Reply to DCC residents - what are your plans for high school?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Why are parents concerned about Kennedy? The journalism track looks interesting from a recent open house, but we don't know anything about the school. Some kids have heard "horror stories" but I don't know what that means. Are these concerns from a long time ago? Or do they still exist?
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Given the demographics of DCUM it is possible that everyone's "concerns" stem from the fact that Kennedy is the least white school in the county. I could be wrong though.[/quote]

Einstein doesn't have many more white people; it still has higher test scores and a much better reputation.  The problem with Kennedy is the test scores. I'm sure that there are some very bright, hard-working students there, but there just doesn't seem to be a large cohort.  Even white and Asian kids have low average AP and IB scores at Kennedy.  Please look at this document:

http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2018/2017%20AP%20IB%20Course%20Enrollment%20and%20Exam%20Participation%20Performance.pdf

If MCPS wants to turn Kennedy around (and Watkins Mill, which also has low test scores), it would need to add a competitive magnet there.  Just as Wheaton is attracting kids who might not be competitive enough for Blair SMAC, maybe there could be a humanities magnet at Kennedy that would be less competitive than CAP?

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PS - the previous document has 2017 AP and IB scores for the entire county, broken down by school.[/quote]

I don't follow. Kennedy has poor test scores. The secret to "turning poor test scores around" is to put a 200 kid selective magnet program and bus in high achievers?  How does that turn around the Kennedy school base of poor performers?  Where even is Kennedy, Watkind Mill and Wheaton?  I came from SE DC and don't know these places. [/quote]

There would be many benefits to a test-in magnet.  It would bring more high-flyers to Kennedy, giving the rest of the student body highly motivated academic peers.  Secondly, non-magnet, yet capable, students in the Kennedy catchment area would be more likely to remain inbounds rather than going anywhere else through the lottery.  They would see that they could have great classes with motivated peers close to home.  Thirdly, local real estate prices would stabilize or go up.  Case in point: Poolesville has become quite expensive![/quote]

This is kind of stupid.  The county already has a bunch of magnets.  At some point, you would need to cut another magnet or you'll dilute the programs.  Go cut the magnet elsewhere, that school declines.  You are just trying to rearrange the deck chairs, when what would actually be far more valuable is to shore up schools that used to perform quite strongly but have fallen recently (e.g., Magruder, Blake, Rockville) -- it's this group of schools that has gotten hammered as folks with options have exercised them to move to DC or NOVA.

I mean I think it's weird that there are magnets in Poolsville and Blair when they are both on the farthest reaches of the county.  So if you have the political muscle to move them to, say, Seneca and Kennedy, I'm all for it.  But I just don't think that's magically going to fix MoCo's school issues.  [/quote]

They could easily add another STEM magnet and it wouldn't dilute the program. The reaility is in the years since this was begun the county has grown signifcantly and there's enough interest today that there are plenty of qualified candidates that don't make the cut.[/quote]

Kennedy is barely a mile from Wheaton HS and only about three miles from Blair.  Who would this magnet attract?  And, how does it help the inbound students if you decide to send your kid there?  [/quote]

I'm sure there are people who know about this than I do, but just to spitball. Then add a program like RMIB to Kennedy since that's in a far corner of the county. The current offerings are very popular. There are plenty of qualified candidates and not enough seats.[/quote]

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