Reply to Brookings Institution article about the new MCPS middle school magnet selection process

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]So sick of people's false assertion that [b]universal testing resulted in the selection of the best and brightest[/b]. If true, that would mean only a minuscule number of best and brightest are from Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Potomac. A more even split sure, but a minuscule number is not plausible. MCPS won't release the median scores of admitted students, as they've always done, for a good reason. Tippy-top scores were not they criterion--geographic diversity as a proxy for race (which didn't work out as well as MCPS had hoped), and  evidence of brightness were. Very few of even the self-reported scores on DCUM were straight 99%ers in all metrics, unlike scores of "peer cohort" rejectees, most of whom also had the advantage of the rigorous CES curriculum to prepare them for the MS magnets. [/quote]

Universal testing allowed ten fold the applicants into the pool this year which in the past was limited to a few kids whose parents nominated them. The selection was far more competitive and yielded more qualified students than ever before. Most parents complain because they can no longer easily game the results of this system the way they did in the past which mostly guaranteed their children admission.[/quote]
That word "qualified" is a loaded word.  What does that mean?  If they have a lower threshold for lower income kids, that still makes them "qualified". But is it right to  have a lower threshold based on income for a public school program?

By MCPS' own words, they took "peer cohort" into account. That means that students with higher test scores who had a peer cohort at home were not admitted.

If indeed, those who were admitted scored well above those not admitted, especially the URM population, don't you think MCPS would be shouting that from the roof tops. MCPS likes to tout the AP participation rate among URM, why wouldn't they tout their magnet test scores if it was something to brag about.

And why not make it transparent? What are they hiding?

As the article states, it's unclear exactly what happened because MCPS refuses to share the data.  How hard is it to publish the median test scores of the accepted students? There are no names involved; no identifying markers what so ever.

And spare me the ".. tests don't tell you everything". That may be the case, then why bother with universal *testing*. Obviously tests do measure something.

And spare me the ".. oh but W parents say peer cohort is important".. Of course they do. It is important no matter what program they are in.

If the 2 enriched classes at the home school are just as good as the magnet program then why not offer those to the other schools, and let the students with the higher test scores in the magnet program?  A couple of enriched classes is not the same as a magnet program.  No way.  Separate is not the same as equal.[/quote]

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