Anonymous
02/12/2025 16:19
Subject: MCPS level of academic rigor
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I am pretty sure there was this same question/thread a few months ago.
People should search. This topic or similar ones every few weeks or months
The problem is that the search function is really clunky.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 16:15
Subject: MCPS level of academic rigor
Not all kids are fine in college. Many fail out.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 16:01
Subject: Re:MCPS level of academic rigor
My kid went through all 4 years at a W school like this. Took the most rigorous classes across the board. All honors and APs. Did almost all of her work in school and aside from studying for end of year AP exams, never spent more than an hour at night doing work, and often far less. It drove me crazy and I could never understand how she always got straight As with such little work in classes that were supposedly rigorous. I still don’t really know if she was just exceptionally organized and efficient or if it really was that much of a joke. Regardless, she is doing very well at a top college. First semester was an adjustment period, but it is for most kids. Your kid will be fine. Try not to worry.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 15:42
Subject: MCPS level of academic rigor
Anonymous wrote:I think part of the challenge is many parents remember the end of HS, College annd maybe even post graduate studies, not to mention working, so are looking to see kids buried in work. But we forget it’s a gradual build up, plus there are tools now that makes working a little bit more efficient.
NP.
Some remember the advanced/challenging classes, GT or otherwise, that they took in middle & early high school. Some more challenging than anything taken in college.
From the late 60s/early 70s to the early 90s, this was a thing in the US, aiming to meet the needs of highly able students within the context of public education. It seems progressively to have been disfavored ever since, despite the relatively small investment required, when compared to other education initiatives, to effect robust GT programming.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 14:25
Subject: MCPS level of academic rigor
families actually complain their kid is getting homework
Anonymous
02/12/2025 14:23
Subject: MCPS level of academic rigor
Anonymous wrote:I am pretty sure there was this same question/thread a few months ago.
People should search. This topic or similar ones every few weeks or months
Anonymous
02/12/2025 14:23
Subject: MCPS level of academic rigor
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I should start this thread by saying that I'm not a troll. I am just seeking for some serious advice.
Ok, DD goes to one of the W schools. She is a good student and always has been. Only got straight As since as long as I can remember. She's done her elementary school in a very good public school pyramid, and G7 in a prestigious private school in another state. She came to Maryland two years ago, finished G8 and moved onto a W school last year and now freshman.
She gets all As but not necessarily very academic. She plays a varsity sport and puts a lot of effort in there. Doesn't read a lot but reading and writing has always been her strength. Always watching something on Youtube or tictoc just like a lot of other girls in her age.
I've never seen her studying either for a test or for an assignment for more than one hour per day. I know she's got quite a lot of assignment cuz the school sent out grades for those assignments and tests to parent's e-mail. For first two semesters in freshman she's still getting all As. I ask her all the time when she's done her work and she says she does her work mostly in school. She's never late for her work.
Here's my question.
1. Is freshman year in high school that easy peasy? She's my only child, so I don't have any previous experience whatsoever.
2. Will there be a significant leap in sophomore year and going forward in terms of academic rigor and load of school works?
3. Can she maintain her edge in writing and reading through upperclassman year without significant reading?
I know all kids are different. I'm so grateful that she's doing great in school, but nervous and concerned as much.
Again, I have no intention to brag about her or anything. She's only freshman in high school. I am seeking some serious advice.
TIA.
Is she taking any AP classes, like AP Government? If so, that is good, and she will need to study for the AP exam. If she does AP US History in 10th, that is a lot more work than AP Government. The work should ramp us as she takes more AP courses.
OP here. Yes, she's taking AP Gov this year and that's the only AP class she's taking along with 3 Hon classes. I believe she will take 2 AP classes next year and APUS is one of them. Now I have glimpse of what will come from next year. Thank you for your advice!
AP Gov is much easier than APUSH. Freshman year for both my kids at non-w school was easy. It got harder in sophomore year. For work load, my kids will do homework in class when they have the time. They also go before school or during lunch to get help. So there's a lot of time outside of the house spent doing school work.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 14:17
Subject: MCPS level of academic rigor
I am pretty sure there was this same question/thread a few months ago.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 13:45
Subject: Re:MCPS level of academic rigor
AP or IB classes are rigorous. Beside that the rigor depends on the teacher and there is huge variance between classes taught by teachers or at other schools. For sure have your child take AP when offered if your child does not feel challenged.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 13:41
Subject: Re:MCPS level of academic rigor
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In my experience, only the AP or IB classes have a serious workload, and even that varies. Honors classes are only rigorous in math.
This. Also, these HS are too huge with concerns about achievement gaps, so AP when you can.
