Reply to Do Montgomery County HGC and magnet programs ever "counsel out" students who are struggling?

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Reply to "Do Montgomery County HGC and magnet programs ever "counsel out" students who are struggling?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=SAM2]If some percentage of the students are not-quite-gifted, but all of them are doing well in the gifted classroom, then maybe the academics aren't quite as challenging as some parents like to claim. [/quote]

It's hard to imagine that many kids get in who aren't capable of doing the work, just from a theoretical point of view. First, across MCPS, about 40% kids are labeled gifted. (Yes, I know there is debate over whether the label is too generously applied.) About 20% of 3rd graders apply to a HGC, and about 4% eventually get a spot. In addition to the test scores you mention, they're also looking at performance above grade level, as well as other qualitative factors (creativity, persistence, independence). In the end, it's hard to imagine kids getting in who would quality as "not-quite-gifted." If anything, I think that there are many more kids out there who are arguably equally qualified but don't get in. [/quote]

This was my post. SAM2, you ask about the likelihood of underqualified kids getting in. We're still in the application stage with our own child, but in the literature and public meetings, they talk a lot about the need for both the child and the family to be motivated and on board. I'm sure there are cases where a child gets in but feels overwhelmed, or disinterested, or homesick for the home school, or has trouble with the long arc of the projects. There are probably also cases where the family as a whole feels that the bother isn't worth the end result for some reason. But just because the HGC center isn't a good fit doesn't necessarily imply that that child is somehow underqualified.

You also wonder whether they don't ever "lag" on academic performance in the centers. What do grades measure? At a certain point, academic achievement is so wrapped up in personal motivation and other similar factors. My personal guess is that the kids accepted to the HGC have enough innate ability that they COULD achieve academically there, but actual success will depend on other factors in their lives.

I know plenty of people with advanced degrees who aren't successful in their careers. That doesn't make them unqualified--it suggests other factors are at play.[/quote]

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