Building off the Deal/J-R thread: Same question, but for elementary...

[Anonymous]

I was told this called for for its own post, not an entry in that thread so: taking that advice! Apologies as I'm sure this general issue is perennially covered...I somehow haven't found this exact answer answered in prior posts:

If your kid is in a charter elementary school that's fine for PK - as I know most charters are - but then gets progressively less impressive once you have to start actually learning...and you've come up just short in the lottery for your target schools both PK years...and your zoned school is 100% not an option - what's the play? Is there any realistic (emphasis on that word) hope for OOB lottery placement into a decent DCPS school in NW - not a charter, an actual neighborhood school - for K or 1st? Or should we plan to rent our current place out and somehow find a somewhat equivalent rental in upper NW? Is there any ELEMENTARY school in the city itself that's worth moving for? Or should we just rent our place out and move to MoCo - is a gifted program worth moving for, if you think that might (might! who knows, it's still early! but signs definitely point in this direction so far...) be a factor? If so, when? If you did move - or didn't - when and how did you make that call?

Thanks for not flaming me despite my relative ignorance of prior conversation. We're feeling a bit crushed right now - got very close this year, fell just short, agonizingly so - and a bit lost as to our next move.

[Anonymous]

I would say the kindergarten lottery tends to be your best shot at DCPS elementaries OOB. Schools can have more students per class starting in kindergarten. Schools also have more limited insight into how many IB kindergarten students will enroll by right. Both of those factors tend to result in more lottery offers in K than in other grades.

That's not to say the chances are poor in other years, but it's just a lot less predictable. Compared to middle and high school, it's a lot harder to speak in generalities about the elementary school lottery since there are so many more viable options across the city.

People here are more likely/able to help if you share specific school(s)/grade level(s) you're interested in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would say the kindergarten lottery tends to be your best shot at DCPS elementaries OOB. Schools can have more students per class starting in kindergarten. Schools also have more limited insight into how many IB kindergarten students will enroll by right. Both of those factors tend to result in more lottery offers in K than in other grades.

That's not to say the chances are poor in other years, but it's just a lot less predictable. Compared to middle and high school, it's a lot harder to speak in generalities about the elementary school lottery since there are so many more viable options across the city.

People here are more likely/able to help if you share specific school(s)/grade level(s) you're interested in.

Good advice.

In my opinion the play is to stay put, continue to lottery for whatever you think is good, and if you don't get into Latin for 5th then you think harder about moving.

Tell us where you live and you'll get better advice. You might be writing off schools too easily.

[Anonymous]

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/aaron2446/viz/MSDCSeatsandWaitlistOfferData_draft/MSDCPublicDisplay

This data will answer a lot of your questions. Stop despairing and start understanding. The situation is nowhere near as bad as you seem to assume.

[Anonymous]

I would move to VA. You need to think about middle and high school.

Don’t make the mistake of not considering above in your decision and then striking out in the lottery in middle. Much harder transition with moving.

Move to good pyramid in VA and you are set. Plus you get the great state schools for college as an option. Why I suggested VA and not MD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was told this called for for its own post, not an entry in that thread so: taking that advice! Apologies as I'm sure this general issue is perennially covered...I somehow haven't found this exact answer answered in prior posts:

If your kid is in a charter elementary school that's fine for PK - as I know most charters are - but then gets progressively less impressive once you have to start actually learning...and you've come up just short in the lottery for your target schools both PK years...and your zoned school is 100% not an option - what's the play? Is there any realistic (emphasis on that word) hope for OOB lottery placement into a decent DCPS school in NW - not a charter, an actual neighborhood school - for K or 1st? Or should we plan to rent our current place out and somehow find a somewhat equivalent rental in upper NW? Is there any ELEMENTARY school in the city itself that's worth moving for? Or should we just rent our place out and move to MoCo - is a gifted program worth moving for, if you think that might (might! who knows, it's still early! but signs definitely point in this direction so far...) be a factor? If so, when? If you did move - or didn't - when and how did you make that call?

Thanks for not flaming me despite my relative ignorance of prior conversation. We're feeling a bit crushed right now - got very close this year, fell just short, agonizingly so - and a bit lost as to our next move.

This is a tough question, because it seems short sighted to move just for elementary school, and there are actually plenty of pretty great DCPS elementary schools so it's hard to identify one.

If you are going to move, you should keep in mind the entire feeder. Middle school comes at you fast.

[Anonymous]

And also yes the K lottery is a great chance. Not 1st. But some of the very best DCPS schools actually do let in a few kids for K OOB every year, so put them all on your list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would say the kindergarten lottery tends to be your best shot at DCPS elementaries OOB. Schools can have more students per class starting in kindergarten. Schools also have more limited insight into how many IB kindergarten students will enroll by right. Both of those factors tend to result in more lottery offers in K than in other grades.

That's not to say the chances are poor in other years, but it's just a lot less predictable. Compared to middle and high school, it's a lot harder to speak in generalities about the elementary school lottery since there are so many more viable options across the city.

People here are more likely/able to help if you share specific school(s)/grade level(s) you're interested in.

Good advice.

In my opinion the play is to stay put, continue to lottery for whatever you think is good, and if you don't get into Latin for 5th then you think harder about moving.

Tell us where you live and you'll get better advice. You might be writing off schools too easily.

