Magnet programs/moving from private to public

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know how it works in terms of getting into a MoCo magnet school if we move from private to public at some point?

We are thinking of starting K in a catholic school to give it a try, but would we essentially cut ourselves out of magnet schools if we were to move to the public at grades 2 or 3? (I guess I am also asking if it matters what year we move to public).

I have read a number of threads that suggest the testing to qualify for magnets starts in 2 or 3 grade.

TIA

[Anonymous]

We did private for elementary and now the kids are in MS and HS magnets.

The only 3rd grade testing is for the highly gifted magnets which run for 4th and 5th grades. The MS and HS magnets are done by testing in December during 5th or 8th grades, respectively (i.e. during the year before entrance). The tests are one (very long) morning on a Saturday in early December, at Takoma Park MS, Blair HS, and a few other schools in the area. You get the results by March or April.

There are also lotteries for certain elementary and MS programs you might be interested in, and again, you enter the lottery in the fall before you want to enter. For the immersion programs which run from K-5th there is a lottery, but I take it that's not your interest. There are also middle school boutique programs that are done by lottery (for example, Loiederman for music and the arts, Argyle for air and space I believe although check that). Weast has made noises about cutting these, unfortunately.

It doesn't matter if you're coming from public or private, you can still sign up for either the test or the lottery. You need to do this in the fall before you want to enter, and you need to present things like proof of residence in MoCo when you sign up. I'd start early in the fall, because MoCo loses stuff.

What you may have heard about is that there is a (regrettable) tendency in MCPS schools to tag kids as advanced in things like math pretty early on, starting in 2nd or 3rd grade. If your kid doesn't get into advanced math (which in some MCPS elementary schools means as much as 2 years ahead), then it's pretty hard to get into the Takoma Park math magnet, if that's your goal. Similarly, they need to be in advanced reading for the Eastern communications magnet (see the earlier warning about Weast and budget cuts). So there is a lot of jockeying among parents in the early ES years, so their kids don't get locked out of these options later on.

So one thing to consider is whether your parochial school will be challenging enough to set your kid up well for the magnet tests. In theory these tests are more about IQ, but from what my kids have said to me there is also a fair amount of advanced reading and math on the tests. The magnets also look for a demonstrated ability to do mass quantities of homework. Yes, yes, MoCo will tell you that the programs are open to every kid -- but your kid will be competing against the kids who are taking math 2 years ahead, and who have demonstrated that they can get A's in these classes.

[Anonymous]

Thanks very much.

Is a component of getting in recommednations from teachers, and would public recommendations carry more weight/be given more preference than privates? Even if not a stated policy, do people feel this happens in practice?

[Anonymous]

No, I don't think it's a stated policy. But yes, I would suspect it happens, and that recommendations from teachers they know carry more weight than recommendations from teachers they don't know.

[Anonymous]

PP here. To clarify, teacher recommendations are necessary. My comment on policy was in reference to whether MoCo teachers' recommendations are given more weight than non MoCo. ?

[Anonymous]

I have a friend whose son went to private for K-3 and is in a Highly Gifted Center this year in MCPS.