I See Me in All Three!

Welcome to the Northeast Consortium HS

Options Fair!

For Students Entering Grade 9 in 2020-2021

Northeast Consortium (NEC) High Schools

James Hubert Blake HS

Paint Branch HS

Springbrook HS

What do the Northeast Consortium high schools have in common?

• Comprehensive high school curriculum

• Academic rigor

• Honors & Advanced Placement (AP) courses

• Special Education

• ESOL programs

• Students from at least five middle schools

• Student activities, clubs, athletics

• Partnerships with colleges, universities and businesses

• Signature programs

What is a Signature Program?

• Instructional program developed

around a central theme:• Rigorous course work

• Variety of course offerings in

the thematic area

• Appeals to students’ interests

• Offers students opportunities for:• Interdisciplinary projects

• Capstone experiences

• College courses

I See ME in All 3!3 Great Schools! 3 Great Choices!

October

NEC High School Open Houses @ 7:00 pm

o James Hubert Blake HS Wednesday, October 16

o Paint Branch HS Wednesday, October 23

o Springbrook HS Tuesday, October 29

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

Grade 8 students participate in college/career exploration activities in school

Evening enrollment for parents of NEC residing non-MCPS students held

at Spring Mill Field Office on Wednesday, October 30, 2019, from 4:00 to

7:00 pm (RSVP by calling 240-740-2540 to find out what documents to bring).

November

Electronic submission of HS Choices by all NEC residing students on or

before Friday, November 1

January

Parents/students notified by mail of high school assignment.

Lottery Choice Process Timelinefor 2019-2020

NEC parents/students will submit choices online

using student google account:

• Log on to google using student google login

• Rank the three high schools in order of

preference.

• On the form, indicate if you would like

your child to attend the same NEC high

school that an older sibling will attend in

2020-2021.

• Enter parent contact information

• Submit your Choice form by Friday, November 1, 2019.*

• Choice forms will be processed through a

computerized lottery system to determine high

school assignments.

Choice Form Information

Choice Form Submission

Fine Arts and

Humanities Signature

James Hubert Blake HS

#ExpectExcellence

Blake’s Signature

• Visual Arts

• Media Arts

• Performing Arts

Fine Arts and Humanities

• Humanities

• English

• History & Government

Signature Programs

• S.T.E.M.

• Business & Interactive Media

• Humanities & Public Service

• AP Capstone

Special Opportunities

• Perform at Kennedy Center, Strathmore

• NIH Health Exploration Program

• Internships

• Fashion

• It’s Academic

• Model U.N.

• NYC Field Trip

(Dance, Drama, Fashion)

• Hasset

• Class of 2020

• MS attended: Banneker MS

• Signature participation: S.T.E.M. Academy

• Passions: Learning as much as I can & sharing that information with others

• Favorite Signature Course: Ap Biology

• Favorite Signature Experience: NIH

• Future Plans: A degree in Biology and become a Physician

Paint Branch High School

Academy of Science and Media

13

Academy of Science and MediaA whole school program emphasizing research and

experimentation, inquiry and critical thinking in all courses

and activities.

14

Science• Academy of Health Professions

• AP Science Courses

Signature courses and course sequences offered at

Paint Branch High SchoolMedia

• Television Production

• Radio Production

• Digital Art

• Journalism

• Literary Magazine- Advanced Composition

• Yearbook

• Photography

Unique Science Course

Sequence Offered

1. Physics – Grade 92. Grade 10:

Double Period

Biology

Double Period

Chemistry

(in separate semesters)

15

Special Signature, Academy Programs, and Initiatives at Paint Branch

Academy of Engineering Technology Academy of Finance Program

Japanese Foreign Language Program

Internship Program• Johns Hopkins Univ. Applied Physics Lab

• Holy Cross Hospital

• Sandy Spring Bank

• NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

• FDA (Food & Drug Administration)

• NIH (National Institute of Health)

• Local Engineering Firms, Doctor’s &

Dentist’s Offices, other businesses.

Naval JROTC Program Culinary Arts Program

Academy of Health Professions

Science and Media Exposition

PBSS 2.0 Summer Academy

AVID

Paint Branch HS

• Veronica

• Class of 2020

• MS attended: Benjamin Banneker MS

• Signature participation: Academy of Health Professions and Medical Careers

• Passions: Pediatrics, OBGYN, caring and helping those in need.

