My School DC Lottery Board - Considering Giving At-Risk Students Preference in DCPS School Lottery

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked the idea of an at-risk minimum, whatever happened to that proposal?

The problem is there are too few good schools, and way too many at-risk students.

Total DCPS and charter enrollment (minus adult learners) is 86-87,000 students. Fully 39,000 are at risk.

The preference, as tested by the lottery folks, would help 600 of the 39,000.

Ten percent of seats at high performing schools would only help another couple thousand.

It still seems like a good idea, to help 600 kids. That's a lot more than zero.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked the idea of an at-risk minimum, whatever happened to that proposal?

It was a recommendation from the last boundary review under the last mayor, and was also promoted by David Catania when he was on the Council. It's never been implemented and presumably has been dropped by everyone.

A top priority preference has the same effect as set-aside minimums.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked the idea of an at-risk minimum, whatever happened to that proposal?

The problem is there are too few good schools, and way too many at-risk students.

Total DCPS and charter enrollment (minus adult learners) is 86-87,000 students. Fully 39,000 are at risk.

The preference, as tested by the lottery folks, would help 600 of the 39,000.

Ten percent of seats at high performing schools would only help another couple thousand.

It still seems like a good idea, to help 600 kids. That's a lot more than zero.

It's Waiting for Superman.

I'm all for doing it too, but that can't be all we do. More services, more staff, more funding, more social workers, more family support, more jobs for all these families is needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked the idea of an at-risk minimum, whatever happened to that proposal?

The problem is there are too few good schools, and way too many at-risk students.

Total DCPS and charter enrollment (minus adult learners) is 86-87,000 students. Fully 39,000 are at risk.

The preference, as tested by the lottery folks, would help 600 of the 39,000.

Ten percent of seats at high performing schools would only help another couple thousand.

It still seems like a good idea, to help 600 kids. That's a lot more than zero.

It's Waiting for Superman.

I'm all for doing it too, but that can't be all we do. More services, more staff, more funding, more social workers, more family support, more jobs for all these families is needed.

I hope it might have a follow-on effect as sibling preference was conferred on siblings of those receiving the preference as time passed.

It would be nice if this eased the overwhelm at the EOTP and EOTR schools.

[Anonymous]

But let's assume that most of the at risk kids would be applying for a limite number of good schools. These kids could easily take up most of the spots, especially if they get preference over siblings. A few schools would be overwhelmed meeting the needs of at risk kids. Other families would be hesitant to apply if there is no sibling preferences. This could lead to a good school becoming a not so good school thereby defeating the goal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But let's assume that most of the at risk kids would be applying for a limite number of good schools. These kids could easily take up most of the spots, especially if they get preference over siblings. A few schools would be overwhelmed meeting the needs of at risk kids. Other families would be hesitant to apply if there is no sibling preferences. This could lead to a good school becoming a not so good school thereby defeating the goal.

The only thing on the table is giving them preference over any other OOB students. They would not have preference over, say, IB students or IB siblings (for preschool).

If applied at application schools that would change things, at least at SWW. It would be most evident in city-wide schools or charters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But let's assume that most of the at risk kids would be applying for a limite number of good schools. These kids could easily take up most of the spots, especially if they get preference over siblings. A few schools would be overwhelmed meeting the needs of at risk kids. Other families would be hesitant to apply if there is no sibling preferences. This could lead to a good school becoming a not so good school thereby defeating the goal.

It could be capped at a percentage of each school's population. And a lot of at-risk kids don't lottery for the "good" schools. They lottery for schools they prefer for various reasons including logistics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But let's assume that most of the at risk kids would be applying for a limite number of good schools. These kids could easily take up most of the spots, especially if they get preference over siblings. A few schools would be overwhelmed meeting the needs of at risk kids. Other families would be hesitant to apply if there is no sibling preferences. This could lead to a good school becoming a not so good school thereby defeating the goal.

It could be capped at a percentage of each school's population. And a lot of at-risk kids don't lottery for the "good" schools. They lottery for schools they prefer for various reasons including logistics.

