When will Walls interview notices come out??

[Anonymous]

What a mess the application process has become. The current rubric seems just as bad, only in different ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No dog in this fight but such a dumb system.

1) in DCPS, you can get B+, A-, A-, and A in each quarter and still get an A. If you do this for every class, you get a 4.0 for Walls admission. A student getting the identical grades at a school using a 100-point scale could get a 90 for every class, which counts as a 3.7 for Walls admission. In other words, students getting identical grades at two different schools receive different GPAs for Walls admissions.

2) Walls doesn’t weight the grades, so an A in PE at a failing school counts more than an A- in Algebra 2 at a rigorous school. With rampant grade inflation and social promotion at all DCPS schools, any average DCPS student can be a 4.0.

3) Anyone in the Walls pool of 500 still has to interview with a current student and teacher. That interview counts for 31/36 points. Last year, some interviews were just a few minutes and non-substantive. Reportedly, many average kids were admitted, and significant number were particularly attractive. No one really knows why this short interview counts as over 86% of your overall score.

4) The remaining possible 5 points come from GPA. Most kids in the pool of 500 will be 3.8 or higher, so they get the obligatory 5 points; those at 3.79 and below only get 4 points. This just reinforces the bias noted in point one above.

Overall, this is a ridiculous way to select a magnet school class. DC should follow the lead of NYC, which reinstituted an exam for magnet schools after the pandemic and schools’ ability to prioritize top-performing students using fairer, more objective criteria.

Not surprisingly, the average SAT score at NYC’s top magnet high school is 1510; the average SAT score at Walls is 1275.

Excellent post, PP. Signed - Stuyvesant grad who's glad the SSHAT admissions test in back in force in NY, along with free city-wide test prep for it at special centers open to all in all 5 boroughs

Lowell in SF also brought back the admission test

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What a mess the application process has become. The current rubric seems just as bad, only in different ways.

It's not just as bad - it at least considers teacher recommendations and an on-site essay in the mix with the interview. All of which are very subjective. But hopefully in different enough ways that they will lead to slightly more logical outcomes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No dog in this fight but such a dumb system.

1) in DCPS, you can get B+, A-, A-, and A in each quarter and still get an A. If you do this for every class, you get a 4.0 for Walls admission. A student getting the identical grades at a school using a 100-point scale could get a 90 for every class, which counts as a 3.7 for Walls admission. In other words, students getting identical grades at two different schools receive different GPAs for Walls admissions.

2) Walls doesn’t weight the grades, so an A in PE at a failing school counts more than an A- in Algebra 2 at a rigorous school. With rampant grade inflation and social promotion at all DCPS schools, any average DCPS student can be a 4.0.

3) Anyone in the Walls pool of 500 still has to interview with a current student and teacher. That interview counts for 31/36 points. Last year, some interviews were just a few minutes and non-substantive. Reportedly, many average kids were admitted, and significant number were particularly attractive. No one really knows why this short interview counts as over 86% of your overall score.

4) The remaining possible 5 points come from GPA. Most kids in the pool of 500 will be 3.8 or higher, so they get the obligatory 5 points; those at 3.79 and below only get 4 points. This just reinforces the bias noted in point one above.

Overall, this is a ridiculous way to select a magnet school class. DC should follow the lead of NYC, which reinstituted an exam for magnet schools after the pandemic and schools’ ability to prioritize top-performing students using fairer, more objective criteria.

Not surprisingly, the average SAT score at NYC’s top magnet high school is 1510; the average SAT score at Walls is 1275.

Excellent post, PP. Signed - Stuyvesant grad who's glad the SSHAT admissions test in back in force in NY, along with free city-wide test prep for it at special centers open to all in all 5 boroughs

Lowell in SF also brought back the admission test

Hunter in NYC used to do pure admissions test, but reserved 10% of slots for the highest scoring at risk students and offered substantial summer academy support to those students. A much more sensible way to ensure access (even if you go with a higher percentage than 10%) than making the entire system a crapshoot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No dog in this fight but such a dumb system.

1) in DCPS, you can get B+, A-, A-, and A in each quarter and still get an A. If you do this for every class, you get a 4.0 for Walls admission. A student getting the identical grades at a school using a 100-point scale could get a 90 for every class, which counts as a 3.7 for Walls admission. In other words, students getting identical grades at two different schools receive different GPAs for Walls admissions.

2) Walls doesn’t weight the grades, so an A in PE at a failing school counts more than an A- in Algebra 2 at a rigorous school. With rampant grade inflation and social promotion at all DCPS schools, any average DCPS student can be a 4.0.

3) Anyone in the Walls pool of 500 still has to interview with a current student and teacher. That interview counts for 31/36 points. Last year, some interviews were just a few minutes and non-substantive. Reportedly, many average kids were admitted, and significant number were particularly attractive. No one really knows why this short interview counts as over 86% of your overall score.

4) The remaining possible 5 points come from GPA. Most kids in the pool of 500 will be 3.8 or higher, so they get the obligatory 5 points; those at 3.79 and below only get 4 points. This just reinforces the bias noted in point one above.

