Banneker vs Wilson, any thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW my niece graduated from Banneker did a semester at Coppin State (gag) and ended up in hair school.


Guess my brother let her do her own thing.

The SAT scores at Banneker are lower than the national average SAT scores
To me, that says something significant. The responses from people on DCUM have been that they come from crappy DCPS schools and they cannot catch up in 4 years.... that is an excuse, not an adequate explanation

Full disclosure - We have a few kids at BASIS DC, who are in accelerated math and thriving, and figure if they can get through it all the way (they are STEM kids) our college acceptances will look pretty darn good

At Wilson, the kids who succeed really knock it out of the park, but then there all those others which determine their national ranking. In DC we only have one high school nationally in the top 500 - #198, SWW, which DC and the present principal seem intent on destroying (the merge with Francis Stevens, the proposal which was blocked by parents about moving the 11th graders to Stevens sometimes).

Apparently, MoCo is implementing a new math program and especially in the upper grades there have been some situations where the teachers do not understand the system sufficiently to explain it to the kids. I have a friend there who has put her older kid in private but is hoping that by the time her younger child gets to the critical decision point everyone will understand it.

So that is the critical issue with MoCo schools the way I understand it. Deal and then Wilson have several tracks, and if you are not on the right one, your college prospects are pretty damn dim. No clue about what the deal is with Banneker, do know that at Latin you will never get the math and science, and that at Wilson if you are not in those honor classes you might as well give up. SWW has the best college admissions, which is probably why they ranked in the top 500. And if I recall correctly, most of the names of universities/SLACS I recognized. Not true of Washington Latin in their first year, but since the population is different, many probably opted for free rides on merit scholarships to no names.

I also have faith in BASIS DC, because our AP scores will measure the quality of the education our kids are actually getting, here and elsewhere, their DC CAS scores in their second year were only beaten by Deal, and I highly recommend it. We are Tier 1 in Charter Schools rankings, and Title I (over 40% FARMS kids), which makes us eligible for extra help from OSSE, but also proves that it does not take a majority white affluent population (less than 20% FARMS like Deal and Latin MS are now) to make the special sauce that allows kids to ace the CAS.

So please apply if you have a kid in 4th grade, and figure it out later. But I would not move to MoCo just yet. Had BASIS DC opened a year later, we would have bought our Pyle/Whitman house, and have had to move back!

Interesting post. Just FYI, there are no majority white public middle schools or high schools in DC. Not Deal, not Wilson, not SWW, not any. Just wanted to correct this very common misunderstanding. You are correct that Deal has low FARMs % relative to the DC average, and relative to BASIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW my niece graduated from Banneker did a semester at Coppin State (gag) and ended up in hair school.


Guess my brother let her do her own thing.

The SAT scores at Banneker are lower than the national average SAT scores
To me, that says something significant. The responses from people on DCUM have been that they come from crappy DCPS schools and they cannot catch up in 4 years.... that is an excuse, not an adequate explanation

Full disclosure - We have a few kids at BASIS DC, who are in accelerated math and thriving, and figure if they can get through it all the way (they are STEM kids) our college acceptances will look pretty darn good

At Wilson, the kids who succeed really knock it out of the park, but then there all those others which determine their national ranking. In DC we only have one high school nationally in the top 500 - #198, SWW, which DC and the present principal seem intent on destroying (the merge with Francis Stevens, the proposal which was blocked by parents about moving the 11th graders to Stevens sometimes).

Apparently, MoCo is implementing a new math program and especially in the upper grades there have been some situations where the teachers do not understand the system sufficiently to explain it to the kids. I have a friend there who has put her older kid in private but is hoping that by the time her younger child gets to the critical decision point everyone will understand it.

