Anonymous
Post 10/24/2025 07:56     Subject: Question on engineering course offering in future STEM programs
Anonymous wrote:Take aviation at Magruder in Region 5 - I don't see that in other regions - what does that mean? Anyone from MCPS can apply to that?

And if Machine learning and Data science is offered only in some regions, what do the kids in other regions do?

Tech magnet is interest based - so how does the cohort even work for that? Wouldn't it be watered down?



"Tech" has always been interest-based.
Engineering is different from Tech. Science/Math is different from Tech.

The official line is that the Themes/Area are in every region (
Medical,
Science, or Tech or Math or Engineering,
"Leadership" ,
IB OR Humanites,
Arts OR Communication)

But the specific Pathways (programs) will not be the same. Each region will have some subset of programming that falls under each of the 5 Program Areas / Themes

They are restricting countywide programs to regions (loss of equity) to try to save on busses, rebaming old regional/local programs, allegedly adding some new programs or expanding old local progras..

Anonymous
Post 10/23/2025 17:26     Subject: Question on engineering course offering in future STEM programs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Take aviation at Magruder in Region 5 - I don't see that in other regions - what does that mean? Anyone from MCPS can apply to that?

And if Machine learning and Data science is offered only in some regions, what do the kids in other regions do?

Tech magnet is interest based - so how does the cohort even work for that? Wouldn't it be watered down?



That is so sad! I wonder what the criteria will be. Completed 8th grade Geometry?

In today's noon virtual information session, Jennie said that only Region 5 students can apply to Aviation program, and only Region 6 students can apply to Poolsville GE. She said it was comparable as every region will have something unique.

And more, the criteria-based program will put all applicants meeting the criteria in the pool and run a lottery, same to the CES and MS magnets. So every program will be unbelievably watered down (lottery plays a critical role in failure, but also teaching resource, student cohort size, etc.)




That is so sad! I wonder what the criteria will be. Completed 8th grade Geometry?


For ES and MS it is 85th percentile or above MAP scores (locally normed). My guess is that they will bump that a little higher so as to have about an equal number of slots as kids that qualify (as opposed to MS and ES where thousands of kids miss out each year) so maybe 90th-95th percentile?


I highly doubt if they will put the criteria high. I'd rather think the opposite way.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2025 15:31     Subject: Question on engineering course offering in future STEM programs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Take aviation at Magruder in Region 5 - I don't see that in other regions - what does that mean? Anyone from MCPS can apply to that?

And if Machine learning and Data science is offered only in some regions, what do the kids in other regions do?

Tech magnet is interest based - so how does the cohort even work for that? Wouldn't it be watered down?



That is so sad! I wonder what the criteria will be. Completed 8th grade Geometry?

In today's noon virtual information session, Jennie said that only Region 5 students can apply to Aviation program, and only Region 6 students can apply to Poolsville GE. She said it was comparable as every region will have something unique.

And more, the criteria-based program will put all applicants meeting the criteria in the pool and run a lottery, same to the CES and MS magnets. So every program will be unbelievably watered down (lottery plays a critical role in failure, but also teaching resource, student cohort size, etc.)




That is so sad! I wonder what the criteria will be. Completed 8th grade Geometry?


For ES and MS it is 85th percentile or above MAP scores (locally normed). My guess is that they will bump that a little higher so as to have about an equal number of slots as kids that qualify (as opposed to MS and ES where thousands of kids miss out each year) so maybe 90th-95th percentile?
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2025 15:26     Subject: Question on engineering course offering in future STEM programs
Anonymous wrote:I thought they said the number of seat planned would be based on prior applications...so there really shouldn't be any need for a lottery right. My guess is though that since the programs are not advanced or so different then the general curriculum, everyone will be applying for whatever program us at the best school in the cluster regardless of focus?


We are in Region 5. Kid wants to do STEM and is quite advanced. We will definitely not send our kid to Gaithersburg HS. Magruder - maybe if kid changes focus. Otherwise home school it is for us.

It sucks to be in Region 5. Who knows, maybe we will sell our house and move to VA where the schools are better and we have access to 3 state colleges. Waiting to see how this plays out.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2025 12:55     Subject: Question on engineering course offering in future STEM programs
I thought they said the number of seat planned would be based on prior applications...so there really shouldn't be any need for a lottery right. My guess is though that since the programs are not advanced or so different then the general curriculum, everyone will be applying for whatever program us at the best school in the cluster regardless of focus?
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2025 07:29     Subject: Question on engineering course offering in future STEM programs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Take aviation at Magruder in Region 5 - I don't see that in other regions - what does that mean? Anyone from MCPS can apply to that?