Overall, this is a ridiculous way to select a magnet school class. DC should follow the lead of NYC, which reinstituted an exam for magnet schools after the pandemic and schools’ ability to prioritize top-performing students using fairer, more objective criteria.

Not surprisingly, the average SAT score at NYC’s top magnet high school is 1510; the average SAT score at Walls is 1275.

Excellent post, PP. Signed - Stuyvesant grad who's glad the SSHAT admissions test in back in force in NY, along with free city-wide test prep for it at special centers open to all in all 5 boroughs

Lowell in SF also brought back the admission test

Yes, after SF East and South Asian-American pressure groups got organized and fought back on the political level, after several years of concerted campaigning. With East and South Asian-American participation in DCPS at around 1% at the middle school level, we're not....getting the Walls test back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No dog in this fight but such a dumb system.

1) in DCPS, you can get B+, A-, A-, and A in each quarter and still get an A. If you do this for every class, you get a 4.0 for Walls admission. A student getting the identical grades at a school using a 100-point scale could get a 90 for every class, which counts as a 3.7 for Walls admission. In other words, students getting identical grades at two different schools receive different GPAs for Walls admissions.

2) Walls doesn’t weight the grades, so an A in PE at a failing school counts more than an A- in Algebra 2 at a rigorous school. With rampant grade inflation and social promotion at all DCPS schools, any average DCPS student can be a 4.0.

3) Anyone in the Walls pool of 500 still has to interview with a current student and teacher. That interview counts for 31/36 points. Last year, some interviews were just a few minutes and non-substantive. Reportedly, many average kids were admitted, and significant number were particularly attractive. No one really knows why this short interview counts as over 86% of your overall score.

4) The remaining possible 5 points come from GPA. Most kids in the pool of 500 will be 3.8 or higher, so they get the obligatory 5 points; those at 3.79 and below only get 4 points. This just reinforces the bias noted in point one above.

Overall, this is a ridiculous way to select a magnet school class. DC should follow the lead of NYC, which reinstituted an exam for magnet schools after the pandemic and schools’ ability to prioritize top-performing students using fairer, more objective criteria.

Not surprisingly, the average SAT score at NYC’s top magnet high school is 1510; the average SAT score at Walls is 1275.

Excellent post, PP. Signed - Stuyvesant grad who's glad the SSHAT admissions test in back in force in NY, along with free city-wide test prep for it at special centers open to all in all 5 boroughs

Lowell in SF also brought back the admission test

Hunter in NYC used to do pure admissions test, but reserved 10% of slots for the highest scoring at risk students and offered substantial summer academy support to those students. A much more sensible way to ensure access (even if you go with a higher percentage than 10%) than making the entire system a crapshoot.

+1000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No dog in this fight but such a dumb system.

1) in DCPS, you can get B+, A-, A-, and A in each quarter and still get an A. If you do this for every class, you get a 4.0 for Walls admission. A student getting the identical grades at a school using a 100-point scale could get a 90 for every class, which counts as a 3.7 for Walls admission. In other words, students getting identical grades at two different schools receive different GPAs for Walls admissions.

2) Walls doesn’t weight the grades, so an A in PE at a failing school counts more than an A- in Algebra 2 at a rigorous school. With rampant grade inflation and social promotion at all DCPS schools, any average DCPS student can be a 4.0.

3) Anyone in the Walls pool of 500 still has to interview with a current student and teacher. That interview counts for 31/36 points. Last year, some interviews were just a few minutes and non-substantive. Reportedly, many average kids were admitted, and significant number were particularly attractive. No one really knows why this short interview counts as over 86% of your overall score.

4) The remaining possible 5 points come from GPA. Most kids in the pool of 500 will be 3.8 or higher, so they get the obligatory 5 points; those at 3.79 and below only get 4 points. This just reinforces the bias noted in point one above.

Overall, this is a ridiculous way to select a magnet school class. DC should follow the lead of NYC, which reinstituted an exam for magnet schools after the pandemic and schools’ ability to prioritize top-performing students using fairer, more objective criteria.

Not surprisingly, the average SAT score at NYC’s top magnet high school is 1510; the average SAT score at Walls is 1275.

Excellent post, PP. Signed - Stuyvesant grad who's glad the SSHAT admissions test in back in force in NY, along with free city-wide test prep for it at special centers open to all in all 5 boroughs

Lowell in SF also brought back the admission test

Yes, after SF East and South Asian-American pressure groups got organized and fought back on the political level, after several years of concerted campaigning. With East and South Asian-American participation in DCPS at around 1% at the middle school level, we're not....getting the Walls test back.

Not sure it would have to be Asians, but I agree that change would require someone to do more than grumble anonymously online.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a mess the application process has become. The current rubric seems just as bad, only in different ways.

It's not just as bad - it at least considers teacher recommendations and an on-site essay in the mix with the interview. All of which are very subjective. But hopefully in different enough ways that they will lead to slightly more logical outcomes.

