Is walls ever bringing back the test for admissions?

[Anonymous]

Just tow the line as a parent ! You can't fix or control everything. But you can make sure your kid doesn't pick up the bad habits. My SWW kid understands what's going on but knows what our expectations are.

[Anonymous]

I am curious to see how this will all play out. Maybe a grade cut off is a good way to do it (versus a test)?

Yes, yes there is grade inflation. But even so - to get an interview at Walls this year, you needed a 3.87 GPA (that cut off resulted in the 500 students selected to interview). Obviously not "everyone" has a 3.87 GPA - only 500 kids (who applied) in the city did. And, it seems to me, the (those who applied) 500 kids who can maintain that high level of grades deserve a chance at the magnet/top DCPS high school. Sure, the middle schools are not all equivalent in rigor (so a 3.87 at one is likely better than that GPA at another). But - let's see how that plays out in high school. Obviously (to me) any kid who worked hard enough to make sure s/he had a 3.87 cares about school and grades and his/her future - so - great - give it a shot! And, this way (a grade cut off) gives those kids at a less rigorous (e.g., wards 7 and 8) middle school a chance to step it up and compete when given better resources and attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much grade inflation is actually happening at middle schools? My DS is getting straight As but his friends are getting As and Bs. Maybe a handful are getting straight As.

Most are getting straight As.

Definitely not at the DCPS middle where I work.

[Anonymous]

They could do an admissions test. Administration at the school doesn’t want to. So it might come back with a different principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:massive grade inflation in DCPS and many charters in 2021-22 due to pandemic equitable concerns.....accounts for the increased grade cutoff at Walls this year

Anonymous wrote:How much grade inflation is actually happening at middle schools? My DS is getting straight As but his friends are getting As and Bs. Maybe a handful are getting straight As.

Massive grade inflation. My Deal 7th grader slacked off and had C's in 5 classes of 6 this quarter (3rd) and spent ONE EVENING doing random worksheets and other missing work. Turned them all in the next day and once these assignments were entered she was back up to straight As.
It's a complete joke.
She and all her friends get straight As.

As a Deal teacher I hate that I have to accept the work for 86%. I think that there are a lot of B+ kids who should be C students. However, I think most of the straight A kids (principal’s honor roll) have earned it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are never going to bring back the test for admissions. It’s all about equity and they want more kids from ward 7 and 8, definitely not ward 3.

If you are surprised by above, then you have not been paying attention. It’s a race to the bottom with honors for all, grade inflation, being able to re-take tests, 50% score for doing absolutely nothing, etc…

They don't care about equity in NYC, Chicago, SF, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Milwaukee?

They do, but they care more about high admissions standards.

NYC provides free test prep throughout middle school for the SSAT (their magnet high school entrance exam for 9 schools) to all comers in each of the four boroughs. Chicago uses a comprehensive college application style application to its magnet high schools and trains admins and teachers to scout low SES GT talent and support applications. Boston provides free test prep to the 6th grade exam for Boston Latin and Cambridge Rindge and Latin (which start in 7th grade), Baltimore offers free test prep for the entrance exam and auditions for its half a dozen magnet high schools. Philly offers test prep to middle school students shooting for Masterman and Carver.

DCPS doesn't bother with test prep and no longer bothers with magnet high school entrance exams. It's a low-cost approach which has a way of watering down standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are never going to bring back the test for admissions. It’s all about equity and they want more kids from ward 7 and 8, definitely not ward 3.

If you are surprised by above, then you have not been paying attention. It’s a race to the bottom with honors for all, grade inflation, being able to re-take tests, 50% score for doing absolutely nothing, etc…

They don't care about equity in NYC, Chicago, SF, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Milwaukee?

They do, but they care more about high admissions standards.

NYC provides free test prep throughout middle school for the SSAT (their magnet high school entrance exam for 9 schools) to all comers in each of the four boroughs. Chicago uses a comprehensive college application style application to its magnet high schools and trains admins and teachers to scout low SES GT talent and support applications. Boston provides free test prep to the 6th grade exam for Boston Latin and Cambridge Rindge and Latin (which start in 7th grade), Baltimore offers free test prep for the entrance exam and auditions for its half a dozen magnet high schools. Philly offers test prep to middle school students shooting for Masterman and Carver.

DCPS doesn't bother with test prep and no longer bothers with magnet high school entrance exams. It's a low-cost approach which has a way of watering down standards.

