Reply to More TAG dedicated centers in PG County

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Fastest way for PGCPS to increase its standing (test scores) is to draw mid/high performing kids who are now in private back into the system.  The way to do that is to offer TAG or other specialty programs.  Those kids come back into PGCPS and bam!... the test scores magically improve b/c now there are more kids passing to balance out those who are not.

That's why Maxwell was smart to suggest it... but I guess he didn't get the money to do it.  [/quote]

Except, if you have TAG only schools it does very little to improve the system as a whole. The research is very clear on this. Separating young kids based on ability level is extraordinarily detrimental to middle and lower performing kids, ESOL, etc. so pulling them out and placing them in their own building has the effect of depressing everyone else's scores.[/quote]

The fastest way to increase test scores in a low income, low performing school is to raise the rent on the nearby apartment complexes.  Sad but true.

Low test scores are very highly correlated with socioeconomic status.

If you want higher test scores you need to appeal to parents who are of higher socioeconomic status, and give them what they are looking for, for their kids.   More spots in Middle School TAG programs would be a big step in that direction.  We HAVE the TAG identified kids, but they aren't getting seats in a TAG middle school.

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Exactly!  One way to raise test scores, and theoretically keep middle class families in PGCPS, is to stop the drain of the top scoring kids (10-20%) out of local public schools and into TAG ES centers.  If parents knew they had a fair shot at getting into a TAG MS then they would at least consider staying at their local schools.  Right now, if you don't choose to pull your kid out of local ES and into a TAG magnet then you have zero percent chance of getting into MS level.

This doesn't solve the overall MS problem but keeping middle class kids in the public ES is the first step.  Once they are in the system things should slowly change.

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