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<div class="col-lg-12">
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<div class="text-center text-fluid">
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<h1 class="mt-5 mb-2">Thanks for your support!</h1>
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<p class="lead">Your email has been sent!</p>
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<p class="lead">You're almost done!</p>
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<hr>
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<h3 class="text-center mt-4 mb-4">Thanks for all your help! We sent your letter along to the school board, but if you'd like to send your own, just follow these instructions:</h3>
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<ol class="text-left">
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<h3><li>First, copy the letter
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<button type="button" onclick="copyLetter()" id="copyLetterButton" data-clipboard-target="#letter" class="btn btn-secondary">Copy</button></li></h3>
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<div id="letter">
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<p>My name is {{form.name}}, and I am writing today to voice my support for the following letter and my disapproval of the currently proposed system. Please reply to <a href="mailto:lettertofcps@gmail.com">lettertofcps@gmail.com</a> with any questions or comments.</p>
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<p>{{form.message}}</p>
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<h1><strong>Letter to FCPS regarding TJ Admissions</strong></h1>
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<p>Written by current TJHSST Students</p>
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<p><a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BTGKX652F413/$file/TJHSST%20Admissions%20Merit%20Lottery%20Proposal.pdf">Original Proposal</a></p>
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<p>Dear FCPS School Board members and Virginia State Legislators,</p>
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<p>We, as current students of TJHSST, write to you in response to the merit lottery proposal for TJ admissions. From the very first day, we were welcomed to an extraordinary community that allowed us to pursue our passions and connect with those who shared our interests. We care deeply about TJ and its future, and while we acknowledge that the lack of diversity at our school is an urgent issue, this proposal is not the answer. The board’s proposition is rushed, unfair, and stands against the values of TJ. </p>
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<p>The current application process is race-blind, upholds the values of meritocracy, and seeks to determine the individuals who are the most passionate about STEM. While we understand that the current admissions process has many shortcomings, the new proposal fails to solve these issues and creates a plethora of new problems. </p>
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<p>TJHSST is a unique community built on its passion for learning. We agree that everyone in Northern Virginia should be given a fair chance towards TJ’s educational opportunities. The disadvantages that lower-income and minority students face arecreated far before an applicant sits down to take the TJ test, and that is the problem we, as a school, as a community, and as a state, need to address. In this letter, we detail alternative solutions for both the pipeline and admissions process that we feel would effectively help TJ demographics better reflect those of Fairfax County in the long term.</p>
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<h1><strong>Concerns with the current proposal</strong></h1>
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<p><em>The proposed lottery process was first introduced to the public on September 15th, with a decision being made on October 8th. We would like the board to recognize the ramifications of rolling out such a sweeping policy on such a short timeline. </em></p>
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<p><strong>The proposal is rushed and largely fails to take into account the opinions of members of the TJ community.</strong></p>
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<p>The proposal was given three weeks in the public’s eye, and we feel the timeline doesn’t give an appropriate amount of time for the board to receive and process the much-needed community input that plays a crucial role in board proceedings. The board and state have both hosted a few “town halls” on virtual meeting platforms such as Zoom, which include minimal ways for community members to provide input on the proposal. These town halls have proven that the input provided during the meetings has been ignored, and hosts have often explicitly stated that they will not be addressing questions posted in the Q&A or chatbox. We ask that the board commits to providing a better platform for students, parents, and other community members to provide their feedback and thoughts.</p>
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<p><strong>The proposal is extremely vague.</strong></p>
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<p>The information regarding this proposal provided to the public omits important details. We do not know the weight of the SIS essays in the proposed admissions system, what the proposed “questionnaires” actually are, whether there are different priority lottery pathways, or if the lottery pathways are solely regional. Because these are not defined, those who support the lottery have no clear idea of what they are supporting. Additionally, the lottery system is now subject to last-minute “clarifications” away from the public’s eye, which is very dangerous considering the wide-spread implications of the system.</p>
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<p><strong>The lottery systems examples are cherry-picked and largely inapplicable.</strong></p>
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<p>The proposal lists five schools as evidence of high functioning lottery admission schools. Among them, BASIS Arizona is a charter school, bound to different state and local regulations. However, the lottery system fails to reflect diversity in the area. For example, at BASIS Arizona Chandler, 68% of students are Asian, compared to 3% in the surrounding area. Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology in Georgia has a total of 706 applicants for the lottery pool, in which 590 were admitted[5]. They also require end of course math and SAT/PSAT cutoff scores to register. International Community School of Washington state does have a lottery admission system, but it occurs in 6th grade, not 9th grade where children's talents and abilities are much more defined. Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School has a total enrollment of only 514 students and in its admissions process, the school also considers academic records and personal interviews in addition to the lottery. Raisbeck Aviation High School only takes 105 students per year and is highly specialized in aeronautics. We find it disappointing that the current proposal cited schools simply for the fact that they have a lottery system without observing the specifics of the systems or the results those systems produced.</p>
