Middle school dilemma: Eliot-Hine/Stuart Hobson/Jefferson
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Anonymous
| Which is a better choice for incoming 6th grader? On waitlist for one, feeder is other and matched for other. |
Anonymous
| Stuart-Hobson is better, in terms of test scores, IMO. |
Anonymous
| None. I would strongly consider moving. |
Anonymous
| For a 6th grader next year, I think the answer is clearly Stuart-Hobson. It has the largest cohort of high performing kids, a very public/defined path for tracking math, some squishier ELA tracking options (inquire with the principal if your kid is scoring 5s on PARCC/DC CAPE) & very good extracurriculars (particularly if your kid is interested in musical theater or jazz band). Also, not sure where you're coming from, but LT has 3 5th grade classes this year and looks to be sending 40+ kids to SH next year (up from 20 2 years ago). |
Anonymous
|
Both Stuart Hobson and Jefferson had a cohort of students that scored proficient in the Algebra 1 PARCC in last year. Stuart Hobson's cohort was somewhat larger. Based on the pass rates at both schools, it's clear the class was limited to students capable of the material.
Chronic absenteeism was 27% at Stuart Hobson, 40% at Jefferson, and 42% at Eliot-Hine. |
Anonymous
You can do some digging/searching on many pretty recent threads (pre/post lottery time) and read some perspectives from current parents at all three. I think that all three have families that are happy there. Not sure if you are comfortable sharing on this thread which is your IB school, but I do think it is relevant where you child's peers are going. Kids can do fine starting over at a new school, but if there is a cohort of his/her friends going to the feeder school, that could influence the decision. What does your child prefer? I know at this age parents probably should make the final call, but middle school years can be awkward/tough for a lot of kids, so if your child knows kids from elementary school, sports, etc at one of the schools, I'd factor that in. I am not as familiar with Jefferson, but I do know families that are happy there, and they have had some strong tracking/coursework options for awhile, I believe. In addition to what the prior poster wrote about SH, I can speak that EH has a lot of feeder school buy-in, has math options that can get kids to either algebra or geometry by 8th, various bands, a good theatre program, debate, the Eliot Hine network, and tons of sports. We have been happy there and didn't try to lottery out. One last thing is location - our kid goes on their own to school every morning, it is close enough that we don't need to drive, which is a plus for our family. |
Anonymous
|
I am not the OP. But let us pretend they go to Brent or Tyler (both of which are zoned to Jefferson but neither of which historically sends very many kids there) and they are currently waitlisted for Stuart-Hobson. What are pro/cons to seriously consider in choosing between Jefferson and Elliot-Hine for 6th?
For example, Elliot-Hine has an administration that came in roughly 6 years ago and has done a lot to really turn the school around some. It has both IB and more "extras" right now than Jefferson. Neighborhood buy-in has grown substantially. Jefferson is historically the stronger school. It has a different model where the students take all or almost all of their classes with the same assigned cohort of students. It has a brand new principal this year. But she seems both very likable and dedicated. |
Anonymous
| Between Jefferson and Eliot-Hine, I'd look at subtest scores for whatever group your kid is in, look at different sports and extracurriculars, and mostly think about the commute. |
Anonymous
|
OP, I would be careful. There are some pretty prolific Elliot Hine trolls on this forum who are major boosters.
Here is a recent thread with a lot of information: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1195459.page The academics are not good. |
Anonymous
Well one factor I'd consider is commute. For much of both the Brent and Tyler zones, E-H might be a more comfortable commute. Even if the schools are equidistant -- some people like going to middle school "on the Hill" rather than in another neighborhood. I would also look at extra-curriculars. My perception is that Jefferson has stronger, more established athletic programs (this might be wrong, don't quote me), but if I had a kid who was an athlete or was very interested in trying out for sports, I'd look at the programs both places and see which might be a better fit. Sometimes you actually want the less competitive program, if it means your kid will actually get to do more. Other times you want the school's approach to match your kid's passion. Similar thinking with regards to arts (about which I know nothing at either school, but worth looking into). In terms of administration and academics, I actually think it's a bit of a tie. You are right, Jefferson is more established in terms of being a destination, but E-H has gotten more buy in lately. I wouldn't rank one over the other in this respect. So I'd focus on other factors like which commute is preferable or whether the culture/EC options were a better fit for my specific kid. And only you can know that. |
Anonymous
| Coming from Tyler. I am a DC Native, just been out of the school game in a while and clueless as to the middle schools quality these days and want to make the best decision. Cons are the large class sizes and no aftercare. Don't have any pros because I don't know much about them, only what they use to be. |
Anonymous
People on this site are so funny. There are happy families at Eliot Hine (and SH,and Jefferson, and lots of other places). There are people on this site who like to paint schools with a single stroke to deter families from looking into/learning more about them. If a family who is happy at a school explains why they are happy at a school, people call them 'boosters'. However I have never head them called 'trolls' before. We won't all send our kids to the same school, not sure what benefit there is for people to insult or name call people who choose to send their kids to a school, and have positive things to say about it. Whoever the original poster is on this thread, I think all three of those schools have families who are happy - I would assume they all have some level of active parent organizations so you could also reach out to speak with some directly that way, or through friends/neighbors. |
Anonymous
| The Stuart Hobson waitlist for 6th is churning. My kid jumped from 20s to mid single digits already |
Anonymous
| I know one family that sent older kid to Jefferson and then switched to SH for younger when the time came. |
Anonymous
 Seriously? the person with an agenda seems to be you.
By PARCC score percentages, SH and EH are basically identical, with EH actually a bit better. SH is a bit bigger so in absolute numbers there are more advanced students. Personally if one of those two is your IB, go with that because keeping friends in MS is priceless. |