It’s not that the HS are too huge, but that the individual classes are. If you have 30+ kids times five classes you are going to assign several 10+ page papers unless you have a TA to help grade.
That may be, but it's the huge high schools.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 13:40
Subject: Re:MCPS level of academic rigor
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Even the MD State Sup and the new MCPS Sup recognize that student performance is inconsistent between grades and testing, meaning in effect that they recognize there is grade inflation.
My two cents - if she's got it together, try not to nag her, esp as you only have a couple years left to enjoy being with her. Junior year and senior year will be stressful enough.
OP here. Thanks for your tips and that's exactly what I thought. Otherwise there's no way she gets all those As with such little effort.
I switched my kid to Catholic school got the same reason. All As without any effort. He never had HW in public school. A few teachers might assign a little but they have them class time to do it. His writing was awful.
What is your point? Why didn't you help your kid with their writing?
Why? He was getting As so he believed his writing was great. He wasn’t graded on spelling, handwriting, grammar. His straight As disappeared when he went to Catholic school because he wasn’t turning in A work. Public education was crap but they gave students top grades. It’s academic fraud.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 13:35
Subject: Re:MCPS level of academic rigor
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In my experience, only the AP or IB classes have a serious workload, and even that varies. Honors classes are only rigorous in math.
This. Also, these HS are too huge with concerns about achievement gaps, so AP when you can.
It’s not that the HS are too huge, but that the individual classes are. If you have 30+ kids times five classes you are going to assign several 10+ page papers unless you have a TA to help grade.
Some teachers have TAs. But they should have non high school TAs, not high school students. Many need a co-teacher honestly.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 13:16
Subject: Re:MCPS level of academic rigor
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In my experience, only the AP or IB classes have a serious workload, and even that varies. Honors classes are only rigorous in math.
This. Also, these HS are too huge with concerns about achievement gaps, so AP when you can.
It’s not that the HS are too huge, but that the individual classes are. If you have 30+ kids times five classes you are going to assign several 10+ page papers unless you have a TA to help grade.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 13:14
Subject: MCPS level of academic rigor
I think part of the challenge is many parents remember the end of HS, College annd maybe even post graduate studies, not to mention working, so are looking to see kids buried in work. But we forget it’s a gradual build up, plus there are tools now that makes working a little bit more efficient.
Anonymous
02/12/2025 12:41
Subject: MCPS level of academic rigor
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I should start this thread by saying that I'm not a troll. I am just seeking for some serious advice.
Ok, DD goes to one of the W schools. She is a good student and always has been. Only got straight As since as long as I can remember. She's done her elementary school in a very good public school pyramid, and G7 in a prestigious private school in another state. She came to Maryland two years ago, finished G8 and moved onto a W school last year and now freshman.
She gets all As but not necessarily very academic. She plays a varsity sport and puts a lot of effort in there. Doesn't read a lot but reading and writing has always been her strength. Always watching something on Youtube or tictoc just like a lot of other girls in her age.
I've never seen her studying either for a test or for an assignment for more than one hour per day. I know she's got quite a lot of assignment cuz the school sent out grades for those assignments and tests to parent's e-mail. For first two semesters in freshman she's still getting all As. I ask her all the time when she's done her work and she says she does her work mostly in school. She's never late for her work.
Here's my question.
1. Is freshman year in high school that easy peasy? She's my only child, so I don't have any previous experience whatsoever.
2. Will there be a significant leap in sophomore year and going forward in terms of academic rigor and load of school works?
3. Can she maintain her edge in writing and reading through upperclassman year without significant reading?
I know all kids are different. I'm so grateful that she's doing great in school, but nervous and concerned as much.
Again, I have no intention to brag about her or anything. She's only freshman in high school. I am seeking some serious advice.
TIA.
Is she taking any AP classes, like AP Government? If so, that is good, and she will need to study for the AP exam. If she does AP US History in 10th, that is a lot more work than AP Government. The work should ramp us as she takes more AP courses.
OP here. Yes, she's taking AP Gov this year and that's the only AP class she's taking along with 3 Hon classes. I believe she will take 2 AP classes next year and APUS is one of them. Now I have glimpse of what will come from next year. Thank you for your advice!
AP Government is a good opportunity for her to work on her organizational/studying skills. Set up a quizlet account, have her write up notes for each unit to add into it, have the AI turn them into flash cards. You can also find other AP Government sets to study off of. This will help her study now for the AP test. Moreover, it will teach her study skills that she will need as classes ramp up in rigor, particularly APUSH, which includes much more reading, writing, and memorization of facts.