So that is the critical issue with MoCo schools the way I understand it. Deal and then Wilson have several tracks, and if you are not on the right one, your college prospects are pretty damn dim. No clue about what the deal is with Banneker, do know that at Latin you will never get the math and science, and that at Wilson if you are not in those honor classes you might as well give up. SWW has the best college admissions, which is probably why they ranked in the top 500. And if I recall correctly, most of the names of universities/SLACS I recognized. Not true of Washington Latin in their first year, but since the population is different, many probably opted for free rides on merit scholarships to no names.

I also have faith in BASIS DC, because our AP scores will measure the quality of the education our kids are actually getting, here and elsewhere, their DC CAS scores in their second year were only beaten by Deal, and I highly recommend it. We are Tier 1 in Charter Schools rankings, and Title I (over 40% FARMS kids), which makes us eligible for extra help from OSSE, but also proves that it does not take a majority white affluent population (less than 20% FARMS like Deal and Latin MS are now) to make the special sauce that allows kids to ace the CAS.

So please apply if you have a kid in 4th grade, and figure it out later. But I would not move to MoCo just yet. Had BASIS DC opened a year later, we would have bought our Pyle/Whitman house, and have had to move back!

Interesting post. Just FYI, there are no majority white public middle schools or high schools in DC. Not Deal, not Wilson, not SWW, not any. Just wanted to correct this very common misunderstanding. You are correct that Deal has low FARMs % relative to the DC average, and relative to BASIS.

The scores are significantly higher than the AA national average though.

[Anonymous]

The scores are significantly higher than the AA national average though.

What scores? There aren't any comparable "scores", not until PARCC is implemented anyway.

[Anonymous]

Thanks to everyone who responded (minus the one very snarky poster!).

I have learned that Banneker's SAT scores are relatively low -- for what I have been told was an exceptional school -- which makes me wonder if it makes sense to send DD there. I do know families where the kids have gone there an excelled -- Stanford, Columbia etc -- but I'm wondering if that's the norm or just the to be expected few steller kids going to the best places. In any acse, I'll take a closer look at Wilson and SWW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW my niece graduated from Banneker did a semester at Coppin State (gag) and ended up in hair school.


Guess my brother let her do her own thing.

The SAT scores at Banneker are lower than the national average SAT scores
To me, that says something significant. The responses from people on DCUM have been that they come from crappy DCPS schools and they cannot catch up in 4 years.... that is an excuse, not an adequate explanation

Full disclosure - We have a few kids at BASIS DC, who are in accelerated math and thriving, and figure if they can get through it all the way (they are STEM kids) our college acceptances will look pretty darn good

At Wilson, the kids who succeed really knock it out of the park, but then there all those others which determine their national ranking. In DC we only have one high school nationally in the top 500 - #198, SWW, which DC and the present principal seem intent on destroying (the merge with Francis Stevens, the proposal which was blocked by parents about moving the 11th graders to Stevens sometimes).

Apparently, MoCo is implementing a new math program and especially in the upper grades there have been some situations where the teachers do not understand the system sufficiently to explain it to the kids. I have a friend there who has put her older kid in private but is hoping that by the time her younger child gets to the critical decision point everyone will understand it.

So that is the critical issue with MoCo schools the way I understand it. Deal and then Wilson have several tracks, and if you are not on the right one, your college prospects are pretty damn dim. No clue about what the deal is with Banneker, do know that at Latin you will never get the math and science, and that at Wilson if you are not in those honor classes you might as well give up. SWW has the best college admissions, which is probably why they ranked in the top 500. And if I recall correctly, most of the names of universities/SLACS I recognized. Not true of Washington Latin in their first year, but since the population is different, many probably opted for free rides on merit scholarships to no names.

I also have faith in BASIS DC, because our AP scores will measure the quality of the education our kids are actually getting, here and elsewhere, their DC CAS scores in their second year were only beaten by Deal, and I highly recommend it. We are Tier 1 in Charter Schools rankings, and Title I (over 40% FARMS kids), which makes us eligible for extra help from OSSE, but also proves that it does not take a majority white affluent population (less than 20% FARMS like Deal and Latin MS are now) to make the special sauce that allows kids to ace the CAS.

