Anonymous wrote:That is a good question if your child leaves a TAG school and goes to another school such as specialty or charter school middle can they return back to a TAG middle school program through lottery.

Yes they can but it's much easier on the kid if they start in 6th grade because of the curriculum. Kenmoor kids take Spanish from 6th up and they cover all of the 6th grade and half of the 7th grade Math curriculum in one year. Someone transferring into the TAG MS into 7th or 8th grade could be really behind.

Once you are identified as TAG you keep that status as long as you are in PGCPS. So if you were at a TAG ES center and then went to a specialty such as Pullen or Dora Kennedy you would get pull out TAG services there and then could possibly lottery back into a TAG MS.

That is a good question if your child leaves a TAG school and goes to another school such as specialty or charter school middle can they return back to a TAG middle school program through lottery.

My child attends Kenmoor in the TAG program, which is really good. We've been very happy with the classes and their approach. I have heard some good things about CMIT South as well, but would choose Kenmoor TAG over CMIT South if your child is advanced in Math & English since they do a good job of placing a high percentage of their TAG students in the science & tech programs. Kenmoor also has a strong arts program for band, orchestra, and arts.

Thanks for the information and the study. We to have a daughter going to middle school next year. She will be able to attend Kenmoor because she is an a TAG school but we are awaiting the charter school lottery results. We are trying to figure out if we should stick with TAG until 8th grade or if we get into CMIT South choose this option since she will be able to attend the school until she graduates. I know once we leave the TAG program we will probably not be able to come back TAG identified.

Anonymous wrote:This is interesting i wonder why there are opening for these TAG programs in the past their were so many students on the waitlist it was impossible to get into these programs. Have the programs dwindled or has the CMIT and CPA charter schools pulled many of the Middle School TAG students into their programs? Are these programs worth the transfer out of the PG TAG?

TAG office did a study on this issue. My takeaways were:
1) People don't want to bus their young kids halfway across the county and want to keep kids in neighborhood schools
2) TAG office doesn't do a very good job communicating the options.

They also expanded the TAG middle school program which is why there are MS slots this year.....which is a HUGE improvement. I don't think that CMIT or CPA are impacting TAG enrollment at MS level. I think they expanded the TAG ES program too much and that the expanded immersion programs are pulling kids from TAG Elementary school centers. I would not be surprised if they closed more TAG Elementary school centers and absorbed those students into another TAG center...like they did for Highland Park.

http://ektron.pgcps.org/researchandevaluation/pub.aspx?id=240883

CPA is a bit of a disaster.

Anonymous wrote:This is interesting i wonder why there are opening for these TAG programs in the past their were so many students on the waitlist it was impossible to get into these programs. Have the programs dwindled or has the CMIT and CPA charter schools pulled many of the Middle School TAG students into their programs? Are these programs worth the transfer out of the PG TAG?

There are a lot of TAG identified kids that are staying in their home schools. There are 12 TAG kids in my son's second grade class at Dora Kennedy. I do not plan on pulling either of my children to go to Heather Hills or Glenarden Woods.

This is interesting i wonder why there are opening for these TAG programs in the past their were so many students on the waitlist it was impossible to get into these programs. Have the programs dwindled or has the CMIT and CPA charter schools pulled many of the Middle School TAG students into their programs? Are these programs worth the transfer out of the PG TAG?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So my daughter is in 4th grade but I'm already thinking about middle schools--figure it doesn't hurt to start early.

I live in South County right now. I went to the CMIT South Open House and realized the school is not the right fit. I'm checking out CPA, too. Any suggestion for middle, even if they are private? My neighborhood middle school is not an option.

Thanks in advance.

Is she TAG identified? If you are zoned for Walker Mill's TAG program they rarely make it through the waitlist so most kids who apply get in. This year they even opened up to kids outside the feeding zone.

But why are they opening it up? It is because people are not happy with the program or is it due to the loss of student's due to Tasker becoming a TAG Middle? Not sure, but I would explore just to make sure. The odd thing is that the other TAG middle schools NEVER open up to kids outside the feeding zone because there is always such a long waitlist and transfer list.

If the child is TAG, I would suggest Kenmoor Middle and if that isn't an option, then Greenbelt Middle.

