Decision from Duke Ellington?

[Anonymous]

DESA should establish a set number of seats per grade and fill those seats. So one class will be less talented than another? Isn’t it the school’s job to train/teach DC students interested in the study of the arts? Fill a seat with a supposedly less talented student and that student bloom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DESA should establish a set number of seats per grade and fill those seats. So one class will be less talented than another? Isn’t it the school’s job to train/teach DC students interested in the study of the arts? Fill a seat with a supposedly less talented student and that student bloom.

1. They do. There are no unfilled seats. But they fill them with people who meet a common standard --like every magnet school.
2. Why do you assume everyone who gets in is equally talented? Absolutely untrue that everyone who comes in has serious skill. It's the 20-80 rule. Maybe 10% of students have the kind of spectacular talent that most people observing would call real talent. Another 10% are almost there. Everybody else is someone with potential who needs growth and has the desire to grow. There is a very very steep drop-off after that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DESA should establish a set number of seats per grade and fill those seats. So one class will be less talented than another? Isn’t it the school’s job to train/teach DC students interested in the study of the arts? Fill a seat with a supposedly less talented student and that student bloom.

1. They do. There are no unfilled seats. But they fill them with people who meet a common standard --like every magnet school.
2. Why do you assume everyone who gets in is equally talented? Absolutely untrue that everyone who comes in has serious skill. It's the 20-80 rule. Maybe 10% of students have the kind of spectacular talent that most people observing would call real talent. Another 10% are almost there. Everybody else is someone with potential who needs growth and has the desire to grow. There is a very very steep drop-off after that.

This is accurate, and what we’ve been hearing from DESA admissions since the beginning. At least in VA, the want to see *potential*. Yes, there are some kids who are already way beyond others as far as skill and experience, but they are also looking for those kids that demonstrate passion and potential. Of course, identifying potential can be tricky.

[Anonymous]

Looks like 21 families were scheduled for family interviews in VA. That's not a lot considering they only take 20-24 students. It seems crazy to me that 100+ kids audition, but in the last round, they get the numbers down to 20ish

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DESA should establish a set number of seats per grade and fill those seats. So one class will be less talented than another? Isn’t it the school’s job to train/teach DC students interested in the study of the arts? Fill a seat with a supposedly less talented student and that student bloom.

1. They do. There are no unfilled seats. But they fill them with people who meet a common standard --like every magnet school.
2. Why do you assume everyone who gets in is equally talented? Absolutely untrue that everyone who comes in has serious skill. It's the 20-80 rule. Maybe 10% of students have the kind of spectacular talent that most people observing would call real talent. Another 10% are almost there. Everybody else is someone with potential who needs growth and has the desire to grow. There is a very very steep drop-off after that.

This is accurate, and what we’ve been hearing from DESA admissions since the beginning. At least in VA, the want to see *potential*. Yes, there are some kids who are already way beyond others as far as skill and experience, but they are also looking for those kids that demonstrate passion and potential. Of course, identifying potential can be tricky.

There is a baseline of expectations. For example, in music performance stream there are really gifted students entering, but everyone else has to meet a minimum skillset including sight reading and demonstrated ability. Not everyone is a prodigy but no one gets in based solely on moxie or "potential"

[Anonymous]

How big is each grade at DESA? And does anyone know how big is the Literary Media program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How big is each grade at DESA? And does anyone know how big is the Literary Media program?

Literary media is pretty small. I believe around 15 kids in 9th grade this year. Not sure if the program is small by design or it’s just a function of kids who are interested in that particular program choosing other high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How big is each grade at DESA? And does anyone know how big is the Literary Media program?

Literary media is pretty small. I believe around 15 kids in 9th grade this year. Not sure if the program is small by design or it’s just a function of kids who are interested in that particular program choosing other high schools.

24 in 9th grade. Likely less this year. About 75 overall

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know how large each class/grade is overall? Just trying to get a sense as to how big the school is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know how large each class/grade is overall? Just trying to get a sense as to how big the school is.

According to the most recent DCPS enrollment audit:

Grade 9 - 156
Grade 10 - 151
Grade 11 - 133
Grade 12 - 139
Total Enrolled - 579

https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/SY21-22%20Annual%20Enrollment%20Audit%20Supplemental%20Tables_02082022.xlsx

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know how large each class/grade is overall? Just trying to get a sense as to how big the school is.

According to the most recent DCPS enrollment audit:

Grade 9 - 156
Grade 10 - 151
Grade 11 - 133
Grade 12 - 139
Total Enrolled - 579

https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/SY21-22%20Annual%20Enrollment%20Audit%20Supplemental%20Tables_02082022.xlsx

Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Rebooting this thread. DC is in callbacks now. Any idea when we will hear back? The process this year has been a bit unclear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know how large each class/grade is overall? Just trying to get a sense as to how big the school is.

According to the most recent DCPS enrollment audit:

Grade 9 - 156
Grade 10 - 151
Grade 11 - 133
Grade 12 - 139
Total Enrolled - 579

https://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/page_content/attachments/SY21-22%20Annual%20Enrollment%20Audit%20Supplemental%20Tables_02082022.xlsx

Only 579 students in that massive building? Wow!
They could fit a second school in there

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any personal experience with the CAMP program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rebooting this thread. DC is in callbacks now. Any idea when we will hear back? The process this year has been a bit unclear.

Theatre callback kids today were told to look out for an email early next week letting them know if they passed the audition round.