Anonymous wrote:Folks complaining here about their child being "discriminated against" for their zip code REALLY need to take a look at the thread where folks with acceptances are posting their home schools.

Their "I was robbed" hypothesis is not holding up.

Sample size 7/200 .... tells you more about the DCUM audience than actual admissions

Anonymous wrote:As the PP said -- if they expand the magnet programs, people will complain that they're "watered down" and "dumbed down" and so on. If they don't expand the magnet programs, people will complain that they're excluding smart kids.

If you know how to solve this problem, please run for a seat on the BoE.

How about tracking in home schools especially at the middle school level (have a "gifted" track above the honors level classes for the top 10-20% much like AAP in Fairfax). In addition, have magnet programs for students who are in the top 3%. Many of these kids are one or two standard deviations away from the kids in the top 10% and would really benefit from and in many cases need a special program just like any special needs population. You just don't have enough kids in any school cluster for them to remain in their home schools and so you do still need an Eastern/Takoma Park/Blair SMAC for this smaller group. So leave the magnet programs alone and introduce an AAP style program in every middle school. High schools in MCPS already have plenty of differentiation as there are plenty of AP class offerings and in addition many high schools offer classes at the high school run by Montgomery College lecturers in subjects where there isn't an equivalent AP offered.
The population that is not currently being served by MCPS are kids in the top 10-20% (above average kids) in the elementary school and middle school years.

Folks complaining here about their child being "discriminated against" for their zip code REALLY need to take a look at the thread where folks with acceptances are posting their home schools.

Their "I was robbed" hypothesis is not holding up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As the PP said -- if they expand the magnet programs, people will complain that they're "watered down" and "dumbed down" and so on. If they don't expand the magnet programs, people will complain that they're excluding smart kids.

If you know how to solve this problem, please run for a seat on the BoE.

I rather it'd be water down slightly, given the selection criteria have left out so many kids that deserve some form of acceleration.

PP again. And I really don't think it has to be watered down.

Anonymous wrote:As the PP said -- if they expand the magnet programs, people will complain that they're "watered down" and "dumbed down" and so on. If they don't expand the magnet programs, people will complain that they're excluding smart kids.

If you know how to solve this problem, please run for a seat on the BoE.

I rather it'd be water down slightly, given the selection criteria have left out so many kids that deserve some form of acceleration.

As the PP said -- if they expand the magnet programs, people will complain that they're "watered down" and "dumbed down" and so on. If they don't expand the magnet programs, people will complain that they're excluding smart kids.

If you know how to solve this problem, please run for a seat on the BoE.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure if this information was sent to all the families who applied to the MS magnets but just in case this two page FAQs from MCPS describes their selection process this year and also outlines the appeals process. The deadline to appeal is February 23rd

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/curriculum/specialprograms/middle/Frequently%20Asked%20Questions%20Eastern%20and%20Takoma%20Park%20Magnet%20ProgramsFINAL.pdf

It is very unfortunate there are not both more magnet seats and stronger home school programs and appropriate grouping for the many highly intelligent, engaged and hardworking students in all parts of MCPS. Let's work on that.

But if you are appealing based on a change in the percent of HGC students who got in this year compared to the percent of students who got in from that HGC last year, know that seems to be the case for all HGCs. If you are appealing because you believe the decline was greater in your HGC than in other HGCs consider whether your HGC's median levels have tended to be highest for the portion of the application exam most influenced by in home or outside the home prepping. If that is the case, consider the impact of the removal of that style math from the admissions test. In addition, consider how many additional students scored at or above the median acceptance test levels as a result of the expansion of the pool by several hundred percent. Oh and upthread somewhere is reference to an MCPS official saying the admission committee wouldn't know your home ES. Ok, appeal away.

It is very unfortunate there are not both more magnet seats and stronger home school programs and appropriate grouping for the many highly intelligent, engaged and hardworking students in all parts of MCPS. Let's work on that.


THIS, FULL STOP. MCPS magnet program and # admitted is sub-scale in size, given how large the county is and how large the budget is. Fairfax and Arlington can serve a larger % of total student body. This isn't about "gifted" versus "very smart", this is having too small a program that shuts out top gifted students due to lack of size and space, as well as terrible logistics/transportation implications.

+100

They need to do this for ES and MS. They need to do way more for all the rest of the intelligent, motivated kids in MCPS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure if this information was sent to all the families who applied to the MS magnets but just in case this two page FAQs from MCPS describes their selection process this year and also outlines the appeals process. The deadline to appeal is February 23rd

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/curriculum/specialprograms/middle/Frequently%20Asked%20Questions%20Eastern%20and%20Takoma%20Park%20Magnet%20ProgramsFINAL.pdf

It is very unfortunate there are not both more magnet seats and stronger home school programs and appropriate grouping for the many highly intelligent, engaged and hardworking students in all parts of MCPS. Let's work on that.

