Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The test is COGAT. Do they also have to write an essay? How long is the test for MS?

I am currently involved with an ES with majority low income, mostly URMs students and it is absolutely shocking how they do not know how to read and write even when they are in 2nd and 3rd grade. I am not able to understand why that is? These students have been in the pre-K, K and early ES grades in MCPS from the start. Why are they lagging behind?

MCPS is generally not teaching ES students how to write essays. The standard curriculum even for sixth focuses on writing a well-constructed paragraph. My DD was in private school until sixth. As a result, she was one of the few students in her Advanced English 6 that already knew what a thesis was or that she shouldn’t start with “I will tell you about...”

Anonymous wrote:I bet a high percentage of responses will claim their kids didn’t prep. I proctor these tests. Most of the kids prep.

Test prep is valuable in its own right. It can teach vocabulary or strengthen math or reasoning skills and help a child to become familiar with the types of questions on the test. Test prep also can help the child develop test-taking skills, which will serve them when they take the SAT/ACT. Test prep can help the child be less nervous and build confidence. Test prep won't make a child who isn't highly gifted become highly gifted.

A benefit of A Plus or Dr. Li that a lot of time is dedicated to learning material and becoming familiar with the test. That doesn't mean that a highly gifted child who is focused and puts in the time can't learn the same material just as well with books or online resources (some free).

MCPS publicly announced which test would be used, so anyone can get that information.

Anonymous wrote:There are some great comments on this thread and in this forum.

If someone could collect all the relevant information from these forums and share it with all the parents in MCPS, would that make a dent in the achievement gap?

Do you think more people would apply in MS Magnet if they knew that the test was CoGAT?

You don't "apply" anymore. There are screenings of all 5th graders. And MCPS has said for a while now that they use the CoGAT.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You should understand that this right here is why they changed the admission criteria last year.

MCPS took the identification of candidates and the application process out of parents' hands because parents were manipulating it this way by trying to find out what is on the test and giving their children unfair advance knowledge of it. Now, the test for CES is much shorter and counts for less weight. This is entirely because the county wants to serve children who truly need it, not children whose parents gave them the answers.

They changed criteria because people were drinking beer, doing drugs and were not using birth control?

Are you the polar bear/lemming poster? Because neither of these responses made any sense to me.

Really? What did not make sense to me is the assertion that parents knew what was on the test and they gave their kids answers?

We are denying access to meritorious students to a good program because two chronically low performing communities have been socialized into thinking that they don't have to work hard at all, but their kids deserve to get into such programs for just existing? A culture of giving hand-outs for political reasons, instead of actually trying to close the achievement gap with better curriculum and instruction to all. will produce only these kinds of results.

This is vile. My child is at a CES -- Pine Crest -- that is very ethnically diverse and they are all impressive, bright, terrific kids who will accomplish great things. You don't know anything about them.

Now that I read it a second time it is vile, when I first saw "two chronically low performing communities have been socialized into thinking that they don't have to work hard at all, but their kids deserve to get into such programs for just existing?" I thought - white men? Hysterical.

Racists are on the DCUM.

Anonymous wrote:There are some great comments on this thread and in this forum.

If someone could collect all the relevant information from these forums and share it with all the parents in MCPS, would that make a dent in the achievement gap?

Do you think more people would apply in MS Magnet if they knew that the test was CoGAT?

No.. my DC and friends didn't bother applying to MS magnet because of the distance.

For those who are not that far or don't mind the distance.. would they apply if they knew the test was a cogat? I doubt it. Why would that matter? They know there is a test. Does it matter if its a cogat or something else?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The test is COGAT. Do they also have to write an essay? How long is the test for MS?

I am currently involved with an ES with majority low income, mostly URMs students and it is absolutely shocking how they do not know how to read and write even when they are in 2nd and 3rd grade. I am not able to understand why that is? These students have been in the pre-K, K and early ES grades in MCPS from the start. Why are they lagging behind?

Home life. A lot of the kids have issues at home, and they bring those issues to school. Teachers spend time being mommy/daddy/therapist in school.

Despite what people think, practicing things like reading, writing, math at home is essential, even if it's just a few minutes, but too many kids don't do this at home.

There are some great comments on this thread and in this forum.

If someone could collect all the relevant information from these forums and share it with all the parents in MCPS, would that make a dent in the achievement gap?

Do you think more people would apply in MS Magnet if they knew that the test was CoGAT?

Anonymous wrote:The test is COGAT. Do they also have to write an essay? How long is the test for MS?

