Benefits of being a high school graduate in DC

[Anonymous]

A kid will be very self sufficient and able to learn in less than ideal situations. Both will serve them well in college. I only know kids that have graduated from the application HS. All were prepared and have done well in college. Lots of different majors-Engineering, Nursing, English, etc.

[Anonymous]

Not buying it. No real benefits. You certainly don’t need to graduate from DC public high school to be resourceful, well-adjusted and street smart. The long post about the shortcomings said it well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC residents can get a $10,000 grant if they attend a state school (and a smaller grant if they attend a HBCU). But this is no where close to make state schools be as cheap as in state tuition and doesn't have any of the admissions benefits.

My son attended an HBCU, and he got hte full 10k every year.

Private HBCUs (eg Spelman) get the smaller $2500 HBCU grant. Local privates (eg GW) also get a $2500 grant. Public HBCUs (eg NCAT) and local publics (UMCP) get the full public $10k grant. There’s no stacking (which is why the PP got $10k not $12.5k).

Just want to note for other readers that it’s not only local publics that get the 10k grant; it’s almost every public university in the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not buying it. No real benefits. You certainly don’t need to graduate from DC public high school to be resourceful, well-adjusted and street smart. The long post about the shortcomings said it well.

Yeah, it's a little desperate to claim that dealing with disorganization and incompetence is an advantage. There are plenty of challenges and growth opportunities in life without making them up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not buying it. No real benefits. You certainly don’t need to graduate from DC public high school to be resourceful, well-adjusted and street smart. The long post about the shortcomings said it well.

Sounds like moving or private is best for you. But you find out they ALL have the same sort of issues--drugs, bad teachers, etc.

[Anonymous]

Right, every school has its issues, drugs, bad teachers etc. What isn't working for us in DCPS is the system's chaotic and experimental feel and low capacity on many levels, particularly on the planning front. We won't be back after this year, 5th and 7th grade for our children. Good luck to those who stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC residents can get a $10,000 grant if they attend a state school (and a smaller grant if they attend a HBCU). But this is no where close to make state schools be as cheap as in state tuition and doesn't have any of the admissions benefits.

My son attended an HBCU, and he got hte full 10k every year.

Private HBCUs (eg Spelman) get the smaller $2500 HBCU grant. Local privates (eg GW) also get a $2500 grant. Public HBCUs (eg NCAT) and local publics (UMCP) get the full public $10k grant. There’s no stacking (which is why the PP got $10k not $12.5k).

Just want to note for other readers that it’s not only local publics that get the 10k grant; it’s almost every public university in the country.

This is not much of an incentive to stay in the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Smart kids from DC do well in college. Many kids in DC, regardless of intelligence, have the challenges that come from growing up attending inner city schools and are making up for earlier gaps.

DC TAG is great, but it is not going to get you the equivalent of in state tuition. The cost of the UCs with DC tag is around 60K/year, similar for UVA. The cost of Pitt for my kid would have been 35K/ year between DC Tag and a small merit scholarship.

My kid is attending a private LAC (in top 40) with decent merit for about 65K/year.

The calculation is different for different families.

Ok, but for OP (who sounds new at this) - and to clarify - DC TAG gives you only $10K off the sticker price. USC (Cal) is now $92K a year so that brings it to $82K. Pitt is now $51,432 so $41,000+. My SLAC is $86K so $76K (and my slac doesn't give merit). Berkeley is over 70K for OOS (if you are lucky enough to get in). I'm glad your kid got "decent" merit at a SLAC but you usually have to drop down a tier or two in prestige to get that. My kid wasn't offered any merit until he dropped down to small SLACs you've never heard of. So to summarize, you are far better off to move from DC to VA and go in-state than to stay in DC and rely on DC tag.

USC (Cal) is now $92K a year so that brings it to $82K.

Do you mean university of Southern California? That’s a private school. Cal generally refers to UC Berkeley. Do you mean UCLA?

[Anonymous]

DCPS grads think critically? A solid half can't even read.
What a deeply stupid comment from one of the legion of ignoramus who know nothing about DCPS and schools like Walls, JR, McKinley, and Banneker and yet, like moths to a flame, can’t help coming to the DCPS forum to parade their ignorance.

You are extremely ignorant to what is happening in the DCPS system. https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/dc-students-show-major-decline-in-math-reading-since-pandemic-began/3148351/

We saw declines across all eight wards, and we saw more declines in the elementary school grades than we did in the higher grades," D.C. Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Christina Grant said.

Grant said math scores dropped significantly from 31% of students testing at grade level in 2019 to 19% testing at grade level in 2022.

Reading scores were slightly better with 31% of students testing at grade level this year. In 2019, 37% of students tested at grade level.

Please parade your ignorance here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS grads think critically? A solid half can't even read.

