Principals simply get worn down by all of the parents whose child(ren) are excluded from the enrichment opportunities. Putting all 6th graders into these enriched courses appeases those parents.

A bit off-topic, but my child is in 4th and didn't make it into the CES despite pretty good scores all around. The school has offered a 'pilot' enriched ELA class this year; originally, it had 30 kids in it, 'identified', presumably, by the school. By week 3 of the school year, the school decided to open a second section of the same class with 28 kids in it (I wonder, why?) Now exactly half of the grade is in 'advanced' ELA; If the trend continues, next year it will be the entire grade.

Yep, the same thing happened with compacted math at our school. Suddenly there was another class of 30 kids who all deserved compacted math.

And eventually, there will be no distinction, but you will be told that the bottomline is that your kid is getting enrichment, and you are getting your panties into a knot because you are just thinking your snowflake is so special that other kids should be excluded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No wonder applications are up significantly at our Bethesda private. This is unfortunate; MCPS continues to deempathize the needs of gifted learners.

Deempathizing. So sad, they really just don’t understand them anymore.

[Anonymous]

It reminds me of a certain private school I know that has learned they basically can’t have separate math groups — even if they’re not ability-based — because rumors start up among the parents about which group is more advanced, and no one can stand their child being in the less advanced one. So yeah, if I ran the math dept at Hoover or wherever, I’d say sure, all kids are advanced.