APS Elementary: On the Rise ?
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Anonymous
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Several posts about APS elementary grades sound as if they are getting better. New reading curriculum (thanks to the NAACP), new writing approach, and at least some parts of the ED Hirsch "Core Knowledge" materials are showing up.
Are these flukes ? Or are things really improving in the elementary grades ? |
Anonymous
| I mean, it had nowhere to go other than up, I guess. Hard pass! |
Anonymous
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The ELA curriculum is actually good. It’s not used to its fullest extent in my child’s class but it has promise.
Math is worthless. Abysmal. On this basis alone, I would say APS is not on the up. |
Anonymous
| The move to standards based grading is awful and will set APS back. The inability to address kids with serious disciplinary problems is also a recipe for disaster. |
Anonymous
| They've switched to online assessments for grading and it's stupid. Elementary kids shouldn't have their math tests be multiple choice. They shouldn't be assessed on only 3-8 questions per unit and there should be partial credit. It's a bonkers way of deciding if kids know the materials. |
Anonymous
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Ending Lucy Caulkins had made it leaps and bounds better. But starting from a very low point.
Is it better than DCPS or PGPS, probably. Competitive with the high performing FCPS/MCPS/FCC, no. |
Anonymous
Are you kidding me?! My kids are no longer in ES, but I swear I was repeating "You have to show your work so they know you're thinking like a mathematician" in my sleep. Also, SBG is trash. (I do love almost all APS teachers, though) |
Anonymous
| Depends on the elementary school. Don’t believe people who say they are all the same (just look at the thread discussing Oakridge. The new ELA curriculum is really good. The problem is that it’s new and not all schools are implementing it to the fullest extent. I think this will change though and schools get more used to it. The writing curriculum is still poor though and needs to improve. Math is ok. I put my kid in Kumon because they don’t give enough math practice and don’t emphasize math facts. I’ve heard a lot of negative things about standards based grading. However my experience with it (in k-2nd grade) has been fine. It seems like the controversy is more with the upper grades though. Our elementary school, ATS, opted out of it for the upper grades. Admin and parents seem to be dead set against it. |
Anonymous
| Complainers gonna complain. We've been perfectly happy with our APS experience. The scores show zero difference between our school and high achieving MCPS / FCPS schools. So, shrug. |
Anonymous
Yup, the online tests also have tons of mistakes or terribly unclear questions. At parent teacher conferences out conversation went like this: Us: So how did Larlo get a B in math this quarter? His Math Inventory is off the charts and he is great at math. Teacher: Well, there were two tests and he got a 66% on one of them. Us: Really, what didn't he understand. Teacher: We'll, it was three problems and he got this one wrong, so he got a 66%. Us: (Looking at the problem) Uh, but none of those answers is correct? The answer should be X. Teacher: It says the answer is (C) Us:. But that's not correct. Teacher: I have to go by what's in the system. Good times in APS. |
Anonymous
We're well-beyond elementary at this point. Our elementary experience was very good but things have changed since then. IMO, it is mainly the whole "equity" element that has been driving APS into a downward spiral, along with poor curriculum/instructional choices (like math pathways and the literacy program....). It seems everything that's declined or a point for complaining comes back to "in the name of equity." However, I am cautiously hopeful that as a result of the exacerbated decline due to COVID shutdown, more parents and teachers are pushing back and bringing attention to the decline that began prior to COVID and maybe that will help re-direct APS back on course. For now, it takes active parent engagement and careful management to ensure your kid gets the most appropriate challenge and strong fundamental skills (writing!) they can out of APS. But from our experience overall, elementary isn't the problem - except for the iPads and if there has been increasing use and reliance on those instead of less. Middle and high school need to get off the digital work plan and back to actually reading and writing and thinking and taking notes. |
Anonymous
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I’m an elementary APS teacher. I have no idea what you are talking about with this testing… sounds like you are not in an SBG school. We do multiple check ins and also track formative assignments for progress. Students have many many opportunities to show mastery of a standard.
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Anonymous
You should land your helicopter. Or go to private. |
Anonymous
Not true. At least compared to Fairfax peer schools, our HS underperform Fairfax. |
Anonymous
So you are at Jamestown? |