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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Region 1 doesn't look too bad to me.

BCC is supposed to be kind of decent right?  And there have often been positive posts about Einstein.

I think the main questions would be how Blair looks if they removed the county wide magnet program.  And I'm not entirely sure of Northwood (as in I don't think I've heard too much about it.  Know some people with siblings that graduated from there but that's it.)

Based on test scores/FARMs rates, I would say region 5 looks the most questionable.  Northwest is an average/above average school.  The rest of the schools are projected to have at least 35% FARMS, including the new Crown HS.  With Watkins Mill over 60% FARMS and Gaithersburg HS hovering close to there.  Option 3 has Seneca Valley hovering around it's current 35% FARMS but the rest of the options has it around 45%.[/quote]

MCPS overall average is 44% FARMS. Totally reasonable for a grouping of high schools to be at that average. Parents who are shocked by it are a symptom of how divided the system currently is and how out of touch some parents are.[/quote]

This particular grouping is always at least 46% FARMS when you add all the schools together and look at the four current realignment options.
Current: 46.8%
Option 1: 47.11%
Option 2: 47.15%
Option 3: 46.19%
Option 4: 48.68%

I haven't worked out all the other proposed regions yet.[/quote]

If the overall MCPS average is 44%, this is very close to it.  Unless we see a region that is sub-34 or over-54 (or something like that), it's probably the best that can be done with some manageable regional proximity.  Hopefully, all the regions end up averaging in the 40s.  ([i]Really hopefully[/i], the overall FARMS rate decreases, and not for lack of identification, but with the way society is going, both nationally and locally, I'm not holding my breath.)[/quote]

The problem with averages is that it's not really spread out and you have the extremes balancing each other out.

Not all the schools are represented in the boundary studies.

But on mdreportcard, it says the FARMS rate is about 41% for MCPS and 40% if you limit to high schools.

Looking at the schools in boundary studies with a current FARMS rate of over 40% the schools are:

Blair 51.4
Gaithersburg HS 53.7
Kennedy 55.1
Northwood 50.8
Seneca Valley 47.2
Watkins Mill 54
Wheaton 62.7

According to MD Report Card, which may have different rules or source for FARMS, the schools not in the boundary studies and a FARMS population of more than 40% are:
Blake 54.8
Magruder 49.3
Paint Branch 59.2
Rockville 48.9
Sherwood 21.6
Springbrook 63.6

So Region 2 has three of the schools above, with Sherwood balancing it out.  These schools aren't in any of the boundary studies.  So we're looking at about a 49.8 percent FARMS rate

Region 5 has three schools above as well with Northwest and maybe Crown to balance it out.  So let's say Crown has the same FARMS rate as Northwest the FARMS rate for this group would be 44.46, which we're saying is the average.

But then no other region either has this number of high FARM schools or has very low FARMS schools to balance it out.

For example:

Region 1: 34.34, with Blair's numbers probably changing if they remove the countywide magnet program

Region 3: 38.775, and this is counting Woodward's FARMS numbers to be the same as Wheatons 62.7 but likely isn't forecasted to be this high in any of the current proposed options

Region 4: 37.02

Region 6: 28.82, with Quince Orchard's numbers actually going to be lower with ten percent of it's FARMS population going to Crown

So while the overall average of FARMS in MCPS might be about 44 percent, only regions 2 and 5, looks like they'll have an average FARMS rate of above 40%

Regions 3 and 4 are a little bit over 35 percent, not quite 40 percent.  So would consider this the average.

Region 1 is relatively low, below 35 percent.

And region 6, with the lowest at 28.8 percent and likely will go lower with Crown taking some of Quince Orchard's FARMS students.

So the FARMS distribution isn't that spread out across all the regions evenly and you still have disparity in the underserved areas, such as the East county and some of the Gaithersburg area[/quote]

I posted the average FARMs rates for each proposed region a couple of pages back.

I overestimated the FARMS rate for Woodward, making it match Wheatons at 62 percent, when most proposals forecast it to be about 35 percent.  And underestimated Crowns to match Northwest's even though some options show it be potentially 35 to 45 percent.  This is to try to make Region 3's FARMS rate as high as possible, and region 5 as realistically low as possible.

Most of the regions fall in the expected 35 to 40 percent.

The exceptions are regions 2 (NEC plus Sherwood at 49.8), region 5 (44.4) and region 6 (28.8)

Regions 5 and 6 border each other and some schools can easily be swapped and bring the regions towards the middle of their current ones.

Region 2 should have the NEC schools split up and spread out.  They can find regions for it that match the current drive between schools within the same proposed region.[/quote]

Is there a point to balnce FARMS across regions? High school experience for most kids will be there home HS. It's a futile experience to try to balaqnce region. At best, HS in middle of region can be balanced to some extent.[/quote]

It’s a new attempt to bus in bus out to achieve balancing FARMS across the regions, at expense of social wellbeing of the students
[/quote]

Confused how this harms students’ socially when they have a choice to….. not do it.

This provides options for students in schools where options are perhaps more needed[/quote]

Exactly. No one has to do it and it’s not a new concept. MCPS has been pulling kids voluntarily to “lesser” schools for decades. That’s why they’re called magnets. Nobody has to apply if they don’t want to. It sounds like there will be specialized programs in each region, but you can feel free to just stay at your school. [/quote]

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