DC's School Report Cards are up. Any surprises?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a solution to the problem with schools in this city. But as an educated UMC family EOTP, charters are what kept us in the city to make it work.

We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.

It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.

If I could send my kid to Stuart-Hobson I totally would. DC is at a supposedly desirable EOTP charter but meh.

Feel free to because there is no issue to get in. Very high chance in 6th and wide open 7th and 8th. Can’t say the same of DCI. Major access issue and waitlists.

Actually, Stuart-Hobson has been very competitive the past few years. Last year only 35% were offered a 6th grade seat. That's more competitive than Hardy, John-Francis, and BASIS 5th were.

The real path to DCI is through feeder elementaries, so it's not really comparable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a solution to the problem with schools in this city. But as an educated UMC family EOTP, charters are what kept us in the city to make it work.

We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.

It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.

If I could send my kid to Stuart-Hobson I totally would. DC is at a supposedly desirable EOTP charter but meh.

Feel free to because there is no issue to get in. Very high chance in 6th and wide open 7th and 8th. Can’t say the same of DCI. Major access issue and waitlists.

Actually, Stuart-Hobson has been very competitive the past few years. Last year only 35% were offered a 6th grade seat. That's more competitive than Hardy, John-Francis, and BASIS 5th were.

The real path to DCI is through feeder elementaries, so it's not really comparable.

You can absolutely compare chances of kids not thru feeder for DCI and SH.

If you want to move the goalpost and say the route to DCI is thru feeders, same can be used for SH. Just go to JOW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a solution to the problem with schools in this city. But as an educated UMC family EOTP, charters are what kept us in the city to make it work.

We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.

It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.

There are plenty of these people at Deal, Hardy, Latin, Basis, SH etc. because its DC. But also kind of cringy to point out. There are also many families that struggle at DCI who probably weren’t at your event because they were working.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a solution to the problem with schools in this city. But as an educated UMC family EOTP, charters are what kept us in the city to make it work.

We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.

It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.

There are plenty of these people at Deal, Hardy, Latin, Basis, SH etc. because its DC. But also kind of cringy to point out. There are also many families that struggle at DCI who probably weren’t at your event because they were working.

Educational executives? In no world do I think that’s an particularly impressive job — especially by DC standards. An actual U.S. Senator has his kid at Stuart-Hobson, so we better all rush off there to keep up with the Joneses now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a solution to the problem with schools in this city. But as an educated UMC family EOTP, charters are what kept us in the city to make it work.

We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.

It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.

There are plenty of these people at Deal, Hardy, Latin, Basis, SH etc. because its DC. But also kind of cringy to point out. There are also many families that struggle at DCI who probably weren’t at your event because they were working.

I don’t think so at SH but you just supported above that these types of educated families EOTP are concentrated at acceptable middle schools which are charters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a solution to the problem with schools in this city. But as an educated UMC family EOTP, charters are what kept us in the city to make it work.

We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.

It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.

There are plenty of these people at Deal, Hardy, Latin, Basis, SH etc. because its DC. But also kind of cringy to point out. There are also many families that struggle at DCI who probably weren’t at your event because they were working.

I don’t think so at SH but you just supported above that these types of educated families EOTP are concentrated at acceptable middle schools which are charters.

Deal and Hardy are not charters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a solution to the problem with schools in this city. But as an educated UMC family EOTP, charters are what kept us in the city to make it work.

We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.

It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.

No, most educated families clamor to get their child to the handful of the best DCPS middle and high schools -if not private.
Charters are the backup, especially if their kid didn’t make the cut.

The exception is if you really wanted a certain school -like immersion. Not saying DCI isn’t fine but that is not a testament to charters as a whole or what the current data shows.

The data shows the three highest scoring high schools in the city are BASIS, Latin and School Without Walls. Only one of those is a public school, and only kinda sorta. Jackson Reid is perfectly fine backup if you don't get into any of them, and if you don't mind your kid being one of 14,000 freshman.

This is so funny to me. My high school was twice as large as Jackson Reed and I had zero problems associated with that.

[Anonymous]

I don't disagree that DCPS has problems—major ones—but I don't understand what the charters are really improving on except for allowing families that are engaged in their kids' education to congregate together instead of languishing in smaller cohorts at their neighborhood schools. I'd axe them and fund a magnet GT program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a solution to the problem with schools in this city. But as an educated UMC family EOTP, charters are what kept us in the city to make it work.

We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.

It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.

There are plenty of these people at Deal, Hardy, Latin, Basis, SH etc. because its DC. But also kind of cringy to point out. There are also many families that struggle at DCI who probably weren’t at your event because they were working.

I don’t think so at SH but you just supported above that these types of educated families EOTP are concentrated at acceptable middle schools which are charters.

Deal and Hardy are not charters.

They are not EOTP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't disagree that DCPS has problems—major ones—but I don't understand what the charters are really improving on except for allowing families that are engaged in their kids' education to congregate together instead of languishing in smaller cohorts at their neighborhood schools. I'd axe them and fund a magnet GT program.

You must be new to the DC school scene.

OSSE won’t allow magnet GT because of “equity”. Therefore kids 4 and 5 grade levels apart are grouped together. The achievement gap becomes very obvious once you are past K. What DCPS also does is instead of supporting the bottom and keeping high standards, they lower standards and teach to the bottom.