So please apply if you have a kid in 4th grade, and figure it out later. But I would not move to MoCo just yet. Had BASIS DC opened a year later, we would have bought our Pyle/Whitman house, and have had to move back!

The basis booster ism gets old. When basis has students old enough to take SAT and Ap tests then lets talk. Not to mention if you read the original post ypud know the parent looking for a spot for a 9th grader not a 4th grader. I hope your kid has better reading comprehension than you.

[Anonymous]

It doesn't make sense to not send your child to Banneker because the average SAT score is low. The majority of the children are AA. AA have lower SAT scores across the board, not because they are not smart, but because of a variety of other, societal factors and the fact that it has been shown that the SATs are biased against non-whites. What you should look at is the quality of the education (number of kids excelling in AP classes) and the college ex missions. If your kid is white you should be okay as far as SAT scores are concerned.

[Anonymous]

Based on friend's experiences, Wilson. I went to Walls- awesome experience.

[Anonymous]

I for one liked hearing the BASIS post - plus the others with feedback on the high schools

[Anonymous]

I hear that they have great Flavor-Aid at Basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I for one liked hearing the BASIS post - plus the others with feedback on the high schools

+1
The Basis bashing gets old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to everyone who responded (minus the one very snarky poster!).

I have learned that Banneker's SAT scores are relatively low -- for what I have been told was an exceptional school -- which makes me wonder if it makes sense to send DD there. I do know families where the kids have gone there an excelled -- Stanford, Columbia etc -- but I'm wondering if that's the norm or just the to be expected few steller kids going to the best places. In any acse, I'll take a closer look at Wilson and SWW.

I actually think the reason the scores are low is a reflection of their parents inability to fork over $16k and some change for SAT Prep. I have started looking at the cost for tutors and the prices are expensive. Banneker has a very large FARMS population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I for one liked hearing the BASIS post - plus the others with feedback on the high schools

+1
The Basis bashing gets old.

How is BASIS relevant to Banneker and Wilson. Two of the three schools are High Schools. Which school do you think is a MS? BASIS bashing, as you call it, is only old because people like you and the poster keep interjecting it into irrelevant conversations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to everyone who responded (minus the one very snarky poster!).

I have learned that Banneker's SAT scores are relatively low -- for what I have been told was an exceptional school -- which makes me wonder if it makes sense to send DD there. I do know families where the kids have gone there an excelled -- Stanford, Columbia etc -- but I'm wondering if that's the norm or just the to be expected few steller kids going to the best places. In any acse, I'll take a closer look at Wilson and SWW.

I actually think the reason the scores are low is a reflection of their parents inability to fork over $16k and some change for SAT Prep. I have started looking at the cost for tutors and the prices are expensive. Banneker has a very large FARMS population.

Typica post. Other people do wel because they pay money for test prep, not because they are smart and/or test well (to the extent those factors can be separated). This mentality -- that others can't have or don't deserve nice things -- is rampant in this message board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to everyone who responded (minus the one very snarky poster!).

I have learned that Banneker's SAT scores are relatively low -- for what I have been told was an exceptional school -- which makes me wonder if it makes sense to send DD there. I do know families where the kids have gone there an excelled -- Stanford, Columbia etc -- but I'm wondering if that's the norm or just the to be expected few steller kids going to the best places. In any acse, I'll take a closer look at Wilson and SWW.

I actually think the reason the scores are low is a reflection of their parents inability to fork over $16k and some change for SAT Prep. I have started looking at the cost for tutors and the prices are expensive. Banneker has a very large FARMS population.

Typica post. Other people do wel because they pay money for test prep, not because they are smart and/or test well (to the extent those factors can be separated). This mentality -- that others can't have or don't deserve nice things -- is rampant in this message board.

Sorry, Your rant is unintelligible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hear that they have great Flavor-Aid at Basis.

Good one.