Sienna School vs Field

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there a lot of behavioral problems at Field?

I posted up thread that we left field because they didn't offer the support/accommodations they promised and that my child needed. In the 3 years we were there, I did not see or hear about any significant behavior issues -- and my child would have told me about any class disruptions.

[Anonymous]

If rampant hard-to-detect weed vaping is considered a behavior problem, then yes. The Field high school has its hands full-

[Anonymous]

No, people consider behavior problems things like interrupting the class so the other kids can’t learn. Field does not have that. It is like Maret: a non-pressure cooker, very normal school, a bit easier to get into than Maret.

[Anonymous]

Field has been trying for the last few years to associate itself with Maret. But it’s nowhere near Maret. It has a far more neurodiverse population of students and is much less rigorous. In their dreams they are “ like Maret “ and the new head at Field has for three years been trying unsuccessfully to position the school as more mainstream. Which it just isn’t. Talk to parents with kids there and they will tell you there’s a “reason “ many of the students at Field are there. Which is why OP was comparing it to Siena and asking.

[Anonymous]

Maret has a 10% admissions rate for 6th. Where does the next 10% go? Not Sidwell, GDS, or NCS. They go to Field.

It is not a school where Sienna students would thrive. That misconception leads to many students being weeded out during admissions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maret has a 10% admissions rate for 6th. Where does the next 10% go? Not Sidwell, GDS, or NCS. They go to Field.

It is not a school where Sienna students would thrive. That misconception leads to many students being weeded out during admissions.

Kids leaving Siena with remediated dyslexia can thrive in lots of places, including Field (and Maret). When my child was at Field (several years ago), there were a number of kids who had come from Lab after they no longer needed the intensive support.

[Anonymous]

Siena and Field are like apples and oranges. Siena's mission is to "prepare bright, college-bound students with language-based learning differences, such as dyslexia, to become confident, curious learners who understand their personal strengths and gain the tools and strategies to excel." In other words, it begins with learning differences and builds out its pedagogy and curriculum from there. From what I understand from parents whose kids have gone or go there, it is very successful in realizing its mission.

Field's mission begins with an "inquiry-based curriculum" that "stresse[s] dialogue, analytic thinking, and larger lessons of how young people could grow to become generous, responsible, and self-knowing adults." While Field attracts, to be sure, many students with learning differences, it is not a special education school. In fact, none of its teachers are professionally trained in special education. It's intellectual environment uses "universal pedagogy," which means that the teachers break down projects into progressively more complex chunks resulting in an advanced final product. While this scaffolding is known for working with kids with learning differences, Field believes, based on research, that universal pedagogy improves learning for every kind of student. Perhaps, that is why Field attracts a wide range of students.

I don't think Field overpromises, as others have written. I really don't. My experience is that it tells prospective families openly, clearly, and repeatedly what it can offer and what it cannot. It does have a fantastic learning support person, and its extraordinary teachers certainly help students find successful strategies to excel in their academics. The homework load is lighter than the "Top 5," but it is not because of the student body, but because Field believes, based on volumes of research, that excessive homework, often without clear and meaningful purpose, is counterproductive for deep learning. I have heard from several parents whose children go to Field and Maret, GDS, Sidwell, is that the sophistication of the learning is quite similar.

[Anonymous]

We looked at Field for 9th for our dyslexic DC. We were unimpressed by math, science, and art, which are DC’s areas of interest, so we eventually withdrew the application. But my general impression is that Field finds itself in a sort of in-between spot that can be hard to categorize. As pp said, Field’s general philosophy and approach to education lends itself to being a good fit for certain kinds of learning differences or neurodivergence, but it isn’t a school specializing in any of those things. But because it’s gotten a reputation as such, it isn’t quite mainstream in the ways that other DC area private schools are.

As with many schools, it seems to come down to fit. If it works for your kid, it’s a great school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maret has a 10% admissions rate for 6th. Where does the next 10% go? Not Sidwell, GDS, or NCS. They go to the Field.

It is not a school where Sienna students would thrive. That misconception leads to many students being weeded out during admissions.

That's our situation. Our DD was waitlisted at Maret and was admitted to Field. We are very liberal, and those schools align with our values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We looked at Field for 9th for our dyslexic DC. We were unimpressed by math, science, and art, which are DC’s areas of interest, so we eventually withdrew the application. But my general impression is that Field finds itself in a sort of in-between spot that can be hard to categorize. As pp said, Field’s general philosophy and approach to education lends itself to being a good fit for certain kinds of learning differences or neurodivergence, but it isn’t a school specializing in any of those things. But because it’s gotten a reputation as such, it isn’t quite mainstream in the ways that other DC area private schools are.