What some charters are able to do since they have a large enough cohort of higher performing kids and not under the control of OSSE is to be able to teach grade level content and above grade level content. Some charters also have tracking official and unofficial so group like ability level kids together in classes. This is especially important as the achievement gap widens even more middle school and up.

You can’t do that when the overwhelming majority of kids are not just below grade level but way below grade level. The teaching and resources are then concentrated at those levels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't disagree that DCPS has problems—major ones—but I don't understand what the charters are really improving on except for allowing families that are engaged in their kids' education to congregate together instead of languishing in smaller cohorts at their neighborhood schools. I'd axe them and fund a magnet GT program.

You must be new to the DC school scene.

OSSE won’t allow magnet GT because of “equity”. Therefore kids 4 and 5 grade levels apart are grouped together. The achievement gap becomes very obvious once you are past K. What DCPS also does is instead of supporting the bottom and keeping high standards, they lower standards and teach to the bottom.

What some charters are able to do since they have a large enough cohort of higher performing kids and not under the control of OSSE is to be able to teach grade level content and above grade level content. Some charters also have tracking official and unofficial so group like ability level kids together in classes. This is especially important as the achievement gap widens even more middle school and up.

You can’t do that when the overwhelming majority of kids are not just below grade level but way below grade level. The teaching and resources are then concentrated at those levels.

+1

Our charter encourages kids to go beyond grade level. The kids compete amongst themselves to see how far above grade level they can get.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a solution to the problem with schools in this city. But as an educated UMC family EOTP, charters are what kept us in the city to make it work.

We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.

It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.

If I could send my kid to Stuart-Hobson I totally would. DC is at a supposedly desirable EOTP charter but meh.

I think this is the same Stuart Hobson booster but if it’s a real post I invite you do so some research on the school. It’s objectively a poor performing school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t have a solution to the problem with schools in this city. But as an educated UMC family EOTP, charters are what kept us in the city to make it work.

We were at an immersion charter and now at DCI as a new family this year. We were at an event this weekend and met a number of other DCI families and wow the backgrounds of these families were impressive - lawyers, CIO, educational executives, etc…. It was also a very diverse group with blacks, white, asians.

It is quite obvious to me now that educated UMC families of all backgrounds and ethnicities are congregating and coalescing among the few acceptable charters for middle school EOTP. It is not by chance that there were so many accomplished families in one event.

There are plenty of these people at Deal, Hardy, Latin, Basis, SH etc. because its DC. But also kind of cringy to point out. There are also many families that struggle at DCI who probably weren’t at your event because they were working.

Educational executives? In no world do I think that’s an particularly impressive job — especially by DC standards. An actual U.S. Senator has his kid at Stuart-Hobson, so we better all rush off there to keep up with the Joneses now.

It’s been my experience that people with kids at Stuart Hobson value a comfortable commute and easy classes above all else. Which is fine of course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Banneker and School Without Walls are the top high schools. Lots of DCPS elementary schools at the top of the ratings. For the charters, Latin, Friendship and Center City have campuses in the top.

The official OSSE site is here https://schoolreportcard.dc.gov/home.
It may be easier to navigate the information on the EmpowerK12 site https://www.empowerk12.org/dc-accountability-scores-dashboard.

Looks like BASIS and Walls have the best numbers. However, Basis is 100% lottery and Walls selects its students.

Is BASIS really a lottery if they kick kids out who don’t pass their many tests? Walls can’t do that…

Basis does not kick out kids, they just don't pass them unless they actually pass. I haven't heard of anyone not passing in high school at Basis. I have also not heard of Walls accepting any kids who aren't passing in middle school.

lol.

Walls only accepts straight A kids.

Yes but the cohort of kids are from mediocre schools. No I do not think a kid getting an A at dcps “honors” math is the same as a kid at basis, or the accelerated track at DCI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Banneker and School Without Walls are the top high schools. Lots of DCPS elementary schools at the top of the ratings. For the charters, Latin, Friendship and Center City have campuses in the top.

The official OSSE site is here https://schoolreportcard.dc.gov/home.
It may be easier to navigate the information on the EmpowerK12 site https://www.empowerk12.org/dc-accountability-scores-dashboard.

Looks like BASIS and Walls have the best numbers. However, Basis is 100% lottery and Walls selects its students.

Is BASIS really a lottery if they kick kids out who don’t pass their many tests? Walls can’t do that…

Basis does not kick out kids, they just don't pass them unless they actually pass. I haven't heard of anyone not passing in high school at Basis. I have also not heard of Walls accepting any kids who aren't passing in middle school.

lol.

Walls only accepts straight A kids.

Yes but the cohort of kids are from mediocre schools. No I do not think a kid getting an A at dcps “honors” math is the same as a kid at basis, or the accelerated track at DCI.

Except some of the kids at Walls get college credits, so what does it matter?

Also let’s be real, grades are not everything. I got mediocre grades but I make a great salary. My college was pretty good but not Ivy League.
I’d rather my child get good grades sure but also learn actual life skills and get experience/try things they’d like to do.

Our kids are going to need a lot more than good grades and a college degree to have a decent living in today’s world.