Anonymous wrote:
I suppose it's possible that the local norming was done only on the kids who had already met the benchmark of having all A's. So that would mean pulling out the top 15% of those kids, which would be a higher-scoring group than the top 15% of all kids. Or maybe local norming within a school? It's nice to have this FAQ make things a bit more clear, but the local norming is still a bit of a mystery.

Anonymous wrote:I just looked at the FAQ on the magnet info website (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l0Zy-bCfG7O8E-F64VOnit_54fjOIU_lTR1JyU8SSMg/edit), and it was updated this week and now includes this information about cutoffs. There were indeed local norms. I still have a hard time understanding what happened with the students who posted here with 98th% MAP scores, as it seems really unlikely that 98th nationally is 85th locally.

23. How were Grade 5 students identified for placement in the lottery pool for recommendation in a middle school magnet program?
Multiple academic measures were used to identify students. Given the impact of COVID-19 school-building closures, both measures from the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years were included. To be placed in the humanities and communication lottery pool, an A in both reading and writing and an indication of above reading grade level on the report card from Grade 4, and a locally normed minimum of 85th percentile on either last year (winter) or this year’s (fall) MAP-R. For math, science or computer science, an A in both math and science and an indication of on level or higher for reading on the report card from Grade 4 and a locally normed minimum of 85th percentile on either last year (winter) or this year’s (fall) MAP-M.
24. What are locally normed scores?
Gifted and talented experts recommend the use of local norms of assessment scores as an equitable approach to ensure equity and access in identification of students for program access. Additionally, the current draft of Gifted and Talented Definitions from the Maryland State Department of Education includes the use of local norms as part of the gifted and talented identification process.
MCPS locally normed scores are designed to examine test takers in relation to one another within MCPS. As part of the middle school magnet identification process, scores obtained on the MAP assessment were locally normed.

23. How were Grade 5 students identified for placement in the lottery pool for recommendation in a middle school magnet program?
Multiple academic measures were used to identify students. Given the impact of COVID-19 school-building closures, both measures from the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years were included. To be placed in the humanities and communication lottery pool, an A in both reading and writing and an indication of above reading grade level on the report card from Grade 4, and a locally normed minimum of 85th percentile on either last year (winter) or this year’s (fall) MAP-R. For math, science or computer science, an A in both math and science and an indication of on level or higher for reading on the report card from Grade 4 and a locally normed minimum of 85th percentile on either last year (winter) or this year’s (fall) MAP-M.
24. What are locally normed scores?
Gifted and talented experts recommend the use of local norms of assessment scores as an equitable approach to ensure equity and access in identification of students for program access. Additionally, the current draft of Gifted and Talented Definitions from the Maryland State Department of Education includes the use of local norms as part of the gifted and talented identification process.
MCPS locally normed scores are designed to examine test takers in relation to one another within MCPS. As part of the middle school magnet identification process, scores obtained on the MAP assessment were locally normed.

Anonymous wrote:I think there have been enough scores posted here that we know the cut off was around 95th percentile.

Anonymous wrote:My child who had a 96th percentile score in R was in pool but did not get picked. Does it depend on school?

Anonymous wrote:I think there have been enough scores posted here that we know the cut off was around 95th percentile.

Anonymous wrote:Just received this email:

Families of Grade 5 students in the middle school regional magnet lottery pool,

During the week of March 22, MCPS will begin filling vacancies in the regional magnet programs. The Upcounty regional magnet programs are housed at Roberto Clemente Middle School (math, science, computer science) and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School (humanities and communication), and the Downcounty programs are housed at Eastern Middle School (humanities and communication) and Takoma Park Middle School (math, science, computer science). All students in the lottery pool are eligible for a seat when an opening occurs. MCPS will contact you if your student has been invited.

Fingers crossed for everyone!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Can you cite any data to conclude that this year's class is much different from previous years? If anything, in previous years, the cutoff was 95 percentile on MAP-M and the self-reported scores put the cutoff this year at 98 percentile. One would infer from the self-reported data here on DCUM that this year's class is higher caliber.

I don't think there's a big difference between 95% and 98%, but I also don't care about the brand name or whatever the pp is talking about. I just care that my child is challenged by the curriculum and taught well. If not at a magnet middle, then hopefully though the enriched curriculum at the home middle school. Just sayin'

Anonymous wrote:
Can you cite any data to conclude that this year's class is much different from previous years? If anything, in previous years, the cutoff was 95 percentile on MAP-M and the self-reported scores put the cutoff this year at 98 percentile. One would infer from the self-reported data here on DCUM that this year's class is higher caliber.