OP here: We're just a bit EOTP. Our local zoned elementary is 3/10 on Greatschools. It feeds into a 4/10 MS and a 2/10 HS. Call me hasty, but - not willing to take the gamble here...it's lottery,charters or bust for us

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would say the kindergarten lottery tends to be your best shot at DCPS elementaries OOB. Schools can have more students per class starting in kindergarten. Schools also have more limited insight into how many IB kindergarten students will enroll by right. Both of those factors tend to result in more lottery offers in K than in other grades.

That's not to say the chances are poor in other years, but it's just a lot less predictable. Compared to middle and high school, it's a lot harder to speak in generalities about the elementary school lottery since there are so many more viable options across the city.

People here are more likely/able to help if you share specific school(s)/grade level(s) you're interested in.

OP again: as we said in the original post - we struck out for PK3 and PK4...so I guess K lottery it is! [sigh] Thanks for the shred of hope, guys...sincerely grateful to hear it's not over til it's over...

The Venn diagram of test scores, feeder patterns and work commutes means we'd take basically ANY elementary WOTP that would have us, with one or two exceptions (Shepherd or Key would unfortunately be big transportation headaches - and I guess from what I hear Key might present an aftercare problem too? But otherwise: just about ANY SCHOOL OR CHARTER in that area with somewhat decent test scores and a halfway ok feeder pattern would work. Literally any of them! They all seem fine! Better than our local Greatschools 3/10 school, anyway. We tried all of them for PK4 - and got agonizingly close. But...no luck.)

[Anonymous]

(of course we tried Bancroft and Oyster-Adams too - the best EOTP options close-ish to us. Any other K recs in that vein/of that quality within 10 minutes of those schools would be amazing!)

[Anonymous]

Ok so stop using GreatSchools. I'm all for data, but their analysis does not have a strong understanding of DC schools and how the system here operates. And there is a lot of data about DC schools that isn't in GreatSchools at all. You can use OSSE test scores and enrollment data, EmpowerK12 dashboard, and the PCSB QSRs and financial reports as well as the Accountability Scores on DC School Report Card.

Why don't you let us help you make your list for next year. Put all the Ward 3 schools except Key and Shepherd, and then put the DCI feeders that you can commute to, and Inspired Teaching. That should be enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would say the kindergarten lottery tends to be your best shot at DCPS elementaries OOB. Schools can have more students per class starting in kindergarten. Schools also have more limited insight into how many IB kindergarten students will enroll by right. Both of those factors tend to result in more lottery offers in K than in other grades.

That's not to say the chances are poor in other years, but it's just a lot less predictable. Compared to middle and high school, it's a lot harder to speak in generalities about the elementary school lottery since there are so many more viable options across the city.

People here are more likely/able to help if you share specific school(s)/grade level(s) you're interested in.

Good advice.

In my opinion the play is to stay put, continue to lottery for whatever you think is good, and if you don't get into Latin for 5th then you think harder about moving.

Tell us where you live and you'll get better advice. You might be writing off schools too easily.

OP here: We're just a bit EOTP. Our local zoned elementary is 3/10 on Greatschools. It feeds into a 4/10 MS and a 2/10 HS. Call me hasty, but - not willing to take the gamble here...it's lottery,charters or bust for us

Great schools is bullshit. Ignore it. Just name the school if you want real feedback. You're not outing yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would say the kindergarten lottery tends to be your best shot at DCPS elementaries OOB. Schools can have more students per class starting in kindergarten. Schools also have more limited insight into how many IB kindergarten students will enroll by right. Both of those factors tend to result in more lottery offers in K than in other grades.

That's not to say the chances are poor in other years, but it's just a lot less predictable. Compared to middle and high school, it's a lot harder to speak in generalities about the elementary school lottery since there are so many more viable options across the city.

People here are more likely/able to help if you share specific school(s)/grade level(s) you're interested in.

Good advice.

In my opinion the play is to stay put, continue to lottery for whatever you think is good, and if you don't get into Latin for 5th then you think harder about moving.

Tell us where you live and you'll get better advice. You might be writing off schools too easily.

OP here: We're just a bit EOTP. Our local zoned elementary is 3/10 on Greatschools. It feeds into a 4/10 MS and a 2/10 HS. Call me hasty, but - not willing to take the gamble here...it's lottery,charters or bust for us

Great schools is bullshit. Ignore it. Just name the school if you want real feedback. You're not outing yourself.

The high schools rates 2 are Eastern and Cardozo. The only Eastern feeder rated 4 is Jefferson. The only Jefferson feeder rated 3 is Amidon-Bowen. Cardozo does not have a feeder middle rated 4.

Mind you, OP, on Greatschools some of the names of the schools are out of date. Another reason Greatschools is dumb.

[Anonymous]

I don't think Amidon-Bowen is so bad, OP. Not for K-2nd. The main issue is the test scores in 3rd-5th, but that seems hardly a reason to move house right now. You'll be fine there for K and 1st if you'd like to play the lottery a bit longer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think Amidon-Bowen is so bad, OP. Not for K-2nd. The main issue is the test scores in 3rd-5th, but that seems hardly a reason to move house right now. You'll be fine there for K and 1st if you'd like to play the lottery a bit longer.

It's not bad at all. We have kids from Amidon Bowen at our charter middle and they are super smart, so they must have learned something (or at least not been harmed by their experience).