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<p><em>The proposed process removes aspects of the TJHSST application process which we believe are equitable measures of a student’s success, replacing them with a fundamentally unsound and unfair system.</em></p>
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<p><strong>Removing teacher recommendations removes a vital way to understand a student beyond their test scores. </strong></p>
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<p>Students cannot take a prep class to show their passion for STEM to their teachers; the passion will be apparent to the teachers through extensive participation in class and the pursuit of complex subjects beyond the classroom. Letters of recommendation are also an essential way for students to demonstrate their aspirations and personality. Without this representation, students who demonstrate a passion for STEM in class but score poorly on tests would be overlooked during the application process. It is evident that the current teacher recommendations have many flaws; however, we do believe that they play a crucial part in any admissions process, and we’d like the Board to move to work with teachers to improve the recommendations.</p>
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<p><strong>The proposed system’s measure of student merit is inadequate.</strong></p>
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<p>“You are more than just a GPA.” That is a fundamental paradigm for any education system. However, the first step of the proposed lottery system lacks indicators of student merit other than a 3.5 GPA. Statistically speaking, it will take from the middle of the applicants of the second stage, instead of selecting those who are the most qualified. The biggest problem with the lottery system is that it ignores the fact that education across FCPS is not consistently rigorous, especially in core STEM classes such as Mathematics and Science. By instituting the lottery, the students who are accepted may not be the most qualified and may be gravely unprepared for the heavy coursework that is a part of TJ. This would create a toxic environment with students struggling with material that they were assumed to have mastered beforehand. The alternative is that TJ will reduce the rigor and difficulty of the school significantly, taking away more advanced courses and opportunities in favor of more basic ones.</p>
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<p>The system runs the further risk of attracting half-hearted applications - without an extensive admissions process, there is no effort required into putting an application forward. Lastly, a merit lottery system is likely to stigmatize disadvantaged students, insinuating that they were accepted because of chance, not qualifications or effort. Accepted applicants may feel as if their hard work in middle school did not positively affect their admission, while rejected applicants may feel that their spot was “stolen” by someone less qualified.[4]</p>
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<p><strong>The lottery system would take away many opportunities.</strong></p>
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<p>The new proposal would result in the termination of many high-level STEM courses. As the new proposal doesn’t differentiate students based on advanced math level, the number of students who only took Algebra 1 will increase, and the number of students that took extremely advanced math classes will decrease significantly (these kids tend to come from a few feeder schools in high quantities). Currently, many high-level courses such as complex analysis, differential equations, probability theory, quantum physics, matrix algebra, concrete math, and machine learning already have few students. These classes are unlike those offered anywhere else in the county. Under the lottery system, fewer students would be able to take these classes, and they would likely be discontinued.</p>
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<p><strong>The lottery system would ignore many of the students that truly need TJ.</strong></p>
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<p>Many students genuinely need TJ for the opportunities and classes it provides. These are the kids that are taking Multivariable calculus in freshman year, going to international olympiads, and taking AP physics before their junior year. While these students do not make up the majority of the TJ population, they should not be ignored. Students who truly need to go to TJ because of its opportunities and rigor are not guaranteed to be accepted by the proposed system.</p>
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<p><strong>The merit lottery and regional quota system may not increase diversity/representation.</strong></p>
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<p>The current TJ demographic is extremely disproportionate to the surrounding population, but not only in terms of acceptance rate but also in terms of applications in general. Unfortunately, there is a lack of input around the county from historically underrepresented populations about their views on TJ. The current proposal fails to tackle the core issues that cause there to be fewer applicants from those populations in the first place: some schools lack advanced classes and STEM extracurriculars. </p>
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<p>Quotas also fail to address the underlying issue of unequal education throughout the county, because they don’t actually help students become more well-prepared. When academic readiness and diversity throughout the county overlap, diversity within TJ will happen naturally. Instead of enforcing artificial quotas, we should seek to improve educational equity throughout the entire county. Diversity is not a number, it is an environment. </p>
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<p><strong>Regional quotas give some applicants an unfair advantage based on where they live and may have unanticipated consequences.</strong></p>
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<p>The current proposal’s lottery pathways have been organized in such a way that many schools with historically high TJ acceptance rates are grouped together (for example, Carson and Cooper in Region 1 and Longfellow and Kilmer in Region 2) while schools that traditionally do not produce as many TJ acceptances have far less competitive regional pathways. This leads to more qualified applicants being rejected from TJ while those who are less qualified would be accepted, simply because they live in a different region. Furthermore, this system is gameable as well, as parents can simply move out of more competitive regions. This would also have economic implications: as individuals move away from a certain area, many local businesses (even outside of those directly affected such as prep classes) within that area would subsequently suffer from the decrease in patronage.</p>
