Reply to MAP percentile cutoff for MS magnet lottery?

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Reply to "MAP percentile cutoff for MS magnet lottery?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]They could also change the FARMS bands. I think one year they had 5 and then they changed it to 3. There's a lot of ways to manipulate the numbers to get your desired result.[/quote]

The one strength I need to give them credit for is their amazing ability to manipulate the data to produce their desired results. Heaven forbid they give every student the same test (which they do) and use the data itself to determine who is best prepared for the program. No, they must come up with very complex algorithms to allocate seats away from students with outlier performance and toward students with mediocre scores. [/quote]

That's because MAP performance is influenced largely by exposure, while they seek expoaure-neutral ability for magnet programs while utilizing MAP for expedience.  It is far from the fidelity to capability sought (in many ways), but, when implemented correctly, local norming is a recommended practice to try to account for that disconnect, where teachers in low-FARMS schools are more routinely able to manage cohorts to provide enrichment/exposure to those able than those in high-FARMS schools.  This is independent of any more socio-political aim, but it could very well serve that purpoae, as well.

Cue the diingenuous CogAT-is-more-gameable-than-MAP poster...[/quote]

I mean, the curriculum is supposed to be the same across all schools in primary grades. If kids are not being exposed to the same curricular material, and that is influencing students’ standardized test performance, I think the solution is to work on fixing that inequity rather than manipulate scores based on low expectations for students at higher FARMS schools. [/quote]

The curriculum is the same. I think one difference is the amount that many of the wealthier families spend on tutoring and outside enrichment, which tilts things in their favor. Adjusting the scores to reflect differences in privilege seems like a reasonable concession to fairness.[/quote]

I personally think this is overblown on dcum. Most of the folks I know who hire tutors for younger elementary grades are doing so for struggling students at or below grade level, who would not be in the percentiles above the lottery threshold. I also think chronic absenteeism is a bigger factor than people think. If kids are not physically in the classroom as often, they are definitely not exposed to as much learning. But that shifts the blame to parents whose early elementary students are chronic absentees, so it’s an unpopular truth. [/quote]

Not overblown.  A substitute was speaking about 40+ kids getting to Cold Spring an hour-plus early for intensive Math supplementation.  I'm guessing that might be a club as opposed to something provided directly by MCPS, but these kids aren't struggling with the MCPS curriculum.

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That was a miscommunication. [/quote]

Miscommunication?

I'm talking about a substitute with whom I spoke directly.  Recently.  Where they brought up what they noted when they substituted there.  Not some overheard MCPS testimony or the like.

Of course, that's hearsay, anyway.  But is there something you have saying there aren't kids doing Math of some sort outside of school hours there?[/quote]

There is no before-school or after-school advanced math class/activity.  There might be some tutoring or diligent student doing homework in kidsco or similar extended-care.

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There is a 30-minute math competition practice in the morning one time per month, and a 30 minute contest exam during the school day, a few times per year. [/quote]

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