Anonymous
01/30/2023 15:50
Subject: Middle school magnets - criteria-based
Anonymous wrote:Ours was one of the 5th grade kids in both lotteries but didn't get a spot in either. That's fine - I am okay with this type of lottery from an equity standpoint. What I am *not* okay with is no differentiation for everyone else. Yes my kid will do AIM and High. But English? Science? Everyone is grouped together and no, not everyone is equally motivated. I have already seen the disaster that is my older child's 7th grade English and science classes. Lots of disruptive kids who are disinterested.
Yes, this.
Anonymous
01/30/2023 15:14
Subject: Middle school magnets - criteria-based
Anonymous wrote:I just have to say this. I hate the lottery. I hate a system that keeps my 260+ MAP-M/R scoring, straight A kid out of the MS Magnet program. MCPS sucks.
No, it doesn’t suck. It’s a *public* school system; its goals are to meet the needs of as much of the public as possible. People at either are extreme are usually going to have the most mismatch, with the ones at the lower end suffering the most.
My high-percentile scoring, straight A kid didn’t get in either. Oh well.
Anonymous
01/30/2023 14:44
Subject: Middle school magnets - criteria-based
I just have to say this. I hate the lottery. I hate a system that keeps my 260+ MAP-M/R scoring, straight A kid out of the MS Magnet program. MCPS sucks.
Anonymous
01/30/2023 14:25
Subject: Middle school magnets - criteria-based
Ours was one of the 5th grade kids in both lotteries but didn't get a spot in either. That's fine - I am okay with this type of lottery from an equity standpoint. What I am *not* okay with is no differentiation for everyone else. Yes my kid will do AIM and High. But English? Science? Everyone is grouped together and no, not everyone is equally motivated. I have already seen the disaster that is my older child's 7th grade English and science classes. Lots of disruptive kids who are disinterested.
Anonymous
01/30/2023 13:59
Subject: Middle school magnets - criteria-based
Still no notification in the mail for us. Grrr
Anonymous
01/30/2023 12:40
Subject: Re:Middle school magnets - criteria-based
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What MAP-R level is supposed to be above grade level?
It depends on the FARMS rate of the school, but it varies between 92% and 60% roughly.
That's the litmus for that criterion within the criteria for being in the lottery pool. Reading level is determined by teaxhers, independent of MAP-R scores. The lexile range reported on MAP-R might give an indication, but is separate from reading level given on a report card, which then becomes one of the 4 criteria for either the math/science/computer science pool (minimum on-grade-level) or the humanities pool (must have above-grade-level).
Like many things MCPS, the exact paradigm for determining reading level is shrouded.
It's not shrouded at all. There was a well-documented process at least a few years ago. The problem is it isn't all that comprehensive or reliable. For example, one of my kid's teachers said the kid was at the same level the previous year's teacher said, even though they read a tremendous amount over the summer. I had them assessed independently and brought that back to the school. The school agreed to have the reading specialist reevaluate them and discovered the kid was around ten levels higher than their previous assessment. My point is it isn't an exact process, so you need to stay on top of it.
Agree but sadly a lot of kids fall through the cracks because they don't have parents like you.
No all schools are that responsive. We did assessments and the es teacher still said my child was an average reader and average for other things when they were not as did the map and other mcps tests. It is very subjective.
Anonymous
01/30/2023 12:35
Subject: Re:Middle school magnets - criteria-based
Still waiting for the letter as well. TPMS website says they will email all invitees today with the link to the info session on Feb 8.
Anonymous
01/30/2023 12:09
Subject: Re:Middle school magnets - criteria-based
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What MAP-R level is supposed to be above grade level?
It depends on the FARMS rate of the school, but it varies between 92% and 60% roughly.
That's the litmus for that criterion within the criteria for being in the lottery pool. Reading level is determined by teaxhers, independent of MAP-R scores. The lexile range reported on MAP-R might give an indication, but is separate from reading level given on a report card, which then becomes one of the 4 criteria for either the math/science/computer science pool (minimum on-grade-level) or the humanities pool (must have above-grade-level).
Like many things MCPS, the exact paradigm for determining reading level is shrouded.
It's not shrouded at all. There was a well-documented process at least a few years ago. The problem is it isn't all that comprehensive or reliable. For example, one of my kid's teachers said the kid was at the same level the previous year's teacher said, even though they read a tremendous amount over the summer. I had them assessed independently and brought that back to the school. The school agreed to have the reading specialist reevaluate them and discovered the kid was around ten levels higher than their previous assessment. My point is it isn't an exact process, so you need to stay on top of it.