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<h1><strong>Our proposals</strong></h1>
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<p><em>The most effective solution to a lack of diversity at TJ would be to level the playing field for disadvantaged students far earlier. Yes, this proposal requires significant investment in schools that serve disadvantaged students. Yes, it is expensive. Yes, it will take more time than eliminating the admissions standards for TJ. Altering the TJ admissions process to a lottery is a band-aid solution that only intends to fix the visible issue, leaving the inherent problem of educational inequity maintained throughout the county. We believe that our proposals will help to increase TJ’s diversity while maintaining its academic excellence.</em></p>
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<p><strong>Increase targeted recruitment for TJ applicants at all regional middle schools</strong></p>
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<p>While we applaud the board for discussing the need for this change, we would like to iterate more specific solutions. Many middle schools, particularly those in low-income areas, barely mention TJHSST applications, and schools that neglect to talk about TJ are doing a disservice to students there who truly have a passion for STEM and would benefit from a rigorous high-level education like TJ. To significantly increase awareness of the possibility of applying to TJ, the Fairfax County School Board should consider making admission outreach mandatory for all middle schools in the county. Our proposal for implementing this is to have TJ student ambassadors be part of the outreach process, visiting and helping to encourage middle schoolers, especially those at schools that do not send many students to TJ, to apply. Furthermore, information about admissions deadlines and content should be given directly to students through their FCPS emails.</p>
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<p><strong>Remove the Gen-Ed/AAP barrier.</strong></p>
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<p>We propose that the AAP program be entirely voluntary, where students and parents can choose whether to be in the AAP program or standard gen-ed classes. Under this model, standardized tests such as the CogAt and NNAT are there to inform, rather than restrict. As early as 1st and 2nd grades, students are divided into the Advanced Academics Program (AAP) and General Education (Gen-Ed). AAP is important because AAP students have the advantage of more rigorous and challenging classes. Additionally, AAP students are required to take the IOWA in 6th grade, but not the Gen-Ed students, many of whom are unaware of the importance of this test. The IOWA test determines placement into Algebra I in seventh grade - which greatly increases the chances of admission to TJ. Additionally, AAP enrollment does not reflect the demographics of FCPS: overall, 19% of the students are eligible for AAP, compared to 12% of Black students and 7% of Latinx students[3]<strong>. </strong>Unlike the current proposal, this attacks the underlying problem of educational disparity. Doing this will make the TJ admissions process more inclusive in the long term and will also help increase educational equity in FCPS as a whole.</p>
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<p><strong>Ensure resources to prepare for TJ are available for everyone.</strong></p>
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<p>Some students have parents who can teach them or who can afford tutoring that gives them an advantage in their experience with STEM. We propose beginning <em>long-lasting </em>work towards county-sponsored programs in underserved elementary and middle schools to help students develop their skills in STEM subjects. This would be helpful for economically disadvantaged students who cannot afford tutors. Potential programs include one-on-one tutoring (either by teachers or other qualified individuals) and a way for students to connect and ask help from other students who have experience in the subject. Additionally, there should be increased awareness about free websites and resources outside of school that can help students understand their course content and expand their knowledge. Thus, we can level the playing field by helping disadvantaged students gain the resources accessible by more privileged students and be able to immerse themselves in STEM and properly prepare for TJ.</p>
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<p><strong>Encourage exposure to extracurricular STEM classes and activities across all schools in FCPS.</strong></p>
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<p>Some students may not apply to TJ because they were not exposed to STEM extracurriculars in middle school. FCPS can host more STEM classes, workshops, and enrichment clubs at underserved elementary and middle schools. This can introduce students to STEM activities at a younger age and help them discover their passions. Additionally, while after-school clubs have traditionally been run by parents, that is precisely the source of the problem. At privileged schools, many parents have free time to volunteer, but that is not the case at schools where there might be more single parents and/or more parents working multiple jobs. Thus, it stands to reason that schools with less parent involvement will be underserved and disadvantaged. FCPS needs to take ownership of this issue and run some bare minimum level of clubs at schools when parents cannot. Whether run by paid instructors, teacher volunteers, student volunteers from other schools, community organizations, ACE, Global Plus, IFTE, or other qualified individuals and organizations, a solution needs to be found to provide students equal access to participate in STEM extracurriculars.</p>
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<p><strong>Encourage the development of more advanced STEM courses in other high schools besides TJ</strong></p>
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<p>We acknowledge that there are more students that can benefit from TJ than offers that can be sent. We’d like the county to start moving towards providing higher-level classes at base-schools, county-wide, including more lab-based and mentored courses to be added to the curriculum at these base schools to more high-level STEM opportunities. Additionally, students should be allowed to get 7th or 8th subject credit for university courses, which is a simple fix as FCPS simply needs to remove this restriction.</p>
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<p><strong>Collect meaningful input from the minorities around the county about their views on TJ.</strong></p>