What a deeply stupid comment from one of the legion of ignoramus who know nothing about DCPS and schools like Walls, JR, McKinley, and Banneker and yet, like moths to a flame, can’t help coming to the DCPS forum to parade their ignorance.

You are extremely ignorant to what is happening in the DCPS system. https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/dc-students-show-major-decline-in-math-reading-since-pandemic-began/3148351/

We saw declines across all eight wards, and we saw more declines in the elementary school grades than we did in the higher grades," D.C. Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Christina Grant said.

Grant said math scores dropped significantly from 31% of students testing at grade level in 2019 to 19% testing at grade level in 2022.

Reading scores were slightly better with 31% of students testing at grade level this year. In 2019, 37% of students tested at grade level.

Please parade your ignorance here.



Again, slightly over half got a 3 on PARCC exams, which equates to “approaches expectations.” That in no way supports the idea that “2/3 of kids can’t read.”

But here you are, doubling down on PP’s juvenile snark with research.

Might be time to reconsider your life choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS grads think critically? A solid half can't even read.

What a deeply stupid comment from one of the legion of ignoramus who know nothing about DCPS and schools like Walls, JR, McKinley, and Banneker and yet, like moths to a flame, can’t help coming to the DCPS forum to parade their ignorance.

You are extremely ignorant to what is happening in the DCPS system. https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/dc-students-show-major-decline-in-math-reading-since-pandemic-began/3148351/

We saw declines across all eight wards, and we saw more declines in the elementary school grades than we did in the higher grades," D.C. Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Christina Grant said.

Grant said math scores dropped significantly from 31% of students testing at grade level in 2019 to 19% testing at grade level in 2022.

Reading scores were slightly better with 31% of students testing at grade level this year. In 2019, 37% of students tested at grade level.

Please parade your ignorance here.



Again, slightly over half got a 3 on PARCC exams, which equates to “approaches expectations.” That in no way supports the idea that “2/3 of kids can’t read.”

But here you are, doubling down on PP’s juvenile snark with research.

Might be time to reconsider your life choices.

"Approaches expectations" means that said student is performing below grade level. A system where the majority of students perform below grade level is doing something wrong. And it needs to be fixed, because it's unfair that so many kids are being pushed through the system and emerging without the skills to excel. The scores are disgraceful and claiming otherwise doesn't benefit anyone.

[Anonymous]

Private colleges with bug endowments want inner city kids, if a child is focused and has parental support, they can truly stand out in this background. Make the most of unique opportunities this town provides, volunteer at and intimately explore history and art at museums, intern at congress or think tanks, work for a congressman or an ambassador or a judge, put your experiences and insight into your essays and interviews.

Any Tom, Dick and Harry attends a good public school in a suburban bubble and apply to top colleges. Colleges reject them right and left. They need something different. You can do different at DCPS.

[Anonymous]

If your kid is motivated and has parental support, he is already ahead of the median here, supplement your needs where schools lack and you can get very different outcomes than ones not trying or doesn't have support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Make the most of unique opportunities this town provides, volunteer at and intimately explore history and art at museums, intern at congress or think tanks, work for a congressman or an ambassador or a judge, put your experiences and insight into your essays and interviews.

Obviously it’s impossible to do any of these before returning home to Silver Spring or Alexandria.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS grads think critically? A solid half can't even read.

What a deeply stupid comment from one of the legion of ignoramus who know nothing about DCPS and schools like Walls, JR, McKinley, and Banneker and yet, like moths to a flame, can’t help coming to the DCPS forum to parade their ignorance.

You are extremely ignorant to what is happening in the DCPS system. https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/dc-students-show-major-decline-in-math-reading-since-pandemic-began/3148351/

We saw declines across all eight wards, and we saw more declines in the elementary school grades than we did in the higher grades," D.C. Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Christina Grant said.

Grant said math scores dropped significantly from 31% of students testing at grade level in 2019 to 19% testing at grade level in 2022.

Reading scores were slightly better with 31% of students testing at grade level this year. In 2019, 37% of students tested at grade level.

Please parade your ignorance here.

Again, slightly over half got a 3 on PARCC exams, which equates to “approaches expectations.” That in no way supports the idea that “2/3 of kids can’t read.”

But here you are, doubling down on PP’s juvenile snark with research.

Might be time to reconsider your life choices.

"Approaches expectations" means that said student is performing below grade level. A system where the majority of students perform below grade level is doing something wrong. And it needs to be fixed, because it's unfair that so many kids are being pushed through the system and emerging without the skills to excel. The scores are disgraceful and claiming otherwise doesn't benefit anyone.

+1. Stats are so low that DCPS uses the 3 and above as approaching to really try to hide the fact that there is so few kids scoring 4 and 5 which is really grade level and above. Also, they are not transparent in the breakdown of 4 and 5 so you know what percentages are actually above grade level (5). Reality is at some schools that is 0.

3 isn’t it people.