They opened it up at the end of the summer for SY 2017 because they had not filled all their slots. They do that at all TAG centers as far as I can tell. Glenn Arden Woods was even open for 2nd grade this year. I will see if I can find the post.

Here is the wording from the email that came out in late Aug/early Sept 2017

"We are now accepting late lottery applications for the following program locations and grades:

Dual Language at Cesar Chavez ES - Kindergarten Only (Native Spanish speakers only)

Spanish Immersion at Overlook ES - Kindergarten Only

TAG Program schools listed below by grade level (students must be TAG identified to participate):
2nd and 3rd grade locations - Capitol Heights, Glenarden Woods, Heather Hills, Highland Park, Longfields, Mattaponi and Valley View Elementary Schools

4th and 5th grade location - Longfields ES

6th grade location - Walker Mill MS

8th grade location - Walker Mill MS "

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So my daughter is in 4th grade but I'm already thinking about middle schools--figure it doesn't hurt to start early.

I live in South County right now. I went to the CMIT South Open House and realized the school is not the right fit. I'm checking out CPA, too. Any suggestion for middle, even if they are private? My neighborhood middle school is not an option.

Thanks in advance.

Is she TAG identified? If you are zoned for Walker Mill's TAG program they rarely make it through the waitlist so most kids who apply get in. This year they even opened up to kids outside the feeding zone.

But why are they opening it up? It is because people are not happy with the program or is it due to the loss of student's due to Tasker becoming a TAG Middle? Not sure, but I would explore just to make sure. The odd thing is that the other TAG middle schools NEVER open up to kids outside the feeding zone because there is always such a long waitlist and transfer list.

If the child is TAG, I would suggest Kenmoor Middle and if that isn't an option, then Greenbelt Middle.

They opened it up at the end of the summer for SY 2017 because they had not filled all their slots. They do that at all TAG centers as far as I can tell. Glenn Arden Woods was even open for 2nd grade this year. I will see if I can find the post.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So my daughter is in 4th grade but I'm already thinking about middle schools--figure it doesn't hurt to start early.

I live in South County right now. I went to the CMIT South Open House and realized the school is not the right fit. I'm checking out CPA, too. Any suggestion for middle, even if they are private? My neighborhood middle school is not an option.

Thanks in advance.

Is she TAG identified? If you are zoned for Walker Mill's TAG program they rarely make it through the waitlist so most kids who apply get in. This year they even opened up to kids outside the feeding zone.

But why are they opening it up? It is because people are not happy with the program or is it due to the loss of student's due to Tasker becoming a TAG Middle? Not sure, but I would explore just to make sure. The odd thing is that the other TAG middle schools NEVER open up to kids outside the feeding zone because there is always such a long waitlist and transfer list.

If the child is TAG, I would suggest Kenmoor Middle and if that isn't an option, then Greenbelt Middle.

Anonymous wrote:So my daughter is in 4th grade but I'm already thinking about middle schools--figure it doesn't hurt to start early.

I live in South County right now. I went to the CMIT South Open House and realized the school is not the right fit. I'm checking out CPA, too. Any suggestion for middle, even if they are private? My neighborhood middle school is not an option.

Thanks in advance.

Is she TAG identified? If you are zoned for Walker Mill's TAG program they rarely make it through the waitlist so most kids who apply get in. This year they even opened up to kids outside the feeding zone.

If you do not mind sharing why did you not find CMIT South the right fit, I put my fifth grader in the lottery for this school and awaiting the results. I am torn between CMIT South and pushing through with my neighborhood middle school. In my search and talking to others it seems like middle school is a very hard transition and not many great options. I have heard of a few transfers to Bowie middle schools and have been happy and the rest of the families that i have talked with seem to choose catholic Schools since they are a little cheaper in tuition than privates. Not much help unfortunately.

Bump...Opening this back up...I'm open to all suggestions

So my daughter is in 4th grade but I'm already thinking about middle schools--figure it doesn't hurt to start early.

I live in South County right now. I went to the CMIT South Open House and realized the school is not the right fit. I'm checking out CPA, too. Any suggestion for middle, even if they are private? My neighborhood middle school is not an option.

Thanks in advance.