Average GPA at SWW (DC "magnet") is 3.93 unweighted; this is what private kids are up against

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you want your children to learn things or do you want to them to go famous schools? This is the trade-off of which you need to be aware, and this trade-off is one that replicates in college. Harvard, which passes out As as if they were Halloween candy, gets their kids better admissions to grad school than schools that don't.

https://www.the74million.org/article/students-benefit-tough-grading-standards/


'Across several metrics of academic success, students who were exposed to higher grading standards fared better than their peers. Compared with students who had previously demonstrated similar levels of math performance, those assigned to stricter graders saw larger scoring gains. Notably, those effects were both sizable and linear, meaning that the tighter the grading practices — moving from the easiest-grading quarter to the very hardest — the larger the improvement on test scores.

Students of tougher graders also maintained some of their scoring advantage into the next two classes of North Carolina’s math sequence, geometry and Algebra II. The effects were actually twice as large in Algebra II as they were in geometry, a nuance the authors specifically cited in the paper: Perhaps because of the similarities in content between the two levels of algebra, they theorized, students who were formerly held to higher standards did especially well in the later class, even though the effects should have faded more because of the further passage of time.

“That suggests this wasn’t a pure grade-chasing effect where students crammed more for the test so that they could do better and get the grade they needed,” Gershenson explained. “Instead, it makes me think that there was some real learning that happened and was retained.”'

Another very well regarded elite private college also won't allow kids to fail. They let them withdraw up until the finals and retake the classes several times. And let's be honest, not everyone who gets into these top elite colleges are the smartest. Holistic admissions looks at non academic factors, after all, so it's no surprise that some don't do well in college, but those colleges will do everything they can to not let them fail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Insane grade inflation in DCPS:
https://www.swwrookery.com/post/hugely-inflated-are-pandemic-era-grading-policies-doing-more-harm-than-good
A's are given for "any effort at all"

SWW has fantastic college admissions again this year--better than any private. This is what the DC private school kids are up against with their
3.4's for working their a$$es off. 🙁

This reminds me of my bad public high school. We took AP Physics and all got As….we all took the AP exam and no one understood how to answer a single question.

How are Walls AP results?

Very strong - I congratulated my son after he got 5 and he said it was no big deal. All of his friends got 5s and 1 got a 4.

So these kids knew how to answer the questions - unlike the PP. Sorry, PP. Try again.

[Anonymous]

I mean, the elite private school kids’ parents have clearly paid to get their kids into the Ivies.

It’s really ridiculous that now they can’t get what they paid for, and that stupider public school kids are taking those spots instead.

I, for one, really worry about what this means for the future of our country. Whatever will we do if we can’t be guaranteed the ability to preserve privilege for the next generation by spending $700k on pre-K through 12 education??? 🤔

[Anonymous]

This hateful argument is exhausting. Your kids would be horrified if they read this crap. You are tearing down each other’s children and comparing them like commodities. Be happy, be happy your children are happy and thriving. Good Lord! You all are pathetic!

[Anonymous]

Maybe private schools should label their courses AP again and just cover the needed AP material plus go deep on a couple topics, then kids can compete with APs. Not hard to fix.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually read all 13 pages of this thread. What a waste of time Is there grade inflation at some school? Yes. Why is there this continuous battle on DCUM about private vs public education?

My kid wanted to go to a big state university. Was a lifer (at a private -Big 3) who wanted a new experience at a big state flagship university. Accepted to 9. My kid did not get into or was rejected from kids top 3 choices. So what.

My kid is excited about the choice he made, I hope my private school kid is friends with your public school kids.

The horror of private school children interacting and having potentialy life long friendships with public school kids is just...I could go on but I won't.

Good for your kid to want to try out a different environment. He sounds confident, adventurous and independent.
Good luck to him