An Open Discussion on Split Feeders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Closing Hayfield is one of the dumbest suggestions ever posted to this forum, and that is saying a lot


I think the first step to eliminating split feeders, along with the first step to any high school and middle school rezoning, would be to add AAP to every middle school so that no students are allowed to attend AAP in a different pyramid than they are zoned for. The second step would be to eliminste IB except for one centrally located high school magnet program, and make all the high schools AP plud dual enrollment.

Then, eliminate all elementary school split feeders, and go back to pre 2010 ish (+/-) AAP qualification requirements for Level 4 services, back when elementary AAP programs were averaging 2 classes per grade at the centers, and before fcps lowered the AAP level 4 selection standards, doubling the size of AAP.

Make the level 4 testing cut off much higher, and make all the rest of the bright kids AAP level 3 at the base schools, instead of sending full classes of 3rd graders to the centers.

After these things are done, then eliminate middle school split feeders, starting with the transition from 8th to 9th.

I love this idea, but how will that happen if there’s not an exclusive Oakton Pyramid Middle School, Bren Mar Park isn’t moved back into the Annandale pyramid Wolftrap moves entirely to Thoreau/Madison, Town of Vienna part of Westbriar moves to Thoreau also, Stenwood feeding part of Thoreau moves exclusively to Madison, Westgate and Lemon Road move exclusively to Marshall, and Mason Crest takes 6th grade in keeping its Falls Church Feeding part, but dropping its Justice feeding part to Beech Tree or Belvedere.

Elementary schools hinge on this too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Closing Hayfield is one of the dumbest suggestions ever posted to this forum, and that is saying a lot


I think the first step to eliminating split feeders, along with the first step to any high school and middle school rezoning, would be to add AAP to every middle school so that no students are allowed to attend AAP in a different pyramid than they are zoned for. The second step would be to eliminste IB except for one centrally located high school magnet program, and make all the high schools AP plud dual enrollment.

Then, eliminate all elementary school split feeders, and go back to pre 2010 ish (+/-) AAP qualification requirements for Level 4 services, back when elementary AAP programs were averaging 2 classes per grade at the centers, and before fcps lowered the AAP level 4 selection standards, doubling the size of AAP.

Make the level 4 testing cut off much higher, and make all the rest of the bright kids AAP level 3 at the base schools, instead of sending full classes of 3rd graders to the centers.

After these things are done, then eliminate middle school split feeders, starting with the transition from 8th to 9th.

I love this idea, but how will that happen if there’s not an exclusive Oakton Pyramid Middle School, Bren Mar Park isn’t moved back into the Annandale pyramid Wolftrap moves entirely to Thoreau/Madison, Town of Vienna part of Westbriar moves to Thoreau also, Stenwood feeding part of Thoreau moves exclusively to Madison, Westgate and Lemon Road move exclusively to Marshall, and Mason Crest takes 6th grade in keeping its Falls Church Feeding part, but dropping its Justice feeding part to Beech Tree or Belvedere.

Elementary schools hinge on this too.

What a bunch of idiotic and pointless rambling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Closing Hayfield is one of the dumbest suggestions ever posted to this forum, and that is saying a lot


I think the first step to eliminating split feeders, along with the first step to any high school and middle school rezoning, would be to add AAP to every middle school so that no students are allowed to attend AAP in a different pyramid than they are zoned for. The second step would be to eliminste IB except for one centrally located high school magnet program, and make all the high schools AP plud dual enrollment.

Then, eliminate all elementary school split feeders, and go back to pre 2010 ish (+/-) AAP qualification requirements for Level 4 services, back when elementary AAP programs were averaging 2 classes per grade at the centers, and before fcps lowered the AAP level 4 selection standards, doubling the size of AAP.

Make the level 4 testing cut off much higher, and make all the rest of the bright kids AAP level 3 at the base schools, instead of sending full classes of 3rd graders to the centers.

After these things are done, then eliminate middle school split feeders, starting with the transition from 8th to 9th.

I love this idea, but how will that happen if there’s not an exclusive Oakton Pyramid Middle School, Bren Mar Park isn’t moved back into the Annandale pyramid Wolftrap moves entirely to Thoreau/Madison, Town of Vienna part of Westbriar moves to Thoreau also, Stenwood feeding part of Thoreau moves exclusively to Madison, Westgate and Lemon Road move exclusively to Marshall, and Mason Crest takes 6th grade in keeping its Falls Church Feeding part, but dropping its Justice feeding part to Beech Tree or Belvedere.

Elementary schools hinge on this too.

What a bunch of idiotic and pointless rambling.

The grammar is bad and the writing is insuccinct, but this is true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Closing Hayfield is one of the dumbest suggestions ever posted to this forum, and that is saying a lot


I think the first step to eliminating split feeders, along with the first step to any high school and middle school rezoning, would be to add AAP to every middle school so that no students are allowed to attend AAP in a different pyramid than they are zoned for. The second step would be to eliminste IB except for one centrally located high school magnet program, and make all the high schools AP plud dual enrollment.