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<p>The current proposal attributes the need for new proposals to the lack of representation of minorities at TJ. However, we suggest more widespread input from minority populations, particularly in middle schools, asking specific questions about middle schooler’s current intentions for high school, whether they do or don’t plan on applying, and why. During past work sessions, school board members have given a large amount of their rationale to anecdotal evidence from not only Fairfax alumni, but even current Fairfax students, and we’d like administrators to collect more general data from the incoming classes, to be able to better point out specific problem areas and target them directly.</p>
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<p><em>While an admissions test is necessary, the current admissions test is flawed. It is not an accurate indicator of STEM passion or necessary skills for TJ, and it is far too preparable. We propose changes that would make the test more fair and effective. </em></p>
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<p><strong>Create a portion of the admissions test where students must learn a new concept and apply their knowledge to solve given problems.</strong></p>
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<p>The process would be as follows:</p>
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<ol>
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<li>Students are given a concept to learn (i.e. A system with new arithmetic operators, an invented language, an imaginary society, etc)</li>
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<li>Students are given problem(s) and must create solutions based on the new concepts.</li>
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</ol>
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<p>Many prestigious math competitions (ex. ARML, PuMAC, CMIMC) use a version of this testing structure in a round known as power rounds, where competitors must solve--and usually show their work for-- problems regarding a scenario, often without being able to use conventional mathematical formulas, instead of having to largely rely on their problem-solving skills. The well-known national competition also Science Olympiad holds events of this nature, such as the Experimental Design event, where students are given materials and a previously unknown question/topic to address and must then design, conduct, and analyze the results of an experiment. Additionally, the Future Problem Solving Program International organizes a competition called Global Issues Problem Solving where students are informed of the question topic before but are not given the actual question until the day of the test, where they then apply their knowledge of the topic and creative problem-solving skills to present possible solutions to the given future problem scenario. TJ admissions testers can use these competitions, as well as many others, as models for crafting a more effective admissions test. This form of testing quantifiably measures a genuinely useful skill of prospective TJ students. </p>
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<p><strong>Give all teachers suggestions to write sufficiently informative recommendations for TJ applicants.</strong></p>
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<p>The current issue with teacher recommendations is that feeder school teachers are much more experienced at writing them. Some teachers often ask their students to fill out a questionnaire for the teacher to reference while writing the recommendation. To help ensure that all teachers have such a reference and are able to write a recommendation which wholly illustrates their student’s abilities, teachers should be provided a guide with suggested questions for them to ask a student to fill out beforehand so if necessary, they are better able to write a holistic recommendation for the student. </p>
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<p><strong>Provide school profiles in each application to provide a more thorough understanding of the opportunities available to each applicant.</strong></p>
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<p>The opportunities available at middle schools across Fairfax County and surrounding counties differ considerably. Many schools do not have the same opportunities for STEM clubs, and it will take time to implement new STEM clubs at middle schools throughout the county. Some middle schools, such as Longfellow - a prominent feeder school - have well-established Science Olympiad programs and computer classes while others do not. This severely limits the opportunity each student has to demonstrate their interest in STEM. To ensure that as much context as possible is given for each applicant, we propose sending a “school profile” in each application. These school profiles would detail the extracurricular opportunities given at each school. For example, if a student lacked Science Olympiad experience at a school that did not have a Science Olympiad, that should not be held against them. This would be used solely for context - we cannot ensure that if the program did exist, the student would participate in it.</p>
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<h1><strong>Final Thoughts</strong></h1>
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<p>We acknowledge that there is not an all-encompassing solution to foster a diverse learning environment at TJ. Superficial solutions may produce favorable results in the short-term, but they fail to properly address the root issue. The process will be long and difficult, but with action from every corner of the community, it can be achieved.</p>
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<p>We believe that instead of hastily trying to manufacture more diversity at TJ, we should start from the fundamental level to make education an experience that allows everyone equal opportunity; only then will diversity within the TJ community flourish naturally.</p>
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<p><strong>We hope the board will reconsider accepting the proposed changes to the TJ Admissions process and seek solutions that will address the root of the diversity issue at our school. Thank you.</strong></p>
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<p><strong>Sincerely, <br>{{form.name}}</strong></p>
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</div>
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<h3 class="mt-3"><li>Second, <a href="{{mailto}}" class="btn btn-info">click here, paste the letter, and hit send!</a></li>
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</h3>
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</ol>
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<h3 class="text-center mt-4 mb-4">Thanks for all your help! Now we just need you to send it!</h3>
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<ol class="text-left mt-5">