I am currently involved with an ES with majority low income, mostly URMs students and it is absolutely shocking how they do not know how to read and write even when they are in 2nd and 3rd grade. I am not able to understand why that is? These students have been in the pre-K, K and early ES grades in MCPS from the start. Why are they lagging behind?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a travesty to not include a Black or Hispanic student into the magnet program if they are bright and high achieving. It's also a travesty to not include a Asian-American or White student into the magnet program if they are bright and high achieving.

What do you do when the seats are limited? What if there are only 100 seats? Then you take the top 100 students based on a rigorous test.

Well, what about the students who do not have the wherewithal to prep and cannot go to Asian "cram" centers? Well, good news! They can certainly go to the George B Thomas Academy - Saturday School https://www.saturdayschool.org/ to get tutoring and certainly go on Khan Academy. And even better news - most students do not go to these prep schools to prep and even then they get admitted.

Hooray!!!

Equal opportunity to all!!

Maybe that's what you would do if you ran a school system, but it's not what MCPS does, or ever did.

I'd argue that MCPS does take the top students now. The problem is not all schools are the same. People pay hundreds of thousands more for homes in some pyramids because the shools are so much better and confer a massive advantage. This new criteria simply offsets this advantage and attempts to identify the actual best and brightest within the larger system.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a travesty to not include a Black or Hispanic student into the magnet program if they are bright and high achieving. It's also a travesty to not include a Asian-American or White student into the magnet program if they are bright and high achieving.

What do you do when the seats are limited? What if there are only 100 seats? Then you take the top 100 students based on a rigorous test.

Well, what about the students who do not have the wherewithal to prep and cannot go to Asian "cram" centers? Well, good news! They can certainly go to the George B Thomas Academy - Saturday School https://www.saturdayschool.org/ to get tutoring and certainly go on Khan Academy. And even better news - most students do not go to these prep schools to prep and even then they get admitted.

Hooray!!!

Equal opportunity to all!!

Maybe that's what you would do if you ran a school system, but it's not what MCPS does, or ever did.

Well, that would have worked if no one knew what that 'rigorous' test is. In reality, everyone who wants to know, does. So those who are in the know do get an advantage over those who aren't.
And the test is --- drum roll, please!! -- COGAT!

OP, now you have your answer, go sign up your child up for a CoGat prep class, three months and 1,000 bucks later your progeny will be declared gifted and talented and enrolled in a magnet. You are welcome.

Only problem is that if 3 months COGAT prep course by A-Plus and Dr. Li at the cost of $1000 bucks would close the achievement gap then MCPS would not have the current problem of the insurmountable Achievement Chasm.. Problem would be solved.

Maybe, MCPS should run a test and see if they can put students in A-Plus for 3 months and see them transform into GT students. That would be so wonderful. Mr. Li and Mr. Yeh would get Nobel prize in the field of education.

Cannot make a silk purse out of sow's ear, my dear!

The test is COGAT. Do they also have to write an essay? How long is the test for MS?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a travesty to not include a Black or Hispanic student into the magnet program if they are bright and high achieving. It's also a travesty to not include a Asian-American or White student into the magnet program if they are bright and high achieving.

What do you do when the seats are limited? What if there are only 100 seats? Then you take the top 100 students based on a rigorous test.

Well, what about the students who do not have the wherewithal to prep and cannot go to Asian "cram" centers? Well, good news! They can certainly go to the George B Thomas Academy - Saturday School https://www.saturdayschool.org/ to get tutoring and certainly go on Khan Academy. And even better news - most students do not go to these prep schools to prep and even then they get admitted.

Hooray!!!

Equal opportunity to all!!

Maybe that's what you would do if you ran a school system, but it's not what MCPS does, or ever did.

Well, that would have worked if no one knew what that 'rigorous' test is. In reality, everyone who wants to know, does. So those who are in the know do get an advantage over those who aren't.
And the test is --- drum roll, please!! -- COGAT!

OP, now you have your answer, go sign up your child up for a CoGat prep class, three months and 1,000 bucks later your progeny will be declared gifted and talented and enrolled in a magnet. You are welcome.

Anonymous wrote:It's a travesty to not include a Black or Hispanic student into the magnet program if they are bright and high achieving. It's also a travesty to not include a Asian-American or White student into the magnet program if they are bright and high achieving.

What do you do when the seats are limited? What if there are only 100 seats? Then you take the top 100 students based on a rigorous test.

Well, what about the students who do not have the wherewithal to prep and cannot go to Asian "cram" centers? Well, good news! They can certainly go to the George B Thomas Academy - Saturday School https://www.saturdayschool.org/ to get tutoring and certainly go on Khan Academy. And even better news - most students do not go to these prep schools to prep and even then they get admitted.

Hooray!!!

Equal opportunity to all!!

Maybe that's what you would do if you ran a school system, but it's not what MCPS does, or ever did.