Just wanted to report back. My son took the HGC test yesterday. It was very short and had analogies and number patterns on it. Over half of the third graders at our school took it.

We are at a Fox Chapel feeder school testing on Monday and the GT Liaison does not know the test format yet. So, what is the format of the test going to be? Is it same as the previous years or is it different?

We are Fox Chapel and it is tomorrow.

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone in the Fox Chapel /Drew pilot schools take the test? Was it also a shorter version that other schools that took the test in Jan reported ?

Test at our Drew-feeder school is next Monday.

Did anyone in the Fox Chapel /Drew pilot schools take the test? Was it also a shorter version that other schools that took the test in Jan reported ?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a way we can protest against this?...even though we voiced our opposition in meetings last year, it didn't seem to matter. While they are running these "pilot" the kids who are being left out (primarily affecting the white and Asian... and oh if you forgot, Asians are a minority who wont benefit from any of these initiatives... sigh), wont get to go back to 3rd grade again. My second DD is in first grade, I hope they get their sh*t together soon

It has been made clear over and over by MCPS (the superintendent) and by the BOE that closing the 'achievement gap' is a major priority. They are not interested in 'challenging' advanced learners AT ALL. Not a priority. Until that changes, this kind of stuff will continue.

The gap will finally be closed once the HGC test is shortened and updated to consist of one question - signing the student's name.

Anonymous wrote:Is there a way we can protest against this?...even though we voiced our opposition in meetings last year, it didn't seem to matter. While they are running these "pilot" the kids who are being left out (primarily affecting the white and Asian... and oh if you forgot, Asians are a minority who wont benefit from any of these initiatives... sigh), wont get to go back to 3rd grade again. My second DD is in first grade, I hope they get their sh*t together soon

It has been made clear over and over by MCPS (the superintendent) and by the BOE that closing the 'achievement gap' is a major priority. They are not interested in 'challenging' advanced learners AT ALL. Not a priority. Until that changes, this kind of stuff will continue.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a pilot and probably not a permanent situation. I'm guessing they will open up an "HGC" class at each ES then get rid of the current programs. Then in a few years they will figure out that the new "HGC" still doesn't have the right demographics so make everyone "hightly gifted" or "advanced" and then the problem is solved!.

Kidding, I hope.

It will be like middle school where everyone gets the advanced curriculum..which means it is not advanced!

We can now add that it can be like compacted math with the changes were there are remedial groups in the "advanced" classes.

Is there a way we can protest against this?...even though we voiced our opposition in meetings last year, it didn't seem to matter. While they are running these "pilot" the kids who are being left out (primarily affecting the white and Asian... and oh if you forgot, Asians are a minority who wont benefit from any of these initiatives... sigh), wont get to go back to 3rd grade again. My second DD is in first grade, I hope they get their sh*t together soon

Anonymous wrote:This is a pilot and probably not a permanent situation. I'm guessing they will open up an "HGC" class at each ES then get rid of the current programs. Then in a few years they will figure out that the new "HGC" still doesn't have the right demographics so make everyone "hightly gifted" or "advanced" and then the problem is solved!.

Kidding, I hope.

It will be like middle school where everyone gets the advanced curriculum..which means it is not advanced!

If they put them in every school then the large schools should have more than 1 HGC classroom. It is unfair that at some schools 1/2 the kids will qualify and at larger schools only 20% would. I agree that this program will not last because they will discover that they are not racially balanced either. Also the curriculum will change to accommodate 10 times more kids.

This is a pilot and probably not a permanent situation. I'm guessing they will open up an "HGC" class at each ES then get rid of the current programs. Then in a few years they will figure out that the new "HGC" still doesn't have the right demographics so make everyone "hightly gifted" or "advanced" and then the problem is solved!.

Kidding, I hope.

Anonymous wrote:So they are planning to open 27 seats in 2 schools - Matsunaga and Stone mill and only students in that home school will be eligible to fill up those seats? I thought in the past, they would make sure students from every school got the opportunity to go into HGC and that is why only few (3 or 4) from each school. This new move complete gives an advantage to kids in those 2 schools. Last year my daughter was 1 among 8 wait-listed for HGC as there were too many kids from her school who scored beyond the median scores. Now while all qualified students in matsunaga/stone mill will get a seat in HGC, kids in other school will still have to go through this filter. Why not make the seats in these new HGC centers accessible to everyone and there would be a better distribution to kids from all schools?

Because you would fill it up with more whites and Asians and MCPS wants blacks and Hispanics.

I don't believe the experience at these schools will be the same siince they will include many kids who would not be included at regional schools. It is a huge perk for these kids to have an accelerated class though.

So they are planning to open 27 seats in 2 schools - Matsunaga and Stone mill and only students in that home school will be eligible to fill up those seats? I thought in the past, they would make sure students from every school got the opportunity to go into HGC and that is why only few (3 or 4) from each school. This new move complete gives an advantage to kids in those 2 schools. Last year my daughter was 1 among 8 wait-listed for HGC as there were too many kids from her school who scored beyond the median scores. Now while all qualified students in matsunaga/stone mill will get a seat in HGC, kids in other school will still have to go through this filter. Why not make the seats in these new HGC centers accessible to everyone and there would be a better distribution to kids from all schools?