But they might apply if they knew they had a preference. Is it legal to cap a number of at-risk kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But let's assume that most of the at risk kids would be applying for a limite number of good schools. These kids could easily take up most of the spots, especially if they get preference over siblings. A few schools would be overwhelmed meeting the needs of at risk kids. Other families would be hesitant to apply if there is no sibling preferences. This could lead to a good school becoming a not so good school thereby defeating the goal.

It could be capped at a percentage of each school's population. And a lot of at-risk kids don't lottery for the "good" schools. They lottery for schools they prefer for various reasons including logistics.

But they might apply if they knew they had a preference. Is it legal to cap a number of at-risk kids?

It would not be a cap to the number of at-risk kids. It would be a cap to the number of kids admitted through the at-risk preference in the lottery. Some schools already employ a similar cap for other preferences, such as children of staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But let's assume that most of the at risk kids would be applying for a limite number of good schools. These kids could easily take up most of the spots, especially if they get preference over siblings. A few schools would be overwhelmed meeting the needs of at risk kids. Other families would be hesitant to apply if there is no sibling preferences. This could lead to a good school becoming a not so good school thereby defeating the goal.

It could be capped at a percentage of each school's population. And a lot of at-risk kids don't lottery for the "good" schools. They lottery for schools they prefer for various reasons including logistics.

But they might apply if they knew they had a preference. Is it legal to cap a number of at-risk kids?

It would not be a cap to the number of at-risk kids. It would be a cap to the number of kids admitted through the at-risk preference in the lottery. Some schools already employ a similar cap for other preferences, such as children of staff.

None of this is legal (or, within the rules) at the moment. The idea would be to change the rules.

It could be made to only apply to schools below a certain level of at-risk, to avoid overwhelm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But let's assume that most of the at risk kids would be applying for a limite number of good schools. These kids could easily take up most of the spots, especially if they get preference over siblings. A few schools would be overwhelmed meeting the needs of at risk kids. Other families would be hesitant to apply if there is no sibling preferences. This could lead to a good school becoming a not so good school thereby defeating the goal.

It could be capped at a percentage of each school's population. And a lot of at-risk kids don't lottery for the "good" schools. They lottery for schools they prefer for various reasons including logistics.

Dozens of schools are majority at-risk students. And many schools are not educating many at-risk students at all.

Here is every PK3-12 school:

Schools with <50% at risk students are highlighted below (data from 2017-18 OSSE audit)