• Favorite Signature Course: Structures and Functions of the Human Body

• Favorite Signature Experience: Shadowing a surgeon

• Future Plans: Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, OBGYN PA

• Develops the intellectual, personal,

emotional and social skills needed to live,

learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world

• Accesses cutting edge technology to

develop 21st Century skills for college and

career

Springbrook’s Signature

Signature Programs

• International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme

• International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

• Academy of Information Technology

• Justice, Law, and Society

• PLTW Academy of Engineering

• Hospitality Management

• Child Development

Special Opportunities• IB International Service Trips

• IB MYP Personal Project

• Partnerships with the following:

– Legal Affairs at Verizon

– National Geospatial-Intelligence

Agency

– Montgomery County Public Defenders

Office

• Paid Internships at Lockheed Martin, NSA,

NOAA, NASA, Army Research Lab, Naval

Research Lab, University of Maryland

Engineering Department

• Student Women in Technology (SWIT)

SPRINGBROOK HIGH SCHOOL

• Hazel

• Class of 2020

• Attended: Banneker MS

• Signature participation: International Baccalaureate and Academy of Information Technology

• Passions: Restorative Justice

• Favorite Signature Course: IB Psychology

• Future Plans: Attending a four-year university (Either Northeastern University, Penn State University, or University of MD) and majoring in Computer Science/ Information Technology

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.

Base High School Selection

A student’s base area high school is determined

by the home address. Assignment to the

base area school is guaranteed if it is

selected as:

• FIRST choice on the Choice form

OR

• Second choice on the Choice form and the first

choice 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 high school, visit:

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

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

If I have an older sibling who will be in an

NEC high school next year, am I

guaranteed assignment to the same

school?

Every effort will be made to assign siblings who live in the same

household to the same NEC school, if indicated on the Choice

form. Sibling link is only considered, however, when the sibling is

attending that NEC high school during the 2020-2021 school year.

How does the high school assignment process work?

1st Choice = Base

1st Choice

Older Sibling

1st Choice

Non-Base/Lottery

Will transportation be provided to all three NEC high schools ?

Transportation will be provided to NEC HS for students who live within the NEC attendance area and beyond walking distance of their assigned NEC high school. Walking distance is determined by MCPS, and is about two miles for high school students.

How do students who live in the NEC but attend a DCC middle school participate in

the Choice process?

• Students who live in the NEC participate in Round 1 of the

NEC Choice process which occurs in November.

• Students who live in the NEC and attend a Downcounty

Consortium (DCC) middle school may also participate in

Round 2 of the DCC Choice process in February. They will

receive DCC Choice form instructions in the mail in January.

• Students who attend DCC middle schools are also eligible to

apply to the Communication Arts Program (CAP) at Blair HS

and the Leadership Training Institute (LTI) at Kennedy HS, the

Biomedical and Engineering Programs (PLTW) at Wheaton HS

in addition to other MCPS high school application programs.

NEC Choice Process After Round 1February – Choice Process – Round 2 (Deadline: Friday, February 14, 2020)

• Choice forms due from Grade 8 students who are new NEC residents who

enrolled after Round 1

• Choice forms due from students who reside in the NEC but attend a DCC

middle school and desire to attend a DCC high school

• Resubmit forms may be completed in google by parents of students who did

not get their first choice in Round 1 asking for original school choices to be

resubmitted in Round 2

o Changes to the Choice form will not be accepted

o 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

– Appeal letters due in early April

– Appeals reviewed late April - May

High School Change of Choice

• In February of each school year, high school students

have the opportunity to request a change of NEC school

assignment for the following school year.

• Change of Choice forms will be available in NEC high

school counseling offices in early February.

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

returned by the deadline in order to be considered –

Friday, February 14, 2020.

• Change of Choice results are based on the number

of seats available, socioeconomic status and gender.

Stay for the 8 pm session to learn about other high school

application programs available to NEC students…

Regional International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme – Springbrook HS

Countywide International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme – Richard

Montgomery HS

Science, Mathematics, Computer Science Magnet – Montgomery Blair HS

Montgomery College Middle College Program (MC2) – Northwood HS

Global Ecology Program – Poolesville HS

Wheaton HS/Thomas Edison HS of Technology Partnership

IB Career-related Programs – Rockville HS

*Submitting an application for one of these programs? You are still required

to submit an NEC choice form.

Thank you for coming this evening! Please complete your evaluation form and leave it on one of our tables outside of the auditorium.

I See Me in All 3! 3 Great Schools! 3 Great Choices!