Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I award you no points. I graduated many years ago from the Blair magnet. Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science, Biology - all done by the end of 10th grade. (I recall them being one semester each but I forget whether they were double period or not. Maybe biology was double period.) All the sciences are accelerated so you can take lots of electives in 11th and 12th grade. It starts lower order to higher order. I didn't buy into the reasoning, but either way it's not hard for a 9th grader to learn physics at all. It's all simple equations and any calculus you need has simple practical shorthand.

By accelerated, I don't mean half-finished, I mean the same compressed track on which everything happens. Algebra II/Precalculus math content is shrunk to three semesters from four. Functions (which you have to have special scores just to get into) shrinks that into two semesters. Two years of computer science training and halfway through you could take the AP comp sci exam. Then how about the electives? Differential equations? Analytical chemistry? Optics? Artificial intelligence?

This whole squeeze through as many kids as possible is just absolute hogwash. The magnet has not changed its fundamental approach in decades. It is not a "typical" program.

I go on DCUM like once a year and all the infighting I obviously don't care for but I do have to step in for this one.

This doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to compress the math that much, even for really bright kids. Algebra 2 and Pre-Cal are hard enough.

Not really.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Physcs and Chem are both 1 semester long (condensed versions). I think bio was a whole year but I do not remember earth/space so maybe it changed. Someone else will chime in.

Last I knew yes, physics and chem were 1 semester each and so was earth science in 10th but bio was 1 year long. It involved 2.5 years of science over the first two years to prepare students for the deeper electives available in 11th and 12th grade.

That makes no sense.

Chemistry and Physics are normally full-year Freshman, Sophomore courses in other states. Biology is normally easier, unless they cover Organic Chemistry then? And use earth/space for more difficult Physics reinforcement?

Or are they just trying to squeeze more kids through their programs? That sounds like something MCPS would do, now that I think about it?

PP who said Chem & Physics are double period is wrong. They accelerate Physics, Chemistry, and Earth Science to fit the entire year of content into a semester, which is why those are full credit courses. They can’t do that with Bio because there is a state requirement that students take one year (not one credit) of biology to graduate. Kind of like how they need a math credit every year (not four total high school math credits) to graduate.

I don’t know where you’d get the idea that they are trying to “squeeze more kids through.” Demand for these programs far exceeds capacity.

I figured someone from MCPS would try to weasel out a response. Here's a typical California school course catalog:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wl9jrSsTLB_PCkE_edALCsbf72uQeDPrVx38HANJrXk/edit

The first thing you'll notice is the rich course offerings their kids receive. Ex. Physics of the Universe, Physics 1-2 APEX, Physics 1-2 Honors. Quite different from the standard slab MCPS offers.

Also notice that Chemistry is two semesters. Physics is two semesters. The reason is that it takes a full year for a high schooler to grasp the material. Kids really won't absorb much in just two quarters.

Think it's unusual? Think its not the norm? Okay. Here's another one:

https://jurupausd.org/schools/PatriotHighSchool/Documents/HS%20Course%20Guide%202020-2021.pdf

I can keep posting these all night long. I believe that MCPS is trying to squeeze through as many kids as possible because they have so few science teachers that are any good, so they cut down the class to half a year so twice as many kids can run through the same teacher. You just admitted it yourself 'Demand for these programs far exceeds capacity.'

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I award you no points. I graduated many years ago from the Blair magnet. Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science, Biology - all done by the end of 10th grade. (I recall them being one semester each but I forget whether they were double period or not. Maybe biology was double period.) All the sciences are accelerated so you can take lots of electives in 11th and 12th grade. It starts lower order to higher order. I didn't buy into the reasoning, but either way it's not hard for a 9th grader to learn physics at all. It's all simple equations and any calculus you need has simple practical shorthand.

By accelerated, I don't mean half-finished, I mean the same compressed track on which everything happens. Algebra II/Precalculus math content is shrunk to three semesters from four. Functions (which you have to have special scores just to get into) shrinks that into two semesters. Two years of computer science training and halfway through you could take the AP comp sci exam. Then how about the electives? Differential equations? Analytical chemistry? Optics? Artificial intelligence?

This whole squeeze through as many kids as possible is just absolute hogwash. The magnet has not changed its fundamental approach in decades. It is not a "typical" program.

I go on DCUM like once a year and all the infighting I obviously don't care for but I do have to step in for this one.

This doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to compress the math that much, even for really bright kids. Algebra 2 and Pre-Cal are hard enough.

Anonymous wrote:I award you no points. I graduated many years ago from the Blair magnet. Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science, Biology - all done by the end of 10th grade. (I recall them being one semester each but I forget whether they were double period or not. Maybe biology was double period.) All the sciences are accelerated so you can take lots of electives in 11th and 12th grade. It starts lower order to higher order. I didn't buy into the reasoning, but either way it's not hard for a 9th grader to learn physics at all. It's all simple equations and any calculus you need has simple practical shorthand.

By accelerated, I don't mean half-finished, I mean the same compressed track on which everything happens. Algebra II/Precalculus math content is shrunk to three semesters from four. Functions (which you have to have special scores just to get into) shrinks that into two semesters. Two years of computer science training and halfway through you could take the AP comp sci exam. Then how about the electives? Differential equations? Analytical chemistry? Optics? Artificial intelligence?

This whole squeeze through as many kids as possible is just absolute hogwash. The magnet has not changed its fundamental approach in decades. It is not a "typical" program.

I go on DCUM like once a year and all the infighting I obviously don't care for but I do have to step in for this one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Physcs and Chem are both 1 semester long (condensed versions). I think bio was a whole year but I do not remember earth/space so maybe it changed. Someone else will chime in.

Last I knew yes, physics and chem were 1 semester each and so was earth science in 10th but bio was 1 year long. It involved 2.5 years of science over the first two years to prepare students for the deeper electives available in 11th and 12th grade.

That makes no sense.

Chemistry and Physics are normally full-year Freshman, Sophomore courses in other states. Biology is normally easier, unless they cover Organic Chemistry then? And use earth/space for more difficult Physics reinforcement?

Or are they just trying to squeeze more kids through their programs? That sounds like something MCPS would do, now that I think about it?

PP who said Chem & Physics are double period is wrong. They accelerate Physics, Chemistry, and Earth Science to fit the entire year of content into a semester, which is why those are full credit courses. They can’t do that with Bio because there is a state requirement that students take one year (not one credit) of biology to graduate. Kind of like how they need a math credit every year (not four total high school math credits) to graduate.

I don’t know where you’d get the idea that they are trying to “squeeze more kids through.” Demand for these programs far exceeds capacity.

Anonymous wrote:Magnet Physics is 1-semester, double period.
Magnet Chem is also.

Magnet Bio is full year, single-period, maybe because they don't have (large) lab projects?

All have the same total class time.

None is early easier than another. Biology is a wider subject, Physics is more mathematically intensive, and Chem is between.

https://coursebulletin.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/SchoolCourseCatalogs/School/04757/SC