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<h2 class="text-center">If that didn't work,</h2>
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<h2 class="text-center">Here's how:</h2>
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<h3><li>First, copy the letter
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<button type="button" onclick="copySecond()" id="copyLetterButtonSecond" data-clipboard-target="#letter-second" class="btn btn-secondary">Copy</button></li></h3>
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<div id="letter-second">
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@ -156,12 +84,86 @@
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<div id="letter-mail">
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{{maillist}}
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</div>
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<h3 class="mt-3"><li>Third, add a subject and hit send!</li></h3>
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<h3 class="mt-5"><li>Third, add a subject and hit send!</li></h3>
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<h4 class="mt-3">Here's a suggestion if you need it!</h4>
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<h5 id="subject-line">{{subject}}</h5>
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</ol>
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<ol class="text-left">
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<h2 class="text-center mt-5">And here's how to do it a little faster:</h2>
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<h3><li>First, copy the letter
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<button type="button" onclick="copyLetter()" id="copyLetterButton" data-clipboard-target="#letter" class="btn btn-secondary">Copy</button></li></h3>
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<div id="letter">
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<p>My name is {{form.name}}, and I am writing today to voice my support for the following letter and my disapproval of the currently proposed system. Please reply to <a href="mailto:lettertofcps@gmail.com">lettertofcps@gmail.com</a> with any questions or comments.</p>
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<p>{{form.message}}</p>
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<h1><strong>Letter to FCPS regarding TJ Admissions</strong></h1>
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<p>Written by current TJHSST Students</p>
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<p><a href="https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/BTGKX652F413/$file/TJHSST%20Admissions%20Merit%20Lottery%20Proposal.pdf">Original Proposal</a></p>
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<p>Dear FCPS School Board members and Virginia State Legislators,</p>
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<p>We, as current students of TJHSST, write to you in response to the merit lottery proposal for TJ admissions. From the very first day, we were welcomed to an extraordinary community that allowed us to pursue our passions and connect with those who shared our interests. We care deeply about TJ and its future, and while we acknowledge that the lack of diversity at our school is an urgent issue, this proposal is not the answer. The board’s proposition is rushed, unfair, and stands against the values of TJ. </p>
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<p>The current application process is race-blind, upholds the values of meritocracy, and seeks to determine the individuals who are the most passionate about STEM. While we understand that the current admissions process has many shortcomings, the new proposal fails to solve these issues and creates a plethora of new problems. </p>
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<p>TJHSST is a unique community built on its passion for learning. We agree that everyone in Northern Virginia should be given a fair chance towards TJ’s educational opportunities. The disadvantages that lower-income and minority students face arecreated far before an applicant sits down to take the TJ test, and that is the problem we, as a school, as a community, and as a state, need to address. In this letter, we detail alternative solutions for both the pipeline and admissions process that we feel would effectively help TJ demographics better reflect those of Fairfax County in the long term.</p>
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<h1><strong>Concerns with the current proposal</strong></h1>
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<p><em>The proposed lottery process was first introduced to the public on September 15th, with a decision being made on October 8th. We would like the board to recognize the ramifications of rolling out such a sweeping policy on such a short timeline. </em></p>
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<p><strong>The proposal is rushed and largely fails to take into account the opinions of members of the TJ community.</strong></p>
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<p>The proposal was given three weeks in the public’s eye, and we feel the timeline doesn’t give an appropriate amount of time for the board to receive and process the much-needed community input that plays a crucial role in board proceedings. The board and state have both hosted a few “town halls” on virtual meeting platforms such as Zoom, which include minimal ways for community members to provide input on the proposal. These town halls have proven that the input provided during the meetings has been ignored, and hosts have often explicitly stated that they will not be addressing questions posted in the Q&A or chatbox. We ask that the board commits to providing a better platform for students, parents, and other community members to provide their feedback and thoughts.</p>
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<p><strong>The proposal is extremely vague.</strong></p>
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<p>The information regarding this proposal provided to the public omits important details. We do not know the weight of the SIS essays in the proposed admissions system, what the proposed “questionnaires” actually are, whether there are different priority lottery pathways, or if the lottery pathways are solely regional. Because these are not defined, those who support the lottery have no clear idea of what they are supporting. Additionally, the lottery system is now subject to last-minute “clarifications” away from the public’s eye, which is very dangerous considering the wide-spread implications of the system.</p>
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<p><strong>The lottery systems examples are cherry-picked and largely inapplicable.</strong></p>
