Reply to Why doesn't DC have a STEM school like TJ?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

According to the Virginia school threads, TJ has a big cheating problem on top of many students taking remedial classes in English and math. [/quote]

That is probably because TJ watered down their admission standards to admit students who are not prepared for the rigor a few years back.[/quote]

How did they water it down?  I know that a few years back a commission studied the racial demographics of the school, but declined to do a "soft" affirmative action plan. Instead, the school was commissioned to do a marketing outreach in the Black and Hispanic communities, to no avail. Apparently Blacks and Hispanics had little interest in applying. I only bring that up because when people on DCUM say that academics are watered down, the implication is that Blacks and Hispanics were allowed in based on their race and not merit. Well you can't say that for TJ, for those groups make up less than 5% total of TJ's population. That wide-spread cheating and remedial classes at TJ is a result of the Asians and white students. But oh no, you say. There is no reason for white and Asian kids to cheat, for they are so academically and intellectual superior. Well at least in the minds of the  DCUM moms. Face it, The kids at TJ can pay to take those test prep classes (yes, it is a cottage industry in Fairfax), but once accepted, many are cheating to stay. [/quote]

They actually made the math test much easier.  In doing this it made it easier to "study" for and doesn't do a good job of differentiating kids who are great at math vs. those who are merely good and crammed a lot for the exam.  They made the test easier in an attempt to bolster AA and Hispanic attendance, but all it seemed to do was open the door for over prepped kids who aren't really up to the challenges.[/quote]

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