SES = socioeconomic status. Basically, the single most important factor explaining children's test scores is the affluence and education level of their parents. So if a school has low test scores, is it because the children have poor, uneducated parents, or because the teaching is lousy, or both? If a school has high test scores, is it because the children have affluent, educated parents, or because the teaching is good, or both? Within Montgomery County, as the PP said, the variations among MCPS schools are mostly due to the affluence/education of the parents, not due to differences in teaching.

Anonymous wrote:OP here, what is "SES"?

socioeconomic status, roughly meaning how well-off the people are.

OP here, what is "SES"?

Anonymous wrote:I think there are a lot of people who are happy with MCPS who just don't spend their time on these boards (much less spend their time defending MCPS). I think our kid is getting a very good education. Are there things I don't love? Of course. Am I convinced curriculum 2.0 is a good idea? Not yet. Do I think MCPS (and by extension perhaps my kid) is doomed to mediocrity? No.

OP for better or worse, the variations among MCPS schools are mostly due to SES, not the fact that one school is better performing.

Not quite accurate. Variation may be due to SES and that impacts the level at which one can teach. So, ultimately SES does impact the instructional level.

I think there are a lot of people who are happy with MCPS who just don't spend their time on these boards (much less spend their time defending MCPS). I think our kid is getting a very good education. Are there things I don't love? Of course. Am I convinced curriculum 2.0 is a good idea? Not yet. Do I think MCPS (and by extension perhaps my kid) is doomed to mediocrity? No.

OP for better or worse, the variations among MCPS schools are mostly due to SES, not the fact that one school is better performing.

Anonymous wrote:12:41 is the sole MCPS snowflake. Ignore her she works for MCPS and is probably the poster who helped with the 2.0 curriculum which should be thrown out the window.

(12:41 here) Snort. I do not work for MCPS. I have never helped with any curriculum. But it's nice to have my point proved so promptly -- thanks!

No..it would be a big red flag if 40% of the kids could not be accomodated in the regular classrooms. The standard used for the HGC is far higher than the state testing levels. People in Fairfax complain that since their gifted program includes 25% of the kids it is very watered down. You can;t have it both ways.

12:41 is the sole MCPS snowflake. Ignore her she works for MCPS and is probably the poster who helped with the 2.0 curriculum which should be thrown out the window.

OP- we moved to MCPS for the schools and we're deeply disappointed too. The better DC elementary schools, Arlington, Fairfax, or McLean would have been far superior choices. I've heard very good things about Howard County as well. When you look at school system we learned a hard lesson that test scores and what the system says can be very deceiving.

1. A school with great test scores can be a great school BUT if demographically that shifts significantly the high test scores simply represent the parental influences. This is very true in MCPS. The school with high scores have students that would score high anyway. It is NOT the quality of the curriculum.

2. MCPS spends A LOT of time marketing itself. They play with the numbers..best in the country actually means the best compared to inner city, large urban districts. Not a big pool and a pool with far more challenges than MCPS.

3. A big red flag should have been how MCPS buses kids all over the place. 40% of kids in some schools test as gifted but there is only room for 3% in the gifted programs. This means that 37% of kids in some schools are not served by the curriculum. MCPS would love to do away with the gifted test reporting but it is a Maryland state law requirement not MCPS. Other schools offer gifted programs and curriculums in the home school to accommodate more students.

I would find a neighborhood you like with hopefully kids near your son's age and then make sure the school is not to overcrowded. I think the enrollment projections are on the MCPS site somewhere. Our ES has excellent test scores and a wonderful kid friendly neighborhood, but the school enrollment is at 160% of its designed capacity.

Anonymous wrote:OP Montgomery does not have the best school at all. They used to be much stronger but many dynamics are changing. Curriculum 2.0 sucks. The superintendent is very incompetent. They are feeling the effects of years of poor planning and lack of funding. Even the quality of the HGC program is being questioned at this point but rumors are that they may be dropping 2.0.

Its not a good time to buy a house banking on the strength of MCPS. You are better off looking near Annapolis.

