Clarification of criteria for acceptance to MS magnets

[Anonymous]

In the FAQs about the MS magnets, there are a couple of things that confuse me:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/curriculum/specialprograms/admissions/applications/Magnet%20FAQs%202019.pdf

What is "school assessment"? I had thought teachers had less input this year. Does this mean the principal made a recommendation? or a combination of principal/teachers?

What is "student voice"? or the "non-scored student questionnaire?"

Why does MCPS insist on being opaque about this!? I mean, in a FAQ document, explain what you mean by these things - the very things parents will be looking at if their kid is rejected! But maybe someone on here knows what these are?

[Anonymous]

Our CES teacher told the kids the teachers had zero input this year for the MS Magnet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In the FAQs about the MS magnets, there are a couple of things that confuse me:

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/curriculum/specialprograms/admissions/applications/Magnet%20FAQs%202019.pdf

What is "school assessment"? I had thought teachers had less input this year. Does this mean the principal made a recommendation? or a combination of principal/teachers?

What is "student voice"? or the "non-scored student questionnaire?"

Why does MCPS insist on being opaque about this!? I mean, in a FAQ document, explain what you mean by these things - the very things parents will be looking at if their kid is rejected! But maybe someone on here knows what these are?

This is a four-page document of FAQs about the middle-school magnet selection. it may not tell you everything you want to know, but MCPS is not being opaque here.

[Anonymous]

The school assessment is the MAP and the non-scored student questionnaire is part of the PARCC.

Seriously, read the FAQ. It is all spelled out for you. It could not be more clear.

[Anonymous]

OP here - I did read it, and now I see where the "school assessment" is defined as the MAP and the questionnaire is part of the PARCC, but that information - that defining - relies on weird punctuation. If you miss the colon, and read it as a comma, then you might not get it. Also - weird use of parentheses.

Anyway, I am just frustrated with the new rules, I guess - and wish MCPS would just open MORE magnets, since so many families want their children to go!

[Anonymous]

The non-scored questionnaire/student voice was a short writing section administered during the CogAT testing. My child says it was a question about what characteristics are important for a student in the magnet program, or something like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The non-scored questionnaire/student voice was a short writing section administered during the CogAT testing. My child says it was a question about what characteristics are important for a student in the magnet program, or something like that.

That's what I thought, too! Kids had to write a short essay during the test, that is called 'their voice'.[b]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The school assessment is the MAP and the non-scored student questionnaire is part of the PARCC.

Seriously, read the FAQ. It is all spelled out for you. It could not be more clear.

I'm pretty sure the above is inaccurate.

A "school assessment" would be anything that contributed to the report card grade, or something devised by MCPS. MAP is a nationally normed test, so doubt they'd call it a school assessment.

As a few PPs mentioned the student voice was given when the cogAT was given - kids wrote a response to a question. It was only a few minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I did read it, and now I see where the "school assessment" is defined as the MAP and the questionnaire is part of the PARCC, but that information - that defining - relies on weird punctuation. If you miss the colon, and read it as a comma, then you might not get it. Also - weird use of parentheses.

Anyway, I am just frustrated with the new rules, I guess - and wish MCPS would just open MORE magnets, since so many families want their children to go!

Those schools ARE the home schools, with the two enriched classes. Current magnet students have two core classes that are enriched (one from each magnet), plus one specialty elective course. While people may want the exact magnet courses transferred, in reality those electives are too teacher/school resource dependent and not easily transferable. (I've had one kid in each and sat through many discussion regarding curricular/teacher issues. It's a real problem.)

Now that there are peer cohorts in certain schools, parents need to monitor and advocate to ensure that the enriched curriculum is actually offered, and that students actually have access to the classes. I think that parents should also be advocating for the addition of enriched Science and enriched English to be offered. In the long run, that would benefit advanced students to have access to all four core courses at an enriched level, rather than only two when they have to choose between programs. If people spent as much time at their home schools working with their PTAs and advocating for enriched instruction as they do complaining here on DCUM about the new process, they wouldn't have anything to complain about at their home middle school.

