DC house hunting in quality school districts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If you are adamant on DCPS as opposed to Charters, there are still some very great schools east of the park (80% scores Vs 90% WOTP).

What are the elementary schools east of the park that have 80% proficient (or better) student bodies? Meaning 3rd grade on up, because that's when they begin testing, right?

Cleveland 83% math 65% reading (86% FARM 29% ELL)
Barnard was 80%/85% in 2009 then went down to 64/67 in 2010
Langdon 75/69
Shepherd went from 76/78 to 63/63
Oyster 72/75
Ludlow Taylor 75/74

Yeah Murch is 80/87 but they also have 12% FARM

We all know, however. that test scores shouldn't be the only thing you look at when assessing a school.


Aside from the JKLM schools, I would really look into the area around Stoddert

[Anonymous]

Yes, but the of this list, the only schools that don't have significant "erasure" issues are Shepherd and Oyster.

Really, if you've been trying to get your child an education for awhile in DCPS, the test scores on the other schools were head-scratchers.

Ludlow-Taylor's erasure numbers are lower, but most of their kids test with portfolio assessments, so I'm very sceptical of their test results as well.

OP, and I say this as a longtime DCPS parent, you would be much wiser to buy in Fairfax. No reason why you couldn't rent a fun roomy city apartment now and move when the baby is ready for school.

The link to the erasure report:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2011-03-27-school-test-table_N.htm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, but the of this list, the only schools that don't have significant "erasure" issues are Shepherd and Oyster.

Really, if you've been trying to get your child an education for awhile in DCPS, the test scores on the other schools were head-scratchers.

Ludlow-Taylor's erasure numbers are lower, but most of their kids test with portfolio assessments, so I'm very sceptical of their test results as well.

OP, and I say this as a longtime DCPS parent, you would be much wiser to buy in Fairfax. No reason why you couldn't rent a fun roomy city apartment now and move when the baby is ready for school.

The link to the erasure report:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2011-03-27-school-test-table_N.htm

What are portfolio assessments?

[Anonymous]

Not a standardized test--the student creates a portfolio of work that establishes that he/she has mastered key concepts and learning standards.

Portfolio assessments are a great way to measure how and what a student has learned, but it isn't as "quantifiable" as a bubble dot test. And nobody makes a big profit off of this kind of assessment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a standardized test--the student creates a portfolio of work that establishes that he/she has mastered key concepts and learning standards.

Portfolio assessments are a great way to measure how and what a student has learned, but it isn't as "quantifiable" as a bubble dot test. And nobody makes a big profit off of this kind of assessment.

It's just as quantifiable as a bubble dot test, it just isn't as objective. It's a more subjective assessment of the student's progress and consequently more vulnerable to human error. It's like speed skating vs. ice-skating. We can tell exactly who came in first in a race, but when judging on "artistic merits" whose to say the French judge won't cheat?

I don't really care that nobody makes a profit off of portfolio assessments, that's not a compelling argument. But, objectivity is. Especially in a system that's been known to cheat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not a standardized test--the student creates a portfolio of work that establishes that he/she has mastered key concepts and learning standards.

Portfolio assessments are a great way to measure how and what a student has learned, but it isn't as "quantifiable" as a bubble dot test. And nobody makes a big profit off of this kind of assessment.

It's just as quantifiable as a bubble dot test, it just isn't as objective. It's a more subjective assessment of the student's progress and consequently more vulnerable to human error. It's like speed skating vs. ice-skating. We can tell exactly who came in first in a race, but when judging on "artistic merits" whose to say the French judge won't cheat?

I don't really care that nobody makes a profit off of portfolio assessments, that's not a compelling argument. But, objectivity is. Especially in a system that's been known to cheat.

That should have read "who's to say."

Carry on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with previous posters: charter lotteries are a total crap shoot, and in all likelihood you'll get shut out like we have been til this year's Yu Ying bubble miracle. Likewise, the DCPS PS and PK lotteries - don't get your hopes up. I am in the exact same boat as you, just fast forwarded 5 years. Bought a house in Petworth, figuring we'd have plenty of time before we had to make school decisions and assuming the schools would improve in the next 5 years, plus I'm a resourceful, determined professional - I should be able to get my kid into a decent school, right? Ha! That's why its called a lottery... persistence and determination mean nothing. So, our options are buy/rent a tiny condo somewhere in Ward 3 so we're in- boundary at a tolerable school. Or take our $600k and buy a 3-bedroom in Falls Church. Or stay in Petworth and homeschool.