I don't agree. Without standardized test scores in the mix, this is essentially an affirmative action-based admission system relying heavily on highly subjective measure to assess an applicant's suitability. Once an applicant's race determined has been determined in an the interview, URMs can be identified and allowed to coast on the essay. Teacher recommendations are generally neither here nor there (since they tend to say more about the literacy, availability and dedication of the author than anything about the kid).

Recently, my youngest competed to qualify for a spot in a suburban district's public school 7th-8th grade band (my ex lives in MoCo and we share custody). Roughly 15% of those who auditioned were selected, after applicants auditioned behind a screen. That's right, the adults assessing the young musicians couldn't see them. Low-income applicants were awarded extra points on audition scores. That's the type of race-blind system I'd like to see for entry to Walls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No dog in this fight but such a dumb system.

1) in DCPS, you can get B+, A-, A-, and A in each quarter and still get an A. If you do this for every class, you get a 4.0 for Walls admission. A student getting the identical grades at a school using a 100-point scale could get a 90 for every class, which counts as a 3.7 for Walls admission. In other words, students getting identical grades at two different schools receive different GPAs for Walls admissions.

2) Walls doesn’t weight the grades, so an A in PE at a failing school counts more than an A- in Algebra 2 at a rigorous school. With rampant grade inflation and social promotion at all DCPS schools, any average DCPS student can be a 4.0.

3) Anyone in the Walls pool of 500 still has to interview with a current student and teacher. That interview counts for 31/36 points. Last year, some interviews were just a few minutes and non-substantive. Reportedly, many average kids were admitted, and significant number were particularly attractive. No one really knows why this short interview counts as over 86% of your overall score.

4) The remaining possible 5 points come from GPA. Most kids in the pool of 500 will be 3.8 or higher, so they get the obligatory 5 points; those at 3.79 and below only get 4 points. This just reinforces the bias noted in point one above.

Overall, this is a ridiculous way to select a magnet school class. DC should follow the lead of NYC, which reinstituted an exam for magnet schools after the pandemic and schools’ ability to prioritize top-performing students using fairer, more objective criteria.

Not surprisingly, the average SAT score at NYC’s top magnet high school is 1510; the average SAT score at Walls is 1275.

Excellent post, PP. Signed - Stuyvesant grad who's glad the SSHAT admissions test in back in force in NY, along with free city-wide test prep for it at special centers open to all in all 5 boroughs

Lowell in SF also brought back the admission test

Yes, after SF East and South Asian-American pressure groups got organized and fought back on the political level, after several years of concerted campaigning. With East and South Asian-American participation in DCPS at around 1% at the middle school level, we're not....getting the Walls test back.

Not sure it would have to be Asians, but I agree that change would require someone to do more than grumble anonymously online.

Politically, it's much harder for white to challenge than minorities. The white dad who sued Boston Latin for failing to admit his 6th grade daughter after she'd scored higher on the the entrance exam than many URMs who were admitted was persona non grata in the city for a long time. The case settled in the early 2000s once Boston Public agreed to create a race-blind admissions system.

[Anonymous]

Wow, I am way more concerned about the mediocre white kids the admissions process at Walls favors. But... you do you.

[Anonymous]

Come on, it's still a weak system all around. The high SES AAs families we know well don't seem to like it any more than than whites and Asians.

Affirmative action is over at the college level and Walls could indeed to stand to become a bit more white and Asian under a much fairer and more reasonable admissions regime.

[Anonymous]

Back to the topic at hand. Are Walls interview notices still coming out or not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What a mess the application process has become. The current rubric seems just as bad, only in different ways.

It's not just as bad - it at least considers teacher recommendations and an on-site essay in the mix with the interview. All of which are very subjective. But hopefully in different enough ways that they will lead to slightly more logical outcomes.

I don't agree. Without standardized test scores in the mix, this is essentially an affirmative action-based admission system relying heavily on highly subjective measure to assess an applicant's suitability. Once an applicant's race determined has been determined in an the interview, URMs can be identified and allowed to coast on the essay. Teacher recommendations are generally neither here nor there (since they tend to say more about the literacy, availability and dedication of the author than anything about the kid).

Recently, my youngest competed to qualify for a spot in a suburban district's public school 7th-8th grade band (my ex lives in MoCo and we share custody). Roughly 15% of those who auditioned were selected, after applicants auditioned behind a screen. That's right, the adults assessing the young musicians couldn't see them. Low-income applicants were awarded extra points on audition scores. That's the type of race-blind system I'd like to see for entry to Walls.

NP but why do you make the assumption URMs can coast and get into the school? Can you stop assuming the black kids at Walls are not as strong academically as the white kids? Because that is what you are ultimately claiming.

[Anonymous]

Not a genuine question but one setting up a false equivalency. I'm claiming that and you know it. Fact is, UMC students of course enjoy many advantages over low SES students academically as a group, regardless of race. Almost all the poor teens in DC happen to be URMs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Back to the topic at hand. Are Walls interview notices still coming out or not?

Seconded--anyone know of kids who have received interview notices yet? I was thinking it might be slow this year since they're considering recommendations, something they haven't done in the past.