Glen Forest Elementary

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know anything about Glen Forest? I don't put 100% stock in test scores but it looks like they really dropped during the 2012-2013 year vs. 2011-2012 and 2010-2011. Testing also shows less advanced kids too. Anyone know the reason for this drop?

OP, every school's test scores dropped last year. There were new, more rigorous testing standards. FCPS put out several press releases in anticipation of the score releases. It wasn't just in FCPS; it was across the entire state. As schools adjust to the new standards, the scores will tick back up.

Thank you for this information.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Well, certainly the FARMS rate didn't skyrocket in the summer between 2011-2012 vs. 2012-2013.

Anyway in 2012- 2013 total precentage was 73% it was 70% in the previous years. I am guessing that is not enough of an increase to drive the scores down that much.

I know the accreditation bench marks changed. Maybe that is the issue.

wow - that actually is quite a jump from 2008/2009.

Do yourself a favor and look at private schools. The reason is at a rate that high the school needs to put all it's resources towards those kids and your averare or above average middle income kid spends a lot of time learning on their own - worksheets, reading silently - and the rest of the time dealing with disruptions. We tried it in a 50% FARMs school in another area and it was really bad and my child hated it. She made friends, there were involved parents but the constant class disruptions, the teaching of the same lessons over and over and over to make was too much.

I don't think privatre is going to be an option. I mean we are moving into their neighborhoods becuase we can't afford N. Arlington or so. If I could afford private school, I buy a better house

Would you be willing to consider Catholic school? You will probably have a good experience in Kindergarten and maybe 1st grade but then, your child will be far more advanced then the rest of the class but there will not be too many options in the school for him.

Is there a lottery school you can try for or do you know where the closest AAP center is?

Falls Church City - have you tried one of the smaller townhouse/condos there? Or even some parts of S. Arlington are going to have a better FARMS rate than this.

Op here: We are looking in S. Arlington too, and I am actually comfortable with most S. Arlington schools (but I am more familiar with them). But there are far less housing options, so it just because a bit of a frustrating search! Also, what is up with S. Arlington and chain link fences, there is some weird obsession over there.

IWe are Catholic so I am not 100% opposed to Catholic school, but I do think I want my child to have a secular education. We have some family that goes to Catholic school (although admittadly a very consdervative one) and I am not a fan of the social values the child is learning.

I am looking into lottery and AAP centers. Thanks!

What about the townhouses that are near Ballston but are on the S. ARlington side? the school they feed into - elementary is doing well. There is also St. Charles in Ballston which is supposedly a bit more liberal minded Catholic school.

[Anonymous]

I'll echo that St Charles (in Clarendon, not Ballston) is a much more liberal minded Catholic school than many others. We sent my son there for preschool and we were pleased with the teachers and administrators. (That said, the classes get Very Small as the kids get older, which may be either good or bad depending on your viewpoint.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Well, certainly the FARMS rate didn't skyrocket in the summer between 2011-2012 vs. 2012-2013.

Anyway in 2012- 2013 total precentage was 73% it was 70% in the previous years. I am guessing that is not enough of an increase to drive the scores down that much.

I know the accreditation bench marks changed. Maybe that is the issue.

wow - that actually is quite a jump from 2008/2009.

Do yourself a favor and look at private schools. The reason is at a rate that high the school needs to put all it's resources towards those kids and your averare or above average middle income kid spends a lot of time learning on their own - worksheets, reading silently - and the rest of the time dealing with disruptions. We tried it in a 50% FARMs school in another area and it was really bad and my child hated it. She made friends, there were involved parents but the constant class disruptions, the teaching of the same lessons over and over and over to make was too much.

You have never been in Glen Forest and have no idea what actually goes on in there. The classes are very small, usually 18-22 kids, none of the overcrowding you see in many other FCPS schools. They use a team teaching model where the ESOL and special education teachers are working in the classroom so that means more kids get individual attention and lesson tailored to their ability levels. And they do have AAP classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Well, certainly the FARMS rate didn't skyrocket in the summer between 2011-2012 vs. 2012-2013.

Anyway in 2012- 2013 total precentage was 73% it was 70% in the previous years. I am guessing that is not enough of an increase to drive the scores down that much.

I know the accreditation bench marks changed. Maybe that is the issue.

wow - that actually is quite a jump from 2008/2009.

Do yourself a favor and look at private schools. The reason is at a rate that high the school needs to put all it's resources towards those kids and your averare or above average middle income kid spends a lot of time learning on their own - worksheets, reading silently - and the rest of the time dealing with disruptions. We tried it in a 50% FARMs school in another area and it was really bad and my child hated it. She made friends, there were involved parents but the constant class disruptions, the teaching of the same lessons over and over and over to make was too much.

You have never been in Glen Forest and have no idea what actually goes on in there. The classes are very small, usually 18-22 kids, none of the overcrowding you see in many other FCPS schools. They use a team teaching model where the ESOL and special education teachers are working in the classroom so that means more kids get individual attention and lesson tailored to their ability levels. And they do have AAP classes.

No but my child is in an equivalent school in Alexandria, the "individual attention" is paid to those kids to get to the point of being just below average so they can pass the SOL tests. And the small class size means nothing when the kids are disruptive and the curriculum needs to be taught to a low level.

[Anonymous]

Please don't make assumptions about whether kids are "disruptive" when it's clear you have no first-hand knowledge about this school. It's presumptuous and also hurtful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Well, certainly the FARMS rate didn't skyrocket in the summer between 2011-2012 vs. 2012-2013.

Anyway in 2012- 2013 total precentage was 73% it was 70% in the previous years. I am guessing that is not enough of an increase to drive the scores down that much.

I know the accreditation bench marks changed. Maybe that is the issue.

wow - that actually is quite a jump from 2008/2009.