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<p>The proposal lists five schools as evidence of high functioning lottery admission schools. Among them, BASIS Arizona is a charter school, bound to different state and local regulations. However, the lottery system fails to reflect diversity in the area. For example, at BASIS Arizona Chandler, 68% of students are Asian, compared to 3% in the surrounding area. Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology in Georgia has a total of 706 applicants for the lottery pool, in which 590 were admitted[5]. They also require end of course math and SAT/PSAT cutoff scores to register. International Community School of Washington state does have a lottery admission system, but it occurs in 6th grade, not 9th grade where children's talents and abilities are much more defined. Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School has a total enrollment of only 514 students and in its admissions process, the school also considers academic records and personal interviews in addition to the lottery. Raisbeck Aviation High School only takes 105 students per year and is highly specialized in aeronautics. We find it disappointing that the current proposal cited schools simply for the fact that they have a lottery system without observing the specifics of the systems or the results those systems produced.</p>
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<p><em>The proposed process removes aspects of the TJHSST application process which we believe are equitable measures of a student’s success, replacing them with a fundamentally unsound and unfair system.</em></p>
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<p><strong>Removing teacher recommendations removes a vital way to understand a student beyond their test scores. </strong></p>
|
||||
<p>Students cannot take a prep class to show their passion for STEM to their teachers; the passion will be apparent to the teachers through extensive participation in class and the pursuit of complex subjects beyond the classroom. Letters of recommendation are also an essential way for students to demonstrate their aspirations and personality. Without this representation, students who demonstrate a passion for STEM in class but score poorly on tests would be overlooked during the application process. It is evident that the current teacher recommendations have many flaws; however, we do believe that they play a crucial part in any admissions process, and we’d like the Board to move to work with teachers to improve the recommendations.</p>
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<p><strong>The proposed system’s measure of student merit is inadequate.</strong></p>
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<p>“You are more than just a GPA.” That is a fundamental paradigm for any education system. However, the first step of the proposed lottery system lacks indicators of student merit other than a 3.5 GPA. Statistically speaking, it will take from the middle of the applicants of the second stage, instead of selecting those who are the most qualified. The biggest problem with the lottery system is that it ignores the fact that education across FCPS is not consistently rigorous, especially in core STEM classes such as Mathematics and Science. By instituting the lottery, the students who are accepted may not be the most qualified and may be gravely unprepared for the heavy coursework that is a part of TJ. This would create a toxic environment with students struggling with material that they were assumed to have mastered beforehand. The alternative is that TJ will reduce the rigor and difficulty of the school significantly, taking away more advanced courses and opportunities in favor of more basic ones.</p>
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<p>The system runs the further risk of attracting half-hearted applications - without an extensive admissions process, there is no effort required into putting an application forward. Lastly, a merit lottery system is likely to stigmatize disadvantaged students, insinuating that they were accepted because of chance, not qualifications or effort. Accepted applicants may feel as if their hard work in middle school did not positively affect their admission, while rejected applicants may feel that their spot was “stolen” by someone less qualified.[4]</p>
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<p><strong>The lottery system would take away many opportunities.</strong></p>
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<p>The new proposal would result in the termination of many high-level STEM courses. As the new proposal doesn’t differentiate students based on advanced math level, the number of students who only took Algebra 1 will increase, and the number of students that took extremely advanced math classes will decrease significantly (these kids tend to come from a few feeder schools in high quantities). Currently, many high-level courses such as complex analysis, differential equations, probability theory, quantum physics, matrix algebra, concrete math, and machine learning already have few students. These classes are unlike those offered anywhere else in the county. Under the lottery system, fewer students would be able to take these classes, and they would likely be discontinued.</p>
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<p><strong>The lottery system would ignore many of the students that truly need TJ.</strong></p>
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<p>Many students genuinely need TJ for the opportunities and classes it provides. These are the kids that are taking Multivariable calculus in freshman year, going to international olympiads, and taking AP physics before their junior year. While these students do not make up the majority of the TJ population, they should not be ignored. Students who truly need to go to TJ because of its opportunities and rigor are not guaranteed to be accepted by the proposed system.</p>
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<p><strong>The merit lottery and regional quota system may not increase diversity/representation.</strong></p>
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<p>The current TJ demographic is extremely disproportionate to the surrounding population, but not only in terms of acceptance rate but also in terms of applications in general. Unfortunately, there is a lack of input around the county from historically underrepresented populations about their views on TJ. The current proposal fails to tackle the core issues that cause there to be fewer applicants from those populations in the first place: some schools lack advanced classes and STEM extracurriculars. </p>
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<p>Quotas also fail to address the underlying issue of unequal education throughout the county, because they don’t actually help students become more well-prepared. When academic readiness and diversity throughout the county overlap, diversity within TJ will happen naturally. Instead of enforcing artificial quotas, we should seek to improve educational equity throughout the entire county. Diversity is not a number, it is an environment. </p>
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<p><strong>Regional quotas give some applicants an unfair advantage based on where they live and may have unanticipated consequences.</strong></p>
