Reply to High points from MS magnet at Blair tonight

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Let me understand this. So they will select kids for Takoma Math/Science program without using math in the assessment test??
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Yes, I spoke to the MCPS reps after the event and they confirmed that the test was changed to evaluate how a child thinks (reasoning ability) and also because MCPS is aware that there is test prepping going on and that is why MCPS is not providing sample questions/practice exam to level the playing field.[/quote]

[b]That can't be good for the test prep industry in Montgomery County.[/b] Maybe the governor should issue an executive order about this, too.[/quote]

:lol: [/quote]

I think more opaque the admission criteria, more the test prep industry will thrive.

I have seen AA and HI students who were taken in highly selective programs just to boost MCPS numbers crash and burn in these programs. Currently, many students in the magnet programs are supplementing in some way and they are not relying just on the magnet programs to get ahead.  The test prep centers have also become a tutoring center since many years.  Students who are attending these centers are not going there because they need academic intervention, in fact many of these students are much more accelerated than the magnet programs that they are in.

Most AA and HI students are not getting any supplemental help at home or school.  Most importantly, even if programs for academic enrichment and accelerations are put in the school, the schools cannot force these students to take supplemental help.  The achievement gap has become the problem of the school systems to solve, where as it should be the problem of the parents to solve.  The school system need to only provide programs for tutoring and supplementing in the school, and parents should make their children comply in  attending these programs.

The AA and HI students who have done well in highly selective programs are  usually those who belonged to middle class  homes were education is valued, parents are educated and are well  aware of the benefit of magnet programs. Most are immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean and do not carry the historical burden of slavery.

The magnets are not seen as the end all by most magnet parents. Mainly they want their students in these programs because of the peer group and acceleration.  As such the magnet parents are putting a lot of time and resources in the education of their children.  Thanks to MCPS's well-intentioned but misguided attempts, the achievement gaps are only going to become bigger and wider.

This is boom time for the test prep centers.

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I don't know where to begin with this post.  Don't know if I can tackle the first part without saying something really really nasty.  I will just say that every child admitted into these programs has fully deserved to be there.
Rgarding the prep centers.  I have a magnet HS kid who is doing well but my kid does not have the time to do extra school work.  I don't know "many" kids who regularly go to prep centers.  There might be some but not many.  I don't think it is necessary.  Now there are families who use tutors for students who are having trouble with a particular course but that is different I would argue.
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