Transitioning from DCPS to MCPS in upper elementary or middle: academic/social challenges?

[Anonymous]

Are there any parents here whose kids transitioned from one of the better DCPS elementary schools to a MCPS public school for either upper elementary or middle? If so, did you notice any academic gaps you wish you had supplemented earlier? How was the transition socially?

Our in-bound DCPS middle school isn’t a realistic option and I'm not blown away by any of the lottery options, so trying to plan ahead for when we inevitably move. Originally posted in the DCPS forum, but someone suggested I might get more responses here...

[Anonymous]

What grade OP? Math acceleration begins in 4th grade here so it is best to start by then if your kid might qualify. But you would need to show wry high MAP scores to qualify. Does DCPS require MAP-M?

[Anonymous]

Our ES allowed students to start compacted math in 5th if they qualified and the parents were given an idea of things to review because if the units they would have missed of 5th grade math. If you’re switching systems there might be some holes anyway so I wouldn’t think you’d be limited to on-level math just because you hadn’t had MCPS compacted math in 4th grade.

Our middle school also offers multiple pathways to at least 8th grade Algebra, including for kids who did not do compacted math in 4th/5th. Might be harder to be placed in 7th grade algebra the later you start in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What grade OP? Math acceleration begins in 4th grade here so it is best to start by then if your kid might qualify. But you would need to show wry high MAP scores to qualify. Does DCPS require MAP-M?

OP here. We’re thinking of moving after 3rd, but don’t have a set timeline so we’d consider earlier (or later) if there were specific reasons to. I don’t believe DCPS offers MAP-M in elementary - or at least I have not heard of it

[Anonymous]

2nd graders are still in the developmental phase where they mostly play with whoever happens to be nearby. In 3rd grade they start to develop more stable friends groups. That might make it harder for your kid to leave after 3rd if they have a tight friend group in DCPS. But most MCPS schools are pretty big and not particularly insular. I wouldn’t think it would be particularly hard socially to start in 3rd or 4th. With 5th being the last year of elementary school it might be a little harder since just as you’re getting to know the school well your kid will be moving on to MS.

[Anonymous]

I would think about whether you want to move here for ES or just wait until MS. If you are moving in 4th or 5th, then your kid will be on the "regular" track most likely here. Nothing wrong with that, but it's probably similar to what kids will do in DCPS. And when we were in DCPS, I was wowed by what the PTA could do. They are able to fundraise to add teachers to every class. That is not allowed here in MD. If you are in a DCPS that does this, then I think your experience might be better in DC than in MD.

We were at an upper NW school but needed to move to get into a bigger place so ended up in MD. Overall, I think the experience in DCPS was better. But I would take the MCPS MS in a heartbeat. And we were in a Deal feeder.

[Anonymous]

We moved our child for 6th grade from a NW DCPS to MCPS. It was good timing, since all kids were new to school. No problems socially. Academically, my child tested into accelerated math and still for about a year the class covered the topics that DCPS just covered in 5th (so it seemed in DCPS math was stronger). Same for writing, DCPS seemed stronger. For sciences, my child struggled, and MCPS went way deeper into topics than I would have anticipated for MS (I also didn’t think the teaching was that effective). Check out MCPS science curriculum and have kids read a few science related books.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would think about whether you want to move here for ES or just wait until MS. If you are moving in 4th or 5th, then your kid will be on the "regular" track most likely here. Nothing wrong with that, but it's probably similar to what kids will do in DCPS. And when we were in DCPS, I was wowed by what the PTA could do. They are able to fundraise to add teachers to every class. That is not allowed here in MD. If you are in a DCPS that does this, then I think your experience might be better in DC than in MD.

We were at an upper NW school but needed to move to get into a bigger place so ended up in MD. Overall, I think the experience in DCPS was better. But I would take the MCPS MS in a heartbeat. And we were in a Deal feeder.

If they move in 4th or 5th they wouldn't be able to get into a CES (but most qualified kids don't, it's a lottery with a tiny number of spots.) If they're qualified for compacted math and/or enriched literacy (the latter of which is stronger at some schools than others) they should still be able to get it though.

(If the CES and middle-school magnets continue as-is, you'd want to be in MCPS in 3rd to be eligible for the CES in 4th/5th, or in MCPS in 5th to be eligible for the middle school magnets. But who knows whether those will be the same by the time your child is old enough?)

[Anonymous]

We moved between 3rd and 4th and I am glad we didn’t wait longer. I emailed the counselor ahead of time and they allowed DC into accelerated math based on a MAP-M test they gave everyone in the first few weeks of school. The first three weeks were tough but by the end of the year, it was clear it was a great call.