But if you are appealing based on a change in the percent of HGC students who got in this year compared to the percent of students who got in from that HGC last year, know that seems to be the case for all HGCs. If you are appealing because you believe the decline was greater in your HGC than in other HGCs consider whether your HGC's median levels have tended to be highest for the portion of the application exam most influenced by in home or outside the home prepping. If that is the case, consider the impact of the removal of that style math from the admissions test. In addition, consider how many additional students scored at or above the median acceptance test levels as a result of the expansion of the pool by several hundred percent. Oh and upthread somewhere is reference to an MCPS official saying the admission committee wouldn't know your home ES. Ok, appeal away.

It is very unfortunate there are not both more magnet seats and stronger home school programs and appropriate grouping for the many highly intelligent, engaged and hardworking students in all parts of MCPS. Let's work on that.


THIS, FULL STOP. MCPS magnet program and # admitted is sub-scale in size, given how large the county is and how large the budget is. Fairfax and Arlington can serve a larger % of total student body. This isn't about "gifted" versus "very smart", this is having too small a program that shuts out top gifted students due to lack of size and space, as well as terrible logistics/transportation implications.

And if they do that, DCUM witches will complain that the program is not really for the gifted, it's watered down because too many can get in and mingle with their precious snowflakes. (See the many threads about that already ).
MCPS can't win .

Anonymous wrote:Tell me what is the difference ?


You are not recommended to our magnet program because you are from a competitive school cohort !

You are not welcome to USA because you are from a shithole country !

You are not welcome to the USA, because you are from a shithole country and therefore a shithole person.

You are not recommended to our magnet program, because you are from a competitive school cohort and therefore need the magnet program less than academically-able students from non-competitive school cohorts.

Now do you perceive the difference?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a parent who has a child finishing up at TPMS Magnet I can tell you that unless a student has a support structure at home, they will have difficulty succeeding. If filling out an application was too overwhelming, there is probably little chance they will be able to keep up with the workload. Political correctness will not allow MCPS to ever admit this so inevitably standards and expectations will be lowered.

I know that the private schools are excited by these changes.

If they scored the 99s needed, with no support structure, then they are a cut above the supported students and will be fine. Thanks for the concern .

But this year's test is easier than last years'. So I wouldn't give too much importance to 99 percent. Even in the old magnet class, let me tell you that 50% of the class was not anywhere of the same caliber as the top 20%. Now that top 20% along with many others are denied. I would be interested to see how national awards won by Takoma gets affected in this year's class.

No, this year's test is not easier. The Top 20% got in, your child did not get in because he/she is not in the top 20% and could not prep for the test.

"Even in the old magnet class, let me tell you that 50% of the class was not anywhere of the same caliber as the top 20%. Now that top 20% along with many others are denied. I would be interested to see how national awards won by Takoma gets affected in this year's class."

A--no one actually knows that the "top 20%" were denied.

B--I feel very confident in assuming that whoever posted that comment does not have inside information as to the academic profile and test scores of 70% of the students in both magnet programs or even just at Takoma.

C--Speaking for myself, I happen also to be curious, just for curiosity's sake, if all of a sudden Takoma won't win awards and instead those awards will suddenly be transferred to Hoover or Cabin John or whichever is the MS for those deprived Cold Spring students. If that is the case, those parents will see a rise in their property values, so it's all good--yes, that was tongue in cheek--but as a previous poster said, the purpose of magnet programs is not for the school to rack up awards. If that is not the case and Takoma keeps doing well at awards, I do hope the poster will come back and repost an acknowledgement of error...

Anonymous wrote:We are not appealing, but how can the admission committee not know your home school and then say you have a peer group.

They must know the MS, just not the specific feeder ES.

Anonymous wrote:PP again--this was my comment, I hadn't meant for it to be in the quoted part.

As the parent of a child accepted to one of the magnets whose child is not in the HGC/CES, I had not realized this was the same test those students took (we didn't apply so our child had never taken the COGAT before or anything like that). Absolutely, one could very reasonably say HGC/CES kids had a testing advantage because of that, so even less reason for complaints on their part.

PP again--and before anyone asks, since I am now beginning to make my way through this whole thread, DC's scores were 99s.

PP again--this was my comment, I hadn't meant for it to be in the quoted part.

As the parent of a child accepted to one of the magnets whose child is not in the HGC/CES, I had not realized this was the same test those students took (we didn't apply so our child had never taken the COGAT before or anything like that). Absolutely, one could very reasonably say HGC/CES kids had a testing advantage because of that, so even less reason for complaints on their part.