for Students Entering Grade 9 in 2018-2019

Welcome to the Downcounty Consortium HS

Options Fair!

Charting a Path to Your Future WhereYou can Thrive at ALL Five!

Downcounty Consortium (DCC) High Schools

Montgomery Blair HS

Albert Einstein HS

John F. Kennedy HS

Northwood HS

Wheaton HS

What do all Downcounty Consortium high schools have in common?

• Comprehensive high school curriculum

• Rigorous academic course work

• Honors & Advanced Placement (AP) courses

• Special Education & ESOL programs

• Students from at least nine middle schools

• Student activities, clubs, athletics

• Partnerships with universities, colleges, and businesses

• Academy programs

What is an academy?

• Sequence of related courses– Rigorous course work

– Variety of course offerings in the thematic area

• Focus on connecting academics and

career themes

• Appeals to students’ interests

• Small learning community

• Offers students opportunities for:– Interdisciplinary projects

– Capstone experiences

– College courses

September

Evening Options information meetings held at two high schools:

September 18 at Northwood HS

September 26 at Springbrook HS

October

DCC High School Open Houses @ 7 pm

Blair HS Wednesday, October 4

Kennedy HS Thursday, October 12

Wheaton HS Thursday, October 19

Northwood HS Thursday, October 26

Einstein HS Monday, October 30

Grade 8 students participate in career exploration activities in school

Choice form instructions mailed to DCC students’ homes (mid-October)

Lottery Choice Process Timeline for 2017-2018

October/November - Round 1

Evening enrollment for parents of DCC non-MCPS students held at Spring Mill Field Office on Wednesday, November 1 , 2017 - from 4:30 to 7:00 pm

RSVP: Please call 240-740-2540 to find out what documents to bring.

Electronic submission of HS Choices by all DCC residing students on or before Friday, November 3.

End of January

Parents/students notified by mail of high school assignment.

Lottery Choice Process Timeline for 2017-2018

Choice Form Submission

DCC parents/students will complete a

Choice form:

• Rank the five high schools in order of

preference.

• On the form, indicate if you would like

the child to attend the same DCC

school that an older sibling will attend

in 2018-2019.

• Submit your Choices by Friday,

November 3, 2017.*

Note: DCC students who do not complete a Choice

form will be randomly assigned to a DCC high school.

A sneak preview of

the academies by

high school…

You can Thrive at ALL Five!

Broadcast Journalism &

CommunicationsThis academy prepares students for careers in television production, internet-based media, and broadcast reporting. JFK is the only PBS News Hour school in MCPS. The PBSNewsHour Student Reporting Lab program connects our students to local PBS stations and news professionals in the community to produce original, student-generated video reports. To view the JFK Student Reporting Lab page, go to: https://goo.gl/eyZK7v

Business Administration

and ManagementThis academy introduces students to general accounting and entrepreneurial principals through real-world case studies and hands-on practice. Students develop the foundation to utilize industry relevant software and earn Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certifications. MOS is the only internationally recognized Microsoft certification.

Health ProfessionsThis academy offers two rigorous pathways: Medical Careers (CNA) and Physical Rehabilitation. Students who successfully complete the Medical Careers pathway earn a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certificate from the Maryland Board of Nursing.

Navy Junior Reserve

Officers Training Corps Since 1966, NJROTC has been training students in citizenship and leadership. Sixty percent of NJROTC graduating seniors go on to post-secondary education.

International Baccalaureate

World SchoolIB is an internationally recognized course

of study serving as the cornerstone of the overall academic program at John F.

Kenney High School

Leadership Training InstituteJFK’s LTI signature program empowers students through rigorous interdisciplinary experiential learning, community service projects, and leadership theory and application. The vision of the program is to empower students to become civic minded, self-reliant, service driven adults.

John F. Kennedy High School

Entrepreneurship Human Services

Professions

Media, Music & The ArtsInternational Studies and Law

Science, Technology,

Engineering, and Math

The International

Baccalaureate Program is

committed to ensuring that

students master the skills and

knowledge to empower them

as critical thinkers and

informed participants in local

and world affairs through

comprehensive and balanced

curricula and challenging

assessments.

The Visual and

Performing Arts

Academy provides

students with a

strong artistic and

academic

program that

develops the skills

necessary to pursue

careers in the visual

and performing arts.

The Academy of Finance

introduces students to the broad

career opportunities in the financial

services industries including

business, marketing, accounting and

more.

The Renaissance Academy

emphasizes the development of

mathematical, reading, writing, and

public speaking skills and their

connection to the arts and sciences.

Academy of Information Technology students

are recognized by the National Academy Foundation

and Code.org for completing four years of study which

can include an internship and college courses.

Institute of Global and Cultural Studiesstudents use state-of-the-art technology to create

music, art, and deliberate with global & cultural

issues, culminating in four to six college courses.