And if Machine learning and Data science is offered only in some regions, what do the kids in other regions do?

Tech magnet is interest based - so how does the cohort even work for that? Wouldn't it be watered down?



That is so sad! I wonder what the criteria will be. Completed 8th grade Geometry?

In today's noon virtual information session, Jennie said that only Region 5 students can apply to Aviation program, and only Region 6 students can apply to Poolsville GE. She said it was comparable as every region will have something unique.

And more, the criteria-based program will put all applicants meeting the criteria in the pool and run a lottery, same to the CES and MS magnets. So every program will be unbelievably watered down (lottery plays a critical role in failure, but also teaching resource, student cohort size, etc.)




That is so sad! I wonder what the criteria will be. Completed 8th grade Geometry?
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2025 06:09     Subject: Question on engineering course offering in future STEM programs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Take aviation at Magruder in Region 5 - I don't see that in other regions - what does that mean? Anyone from MCPS can apply to that?

And if Machine learning and Data science is offered only in some regions, what do the kids in other regions do?

Tech magnet is interest based - so how does the cohort even work for that? Wouldn't it be watered down?



That is so sad! I wonder what the criteria will be. Completed 8th grade Geometry?

In today's noon virtual information session, Jennie said that only Region 5 students can apply to Aviation program, and only Region 6 students can apply to Poolsville GE. She said it was comparable as every region will have something unique.

And more, the criteria-based program will put all applicants meeting the criteria in the pool and run a lottery, same to the CES and MS magnets. So every program will be unbelievably watered down (lottery plays a critical role in failure, but also teaching resource, student cohort size, etc.)
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2025 01:50     Subject: Question on engineering course offering in future STEM programs
Anonymous wrote:Take aviation at Magruder in Region 5 - I don't see that in other regions - what does that mean? Anyone from MCPS can apply to that?

And if Machine learning and Data science is offered only in some regions, what do the kids in other regions do?

Tech magnet is interest based - so how does the cohort even work for that? Wouldn't it be watered down?



They do the same thing as now. They don’t get those classes.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2025 00:28     Subject: Question on engineering course offering in future STEM programs
I dont have time to read thru all this. But my kid went to the Wheaton engineering academy and took five year-long engineering classes (so five years of engineering) as well as all three Physics APs and Multi variable calculus. His teachers went to the Naval Academy and MIT. It was great.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2025 00:13     Subject: Question on engineering course offering in future STEM programs
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Take aviation at Magruder in Region 5 - I don't see that in other regions - what does that mean? Anyone from MCPS can apply to that?

And if Machine learning and Data science is offered only in some regions, what do the kids in other regions do?

Tech magnet is interest based - so how does the cohort even work for that? Wouldn't it be watered down?



In today's noon virtual information session, Jennie said that only Region 5 students can apply to Aviation program, and only Region 6 students can apply to Poolsville GE. She said it was comparable as every region will have something unique.

And more, the criteria-based program will put all applicants meeting the criteria in the pool and run a lottery, same to the CES and MS magnets. So every program will be unbelievably watered down (lottery plays a critical role in failure, but also teaching resource, student cohort size, etc.)


There goes equity.
Anonymous
Post 10/23/2025 00:12     Subject: Question on engineering course offering in future STEM programs
Anonymous wrote:Take aviation at Magruder in Region 5 - I don't see that in other regions - what does that mean? Anyone from MCPS can apply to that?

And if Machine learning and Data science is offered only in some regions, what do the kids in other regions do?

Tech magnet is interest based - so how does the cohort even work for that? Wouldn't it be watered down?



In today's noon virtual information session, Jennie said that only Region 5 students can apply to Aviation program, and only Region 6 students can apply to Poolsville GE. She said it was comparable as every region will have something unique.

And more, the criteria-based program will put all applicants meeting the criteria in the pool and run a lottery, same to the CES and MS magnets. So every program will be unbelievably watered down (lottery plays a critical role in failure, but also teaching resource, student cohort size, etc.)
Anonymous
Post 10/22/2025 23:51     Subject: Question on engineering course offering in future STEM programs
Take aviation at Magruder in Region 5 - I don't see that in other regions - what does that mean? Anyone from MCPS can apply to that?

And if Machine learning and Data science is offered only in some regions, what do the kids in other regions do?

Tech magnet is interest based - so how does the cohort even work for that? Wouldn't it be watered down?