Then, eliminate all elementary school split feeders, and go back to pre 2010 ish (+/-) AAP qualification requirements for Level 4 services, back when elementary AAP programs were averaging 2 classes per grade at the centers, and before fcps lowered the AAP level 4 selection standards, doubling the size of AAP.

Make the level 4 testing cut off much higher, and make all the rest of the bright kids AAP level 3 at the base schools, instead of sending full classes of 3rd graders to the centers.

After these things are done, then eliminate middle school split feeders, starting with the transition from 8th to 9th.

I love this idea, but how will that happen if there’s not an exclusive Oakton Pyramid Middle School, Bren Mar Park isn’t moved back into the Annandale pyramid Wolftrap moves entirely to Thoreau/Madison, Town of Vienna part of Westbriar moves to Thoreau also, Stenwood feeding part of Thoreau moves exclusively to Madison, Westgate and Lemon Road move exclusively to Marshall, and Mason Crest takes 6th grade in keeping its Falls Church Feeding part, but dropping its Justice feeding part to Beech Tree or Belvedere.

Elementary schools hinge on this too.

We already know discussions of an “Oakton Middle School” went.

So why is it being risen from the fantasy FCPS graveyard?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would fix the middle schools in Reston/Oak Hill/Chantilly. There's no reason for Carson, Franklin, Rocky run to be split feeders.

Rocky Run is not a split feeder, but it does have AAP students which feed to other schools like Westfield and Centreville.

AAP is over half the school, and around half of AAP comes from other pyramids. So around 25% of the school is transferring from other pyramids. We are in boundary for Rocky. I'm seriously considering having my AAP kid drop to honors in MS if it's not fixed by then because the kids in those classes should all continue to Chantilly, vs only approx half of the AAP cohort.

You should learn more about MS scheduling before making your decision. My RR student is in AAP and has very few classes with students who were in their ES program. There are just so many students that the mix is much greater. And it doesn’t matter for HS - AAP ends after 8th. If what you’re saying is you think it would be better for your student’s friends too move along with him to high school, I don’t disagree but also see value in having friends at other nearby schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Demanding AAP at all middle schools so kids don’t leave to go to centers is such a tiring trope. They aren’t doing this anytime soon folks. And they are still going to have centers in elementary schools too. I don’t know why everyone gets so worked up over it.

Every middle school in FCPS has wnough bright students to host a robust AAP program in each middle school.

There is absolutely no reason to bus middle schoolers to a different pyramid for AAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Closing Hayfield is one of the dumbest suggestions ever posted to this forum, and that is saying a lot


I think the first step to eliminating split feeders, along with the first step to any high school and middle school rezoning, would be to add AAP to every middle school so that no students are allowed to attend AAP in a different pyramid than they are zoned for. The second step would be to eliminste IB except for one centrally located high school magnet program, and make all the high schools AP plud dual enrollment.

Then, eliminate all elementary school split feeders, and go back to pre 2010 ish (+/-) AAP qualification requirements for Level 4 services, back when elementary AAP programs were averaging 2 classes per grade at the centers, and before fcps lowered the AAP level 4 selection standards, doubling the size of AAP.

Make the level 4 testing cut off much higher, and make all the rest of the bright kids AAP level 3 at the base schools, instead of sending full classes of 3rd graders to the centers.

After these things are done, then eliminate middle school split feeders, starting with the transition from 8th to 9th.

I love this idea, but how will that happen if there’s not an exclusive Oakton Pyramid Middle School, Bren Mar Park isn’t moved back into the Annandale pyramid Wolftrap moves entirely to Thoreau/Madison, Town of Vienna part of Westbriar moves to Thoreau also, Stenwood feeding part of Thoreau moves exclusively to Madison, Westgate and Lemon Road move exclusively to Marshall, and Mason Crest takes 6th grade in keeping its Falls Church Feeding part, but dropping its Justice feeding part to Beech Tree or Belvedere.

Elementary schools hinge on this too.

The middle schoolers would just sign up for their 3 AAP classes in whatever school they are zoned for, so it wouldn't negatively affect split feeders, since every middle school would offer AAP.

Math will just keep mathin' as it currently does (math in middle school is not tied to AAP)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Closing Hayfield is one of the dumbest suggestions ever posted to this forum, and that is saying a lot


I think the first step to eliminating split feeders, along with the first step to any high school and middle school rezoning, would be to add AAP to every middle school so that no students are allowed to attend AAP in a different pyramid than they are zoned for. The second step would be to eliminste IB except for one centrally located high school magnet program, and make all the high schools AP plud dual enrollment.

Then, eliminate all elementary school split feeders, and go back to pre 2010 ish (+/-) AAP qualification requirements for Level 4 services, back when elementary AAP programs were averaging 2 classes per grade at the centers, and before fcps lowered the AAP level 4 selection standards, doubling the size of AAP.