School Name Enrollment Number of At-Risk students

Achievement Preparatory Academy PCS - Wahler Place Elementary School 486 309
Achievement Preparatory Academy PCS - Wahler Place Middle School 476 284
AppleTree Early Learning Center PCS - Columbia Heights 162 57
AppleTree Early Learning Center PCS - Lincoln Park 60 14
AppleTree Early Learning Center PCS - Oklahoma Avenue 142 69
AppleTree Early Learning Center PCS - Southeast 181 122
AppleTree Early Learning Center PCS - Southwest 108 48
BASIS DC PCS 596 51
Breakthrough Montessori PCS 129 22
Bridges PCS 399 148
Capital City PCS - High School 335 146
Capital City PCS - Lower School 324 106
Capital City PCS - Middle School 334 104
Cedar Tree Academy PCS 381 281
Center City PCS - Brightwood 263 88
Center City PCS - Capitol Hill 260 141
Center City PCS - Congress Heights 256 132
Center City PCS - Petworth 252 87
Center City PCS - Shaw 236 112
Center City PCS - Trinidad 202 122
Cesar Chavez PCS for Public Policy - Capitol Hill 259 164
Cesar Chavez PCS for Public Policy - Chavez Prep 294 145
Cesar Chavez PCS for Public Policy - Parkside High School 367 245
Cesar Chavez PCS for Public Policy - Parkside Middle School 257 181
City Arts & Prep PCS 499 284
Creative Minds International PCS 441 59
DC Bilingual PCS 440 128
DC Prep PCS - Anacostia Elementary School 304 197
DC Prep PCS - Benning Elementary School 453 247
DC Prep PCS - Benning Middle School 335 153
DC Prep PCS - Edgewood Elementary School 451 170
DC Prep PCS - Edgewood Middle School 332 112
DC Scholars PCS 515 290
Democracy Prep Congress Heights PCS 645 471
District of Columbia International School 804 152
Aiton Elementary School 238 189
Amidon-Bowen Elementary School 351 229
Anacostia High School 378 317
Ballou High School 879 703
Bancroft Elementary School @ Sharpe 544 162
Barnard Elementary School 642 307
Beers Elementary School 484 258
Benjamin Banneker High School 480 90
Brent Elementary School 424 18
Brightwood Education Campus 737 311
Brookland Middle School 238 122
Browne Education Campus 325 238
Bruce-Monroe Elementary School @ Park View 473 193
Bunker Hill Elementary School 200 89
Burroughs Elementary School 282 115
Burrville Elementary School 300 208
C.W. Harris Elementary School 278 228
Capitol Hill Montessori School @ Logan 365 66
Cardozo Education Campus 788 539
Cleveland Elementary School 317 156
Columbia Heights Education Campus 1240 651
Coolidge High School 310 222
Deal Middle School 1474 100
Dorothy I. Height Elementary School 478 174
Drew Elementary School 272 205
Duke Ellington School of the Arts 492 141
Dunbar High School 617 398
Eastern High School 769 463
Eaton Elementary School 476 29
Eliot-Hine Middle School 203 126
Garfield Elementary School 301 247
Garrison Elementary School 250 94
H.D. Cooke Elementary School 403 175
H.D. Woodson High School 484 343
Hardy Middle School 392 77
Hart Middle School 337 262
Hearst Elementary School 312 20
Hendley Elementary School 379 351
Houston Elementary School 267 190
Hyde-Addison Elementary School @ Meyer 320 37
J.O. Wilson Elementary School 509 235
Jefferson Middle School Academy 312 180
Johnson Middle School 255 206
Kelly Miller Middle School 387 265
Ketcham Elementary School 310 253
Key Elementary School 417 N<10
Kimball Elementary School @ Davis 325 257
King Elementary School 345 291
Kramer Middle School 194 167
Lafayette Elementary School 816 23
Langdon Elementary School 321 169
Langley Elementary School 275 150
LaSalle-Backus Education Campus 362 192
Leckie Education Campus 558 265
Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School 414 97
MacFarland Middle School 132 55
Malcolm X Elementary School @ Green 252 214
Mann Elementary School 399 N<10
Marie Reed Elementary School 427 133
Maury Elementary School 407 30
McKinley Middle School 241 148
McKinley Technology High School 620 214
Miner Elementary School 340 207
Moten Elementary School 400 341
Murch Elementary School @ UDC 573 24
Nalle Elementary School 387 282
Noyes Elementary School 195 142
Orr Elementary School 404 311
Oyster-Adams Bilingual School 677 68
Patterson Elementary School 374 325
Payne Elementary School 314 145
Peabody Elementary School (Capitol Hill Cluster) 227 12
Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering High School 260 128
Plummer Elementary School 374 292
Powell Elementary School 546 199
Randle Highlands Elementary School 324 176
Raymond Education Campus 589 263
River Terrace Education Campus 137 67
Ron Brown College Preparatory High School 209 116
Roosevelt High School 690 470
Ross Elementary School 174 10
Savoy Elementary School 267 208