Do yourself a favor and look at private schools. The reason is at a rate that high the school needs to put all it's resources towards those kids and your averare or above average middle income kid spends a lot of time learning on their own - worksheets, reading silently - and the rest of the time dealing with disruptions. We tried it in a 50% FARMs school in another area and it was really bad and my child hated it. She made friends, there were involved parents but the constant class disruptions, the teaching of the same lessons over and over and over to make was too much.

You have never been in Glen Forest and have no idea what actually goes on in there. The classes are very small, usually 18-22 kids, none of the overcrowding you see in many other FCPS schools. They use a team teaching model where the ESOL and special education teachers are working in the classroom so that means more kids get individual attention and lesson tailored to their ability levels. And they do have AAP classes.

No but my child is in an equivalent school in Alexandria, the "individual attention" is paid to those kids to get to the point of being just below average so they can pass the SOL tests. And the small class size means nothing when the kids are disruptive and the curriculum needs to be taught to a low level.

You're hilarious! There are almost 140 schools in FCPS and you seem to know what is happening in a school you have never set foot in because it's "equivalent" to your kid's school. You can tell what is happening in each classroom. Tell us more Magic Mom! Will we have a snowy winter? Will the Redskins win their next game?

[Anonymous]

No but my child is in an equivalent school in Alexandria, [/b]the "individual attention" is paid to those kids to get to the point of being just below average so they can pass the SOL tests. And the small class size means nothing when the kids are disruptive

My child's FCPS Title One school (not Glen Forest) does not fit this alleged, prejudiced description. I would suggest that OP visit Glen Forest to see what it's like. With the holidays coming up, they probably have some sort of event coming up which they could attend and speak to other parents in the community to get a sense of what it's actually like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No but my child is in an equivalent school in Alexandria, [/b]the "individual attention" is paid to those kids to get to the point of being just below average so they can pass the SOL tests. And the small class size means nothing when the kids are disruptive

My child's FCPS Title One school (not Glen Forest) does not fit this alleged, prejudiced description. I would suggest that OP visit Glen Forest to see what it's like. With the holidays coming up, they probably have some sort of event coming up which they could attend and speak to other parents in the community to get a sense of what it's actually like.

If you make arrangements in advance you can certainly take a tour of the building and observe classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FYI: Many of the Glen Forest (and Bailey's) kids would probably be sent to the new elementary school FCPS is creating in a vacant office building on route 7.

That building is going to be for bailey's students only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FYI: Many of the Glen Forest (and Bailey's) kids would probably be sent to the new elementary school FCPS is creating in a vacant office building on route 7.

That building is going to be for bailey's students only.

Until the boundary changes are made.

[Anonymous]

What boundary changes? Bailey's has 1300 kids and will potentially have 1600 in a year or two. Even with a new school for 3 to 5th grade that is 600 to 800 in each school. What would be the point of shifting the boundaries to make the school to be even bigger?

[Anonymous]

There seems to be a lot of confusion about the Capital Improvement Plan and the retro-fit of 6245 Leesburg as a solution to the overcrowding at Bailey's. As I've heard it, the "new" school mentioned in the Capital Improvement Plan for the Bailey's Crossroads may or may not be the building at 6245 Leesburg Pike which is intended to be "Bailey's West". Unfortunately, FCPS doesn't have a location or funding to build an entirely new school. In spite of what Bailey's parents were told by FCPS in September, the funding for the "Bailey's West" retro-fit is coming out of the bond referendum that passed last month. Any future additional school will require another bond referendum. So, in 7-10 years, when "Bailey's West" is operational and the mythical "brand new" school is built, there would be boundary changes that would almost certainly affect Glen Forest and other schools close to Seven Corners and Bailey's Crossroads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here: Well, certainly the FARMS rate didn't skyrocket in the summer between 2011-2012 vs. 2012-2013.

Anyway in 2012- 2013 total precentage was 73% it was 70% in the previous years. I am guessing that is not enough of an increase to drive the scores down that much.

I know the accreditation bench marks changed. Maybe that is the issue.

wow - that actually is quite a jump from 2008/2009.

Do yourself a favor and look at private schools. The reason is at a rate that high the school needs to put all it's resources towards those kids and your averare or above average middle income kid spends a lot of time learning on their own - worksheets, reading silently - and the rest of the time dealing with disruptions. We tried it in a 50% FARMs school in another area and it was really bad and my child hated it. She made friends, there were involved parents but the constant class disruptions, the teaching of the same lessons over and over and over to make was too much.

You have never been in Glen Forest and have no idea what actually goes on in there. The classes are very small, usually 18-22 kids, none of the overcrowding you see in many other FCPS schools. They use a team teaching model where the ESOL and special education teachers are working in the classroom so that means more kids get individual attention and lesson tailored to their ability levels. And they do have AAP classes.

No but my child is in an equivalent school in Alexandria, the "individual attention" is paid to those kids to get to the point of being just below average so they can pass the SOL tests. And the small class size means nothing when the kids are disruptive and the curriculum needs to be taught to a low level.

You're hilarious! There are almost 140 schools in FCPS and you seem to know what is happening in a school you have never set foot in because it's "equivalent" to your kid's school. You can tell what is happening in each classroom. Tell us more Magic Mom! Will we have a snowy winter? Will the Redskins win their next game?

See this post about an equivalent FCPS school.
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/45/328417.page

It's not about being "magic", it's about actually doing research into what works in education, how it works and why. It's having a vested interest in finding the best school for your kids.

Being a school in Fairfax county doesn't magically make it immune to the problems of way too many FARMS kids with compounding issues that exceed what a classroom teacher can assist.

[Anonymous]

You haven't a clue what you're talking about.