This to a tee. BTW, I hear Walls now has basically a remedial math class and if true, that says it all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are never going to bring back the test for admissions. It’s all about equity and they want more kids from ward 7 and 8, definitely not ward 3.

If you are surprised by above, then you have not been paying attention. It’s a race to the bottom with honors for all, grade inflation, being able to re-take tests, 50% score for doing absolutely nothing, etc…

They don't care about equity in NYC, Chicago, SF, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Milwaukee?

They do, but they care more about high admissions standards.

NYC provides free test prep throughout middle school for the SSAT (their magnet high school entrance exam for 9 schools) to all comers in each of the four boroughs. Chicago uses a comprehensive college application style application to its magnet high schools and trains admins and teachers to scout low SES GT talent and support applications. Boston provides free test prep to the 6th grade exam for Boston Latin and Cambridge Rindge and Latin (which start in 7th grade), Baltimore offers free test prep for the entrance exam and auditions for its half a dozen magnet high schools. Philly offers test prep to middle school students shooting for Masterman and Carver.

DCPS doesn't bother with test prep and no longer bothers with magnet high school entrance exams. It's a low-cost approach which has a way of watering down standards.

This is why the DCPS just sucks. The leaders and most vocal community members in our fair city scream about tests being biased and unfair. The cities above offer a variety of different approaches to combat concerns about testing and prep. DC permits a vocal minority to dictate some perversion of "equity" that eliminates objective standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:massive grade inflation in DCPS and many charters in 2021-22 due to pandemic equitable concerns.....accounts for the increased grade cutoff at Walls this year

Anonymous wrote:How much grade inflation is actually happening at middle schools? My DS is getting straight As but his friends are getting As and Bs. Maybe a handful are getting straight As.

Massive grade inflation. My Deal 7th grader slacked off and had C's in 5 classes of 6 this quarter (3rd) and spent ONE EVENING doing random worksheets and other missing work. Turned them all in the next day and once these assignments were entered she was back up to straight As.
It's a complete joke.
She and all her friends get straight As.

As a Deal teacher I hate that I have to accept the work for 86%. I think that there are a lot of B+ kids who should be C students. However, I think most of the straight A kids (principal’s honor roll) have earned it.

Thank you Deal teacher. I'm the poster you're responding to. My critique of the grading system is not a critique of you or the other teachers (which it sounds like you know). I wish things were more stringent and I can't imagine it's easy for you to be filling in all these grades when kids turn in things 100 different times each quarter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They could do an admissions test. Administration at the school doesn’t want to. So it might come back with a different principal.

Walls admin doesn’t control here. CO and the mayor do and they are sacrificing any sort of advanced programming or magnet opportunities for any and all students on the altar of public opinion and DEI. Narrow the gap by dragging down the top rather than raising up the bottom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They only got rid of the exam because of the pandemic and now they won't bring it back.

Totally ridiculous--especially with the massive grade inflation in DCPS.

Selective schools in NYC, Chicago, SF, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Milwaukee, and other cities all use an exam.

Why not DC?

I doubt Walls will bring back their testing before TJ which no longer has a testing requirement (though, there is a quantitative "essay").

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They could do an admissions test. Administration at the school doesn’t want to. So it might come back with a different principal.

Walls admin doesn’t control here. CO and the mayor do and they are sacrificing any sort of advanced programming or magnet opportunities for any and all students on the altar of public opinion and DEI. Narrow the gap by dragging down the top rather than raising up the bottom.

PP again and central office said a test was okay if Walls met certain criteria for the test. The Walls admin decided not to offer a test post virtual school.

[Anonymous]

What criteria?

[Anonymous]

I can't believe how little people are mentioning this, but everyone knows that this year unless you had a 4.0 in middle school you weren't even invited to 'interview' with Walls. Doesn't that strike the non-UMC crowd here as incredibly biased? And they are a public school, remember, not a charter. I mean, I get that they need to bring in kids who aren't are performing at a high level. But 4.0 students? Come on!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't believe how little people are mentioning this, but everyone knows that this year unless you had a 4.0 in middle school you weren't even invited to 'interview' with Walls. Doesn't that strike the non-UMC crowd here as incredibly biased? And they are a public school, remember, not a charter. I mean, I get that they need to bring in kids who aren't are performing at a high level. But 4.0 students? Come on!

I don't think "biased" means what you think it means. Thanks for illustrating everything that is wrong with the faux equity crowd, though.