PP at 12:15 again -- this is another reason to talk to real live people instead of DCUM. On DCUM it is the received wisdom that:

1. The superintendent is an idiot. If he did something, it's wrong; and if something goes wrong, he did it.
2. The new MCPS elementary school curriculum (Curriculum 2.0) is awful. No other school system anywhere is doing anything like it. And MCPS only adopted it because [fill in malign, evil conspiracy theory here].
3. MCPS is a horrible school system. Certainly the worst in the state (except for Prince George's County). Probably one of the worst in the country. Bad teachers, bad schools, bad facilities, bad lunches, bad buses, bad schedules, bad calendar, bad snow days, bad parents, bad students.

Really, OP, for such a general question, you need to talk to real people. I think that DCUM is mostly useful for specific questions, like how can I get a change-of-school assignment, or what is involved with early entry to kindergarten, or where can I find the MCPS policy on bullying, or if your kid goes to X school what is your impression of it.

OP Montgomery does not have the best school at all. They used to be much stronger but many dynamics are changing. Curriculum 2.0 sucks. The superintendent is very incompetent. They are feeling the effects of years of poor planning and lack of funding. Even the quality of the HGC program is being questioned at this point but rumors are that they may be dropping 2.0.

Its not a good time to buy a house banking on the strength of MCPS. You are better off looking near Annapolis.

Anonymous wrote:

Chances are that the schools rated highly now have the best chance of staying rated high because the neighborhood prices will be high. Check out greatschools.com and look up the schools and there is a direct correlation between high test scores and expensive neighborhoods.

PP at 12:15 here. One of the reasons I suggested asking real-life people, instead of DCUM, is to avoid the evidently-unavoidable debate, every single last ever-lovin' time this subject comes up, about whether "best school" = "school with the highest test scores".

Anonymous wrote:Yes, if you live within a county's boundaries, your son will go to that county's school system.

You can find out more about Montgomery County's special programs here: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/ There are special programs for elementary, middle, and high schools. Admission to some of these special programs is by lottery.

I would not worry about the "best" schools. I don't think there even is such a thing. I aim for "good enough" schools.

And I also wouldn't worry about middle school and high school for a child who is just starting preschool, because

1. a lot can change between now and when he starts middle school/high school, and
2. he will change a lot between now and when he starts middle school/high school.

If I were you, I would start by looking for areas that work for you for commute, safety, charm, and convenience. (Not to mention price!) Then talk to real live actual people who live there and send their children to the local public schools.

Chances are that the schools rated highly now have the best chance of staying rated high because the neighborhood prices will be high. Check out greatschools.com and look up the schools and there is a direct correlation between high test scores and expensive neighborhoods.

Yes, if you live within a county's boundaries, your son will go to that county's school system.

You can find out more about Montgomery County's special programs here: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/ There are special programs for elementary, middle, and high schools. Admission to some of these special programs is by lottery.

I would not worry about the "best" schools. I don't think there even is such a thing. I aim for "good enough" schools.

And I also wouldn't worry about middle school and high school for a child who is just starting preschool, because

1. a lot can change between now and when he starts middle school/high school, and
2. he will change a lot between now and when he starts middle school/high school.

If I were you, I would start by looking for areas that work for you for commute, safety, charm, and convenience. (Not to mention price!) Then talk to real live actual people who live there and send their children to the local public schools.

My son will no start kindergarten until 2016, but we are going to be moving hopefully this year and I need to take his schooling into account in deciding where to live. I know where I like as far as commutes, safety, "charm," and convenience - but am at a loss regarding schools. Where I grew up there were a handful of elementary schools then everyone went to the same middle and high school. There were no "special" programs in one school but not another.

I am assuming that if we live within a county's boundaries my son will go to that county's school system without doing anything more. But I came across some people talking about testing and lotteries to get into certain schools (I think in MoCo) with "special" programs. I understand testing to get into advanced classes, but what's with the lottery?

And what are the best resources for determining the "best" schools? I know about greatschools.org and know that Zillow does a school rating on its listings. And of course I can look at test scores (which I personally find only partially accurate). Arts, sports and extracurricular activities are also important to us - and I've heard not all the schools offer the same things.

I really know nothing - so I apologize if my questions are obvious or don't even make sense. We are currently looking in MoCo (which is just so huge!) and near Annapolis. (on a side note if anyone has ever lived in or know anyone who has/does live near there I'd love to pick their brain about it and the commute to DC!)

I am a clueless, first time parent kind of freaking out about choosing the happiest median place for my son to grow and thrive - and all advice is really appreciated!