[Anonymous]

^^^
should read:
Those schools ARE the home schools, with the two enriched classes (one from each magnet). Current magnet students have two core classes that are enriched , plus one specialty elective course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I did read it, and now I see where the "school assessment" is defined as the MAP and the questionnaire is part of the PARCC, but that information - that defining - relies on weird punctuation. If you miss the colon, and read it as a comma, then you might not get it. Also - weird use of parentheses.

Anyway, I am just frustrated with the new rules, I guess - and wish MCPS would just open MORE magnets, since so many families want their children to go!

Those schools ARE the home schools, with the two enriched classes. Current magnet students have two core classes that are enriched (one from each magnet), plus one specialty elective course. While people may want the exact magnet courses transferred, in reality those electives are too teacher/school resource dependent and not easily transferable. (I've had one kid in each and sat through many discussion regarding curricular/teacher issues. It's a real problem.)

Now that there are peer cohorts in certain schools, parents need to monitor and advocate to ensure that the enriched curriculum is actually offered, and that students actually have access to the classes. I think that parents should also be advocating for the addition of enriched Science and enriched English to be offered. In the long run, that would benefit advanced students to have access to all four core courses at an enriched level, rather than only two when they have to choose between programs. If people spent as much time at their home schools working with their PTAs and advocating for enriched instruction as they do complaining here on DCUM about the new process, they wouldn't have anything to complain about at their home middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I did read it, and now I see where the "school assessment" is defined as the MAP and the questionnaire is part of the PARCC, but that information - that defining - relies on weird punctuation. If you miss the colon, and read it as a comma, then you might not get it. Also - weird use of parentheses.

Anyway, I am just frustrated with the new rules, I guess - and wish MCPS would just open MORE magnets, since so many families want their children to go!

Those schools ARE the home schools, with the two enriched classes. Current magnet students have two core classes that are enriched (one from each magnet), plus one specialty elective course. While people may want the exact magnet courses transferred, in reality those electives are too teacher/school resource dependent and not easily transferable. (I've had one kid in each and sat through many discussion regarding curricular/teacher issues. It's a real problem.)

Now that there are peer cohorts in certain schools, parents need to monitor and advocate to ensure that the enriched curriculum is actually offered, and that students actually have access to the classes. I think that parents should also be advocating for the addition of enriched Science and enriched English to be offered. In the long run, that would benefit advanced students to have access to all four core courses at an enriched level, rather than only two when they have to choose between programs. If people spent as much time at their home schools working with their PTAs and advocating for enriched instruction as they do complaining here on DCUM about the new process, they wouldn't have anything to complain about at their home middle school.

Why not? If MCPS made a real effort they can do it.

What happens when a teacher retires or moves? Some other teacher comes in and takes up the class. Somehow that new teacher gets the curriculum.

Totally agree that any middle school that has 25-60 kids testing at advanced levels needs to be offering truly advanced, magnet level courses. It could be done if MCPS determined to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Why not? If MCPS made a real effort they can do it.

What happens when a teacher retires or moves? Some other teacher comes in and takes up the class. Somehow that new teacher gets the curriculum.

Totally agree that any middle school that has 25-60 kids testing at advanced levels needs to be offering truly advanced, magnet level courses. It could be done if MCPS determined to do it.

Have you heard about those two new middle-school classes that started last year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Why not? If MCPS made a real effort they can do it.

What happens when a teacher retires or moves? Some other teacher comes in and takes up the class. Somehow that new teacher gets the curriculum.

Totally agree that any middle school that has 25-60 kids testing at advanced levels needs to be offering truly advanced, magnet level courses. It could be done if MCPS determined to do it.

Have you heard about those two new middle-school classes that started last year?

Now if they can bring on enriched science....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Why not? If MCPS made a real effort they can do it.

What happens when a teacher retires or moves? Some other teacher comes in and takes up the class. Somehow that new teacher gets the curriculum.

Totally agree that any middle school that has 25-60 kids testing at advanced levels needs to be offering truly advanced, magnet level courses. It could be done if MCPS determined to do it.

Have you heard about those two new middle-school classes that started last year?

Now if they can bring on enriched science....

My kid would love it...he hates 6th grade science. Says it is boring and they do "baby projects and sit at a desk with worksheets" instead of hands on. My child likes the new enriched classes.