School Without Walls @ Francis-Stevens 472 80
[b]School Without Walls High School 591 63[/b]
School-Within-School @ Goding 308 N<10
Seaton Elementary School 371 150
Shepherd Elementary School 353 48
Simon Elementary School 274 194
Smothers Elementary School 248 168
Sousa Middle School 226 164
Stanton Elementary School 493 439
Stoddert Elementary School 438 15
Stuart-Hobson Middle School (Capitol Hill Cluster) 422 120
Takoma Education Campus 473 211
Thomas Elementary School 384 290
Thomson Elementary School 308 123
Truesdell Education Campus 698 382
Tubman Elementary School 535 287
Turner Elementary School 463 384
Tyler Elementary School 525 183
Van Ness Elementary School 215 56
Walker-Jones Education Campus 435 337
Watkins Elementary School (Capitol Hill Cluster) 428 81
West Education Campus 330 125
Wheatley Education Campus 324 257
Whittier Education Campus 325 159
Woodrow Wilson High School 1825 474
E.L. Haynes PCS - Elementary School 348 115
E.L. Haynes PCS - High School 430 231
E.L. Haynes PCS - Middle School 353 138
Eagle Academy PCS - Capitol Riverfront 165 91
Eagle Academy PCS - Congress Heights 770 510
Early Childhood Academy PCS 246 172
Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom PCS 350 40
Excel Academy PCS 642 436
Friendship PCS - Armstrong 395 236
Friendship PCS - Blow Pierce Elementary School 387 293
Friendship PCS - Blow Pierce Middle School 242 172
Friendship PCS - Chamberlain Elementary School 377 224
Friendship PCS - Chamberlain Middle School 323 186
Friendship PCS - Collegiate Academy 684 402
Friendship PCS - Online 180 87
Friendship PCS - Southeast Academy 559 401
Friendship PCS - Technology Preparatory High School 253 168
Friendship PCS - Technology Preparatory Middle School 255 172
Friendship PCS - Woodridge Elementary School 297 127
Friendship PCS - Woodridge Middle School 218 85
Goodwill Excel Center PCS 356 355
Harmony DC PCS - School of Excellence 94 59
Hope Community PCS - Lamond 288 132
Hope Community PCS - Tolson 467 255
Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science PCS 278 126
IDEA PCS 305 201
Ideal Academy PCS 279 168
Ingenuity Prep PCS 496 312
Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS 446 62
Kingsman Academy PCS 249 225
KIPP DC - AIM Academy PCS 378 203
KIPP DC - Arts and Technology Academy PCS 347 199
KIPP DC - College Preparatory Academy PCS 713 362
KIPP DC - Connect Academy PCS 325 184
KIPP DC - Discover Academy PCS 351 201
KIPP DC - Grow Academy PCS 321 155
KIPP DC - Heights Academy PCS 461 275
KIPP DC - KEY Academy PCS 338 162
KIPP DC - Lead Academy PCS 405 168
KIPP DC - LEAP Academy PCS 198 104
KIPP DC - Northeast Academy PCS 330 160
KIPP DC - Promise Academy PCS 520 285
KIPP DC - Quest Academy PCS 391 217
KIPP DC - Spring Academy PCS 410 211
KIPP DC - Valor Academy PCS 307 168
KIPP DC - WILL Academy PCS 320 125
Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS 462 43
Lee Montessori PCS 177 19
Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy PCS 457 245
Meridian PCS 636 317
Monument Academy PCS 115 88
Mundo Verde Bilingual PCS 578 53
National Collegiate Preparatory PCHS 276 194
Paul PCS - International High School 480 263
Paul PCS - Middle School 228 91
Perry Street Preparatory PCS 351 186
Richard Wright PCS for Journalism and Media Arts 269 171
Rocketship DC PCS - Legacy Prep 106 73
Rocketship DC PCS - Rise Academy 527 424
Roots PCS 118 52
SEED PCS of Washington DC 363 230
Sela PCS 202 44
Shining Stars Montessori Academy PCS 272 40
Somerset Preparatory Academy PCS 375 253
St. Coletta Special Education PCS 247 107
Sustainable Futures PCS 45 45
The Children's Guild PCS 375 303
Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS 383 220
Two Rivers PCS - 4th St 528 121
Two Rivers PCS - Young 284 52
Washington Global PCS 196 110
Washington Latin PCS - Middle School 367 23
Washington Latin PCS - Upper School 331 52
Washington Leadership Academy PCS 204 119
Washington Mathematics Science Technology PCHS 228 151
Washington Yu Ying PCS 579 26
Youthbuild PCS 116 N<10

[Anonymous]

Why did you leave out Janney?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why did you leave out Janney?

DP - Read more carefully - the PP's list is only charters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why did you leave out Janney?

Copy / paste error. Sorry.

Janney 736 students; <10 at risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why did you leave out Janney?

DP - Read more carefully - the PP's list is only charters.

You should read more carefully, it most certainly is not only charters.