As with many schools, it seems to come down to fit. If it works for your kid, it’s a great school.

There are lots of good elementary publics in DC and some good high schools but not a lot of good middle schools. Deale is overcrowded.

Its teaching approach, resulting reputation, lack of good public middle schools in DC and not enough space at Maret lead to interest from the following groups:

(1) neurodiverse, (2) wealthy NW DC parents who don’t want to move to the suburbs and (3) kids who want Maret.

The admissions rate at Field is very low. Not 10% like Maret but Field still gets far more applicants than they have space. Weak applicants are weeded out. As can be seen from college admissions, the student body is strong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Siena and Field are like apples and oranges. Siena's mission is to "prepare bright, college-bound students with language-based learning differences, such as dyslexia, to become confident, curious learners who understand their personal strengths and gain the tools and strategies to excel." In other words, it begins with learning differences and builds out its pedagogy and curriculum from there. From what I understand from parents whose kids have gone or go there, it is very successful in realizing its mission.

Field's mission begins with an "inquiry-based curriculum" that "stresse[s] dialogue, analytic thinking, and larger lessons of how young people could grow to become generous, responsible, and self-knowing adults." While Field attracts, to be sure, many students with learning differences, it is not a special education school. In fact, none of its teachers are professionally trained in special education. It's intellectual environment uses "universal pedagogy," which means that the teachers break down projects into progressively more complex chunks resulting in an advanced final product. While this scaffolding is known for working with kids with learning differences, Field believes, based on research, that universal pedagogy improves learning for every kind of student. Perhaps, that is why Field attracts a wide range of students.

I don't think Field overpromises, as others have written. I really don't. My experience is that it tells prospective families openly, clearly, and repeatedly what it can offer and what it cannot. It does have a fantastic learning support person, and its extraordinary teachers certainly help students find successful strategies to excel in their academics. The homework load is lighter than the "Top 5," but it is not because of the student body, but because Field believes, based on volumes of research, that excessive homework, often without clear and meaningful purpose, is counterproductive for deep learning. I have heard from several parents whose children go to Field and Maret, GDS, Sidwell, is that the sophistication of the learning is quite similar.

My daughter is in MS at Field and I think you have explained the school here better than they ever have! We have had a much better experience than others above - not sure if it is has changed from before but we met with the learning specialist in the summer before my child's first year and we have frequent check ins with teachers. Behavioral issues are not a problem, and if they become so then they deal with it quickly. At least in MS, which is what I know, the support is less structured and more integrated into every day. Some of the kids in her class have ADHD or other learning issues, while some do not. We have been really happy with her teachers and everyone there (including the head). It is an extremely warm and welcoming place.

[Anonymous]

We found mediocre academics at Field. A few excellent teachers for sure. But many not so great and a lot of disorganization.

For example- Math teachers scribbling incredibly convoluted notes on an electronic white board that then gets transferred to a dump file online. As “ class notes”. Nowhere to find comprehensive material to study.

Science teacher: No textbooks. Piles and piles of handouts and worksheets disconnected from each other- Kids pay each other for notes if they miss class because the only material to study for tests is your own notes from class and some disjointed bulleted short phrase PowerPoints with lots of video embedded. Kids learn cursory material at best.

Assignments posted inconsistently. In different places. With wrong dates- teachers that don’t respond to emails. Admins that dole out infractions very inconsistently.

Not a healthy learning environment for either deep sophisticated learning or for well organized learning if you have adhd ish issues. But true - They do chunk assignments.

[Anonymous]

Anecdotally, including from a friend who used to work there, it seems like Field's administration has gone through a lot of upheaval, and there is a lot of teacher turnover. Siena, where my child just entered the lower grades, has a new HOS who seems fantastic, and many teachers seem to have been there for a long time. That doesn't necessarily equal a better school, but I have worked at schools with weak heads, and a) good teachers get complacent and b) weaker teachers go unchecked. That's just one variable here, but I thought I'd mention it.

[Anonymous]

We know both Field and Siena because we have two kids who had different academic needs and been at both schools. If you need the expert support for a language-based learning difference, such as dyslexia, Siena is your school. We never would have sent our kid who needed Siena to Field, although later in HS our Siena kid no longer needed the Siena supports and moved on. Our kid at Field had no specific learning difference. Loved Field. No behavior issues of note at either school and each school was the right choice for each kid,