TJ Decisions are Out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is in class of 2025 (first under new system) Says there are definitely kids at TJ in their class who are struggling academically a great deal. Attributes some of that to not putting in the effort. Other classmates try and work hard but still are struggling. They are repeating math classes (like taking math 4 again in second semester because didn’t do well enough first semester to progress to math 5). I don’t think that happened much, if at all, for classes admitted under the old system. Child believes there are more than a handful of kids that would not have gotten in under the old system. It is one thing if the kids admitted under the new system at historically underrepresented schools can thrive and are thriving at TJ. But it is very concerning and problematic when there are a lot more kids now struggling and find TJ extremely challenging. Hate to say it. But they probably should not be at TJ.

DC was in the class of 2022 and said it did happen even more in the old system. A lot of the kids who only got in because of prep and test buying weren't up for the rigor. They were average kids who were barely able to parrot back the answers they had memorized. At least now TJ gets the very best students from each school.

Not only that many of those kids were so ultracompetitive that it made TJ so toxic. I think the board did a good job ensuring that selection is inclusive of all residents not just those willing to drop thousands on prep and also helped reduce the toxic behavior.

[Anonymous]

What is the value of transparency in any organization, especially a public one, or our democracy for that matter? Only when things are transparent do you know they are fair and just.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does the Admission Office (central office) do the evaluations? Are middle schools involved in any part of the decision making?

Admissions Office or whatever it is called does the selections. The middle schools are involved in verifying courses taken, and helping the kids through the application process.

Admissions for sophomore and junior year are evaluated by TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does the Admission Office (central office) do the evaluations? Are middle schools involved in any part of the decision making?

This is my question too. Fair or unfair, the admission process should be transparent at least. Will students be notified of the score they get for essays? Is essay the only factor when identifying the top 1.5%?

This is an honest question - what would be the value of transparency in the admissions process?

To me, there would be two effects:

1) an easier access point for parents to challenge when their kids aren't selected, which serves no one because you can't very well remove a kid you've already selected to make room for another;

2) an easier ability for parents to game the admissions process by narrowly tailoring their child's elementary and middle school years to serve the end of getting into TJ, which is also a terrible idea because it places a needless burden on kids and makes their admissions outcomes more dependent on parent priorities than student ability.

If anything, the process needs to be LESS transparent for the health of Northern Virginia's kids.

The process would also have to do a better job of selecting top kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is in class of 2025 (first under new system) Says there are definitely kids at TJ in their class who are struggling academically a great deal. Attributes some of that to not putting in the effort. Other classmates try and work hard but still are struggling. They are repeating math classes (like taking math 4 again in second semester because didn’t do well enough first semester to progress to math 5). I don’t think that happened much, if at all, for classes admitted under the old system. Child believes there are more than a handful of kids that would not have gotten in under the old system. It is one thing if the kids admitted under the new system at historically underrepresented schools can thrive and are thriving at TJ. But it is very concerning and problematic when there are a lot more kids now struggling and find TJ extremely challenging. Hate to say it. But they probably should not be at TJ.

DC was in the class of 2022 and said it did happen even more in the old system. A lot of the kids who only got in because of prep and test buying weren't up for the rigor. They were average kids who were barely able to parrot back the answers they had memorized. At least now TJ gets the very best students from each school.

Not only that many of those kids were so ultracompetitive that it made TJ so toxic. I think the board did a good job ensuring that selection is inclusive of all residents not just those willing to drop thousands on prep and also helped reduce the toxic behavior.

I think the selection went more in favor of those who did prep. It's easier to prep a kid for an essay than a math test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is in class of 2025 (first under new system) Says there are definitely kids at TJ in their class who are struggling academically a great deal. Attributes some of that to not putting in the effort. Other classmates try and work hard but still are struggling. They are repeating math classes (like taking math 4 again in second semester because didn’t do well enough first semester to progress to math 5). I don’t think that happened much, if at all, for classes admitted under the old system. Child believes there are more than a handful of kids that would not have gotten in under the old system. It is one thing if the kids admitted under the new system at historically underrepresented schools can thrive and are thriving at TJ. But it is very concerning and problematic when there are a lot more kids now struggling and find TJ extremely challenging. Hate to say it. But they probably should not be at TJ.

DC was in the class of 2022 and said it did happen even more in the old system. A lot of the kids who only got in because of prep and test buying weren't up for the rigor. They were average kids who were barely able to parrot back the answers they had memorized. At least now TJ gets the very best students from each school.

Best of the worst is still worst of the best

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is in class of 2025 (first under new system) Says there are definitely kids at TJ in their class who are struggling academically a great deal. Attributes some of that to not putting in the effort. Other classmates try and work hard but still are struggling. They are repeating math classes (like taking math 4 again in second semester because didn’t do well enough first semester to progress to math 5). I don’t think that happened much, if at all, for classes admitted under the old system. Child believes there are more than a handful of kids that would not have gotten in under the old system. It is one thing if the kids admitted under the new system at historically underrepresented schools can thrive and are thriving at TJ. But it is very concerning and problematic when there are a lot more kids now struggling and find TJ extremely challenging. Hate to say it. But they probably should not be at TJ.

