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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My kids have been in MCPS magnet programs from ES to HS. The admission process is not easy and yes it is stressful because there are more qualified applicants than seats.  Recent changes that takes into account demographics has further penalized certain groups with high performing kids. It is what it is.

Both my DSs are Asian-American, non-FARMS and non-ESOL.  We live in  UpCounty and are financially a  donut-hole family. Children are STEM students.  Education and EC activities have taken a big part of our focus. It looks effortless to people when they see our kids getting and excelling in these programs, but it is all due to luck and years of making education a priority.  The admission process is also difficult because it evaluates skills and achievements that are gained after putting in effort for a long time.  It also takes something out of parents because our energy, effort and money is being taken up with these kinds of activities.

Doing well in school and standardized testing happens due to the discipline of daily studies and practice. Doing well in EC activities happen because of the tedious nature of daily work and practice. And when you apply - you take all of that and combine it with meeting the deadlines of writing essays, gathering credentials, asking for recommendations, not having disciplinary issues at school, being held in high regard by your teachers and having a history of doing well, documented with the school system. In other words, your MAP and PARCC and other tests also mark you as being advanced.  This is a long marathon and not a sprint.  It is stressful in many ways because anytime you work towards a goal, you are aware that failure can also happen despite your best efforts.

For me as a parent, the big stressor is how to make sure that the kids are doing what they need to do to succeed, while keeping in mind to be strategic and guide them in a way that reduces their stress and harnesses their interests and strengths.  Every kid is different and what motivates and works for one child may not work for another. [/quote]

Got to disagree with you a bit here, though I agree with some parts. Like I agree it's a marathon and not a sprint. But I disagree very much with your statement about how doing well on standardized tests happens due to discipline and practice. It has a lot to do with luck, and just the kind of brain you happen to have. I am one of those people who just did pretty well on standardized tests without effort. (This did not translate to career success.) My sons are the same. My older son has done brilliantly on his standardized tests not because of discipline and practice. He didn't prep (though I know the folks on here don't believe that)  It's just that those tests happen to test for the kind of intelligence he has in spades. Yes, a little might be related to upbringing, mostly in making sure he exercised a lot and ate well, got a lot of time outdoors and enough sleep, and wasn't allowed much screen time. I think those things kept his anxiety in check, and if he were a more anxious kid he probably wouldn't test as well. I think a good, stable home environment help prep for these kinds of tests much more than any diligent prep-work. I see too many kids too stressed out because their parents have them do tons of test-prep and extra-curriculars. I wish our schools had more accelerated tracks in the regular high schools, as many more kids could benefit from these magnet programs than get in.    To answer the question if the magnet programs are worth it... it really depends on your child. Some kids aren't happy in the Blair magnet because they find it too competitive, too pressured, too much work. If they truly love the subject matter, it's a great place to be. [/quote]

I disagree somewhat with you.  If your kid is great in taking standardized tests then he is basing it on content and knowledge that he has acquired through years of reading for joy or being exposed to material not specifically for the test.  There is prior content knowledge that your kid has, even if they do not prep for tests.  This is what is meant by Marathon and not Sprint.

Students who love Blair are the ones who were in the marathon and have been exposed to material years in advance due to JHU and AOPs and what have you.  Students who are sprinting and finding it tough are those whose foundational knowledge was never magnet + home enrichment level.  They are trying to make up for gaps in knowledge and keep up with the marathon runners.  That is why they are finding it too competitive, too pressured and too much work.  And it is true for them.  They also may not have a team supporting them - parents, tutors, networked connections.  [/quote]

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