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<p>The current proposal’s lottery pathways have been organized in such a way that many schools with historically high TJ acceptance rates are grouped together (for example, Carson and Cooper in Region 1 and Longfellow and Kilmer in Region 2) while schools that traditionally do not produce as many TJ acceptances have far less competitive regional pathways. This leads to more qualified applicants being rejected from TJ while those who are less qualified would be accepted, simply because they live in a different region. Furthermore, this system is gameable as well, as parents can simply move out of more competitive regions. This would also have economic implications: as individuals move away from a certain area, many local businesses (even outside of those directly affected such as prep classes) within that area would subsequently suffer from the decrease in patronage.</p>
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<h1><strong>Our proposals</strong></h1>
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<p><em>The most effective solution to a lack of diversity at TJ would be to level the playing field for disadvantaged students far earlier. Yes, this proposal requires significant investment in schools that serve disadvantaged students. Yes, it is expensive. Yes, it will take more time than eliminating the admissions standards for TJ. Altering the TJ admissions process to a lottery is a band-aid solution that only intends to fix the visible issue, leaving the inherent problem of educational inequity maintained throughout the county. We believe that our proposals will help to increase TJ’s diversity while maintaining its academic excellence.</em></p>
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<p><strong>Increase targeted recruitment for TJ applicants at all regional middle schools</strong></p>
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<p>While we applaud the board for discussing the need for this change, we would like to iterate more specific solutions. Many middle schools, particularly those in low-income areas, barely mention TJHSST applications, and schools that neglect to talk about TJ are doing a disservice to students there who truly have a passion for STEM and would benefit from a rigorous high-level education like TJ. To significantly increase awareness of the possibility of applying to TJ, the Fairfax County School Board should consider making admission outreach mandatory for all middle schools in the county. Our proposal for implementing this is to have TJ student ambassadors be part of the outreach process, visiting and helping to encourage middle schoolers, especially those at schools that do not send many students to TJ, to apply. Furthermore, information about admissions deadlines and content should be given directly to students through their FCPS emails.</p>
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<p><strong>Remove the Gen-Ed/AAP barrier.</strong></p>
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<p>We propose that the AAP program be entirely voluntary, where students and parents can choose whether to be in the AAP program or standard gen-ed classes. Under this model, standardized tests such as the CogAt and NNAT are there to inform, rather than restrict. As early as 1st and 2nd grades, students are divided into the Advanced Academics Program (AAP) and General Education (Gen-Ed). AAP is important because AAP students have the advantage of more rigorous and challenging classes. Additionally, AAP students are required to take the IOWA in 6th grade, but not the Gen-Ed students, many of whom are unaware of the importance of this test. The IOWA test determines placement into Algebra I in seventh grade - which greatly increases the chances of admission to TJ. Additionally, AAP enrollment does not reflect the demographics of FCPS: overall, 19% of the students are eligible for AAP, compared to 12% of Black students and 7% of Latinx students[3]<strong>. </strong>Unlike the current proposal, this attacks the underlying problem of educational disparity. Doing this will make the TJ admissions process more inclusive in the long term and will also help increase educational equity in FCPS as a whole.</p>
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<p><strong>Ensure resources to prepare for TJ are available for everyone.</strong></p>
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<p>Some students have parents who can teach them or who can afford tutoring that gives them an advantage in their experience with STEM. We propose beginning <em>long-lasting </em>work towards county-sponsored programs in underserved elementary and middle schools to help students develop their skills in STEM subjects. This would be helpful for economically disadvantaged students who cannot afford tutors. Potential programs include one-on-one tutoring (either by teachers or other qualified individuals) and a way for students to connect and ask help from other students who have experience in the subject. Additionally, there should be increased awareness about free websites and resources outside of school that can help students understand their course content and expand their knowledge. Thus, we can level the playing field by helping disadvantaged students gain the resources accessible by more privileged students and be able to immerse themselves in STEM and properly prepare for TJ.</p>
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<p><strong>Encourage exposure to extracurricular STEM classes and activities across all schools in FCPS.</strong></p>
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<p>Some students may not apply to TJ because they were not exposed to STEM extracurriculars in middle school. FCPS can host more STEM classes, workshops, and enrichment clubs at underserved elementary and middle schools. This can introduce students to STEM activities at a younger age and help them discover their passions. Additionally, while after-school clubs have traditionally been run by parents, that is precisely the source of the problem. At privileged schools, many parents have free time to volunteer, but that is not the case at schools where there might be more single parents and/or more parents working multiple jobs. Thus, it stands to reason that schools with less parent involvement will be underserved and disadvantaged. FCPS needs to take ownership of this issue and run some bare minimum level of clubs at schools when parents cannot. Whether run by paid instructors, teacher volunteers, student volunteers from other schools, community organizations, ACE, Global Plus, IFTE, or other qualified individuals and organizations, a solution needs to be found to provide students equal access to participate in STEM extracurriculars.</p>
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<p><strong>Encourage the development of more advanced STEM courses in other high schools besides TJ</strong></p>
|
||||
