Reply to Does MCPS MS curriculum alone prepare students for the math/science magnets?

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Reply to "Does MCPS MS curriculum alone prepare students for the math/science magnets?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]As my 8th grader has been working on high school applications and choices, I've been thinking about the math/science magnet programs and wondering about who exactly they serve.  I'll say up front that I don't mean this to be whining or complaining about my kid's chances; I'll be happy (and somewhat relieved and not at all surprised) if they end up at our home high school.  But I'm curious about whether the MCPS middle school curriculum, on its own and without outside enrichment/activities, are enough to prepare a "highly able learner" for admission to and success in the magnet.  If so, that's great.  If not, is this reasonable for a taxpayer-funded, public school program?

As an example, my kid goes to an MCPS middle school.  Their school has no math team, no science fair, no robotics club, no computer science classes, and no real math/science enrichment opportunities beyond the regular accelerated curriculum (getting through geometry in 8th grade). However, my kid and some of their friends are straight-A students with 99%+ test scores; they are bright, curious, "highly capable", and were in the lottery pool for the MS magnets but didn't get spots.  Do kids like this have any chance at admission without having some kind of (privately funded, parent-enabled) extracurricular math or science focused activity? And if they get in, would the standard MCPS curriculum have prepared them enough to be successful, with hard work but with access only to the school-provided resources?

I understand that there are far more qualified students than spaces in the magnet, and the argument that access should be increased.  I feel like my question is a little different, though. Are these programs only for those who have gone beyond the standard MCPS curriculum?  If so, is that appropriate and fair? I'd love to hear experiences or opinions.[/quote]

It's kind of like saying is MCPS curriculum without ever doing homework or taking an interest in a subject area related to a program is adequate to prepare a kid. The answer is unsurprisingly no. If you want to get into the STEM magnet, it would probably help if a child is genuinely passionate about math or science and spends their own time outside of school on this because they're interested in learning. Yes, many parents also pay for tutors and outside enrichment. Just stop by your local RSM or AoPS and you discover there are several hundred kids doing exactly that.[/quote]

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