How do you compare academics when there’s no real data?

[Anonymous]

Another note: a couple of schools had book lists and curriculum that I really liked, BUT looking more closely, I ruled them out. Both schools had switched curriculum at least twice over the past few years and one of them had excitedly offered a new department (Latin) only to pull it the following year. A school with a constantly changing curriculum has a higher chance of faculty being less comfortable with the material, and can also be a sign of a struggling school, department with conflicts, pushy admin going against classroom teachers, etc.

[Anonymous]

As a former private school teacher, I’d look at three things: selectivity, curriculum, and ability grouping. The first is a bit hard to measure because schools do not have to disclose application, acceptance, or yield numbers. Generally, you go by reputation. Also, a school that has recently applied to the zoning board to increase its enrollment cap is one that’s growing, usually because it’s in demand. If you can, ask admin to give a broad summary of ERB or MAP scores. There are small private schools that have students in the single-digit percentiles and students in the 99th percentile. It’s really difficult to keep all students appropriately challenged in such an environment.

Curriculum can be a little trickier. You want a school where teachers have flexibility to adjust lessons to students’ needs. You don’t want a school where teachers write the curriculum. In the latter case, young teachers are at a horrible disadvantage, and a teacher departure can wipe out a lot of institutional knowledge about what’s being taught. Writing curricula also eats up a lot of teacher time that could otherwise be used for differentiation, lesson planing, giving feedback, and parent communication. Discount any school using the Readers or Writers Workshop framework. Research the math text on your own.

Ability grouping is the best way to ensure appropriate challenge for all kids. Flexible grouping, as Holton Arms does for its elementary students, is ideal in my opinion. You want groups to be as small as possible as well. Finally, ask if there are opportunities for advancement. Many schools do not have the schedule flexibility, curriculum, or staffing to accelerate exceptional students, especially in math.

[Anonymous]

Selectivity and "good outcomes" tend to go hand-in-hand, largely because that allows the schools to handpick the kids who end up being hooked for college applications. For that reason, I'm not sure selectivity and college outcomes are going to tell you a whole lot about the academic rigor of any one school. But saying that is a bit like shouting into the wind around here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi everyone,
We’re looking at private school options for our child in the McLean/Falls Church area and I’m finding it surprisingly hard to compare schools academically. Public data is readily accessible for comparison and oversight. But private schools aren’t required to do standardized testing or publish results, so it feels like we’re flying blind.
How do you all measure or compare the academic quality private schools, specifically K-8? Do you rely mostly on word of mouth from other parents and alumni?

It seems like beyond touring, talking to current families, and hoping for the best, there isn’t a great objective way to compare them.

LOL you do not because they are not comparable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Selectivity and "good outcomes" tend to go hand-in-hand, largely because that allows the schools to handpick the kids who end up being hooked for college applications. For that reason, I'm not sure selectivity and college outcomes are going to tell you a whole lot about the academic rigor of any one school. But saying that is a bit like shouting into the wind around here.

I think this is essentially correct. When we chose a school, we kept at the forefront the goal of maximizing our DD's potential - what value could the school add? We chose a school often castigated on DCUM but that seemed to be outperforming for its students. She is only a rising sophomore, but given that the college outcomes for 2026 seem to be as stellar as the last few years, we remain hopeful.

[Anonymous]

Wealth of the parents. Epstein class people work on a different set of rules and laws.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Selectivity and "good outcomes" tend to go hand-in-hand, largely because that allows the schools to handpick the kids who end up being hooked for college applications. For that reason, I'm not sure selectivity and college outcomes are going to tell you a whole lot about the academic rigor of any one school. But saying that is a bit like shouting into the wind around here.

I agree with that, having seen it in action at several schools over the last 8 years. Someday you will all be parents of juniors and will be the people on the college forum writing how shocked you are at how little the academic program has to do with college admissions, wondeirng why your kid, who is so much smarter than you, cannot get into your alma mater.

When assessing academics, you should be focused on your own kids and what they individually will be learning. When choosing a school, you should focus on the life experience your child will have there. Honestly, you will be hard pressed to find a school on your actual list that will not educate your child and prepare them for college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Selectivity and "good outcomes" tend to go hand-in-hand, largely because that allows the schools to handpick the kids who end up being hooked for college applications. For that reason, I'm not sure selectivity and college outcomes are going to tell you a whole lot about the academic rigor of any one school. But saying that is a bit like shouting into the wind around here.

THIS

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you again for your thoughtful answer.
Would you mind sharing more about why Writers and Readers workshops tend to fall short, in your experience?
I’ve also heard from several other parents that some families make significant donations to the school with the hope of securing stronger letters of recommendation for their children’s secondary school applications. As a former teacher, how accurate is this perception? Do you think school administrators or counselors are more likely to write especially supportive letters for large donors, or does that not really play out in practice?
I’d greatly appreciate any insight you’re comfortable sharing. Thank you!

Anonymous wrote:As a former private school teacher, I’d look at three things: selectivity, curriculum, and ability grouping. The first is a bit hard to measure because schools do not have to disclose application, acceptance, or yield numbers. Generally, you go by reputation. Also, a school that has recently applied to the zoning board to increase its enrollment cap is one that’s growing, usually because it’s in demand. If you can, ask admin to give a broad summary of ERB or MAP scores. There are small private schools that have students in the single-digit percentiles and students in the 99th percentile. It’s really difficult to keep all students appropriately challenged in such an environment.