<p>We acknowledge that there are more students that can benefit from TJ than offers that can be sent. We’d like the county to start moving towards providing higher-level classes at base-schools, county-wide, including more lab-based and mentored courses to be added to the curriculum at these base schools to more high-level STEM opportunities. Additionally, students should be allowed to get 7th or 8th subject credit for university courses, which is a simple fix as FCPS simply needs to remove this restriction.</p>
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<p><strong>Collect meaningful input from the minorities around the county about their views on TJ.</strong></p>
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<p>The current proposal attributes the need for new proposals to the lack of representation of minorities at TJ. However, we suggest more widespread input from minority populations, particularly in middle schools, asking specific questions about middle schooler’s current intentions for high school, whether they do or don’t plan on applying, and why. During past work sessions, school board members have given a large amount of their rationale to anecdotal evidence from not only Fairfax alumni, but even current Fairfax students, and we’d like administrators to collect more general data from the incoming classes, to be able to better point out specific problem areas and target them directly.</p>
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<p><em>While an admissions test is necessary, the current admissions test is flawed. It is not an accurate indicator of STEM passion or necessary skills for TJ, and it is far too preparable. We propose changes that would make the test more fair and effective. </em></p>
|
||||
<p><strong>Create a portion of the admissions test where students must learn a new concept and apply their knowledge to solve given problems.</strong></p>
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<p>The process would be as follows:</p>
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<ol>
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<li>Students are given a concept to learn (i.e. A system with new arithmetic operators, an invented language, an imaginary society, etc)</li>
|
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<li>Students are given problem(s) and must create solutions based on the new concepts.</li>
|
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</ol>
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<p>Many prestigious math competitions (ex. ARML, PuMAC, CMIMC) use a version of this testing structure in a round known as power rounds, where competitors must solve--and usually show their work for-- problems regarding a scenario, often without being able to use conventional mathematical formulas, instead of having to largely rely on their problem-solving skills. The well-known national competition also Science Olympiad holds events of this nature, such as the Experimental Design event, where students are given materials and a previously unknown question/topic to address and must then design, conduct, and analyze the results of an experiment. Additionally, the Future Problem Solving Program International organizes a competition called Global Issues Problem Solving where students are informed of the question topic before but are not given the actual question until the day of the test, where they then apply their knowledge of the topic and creative problem-solving skills to present possible solutions to the given future problem scenario. TJ admissions testers can use these competitions, as well as many others, as models for crafting a more effective admissions test. This form of testing quantifiably measures a genuinely useful skill of prospective TJ students. </p>
|
||||
<p><strong>Give all teachers suggestions to write sufficiently informative recommendations for TJ applicants.</strong></p>
|
||||
<p>The current issue with teacher recommendations is that feeder school teachers are much more experienced at writing them. Some teachers often ask their students to fill out a questionnaire for the teacher to reference while writing the recommendation. To help ensure that all teachers have such a reference and are able to write a recommendation which wholly illustrates their student’s abilities, teachers should be provided a guide with suggested questions for them to ask a student to fill out beforehand so if necessary, they are better able to write a holistic recommendation for the student. </p>
|
||||
<p><strong>Provide school profiles in each application to provide a more thorough understanding of the opportunities available to each applicant.</strong></p>
|
||||
<p>The opportunities available at middle schools across Fairfax County and surrounding counties differ considerably. Many schools do not have the same opportunities for STEM clubs, and it will take time to implement new STEM clubs at middle schools throughout the county. Some middle schools, such as Longfellow - a prominent feeder school - have well-established Science Olympiad programs and computer classes while others do not. This severely limits the opportunity each student has to demonstrate their interest in STEM. To ensure that as much context as possible is given for each applicant, we propose sending a “school profile” in each application. These school profiles would detail the extracurricular opportunities given at each school. For example, if a student lacked Science Olympiad experience at a school that did not have a Science Olympiad, that should not be held against them. This would be used solely for context - we cannot ensure that if the program did exist, the student would participate in it.</p>
|
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<h1><strong>Final Thoughts</strong></h1>
|
||||
<p>We acknowledge that there is not an all-encompassing solution to foster a diverse learning environment at TJ. Superficial solutions may produce favorable results in the short-term, but they fail to properly address the root issue. The process will be long and difficult, but with action from every corner of the community, it can be achieved.</p>
|
||||
<p>We believe that instead of hastily trying to manufacture more diversity at TJ, we should start from the fundamental level to make education an experience that allows everyone equal opportunity; only then will diversity within the TJ community flourish naturally.</p>
|
||||
<p><strong>We hope the board will reconsider accepting the proposed changes to the TJ Admissions process and seek solutions that will address the root of the diversity issue at our school. Thank you.</strong></p>
|
||||
<p><strong>Sincerely, <br>{{form.name}}</strong></p>
|
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<h3 class="mt-3"><li>Second, <a href="{{mailto}}" class="btn btn-info">click here, paste the letter, and hit send!</a></li>
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|
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|
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|
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