If it isn't an exact process (no link available to standards for determining reading level), then it is shrouded. Parents should have insight to how their kids are assessed without having to jump through hoops. Fortunate tohave the time/resources for advocacy, but what happens to kids whose parents aren't in that situation? It's one of the several ways that MCPS is blind to true equity...
Anonymous
01/30/2023 11:11
Subject: Re:Middle school magnets - criteria-based
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What MAP-R level is supposed to be above grade level?
It depends on the FARMS rate of the school, but it varies between 92% and 60% roughly.
That's the litmus for that criterion within the criteria for being in the lottery pool. Reading level is determined by teaxhers, independent of MAP-R scores. The lexile range reported on MAP-R might give an indication, but is separate from reading level given on a report card, which then becomes one of the 4 criteria for either the math/science/computer science pool (minimum on-grade-level) or the humanities pool (must have above-grade-level).
Like many things MCPS, the exact paradigm for determining reading level is shrouded.
It's not shrouded at all. There was a well-documented process at least a few years ago. The problem is it isn't all that comprehensive or reliable. For example, one of my kid's teachers said the kid was at the same level the previous year's teacher said, even though they read a tremendous amount over the summer. I had them assessed independently and brought that back to the school. The school agreed to have the reading specialist reevaluate them and discovered the kid was around ten levels higher than their previous assessment. My point is it isn't an exact process, so you need to stay on top of it.
Agree but sadly a lot of kids fall through the cracks because they don't have parents like you.
Anonymous
01/30/2023 11:10
Subject: Re:Middle school magnets - criteria-based
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What MAP-R level is supposed to be above grade level?
It depends on the FARMS rate of the school, but it varies between 92% and 60% roughly.
That's the litmus for that criterion within the criteria for being in the lottery pool. Reading level is determined by teaxhers, independent of MAP-R scores. The lexile range reported on MAP-R might give an indication, but is separate from reading level given on a report card, which then becomes one of the 4 criteria for either the math/science/computer science pool (minimum on-grade-level) or the humanities pool (must have above-grade-level).
Like many things MCPS, the exact paradigm for determining reading level is shrouded.
It's not shrouded at all. There was a well-documented process at least a few years ago. The problem is it isn't all that comprehensive or reliable. For example, one of my kid's teachers said the kid was at the same level the previous year's teacher said, even though they read a tremendous amount over the summer. I had them assessed independently and brought that back to the school. The school agreed to have the reading specialist reevaluate them and discovered the kid was around ten levels higher than their previous assessment. My point is it isn't an exact process, so you need to stay on top of it.
Anonymous
01/30/2023 11:05
Subject: Re:Middle school magnets - criteria-based
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What MAP-R level is supposed to be above grade level?
It depends on the FARMS rate of the school, but it varies between 92% and 60% roughly.
That's the litmus for that criterion within the criteria for being in the lottery pool. Reading level is determined by teaxhers, independent of MAP-R scores. The lexile range reported on MAP-R might give an indication, but is separate from reading level given on a report card, which then becomes one of the 4 criteria for either the math/science/computer science pool (minimum on-grade-level) or the humanities pool (must have above-grade-level).
Like many things MCPS, the exact paradigm for determining reading level is shrouded.
MAP-R scores correspond to lexile level. When my kids teacher had a lower level than their score, I had them adjust it since the MAP-R is far more reliable a measure than the 3 minutes the teacher spends assessing each kid in their class.
Anonymous
01/30/2023 10:16
Subject: Re:Middle school magnets - criteria-based
Anonymous wrote:Is anyone else still waiting on the letter? And USPS Informed Delivery says it's not coming today either...
I’m still waiting but our mail carrier has been MIA since Thursday.
Anonymous
01/30/2023 10:14
Subject: Re:Middle school magnets - criteria-based
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:What MAP-R level is supposed to be above grade level?
It depends on the FARMS rate of the school, but it varies between 92% and 60% roughly.
That's the litmus for that criterion within the criteria for being in the lottery pool. Reading level is determined by teaxhers, independent of MAP-R scores. The lexile range reported on MAP-R might give an indication, but is separate from reading level given on a report card, which then becomes one of the 4 criteria for either the math/science/computer science pool (minimum on-grade-level) or the humanities pool (must have above-grade-level).
Like many things MCPS, the exact paradigm for determining reading level is shrouded.
Anonymous
01/30/2023 10:01
Subject: Re:Middle school magnets - criteria-based
Anonymous wrote:What MAP-R level is supposed to be above grade level?
It depends on the FARMS rate of the school, but it varies between 92% and 60% roughly.
Anonymous
01/30/2023 09:54
Subject: Middle school magnets - criteria-based
We haven’t gotten ours either.