Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many kids from 5th grade CES end up getting selected for the criteria based middle school programs (humanities and math/science)? It seems like it's not a lot of kids from my anecdotal references, which makes me think it's better to wait for the middle school magnet than opting for CES, especially for kids considering the humanities magnet since CES is more similar to that. Thoughts? Experiences?

You can wait for the MS magnet, but most kids don’t get in. I know at least 20 kids who qualified and only one spot offered to them. It’s great if it happens but it isn’t likely for any single kid.

Depends on the magnet. Everyone I know who was in the pool at Eastern eventually got offered a spot last year

Yes but this year was way different - way fewer declined, so the spots didn’t make the rounds like last year.

Since it's a lottery, completely random.

Does MCPS locally norm test results for the middle school magnets similar to CES?

My child is at Takoma Park with 4 of her CES classmates from her school (so 5 out of about 50 kids).
I only know of one of her classmates who is at Eastern.
Of course, that doesn't mean that others didn't get in; maybe they declined. I honestly don't think it makes a difference.

How are there more spots in CES than MS magnets?? Regionally, it's the same pool of kids. There are around 130 spots each in both the Humanities and TPMS programs.

Here's something for thought -- if the 60 or so kids in any respective CES all qualify for the MS criteria-based lottery, which they all probably need the program instructionally, but only 3-4 spots are offered per school, they probably have a better shot at those spots by staying at their home school and doing ELC than being in a super competitive already magnet pool in 5th grade.

There are more spots in CES than MS magnets. Of course there will be fewer in the magnets. And going to CES doesn’t give you a boost — you are competing in the lottery for those spots with anyone who makes the cut.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many kids from 5th grade CES end up getting selected for the criteria based middle school programs (humanities and math/science)? It seems like it's not a lot of kids from my anecdotal references, which makes me think it's better to wait for the middle school magnet than opting for CES, especially for kids considering the humanities magnet since CES is more similar to that. Thoughts? Experiences?

You can wait for the MS magnet, but most kids don’t get in. I know at least 20 kids who qualified and only one spot offered to them. It’s great if it happens but it isn’t likely for any single kid.

Depends on the magnet. Everyone I know who was in the pool at Eastern eventually got offered a spot last year

And, we know a bunch of kids who were in the lottery but didn't get a spot last year (current 7th grade). Don't know about this year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many kids from 5th grade CES end up getting selected for the criteria based middle school programs (humanities and math/science)? It seems like it's not a lot of kids from my anecdotal references, which makes me think it's better to wait for the middle school magnet than opting for CES, especially for kids considering the humanities magnet since CES is more similar to that. Thoughts? Experiences?

You can wait for the MS magnet, but most kids don’t get in. I know at least 20 kids who qualified and only one spot offered to them. It’s great if it happens but it isn’t likely for any single kid.

Depends on the magnet. Everyone I know who was in the pool at Eastern eventually got offered a spot last year

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:CES attendance has no bearing on the MS magnet lottery process. Outside of maybe helping have higher MAP score.

But higher scores don’t matter once the kid reaches the threshold.

CES and MS magnets are completely unrelated.

Right, they both involve random selection from a lottery pool consisting of students who have made the MAP and grade cutoffs. If a student is selected for CES from that lottery, it has no bearing on whether they will be selected from the MS magnet lottery. So, I don't understand your question about "waiting" for MS and not doing CES; if your child gets a spot in the CES, they should take it, unless it doesn't work for other reasons (e.g., commute). It's not relevant to any later placement in an MS magnet program.

Anonymous wrote:How many kids from 5th grade CES end up getting selected for the criteria based middle school programs (humanities and math/science)? It seems like it's not a lot of kids from my anecdotal references, which makes me think it's better to wait for the middle school magnet than opting for CES, especially for kids considering the humanities magnet since CES is more similar to that. Thoughts? Experiences?

You can wait for the MS magnet, but most kids don’t get in. I know at least 20 kids who qualified and only one spot offered to them. It’s great if it happens but it isn’t likely for any single kid.

Anonymous wrote:CES attendance has no bearing on the MS magnet lottery process. Outside of maybe helping have higher MAP score.

But higher scores don’t matter once the kid reaches the threshold.

CES and MS magnets are completely unrelated.

CES attendance has no bearing on the MS magnet lottery process. Outside of maybe helping have higher MAP score.

It doesn’t make any difference. Your kid has as much chance if they meet the criteria if they do it don’t attend the CES. My own kid was in a CES and now in the TPMS magnet. He’s stronger in STEM so the TPMS magnet is a better fit than the CES.

My thoughts are that CES doesn't matter at all for entry the criteria-based magnets. This is pure speculation, but it seems like there are a few kids who are hand-picked for the magnets and then others where it's random, enough to give the illusion of a true lottery.

At the end of the day, far more kids qualify for the criteria-based magnets than are accepted.

How many kids from 5th grade CES end up getting selected for the criteria based middle school programs (humanities and math/science)? It seems like it's not a lot of kids from my anecdotal references, which makes me think it's better to wait for the middle school magnet than opting for CES, especially for kids considering the humanities magnet since CES is more similar to that. Thoughts? Experiences?