The Bioscience Academy offers four

Project Lead The Way courses that can

earn college credit. They collectively explore

prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of

disease to solve 21st century health solutions

The Academy of Engineering offers

six Project Lead The Way courses that can

earn college credit. They apply math and

science concepts to real world problems

through hands-on projects.

The Academy of Finance,

Marketing, Accounting and

Education

The Academy of Music,

Theatre and Dance

The Academy of Politics, Advocacy,

and Law

Montgomery College

Middle College at Northwood

The Academy of Humanities, Art,

and Media

The Academy of Technological,

Environmental, and Systems

Sciences

How are students assigned to a high school?

A computerized lottery assignment

system is used to assign students to

a high school. A variety of factors are

considered when running the lottery.

• A student’s base high school is determined by the home address.

• Assignment to the base high school is guaranteed if it is selected as:

FIRST choice on the Choice form

OR

Second choice on the Choice form if the first choice school is not available.

• Base high school is not guaranteed if a student changes his/her mind after the lottery has been run and an assignment has been made.

• To identify your base area school, visit the school locator website:

http://gis.mcpsmd.org/SchoolAssignmentTool2/Index.xhtml

Base High School Selection

What variables may impact school

assignment?

• School capacity as determined by MCPS

• Ranking of school choices

• Number of students selecting their base high school

• Sibling link, if indicated on the Choice form

• Socioeconomic status (number of students who receive free or reduced meals)

• Gender

Are students guaranteed assignment

to the same DCC high school as an

older sibling?

Every effort will be made to assign siblings to the same DCC school ifindicated on the Choice form. Sibling link is only considered, however,when the sibling is in the comprehensive program (not application ormagnet programs) at that high school. School assignments alsoconsider space availability.

How does the high school assignment process work?

1st Choice = Base

1st Choice

Older Sibling

1st Choice

Non-Base/Lottery

Transportation is provided for students who live within the Downcounty Consortium attendance area, beyond walking distance of their assigned DCC high school. Walking distance is determined by MCPS and is approximately two miles for high school students.

Will transportation be provided?

How do students who live outside the DCC area and are on a transfer into a DCC middle school participate in

the Choice process?

• Applies to students who participate in special programs at DCC middle schools but reside outside of the DCC (immersion, magnet, MSMC)

• Transfer students have the options of participating in Round 2 of the Choice process

• They will receive Choice form instructions in the mail at the end of January and will submit choices electronically in mid February

• Any students attending DCC middle schools who reside outside the DCC attendance area will have the option of submitting choices in mid-February

*Note: Transfer students are also eligible to apply to the DCC-only application programs.

February

– Choice Process – Round 2 (Deadline: Friday, February 9, 2018)

• Choice forms due from Grade 8 students who enroll in a DCC middle school after Round 1

• Choice forms due from Grade 8 students on transfer into a DCC middle school who choose to

participate in the process

• Written requests due from parents of students who did not get their first

choice in Round 1 asking for original school choices to be resubmitted in Round 2

• Changes to the Choice form will not be accepted

Note: Students who receive their first choice in Round 1 may NOT participate in Round 2.

March

– Round 2 high school assignment letters mailed to participants’ homes

April/May

– Appeal letters due early April

– Appeals reviewed (late April – May)

DCC Choice Timeline After Round 1

• In February of each school year, Grades 9-11 students

have the opportunity to request a change of DCC high

school assignment for the following school year.

• Change of Choice forms will be available in DCC high

school counseling offices in late January/early February.

• The completed form, signed by the parent, must be

returned by Friday, February 9, 2018, in order to be

considered

• Change of Choice results may consider the number of

seats available, base high school, socioeconomic status

and gender.

High School Change of Choice

What high school application-only programs are available to students?

DCC Only*

• Communication Arts Program (CAP) at Blair HS

• Leadership Training Institute (LTI) at Kennedy HS

• The Biomedical and Engineering Application Programs at Wheaton HS

MCPS Application-Only Programs

• Science, Mathematics, Computer Science Magnet at Blair HS

• International Baccalaureate (IB) Magnet at Richard Montgomery HS

• Visual Art Center (VAC) at Einstein HS

• Global Ecology House at Poolesville HS

• Thomas Edison High School of Technology (Offers half-day professional career and technology education programs. Accepted students attend their assigned high school for the other half-day).

*Grade 8 students must reside inthe DCC or attend a DCC middle school in order to apply.

- DCC students who apply for application-only programs must also submit a

completed Choice form by Friday, November 3, 2017.

Please complete your evaluation form and

return it to one of the students at our table fair.

If you are interested in learning about countywide

magnet or application-only programs, there will be an

8 pm presentation in the auditorium.

Thank you for coming this evening!

I can THRIVE at ALL 5! 5 Great Schools! 5 Great Choices!