DCPS Policy on Talented & Gifted & Acaemic Magnet Middle School Programs...Questions for You

[Anonymous]

Aren't you the only righteous person in the crowd PP?

[Anonymous]

????

[Anonymous]

DCPS announced its first magnet middle school - a STEM program at McKinley.

[Anonymous]

Latin is superior. You just can't rest on real estate to get in.

right-- you just have to rest on pure, dumb luck via lottery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Deal could certainly be doing a better job advertising its singularly challenging math programs. I can understand why parents would report having a hard time finding out about them. They aren't necessarily mentioned at information nights.

Accelerated learning programs (the terms DCPS likes to use rather than gifted) are rapidly expanding at the elementary schools that feed into Deal, so we should see many more kids ready for, and doing, 7th grade algebra within the next few years.

Does any other DCPS middle school teach 7th grade algebra, or definitely plan to? So if you're not in-bounds for Deal, you're out of luck if your kid is very good at math/motivated to take on math challenges?

Looks like Washington Latin offers Algebra in 7th grade: http://www.edline.net/pages/Washington_Latin_PCS/Our_Program/Academics/Curriculum

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Deal could certainly be doing a better job advertising its singularly challenging math programs. I can understand why parents would report having a hard time finding out about them. They aren't necessarily mentioned at information nights.

Accelerated learning programs (the terms DCPS likes to use rather than gifted) are rapidly expanding at the elementary schools that feed into Deal, so we should see many more kids ready for, and doing, 7th grade algebra within the next few years.

Does any other DCPS middle school teach 7th grade algebra, or definitely plan to? So if you're not in-bounds for Deal, you're out of luck if your kid is very good at math/motivated to take on math challenges?

Looks like Washington Latin offers Algebra in 7th grade: http://www.edline.net/pages/Washington_Latin_PCS/Our_Program/Academics/Curriculum

Basis will offer either pre-algebra or algebra in 6th grade.

http://www.basisdc.org/index.php?option=com_phocadownload&view=category&download=109:math-course-sequence&id=4:course-sequences

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am personally glad that Latin accepts all comers.

Actually, isn't there a waiting list? I understand that Latin in open admission, but it is by lottery and there are more applicants than space available, right? i ask because as a parent of a 4th graders I find all the boosting about Latin as the best pretty annoying as there is no way I can rely upon getting in. I'm going to need to look at private schools since my in-boundry middle school is not a good fit for my child. If I am wrong and Latin truely does accept ALL students that wish to enroll, PLEASE correct me! It will save me thousands of dollars in private school fees!

[Anonymous]

I think people mean accepting all comers as anyone who gets in through the lottery -- no test, no GPA criteria etc.

So what do people on this thread who have advocated for a 'controlled choice' or magnet middle school think of the new proposal for a STEM magnet middle school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am personally glad that Latin accepts all comers.

Actually, isn't there a waiting list? I understand that Latin in open admission, but it is by lottery and there are more applicants than space available, right? i ask because as a parent of a 4th graders I find all the boosting about Latin as the best pretty annoying as there is no way I can rely upon getting in. I'm going to need to look at private schools since my in-boundry middle school is not a good fit for my child. If I am wrong and Latin truely does accept ALL students that wish to enroll, PLEASE correct me! It will save me thousands of dollars in private school fees!

Latin organizes the wait list by admission order. It begins accepting applications in December. 5th grade is the initial entrance year. If you really want your child at Latin, get an application for 5th grade submitted on the first available day. If your child is not randomly pulled in the lottery, you very likely will be contacted before the start of school for a slot.

Others on this forum have said that Latin contacted everyone on the 5th grade wait list for enrollment in 2011-12. I can't verify that.

If you wait til 6th grade or later, it will likely be very difficult to get entrance because there are so many fewer slots.

[Anonymous]

The fact that middle school decisions must be made in the fourth grade in many instances is tough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Latin organizes the wait list by admission order. It begins accepting applications in December. 5th grade is the initial entrance year. If you really want your child at Latin, get an application for 5th grade submitted on the first available day. If your child is not randomly pulled in the lottery, you very likely will be contacted before the start of school for a slot.

Others on this forum have said that Latin contacted everyone on the 5th grade wait list for enrollment in 2011-12. I can't verify that.

If you wait til 6th grade or later, it will likely be very difficult to get entrance because there are so many fewer slots.

thanks for the information! I guess it still isn't a guarantee, but that is good to hear that folks that are super interested and following Latin have a good chance at getting in.

I'm happy to hear of the STEM magnet school, but it won't work for my family because we need something next year, not 3 years from now.

[Anonymous]

I can confirm that every student who submitted an application for 5th grade at Latin within the application period last year was offered a spot. The school begins in 5th grade so it has 70 to 80 seats available. They receiv ed 90 applications before the lottery last year, so the initial waiting list was 15 to 20 students long and by the start of school, everyone on the waitlist was contacted.

This year may be different

[Anonymous]

Focus on most of the students, not the 1%.
Wait, they already do with school renovations show me an upper northwest school that has not been renovated within the past 5 years?).

[Anonymous]

Lafayette

[Anonymous]

oyster-adams...