Make the level 4 testing cut off much higher, and make all the rest of the bright kids AAP level 3 at the base schools, instead of sending full classes of 3rd graders to the centers.

After these things are done, then eliminate middle school split feeders, starting with the transition from 8th to 9th.

I love this idea, but how will that happen if there’s not an exclusive Oakton Pyramid Middle School, Bren Mar Park isn’t moved back into the Annandale pyramid Wolftrap moves entirely to Thoreau/Madison, Town of Vienna part of Westbriar moves to Thoreau also, Stenwood feeding part of Thoreau moves exclusively to Madison, Westgate and Lemon Road move exclusively to Marshall, and Mason Crest takes 6th grade in keeping its Falls Church Feeding part, but dropping its Justice feeding part to Beech Tree or Belvedere.

Elementary schools hinge on this too.

The middle schoolers would just sign up for their 3 AAP classes in whatever school they are zoned for, so it wouldn't negatively affect split feeders, since every middle school would offer AAP.

Math will just keep mathin' as it currently does (math in middle school is not tied to AAP)

This is more about attendance boundaries fixed to a school PP, not programmatic ones like AAP, per se.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would fix the middle schools in Reston/Oak Hill/Chantilly. There's no reason for Carson, Franklin, Rocky run to be split feeders.

Rocky isn't, except for the AAP kids who come in, is it? Or might it be with the new Western High?

Added it because there are kids at Franklin (and maybe some from Carson, I'm not sure) that go to Chantilly and should just go to Rocky Run.

[Anonymous]

The Crossfield/Navy parents desperate to stay at Oakton are at it again.

Split feeders suck but there are families that prefer them because the MS that they would be moved to is clearly not as good. Some split feeders exist because the county changed HSs and knew that parents were upset with the change and would be even more upset if the MS was changed as well.

Some split feeders exist because the area is dense and schools shift and it is hard to get the kids at the same MS to HS path.

There is enough space in the MSs for all the kids, a new MS is not going to be built. They are not closing one of the existing MS. Crossfield/Navy might be moved to Western and then they don’t have to worry about a split feeder because they will go from Carson to Western with the vast majority of the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where I grew up, we did not have these rigid pyramids. There were minor boundary changes every 2-3 years to balance capacity. I suppose FCPS parents would consider every school a split feeder. It was fine. Students were fine.

I don't understand why it is such a big deal on DCUM.

Are you from the West Coast?

NP, but I went to Prince William County schools and as far as I know, the idea of pyramids and avoiding split feeders was not a thing. We split at every level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Demanding AAP at all middle schools so kids don’t leave to go to centers is such a tiring trope. They aren’t doing this anytime soon folks. And they are still going to have centers in elementary schools too. I don’t know why everyone gets so worked up over it.

It seems that the only people who don't support eliminating AAP centers in middle schools are the parents whose kids attend the "super-centers" where 50%+ of the students are in AAP. Having more than half the school in AAP artificially raises test scores, which erroneously makes parents think their kids' school is superior to other schools.

People with decent critical thinking skills are able to see why eliminating MS AAP centers is necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Demanding AAP at all middle schools so kids don’t leave to go to centers is such a tiring trope. They aren’t doing this anytime soon folks. And they are still going to have centers in elementary schools too. I don’t know why everyone gets so worked up over it.

It seems that the only people who don't support eliminating AAP centers in middle schools are the parents whose kids attend the "super-centers" where 50%+ of the students are in AAP. Having more than half the school in AAP artificially raises test scores, which erroneously makes parents think their kids' school is superior to other schools.

People with decent critical thinking skills are able to see why eliminating MS AAP centers is necessary.

I think the people most opposed to removing AAP centers in MS are the Oak Hill and Navy families at Carson, at least those are the families I see posting the most. Maybe some of the kids meant for Herndon MS that end up at Hughes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Demanding AAP at all middle schools so kids don’t leave to go to centers is such a tiring trope. They aren’t doing this anytime soon folks. And they are still going to have centers in elementary schools too. I don’t know why everyone gets so worked up over it.

It seems that the only people who don't support eliminating AAP centers in middle schools are the parents whose kids attend the "super-centers" where 50%+ of the students are in AAP. Having more than half the school in AAP artificially raises test scores, which erroneously makes parents think their kids' school is superior to other schools.

People with decent critical thinking skills are able to see why eliminating MS AAP centers is necessary.

I think the people most opposed to removing AAP centers in MS are the Oak Hill and Navy families at Carson, at least those are the families I see posting the most. Maybe some of the kids meant for Herndon MS that end up at Hughes.

Correct. Carson is a super center.

[Anonymous]

Fcps has 24 traditional high schools.

FCPS has 26 middle schools.

How many split feeder middle schools are there?

Every FCPS high school should have one dedicated middle school that os NOT a split feeder.

Only 2 middle schools should be split feeders; one after the new high school opens.

It should not be difficult to fix this.

Why didn't the boundary review focus on eliminating split feeders, particularly at the middle school level?