I take it that means you got in to YY this year? Congratulations.

OP could always rent somewhere inbounds to JKLM and still give herself a shot at the lotteries. If she got in to one she liked, she could buy a house anywhere in the city.

OTOH, if you want a good overall district-type system, yes you're better off moving to FFX County. There are good elementaries, but once you get past JKLM themselves you're still in trouble. Latin is a lottery, Deal is the size of a small town, and Hardy is a mess.

[Anonymous]

You can get into the Lafayette district for your price range, but would not be as metro accesible, unless one of the townhouses either in Friendship Heights

3-bed townhouses in Friendship Hts. aren't available for the OP's budget of hopefully less than $600K. Well there was one sold last year, but that's like getting that PK spot in Cap City -- it's not going to happen.

Believe it or not, she'd have a much better chance of getting into MANN, thought to be the pinnacle of DCPS, by buying one of the $600K 1970s townhouses in that Sutton place development. That's what I would do if education (vs. public transportation) was my utmost concern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You can get into the Lafayette district for your price range, but would not be as metro accesible, unless one of the townhouses either in Friendship Heights

3-bed townhouses in Friendship Hts. aren't available for the OP's budget of hopefully less than $600K. Well there was one sold last year, but that's like getting that PK spot in Cap City -- it's not going to happen.

Believe it or not, she'd have a much better chance of getting into MANN, thought to be the pinnacle of DCPS, by buying one of the $600K 1970s townhouses in that Sutton place development. That's what I would do if education (vs. public transportation) was my utmost concern.

You will still be out of luck for grade 6-7-8 with the reports I hear on Hardy. 9th

[Anonymous]

you may be able to find something in the lafeyette school district. or as a PP said, try for a townhouse near mann or maybe in glover park. we were shut out of all DCPS and charter lotteries so you can't rely on that. if you don't find something you can afford in a JKLMM district, I would just rent there until you can afford more or maybe decide down the line to move out of DC.

[Anonymous]

is a condo out of the question? city living here is going to look increasingly like nyc, where i just moved from. lots of families in apartments and condos as opposed to sfh. personally, i am very ok with that. especially if it means that you can buy a nice place in woodley/kalorama/adams morgan: your kids can go to oyster and you can live in a vibrant, centrally located nabe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You can get into the Lafayette district for your price range, but would not be as metro accesible, unless one of the townhouses either in Friendship Heights

3-bed townhouses in Friendship Hts. aren't available for the OP's budget of hopefully less than $600K. Well there was one sold last year, but that's like getting that PK spot in Cap City -- it's not going to happen.

Believe it or not, she'd have a much better chance of getting into MANN, thought to be the pinnacle of DCPS, by buying one of the $600K 1970s townhouses in that Sutton place development. That's what I would do if education (vs. public transportation) was my utmost concern.

That's one person's opinion. Personally, I like Murch, Janney, and Lafayette much better, esp. Murch. Maginal difference in test scores, but much more interesting and diverse student body. So much of learning is whom you learn with.

BTW, that's a pretty unbiased opinion, as we attend none of these schools.

[Anonymous]

So if your child doesn't get into a 'good' school s/he is doomed to failure? Whether a child succeeds in school has more to do with parents' involvement than the school's test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:is a condo out of the question? city living here is going to look increasingly like nyc, where i just moved from. lots of families in apartments and condos as opposed to sfh. personally, i am very ok with that. especially if it means that you can buy a nice place in woodley/kalorama/adams morgan: your kids can go to oyster and you can live in a vibrant, centrally located nabe.

Except that Manhattan is 1.5 million people in 23 sq. miles, and DC is 600K people in 64 sq. miles. That's 65K people/sq. mi. vs. 9300/sq. mil. which less dense by almost an order of magnitude.

People who come to DC expecting it to be NY are bound to be disappointed. It's an altogether different city in its own right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So if your child doesn't get into a 'good' school s/he is doomed to failure? Whether a child succeeds in school has more to do with parents' involvement than the school's test scores.

Straw man. Nowhere on this thread did anyone say that.