Latin replication pulled from PCSB agenda

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With so few at-risk kids, they should have plenty of resources to do right by them. If they aren't a solid performer in that area, no EOTR expansion should be approved. It seems like their "successful model" relies on having very few at-risk kids and would not be successful if they had more.

Oh come on. Terrible or new schools like Mundo verde and Lee have been allowed to replicate.

This is not the same board who let those schools through. There are new members with different perspectives. And there is simply more data on MS/HS than on Pk/ES both academic and disciplinary.

[Anonymous]

Anyone have an answer to the OP?

[Anonymous]

No way would the board not allow then to replicate. They must have pulled it themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No way would the board not allow then to replicate. They must have pulled it themselves.

They probably would, but there are certain criteria and it would be an embarrassment to Latin to have to discuss it. They are probably going to circle back with a new plan and hopefully better stats next year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:White non-hispanics at Latin appear to get a lower share of PARCC 4s than the DC average. Where are the high scorers going to middle school?

And how are the suspension rate numbers read? Is an 8 percent suspension rate saying that 8 percent of all students are suspended? Suspensions look better than DC average, but I'm not sure I'm reading this right.

Achievement gap is hard to crack in general, and I would guess it's even harder for a middle school taking kids from all over. Is anyone doing well here?

The only schools that consistently close the testing achievement gap are KIPP and those similar (DC Prep, etc). There is debate as to what the benefits are to students beyond them testing well- KIPP is focused a lot right now on more supports for students into and through college. There do not appear to be any significantly racially integrated schools that have been able shrink the gap much.

Good summary here about how all reform efforts haven't done a ton to shrink the testing gap.

https://www.the74million.org/article/williams-d-c-s-vast-and-successful-education-reforms-beg-the-question-what-next-to-close-achievement-gaps/

Schools cannot close the achievement gap. That has to happen through social policy and supports and the communities themselves. Schools could make a difference if they could do things like track kids, but political optics won’t allow that.

...which is why it is so ridiculous that we insist that schools invest an immense amount of their limited time and resources on closing the achievement gap, when really the problem should be addressed outside the schools and perhaps witg an alternative model of schools.

[Anonymous]

PP is 100% correct. Until those touchy subjects are addressed, everything else are dog and pony shows.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way would the board not allow then to replicate. They must have pulled it themselves.

They probably would, but there are certain criteria and it would be an embarrassment to Latin to have to discuss it. They are probably going to circle back with a new plan and hopefully better stats next year.

+1. Schools (or potential schools) often pull proposals rather than risk potentially bad votes or an embarrassing discussion. The schools are in close collaboration with PCSB members and staff in the weeks leading to a vote and get a sense of what’s coming.

Latin got far more push back in the hearing than I think anyone expected - and the academic achievement gap data wasn’t even discussed in any detail, although the discipline disparity was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:White non-hispanics at Latin appear to get a lower share of PARCC 4s than the DC average. Where are the high scorers going to middle school?

And how are the suspension rate numbers read? Is an 8 percent suspension rate saying that 8 percent of all students are suspended? Suspensions look better than DC average, but I'm not sure I'm reading this right.

Achievement gap is hard to crack in general, and I would guess it's even harder for a middle school taking kids from all over. Is anyone doing well here?

The only schools that consistently close the testing achievement gap are KIPP and those similar (DC Prep, etc). There is debate as to what the benefits are to students beyond them testing well- KIPP is focused a lot right now on more supports for students into and through college. There do not appear to be any significantly racially integrated schools that have been able shrink the gap much.

Good summary here about how all reform efforts haven't done a ton to shrink the testing gap.

https://www.the74million.org/article/williams-d-c-s-vast-and-successful-education-reforms-beg-the-question-what-next-to-close-achievement-gaps/

Schools cannot close the achievement gap. That has to happen through social policy and supports and the communities themselves. Schools could make a difference if they could do things like track kids, but political optics won’t allow that.

...which is why it is so ridiculous that we insist that schools invest an immense amount of their limited time and resources on closing the achievement gap, when really the problem should be addressed outside the schools and perhaps witg an alternative model of schools.

Oh, I know, like Monument! A DC charter success story, right?

[Anonymous]

In almost 40 years there has never been any program proven to close the achievement gap. Just like poverty has never been alleviated. There was article in the post a few months ago about the billions wasted to close the gap over decades and none made a difference at all. Stop vilifying high achieving students. Closing the gap must include training low income parents on how to support their kids from birth. Middles school is too late.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In almost 40 years there has never been any program proven to close the achievement gap. Just like poverty has never been alleviated. There was article in the post a few months ago about the billions wasted to close the gap over decades and none made a difference at all. Stop vilifying high achieving students. Closing the gap must include training low income parents on how to support their kids from birth. Middles school is too late.

Fewer than 10% of Latin’s MS students are at risk. But momentarily setting those students to the side, why are nearly 40% of black students at Latin (who are 40% of the enrollment) scoring 1s and 2s in PARCC Math?

The racial AND economic disparities continues into Latin’s high school.

We all know being homeless or in foster care or extremely poor makes achieving in school an uphill battle. But why are the kids of color without those issues struggling at Latin when their white peers aren’t?

As for being impossible or too late, both BASIS and DCI are doing better with at-risk kids although there are still gaps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In almost 40 years there has never been any program proven to close the achievement gap. Just like poverty has never been alleviated. There was article in the post a few months ago about the billions wasted to close the gap over decades and none made a difference at all. Stop vilifying high achieving students. Closing the gap must include training low income parents on how to support their kids from birth. Middles school is too late.

+1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In almost 40 years there has never been any program proven to close the achievement gap. Just like poverty has never been alleviated. There was article in the post a few months ago about the billions wasted to close the gap over decades and none made a difference at all. Stop vilifying high achieving students. Closing the gap must include training low income parents on how to support their kids from birth. Middles school is too late.

Fewer than 10% of Latin’s MS students are at risk. But momentarily setting those students to the side, why are nearly 40% of black students at Latin (who are 40% of the enrollment) scoring 1s and 2s in PARCC Math?

The racial AND economic disparities continues into Latin’s high school.

We all know being homeless or in foster care or extremely poor makes achieving in school an uphill battle. But why are the kids of color without those issues struggling at Latin when their white peers aren’t?

As for being impossible or too late, both BASIS and DCI are doing better with at-risk kids although there are still gaps.

This is definitely an interesting question. But we do need to know more about the backgrounds of the 40% scoring 1s and 2s. Maybe they are not at risk, but the majority come from lower class/blue collar homes where the parents (without college educations) don't read/or have books in the home and don't push/know how to push education?

[Anonymous]

Does it matter? Kids meeting those descriptions are doing ok to well at a bunch of schools across the city.

I want to know more. Is the Latin curriculum engaging to all? What is the diversity of the teachers and admins a male/female/black/white/latino etc?

[Anonymous]

Putting this discussion (on the achievement gap) aside, does this mean that Latin definitely will NOT open a second campus during the 20/21 school year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Putting this discussion (on the achievement gap) aside, does this mean that Latin definitely will NOT open a second campus during the 20/21 school year?

Yes, I think so. They would be hard pressed to be up and running in less than a year.