Curriculum can be a little trickier. You want a school where teachers have flexibility to adjust lessons to students’ needs. You don’t want a school where teachers write the curriculum. In the latter case, young teachers are at a horrible disadvantage, and a teacher departure can wipe out a lot of institutional knowledge about what’s being taught. Writing curricula also eats up a lot of teacher time that could otherwise be used for differentiation, lesson planing, giving feedback, and parent communication. Discount any school using the Readers or Writers Workshop framework. Research the math text on your own.

Ability grouping is the best way to ensure appropriate challenge for all kids. Flexible grouping, as Holton Arms does for its elementary students, is ideal in my opinion. You want groups to be as small as possible as well. Finally, ask if there are opportunities for advancement. Many schools do not have the schedule flexibility, curriculum, or staffing to accelerate exceptional students, especially in math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi everyone,
We’re looking at private school options for our child in the McLean/Falls Church area and I’m finding it surprisingly hard to compare schools academically. Public data is readily accessible for comparison and oversight. But private schools aren’t required to do standardized testing or publish results, so it feels like we’re flying blind.
How do you all measure or compare the academic quality private schools, specifically K-8? Do you rely mostly on word of mouth from other parents and alumni?

It seems like beyond touring, talking to current families, and hoping for the best, there isn’t a great objective way to compare them.

You look at the cars at dropoff and pickup. Duh.

[Anonymous]

Wait, what's wrong with Writers' Workshop? Our K-5 uses it and it's a school everyone raves about.

[Anonymous]

DP.

Both Writers Workshop and Readers Workshop are from the now widely discredited Lucy Calkins. Even Columbia U now has agreed her curricula do not work. There was never reproducible experimental evidence that either worked. It was just an awful educational fad.

WW implemented as specified by its author reinforces spelling and grammar errors, rather than correcting them.

RW teaches 3-cueing, and de-emphasizes Phonics. 3-cueing is a bogus method known to fail almost all students.

Under VA's newish overwhelmingly bi-partisan "Science of Reading" law, VA public schools are banned from using Readers Workshop, Whole Language, Balanced Literacy, and other discredited approaches to literacy instruction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DP.

Both Writers Workshop and Readers Workshop are from the now widely discredited Lucy Calkins. Even Columbia U now has agreed her curricula do not work. There was never reproducible experimental evidence that either worked. It was just an awful educational fad.

WW implemented as specified by its author reinforces spelling and grammar errors, rather than correcting them.

RW teaches 3-cueing, and de-emphasizes Phonics. 3-cueing is a bogus method known to fail almost all students.

Under VA's newish overwhelmingly bi-partisan "Science of Reading" law, VA public schools are banned from using Readers Workshop, Whole Language, Balanced Literacy, and other discredited approaches to literacy instruction.

So why do schools still use the Lucy Calkins curriculum if it has been largely discredited? I just checked, and it looks like my son’s K–8 school uses both the Readers Workshop and Writers Workshop programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It takes time and effort. When we toured for elementary, we often took discreet snapshots of the textbooks in use or the whiteboard.

Doing this caused us to drop more than one school from consideration -- because the literacy curriculum was Lucy Calkins, balanced literacy, whole language, 3-cueing crap. Note each of those schools was or is well regarded by many on DCUM.

Similarly, we looked for the math textbooks (We consider lack of printed math textbook to be a negative). We dug in online about the several curricula we saw. Most of those curricula were OK, but one had numerous reviews saying it was watered down / delayed. That dropped a school off our list.

Same approach also can be used with other aspects of the curricula.

+1 for right approach to due diligence. Need to do for each grade. Was dismayed to learn too late that grade 5 no longer had textbooks except theology class - every other class was handouts or online via ipad/tablet. Also look at strength of foreign language teachers - are they native speakers or a part-time parent with college level 201 Spanish at best. And more than one foreign language offered to include Latin would be our preference. Preference for traditional (non-common-core) teaching methodology as well such as Saxon Math. If only there was a "classical" model that also had strong science offerings and prepared kids for IB Diploma and/or AP tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP.

Both Writers Workshop and Readers Workshop are from the now widely discredited Lucy Calkins. Even Columbia U now has agreed her curricula do not work. There was never reproducible experimental evidence that either worked. It was just an awful educational fad.

WW implemented as specified by its author reinforces spelling and grammar errors, rather than correcting them.

RW teaches 3-cueing, and de-emphasizes Phonics. 3-cueing is a bogus method known to fail almost all students.

Under VA's newish overwhelmingly bi-partisan "Science of Reading" law, VA public schools are banned from using Readers Workshop, Whole Language, Balanced Literacy, and other discredited approaches to literacy instruction.

So why do schools still use the Lucy Calkins curriculum if it has been largely discredited? I just checked, and it looks like my son’s K–8 school uses both the Readers Workshop and Writers Workshop programs.

- ask your school. Give them a donation to buy a new curriculum or move your child.