DC was in the class of 2022 and said it did happen even more in the old system. A lot of the kids who only got in because of prep and test buying weren't up for the rigor. They were average kids who were barely able to parrot back the answers they had memorized. At least now TJ gets the very best students from each school.

Not only that many of those kids were so ultracompetitive that it made TJ so toxic. I think the board did a good job ensuring that selection is inclusive of all residents not just those willing to drop thousands on prep and also helped reduce the toxic behavior.

I think the selection went more in favor of those who did prep. It's easier to prep a kid for an essay than a math test.

+1 It sure is. I now support a lottery since the two sides of the debate on standardized testing will never be satisfied, the claims of racial bias will never cease, and the stigma of showing up and needing tutoring or whatever is lifted as no one can say you stole a seat as an affirmative action or equity selection but rather a lucky person that won the lottery on admissions and putting your best foot forward to take advantage of the opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is in class of 2025 (first under new system) Says there are definitely kids at TJ in their class who are struggling academically a great deal. Attributes some of that to not putting in the effort. Other classmates try and work hard but still are struggling. They are repeating math classes (like taking math 4 again in second semester because didn’t do well enough first semester to progress to math 5). I don’t think that happened much, if at all, for classes admitted under the old system. Child believes there are more than a handful of kids that would not have gotten in under the old system. It is one thing if the kids admitted under the new system at historically underrepresented schools can thrive and are thriving at TJ. But it is very concerning and problematic when there are a lot more kids now struggling and find TJ extremely challenging. Hate to say it. But they probably should not be at TJ.

DC was in the class of 2022 and said it did happen even more in the old system. A lot of the kids who only got in because of prep and test buying weren't up for the rigor. They were average kids who were barely able to parrot back the answers they had memorized. At least now TJ gets the very best students from each school.

Best of the worst is still worst of the best

Agree, the new system is doing a better job of identifying the top kids and selecting students from the area not just a few wealthy schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child is in class of 2025 (first under new system) Says there are definitely kids at TJ in their class who are struggling academically a great deal. Attributes some of that to not putting in the effort. Other classmates try and work hard but still are struggling. They are repeating math classes (like taking math 4 again in second semester because didn’t do well enough first semester to progress to math 5). I don’t think that happened much, if at all, for classes admitted under the old system. Child believes there are more than a handful of kids that would not have gotten in under the old system. It is one thing if the kids admitted under the new system at historically underrepresented schools can thrive and are thriving at TJ. But it is very concerning and problematic when there are a lot more kids now struggling and find TJ extremely challenging. Hate to say it. But they probably should not be at TJ.

DC was in the class of 2022 and said it did happen even more in the old system. A lot of the kids who only got in because of prep and test buying weren't up for the rigor. They were average kids who were barely able to parrot back the answers they had memorized. At least now TJ gets the very best students from each school.

Not only that many of those kids were so ultracompetitive that it made TJ so toxic. I think the board did a good job ensuring that selection is inclusive of all residents not just those willing to drop thousands on prep and also helped reduce the toxic behavior.

I think the selection went more in favor of those who did prep. It's easier to prep a kid for an essay than a math test.

That might be true if there wasn't 1.5% requirement, but since prep is mostly only common at the wealthier schools, it doesn't work out that way.

[Anonymous]

I really don't understand why in the traditional feeder schools at a minimum geometry should be required in 8th grade: then you at least are looking at the top math students from those schools.

If it needs to be algebra 1 in other schools that is fine, but just fixing the math requirement at some schools will help ensure the right kids are picked. Or give extra points for higher math or something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand why in the traditional feeder schools at a minimum geometry should be required in 8th grade: then you at least are looking at the top math students from those schools.

If it needs to be algebra 1 in other schools that is fine, but just fixing the math requirement at some schools will help ensure the right kids are picked. Or give extra points for higher math or something.

Those would result in classes similar to before.

[Anonymous]

But it wouldn't bc it would have a ton of algebra 1 kids from the other middle schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really don't understand why in the traditional feeder schools at a minimum geometry should be required in 8th grade: then you at least are looking at the top math students from those schools.

If it needs to be algebra 1 in other schools that is fine, but just fixing the math requirement at some schools will help ensure the right kids are picked. Or give extra points for higher math or something.

Why are you assuming that the students who are the most advanced in math are necessarily the best? The two aren't one and the same.

[Anonymous]

So much bickering over whether the right kids are getting in and how the kids who do get in were toxic, are unqualified, etc. TJ has really outlived its utility.

[Anonymous]

I am assuming this because all of those kids had similar advantages in elementary school. And the "best" ones at math passed the iowa and scored advanced on the sol to qualify for algebra 1 in 7th.

It sounds like other clusters don't have the same advantages at the base elementary but in the best feeder middle schools, they do.