What schools should you "look past the scores"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whittier is great! You would not be disappointed with this school (current parent here).

+1. Our kids attend Whittier and we love it! Experienced teachers, great sense of community, and the principal is amazing!

I've heard this as well.

Not to derail, but any thoughts on Takoma EC?

[Anonymous]

Many of the same statements made about Whittier can also be made about Takoma Elementary (formerly TEC).

Strong parent community, excellent teachers and staff, and a neighborhood school where kids and parents hang out on the playground after school/after-care before walking home.

Takoma Elementary has a new principal and AP this year who are communicating consistently and well with parents. They're exploring every option for making our kids safer this year, including purchasing tents and working with parents to purchase and assemble tables for outdoor eating/classes.

[Anonymous]

Thomson was a warm and encouraging environment. I applaud the work they do there. We were 1000% pleased.

[Anonymous]

Whittier booster is the new Langley booster! (Long time readers of this forum will understand)

[Anonymous]

Langley is a great example of "Look past the scores". Good preschool, good building (needs some upgrades but very spacious plus rec center), has Conscious Discipline and Foodprints, fun and warm-hearted culture, active PTA. I wouldn't say "look past the scores" to a parent of an older child, but for preschool Langley's a delight and retention into upper grades is clearly improving. Change can happen fast when you have an effective principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whittier booster is the new Langley booster! (Long time readers of this forum will understand)

LOL you don't need a new Langley booster. I'm still here boosting away! Go TIGERS!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Morning DCUM fam,

I've been doing my due diligence in looking at schools for the upcoming lottery selections (so early! I know, but work is boring sometimes and I like to imagine DD having fun at school). I read a lot of posts that say "these test scores need to be taken with a grain of salt" or "there are a lot of low SES, but if you are are smart kid you'll get a good education" or "montessori doesn't teach to the test" or "this school is only good because they teach to the test".

It makes sorting through schools difficult! So, maybe people who have experiences at schools with "high" test scores or "low" test scores can chime in on the quality of the education, and why the DC School Report Card is superficial (or maybe its not!)

FWIW, I'm in ward 4, Whittier IB.

I'm a West (soon to be Lewis elementary) stan. The community, the teachers, the progress they're making YoY, the new beautiful campus. They don't have the best test scores of elementary schools in the district, but they're making measurable progress, and for a title 1 school they're doing wonderful.

Truly wish I had a crystal ball to see if all of these engaged and enthusiastic parents would stay, would happily send my kids on to the other feeders in the chain.

I'd say this about a lot of the Ward 1 and 4 DCPS elementaries. Mixed SES, so overall lower test scores compared to charters with much lower at-risk populations, but strong teachers and differentiation. It may feel strange that your high SES kid isn't in the highest group for every subject, but that means the school is actually challenging your child and they're working to their potential. It's uncomfortable, but better than being lumped into a broader small group and everyone getting less differentiation. OP, you REALLY need to talk to actual upper elementary parents (preferably 3rd grade or higher), and a variety of upper elementary parents. If your student is a solid B-C student, you'll probably be happy at most schools. If your child struggles to reach grade level, or is above grade level easily and can coast, then what you need out of a school is very different. And unfortunately none of us have a crystal ball, so it's important to take it year by year and not feel like where you end up in pre-k (even if you "win" the lottery), is where you have to stay forever.

West parent from the PP here, and I totally agree with this. Sometimes the best advice you can get is from a current parent that has been the school through several years (good, bad, and pandemic) and can opine with some authority. Ultimately school is for 1) learning and 2) community, and I think there are so many great schools in W4. Powell, West, Whittier, Bruce Monroe, etc. All very different depending on what you want and need.

This would be my list as well. If you want Spanish, Powell has better parent engagement, but I think Bruce Monroe has stronger academics (and full immersion to K). West and Whittier are both solid for English only schools and I don't think you can go wrong at either. Unless you're planning on staying through middle school, which many parents aren't, I truly don't understand why you'd choose somewhere like EL Haynes or Capital City over any of those options. I think there is a very strong assumption that "charter is better" in Ward 4 (and probably Ward 5, though I don't live there so don't know) and young parents don't give these schools a fair consideration.

And about "teaching to the test." I have not experienced or heard of that in any of the Ward 4 schools I'm familiar with. Students below grade level receive additional support, as they should, to bring them up to grade level. That's not a bad thing or teaching to the test. It's also a very convenient excuse to explain why a neighborhood DCPS has comparable or higher scores than a charter with a lower at-risk population. I would ignore that concern entirely, or if you want, ask the school (and parents) how they get kids ready for PARCC. If you get radically different information at different schools, consider that. But don't assume anyone on DCUM speaking in broad generalizations has any clue what's currently happening in any of the schools your considering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whittier booster is the new Langley booster! (Long time readers of this forum will understand)

LOL you don't need a new Langley booster. I'm still here boosting away! Go TIGERS!!!!!

Boosting Whitter is cake. Langley boosters work hard for their rep.