school board work session on enrollment and transfers in options schools(and also a new high school)

[Anonymous]

I think this is a step in the right direction, and making it so all children have the same options. You shouldn't be able to buy into a special program.

[Anonymous]

To the immersion Mom: Do you think that argues in favor of keeping the middle school immersion program all in one place--instead of splitting it across two schools-- or does that not matter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happens to ASFS? Theoretically it's not a neighborhood school but rather an options school for students who are in boundary for 3 schools and after that for the entire county?

So Key/ASFS is a zone with two option schools and NO neighborhood school. ASFS is the defacto neighborhood school because it is the most mainstream program. What are they thinking in terms of this zone?

Under this vision the whole 'team' thing in that part of the county goes away. There really is no reason that this little area of the county should have some exclusive school options. Key becomes just a immersion option program for one half of the county while Claremont is the immersion option for the other half of the county (and the "halfs" area East/West, not North/South). They suggested that all neighborhood schools would have as a default a "STEAM" instructional model since the usual description of the STEAM model is all things they would want all ES kids to get -- problem solving, creativity, innovation, emphasis on science, math and arts, along with literacy of course. So ASFS becomes a neighborhood school with nothing particularly unique about its instructional focus.

Each half of the county would have an immersion option and an IB option plus the countywide options for Montessori and ATS. However, they have completely overlooked the fact that Campbell is also a unique program.

Yea, I thought this was confusing -- it looked like ASFS was going to become the neighborhood school for the current ASFS/Key district. Only strange thing about that is that ASFS is not actually in the district where it is the neighborhood school.

So if ASFS becomes the neighborhood school and Key continues to be immersion, shouldn't the programs switch buildings? Then there is a neighborhood school in the Key zone and the immersion program continues on at the current ASFS site.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happens to ASFS? Theoretically it's not a neighborhood school but rather an options school for students who are in boundary for 3 schools and after that for the entire county?

So Key/ASFS is a zone with two option schools and NO neighborhood school. ASFS is the defacto neighborhood school because it is the most mainstream program. What are they thinking in terms of this zone?

Under this vision the whole 'team' thing in that part of the county goes away. There really is no reason that this little area of the county should have some exclusive school options. Key becomes just a immersion option program for one half of the county while Claremont is the immersion option for the other half of the county (and the "halfs" area East/West, not North/South). They suggested that all neighborhood schools would have as a default a "STEAM" instructional model since the usual description of the STEAM model is all things they would want all ES kids to get -- problem solving, creativity, innovation, emphasis on science, math and arts, along with literacy of course. So ASFS becomes a neighborhood school with nothing particularly unique about its instructional focus.

Each half of the county would have an immersion option and an IB option plus the countywide options for Montessori and ATS. However, they have completely overlooked the fact that Campbell is also a unique program.

Yea, I thought this was confusing -- it looked like ASFS was going to become the neighborhood school for the current ASFS/Key district. Only strange thing about that is that ASFS is not actually in the district where it is the neighborhood school.

So if ASFS becomes the neighborhood school and Key continues to be immersion, shouldn't the programs switch buildings? Then there is a neighborhood school in the Key zone and the immersion program continues on at the current ASFS site.

One of the pps, I totally agree. Not really sure it would affect the kids much other than I think asfs might have some slightly newer labs (never been inside key though so I have no idea).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happens to ASFS? Theoretically it's not a neighborhood school but rather an options school for students who are in boundary for 3 schools and after that for the entire county?

So Key/ASFS is a zone with two option schools and NO neighborhood school. ASFS is the defacto neighborhood school because it is the most mainstream program. What are they thinking in terms of this zone?

Under this vision the whole 'team' thing in that part of the county goes away. There really is no reason that this little area of the county should have some exclusive school options. Key becomes just a immersion option program for one half of the county while Claremont is the immersion option for the other half of the county (and the "halfs" area East/West, not North/South). They suggested that all neighborhood schools would have as a default a "STEAM" instructional model since the usual description of the STEAM model is all things they would want all ES kids to get -- problem solving, creativity, innovation, emphasis on science, math and arts, along with literacy of course. So ASFS becomes a neighborhood school with nothing particularly unique about its instructional focus.

Each half of the county would have an immersion option and an IB option plus the countywide options for Montessori and ATS. However, they have completely overlooked the fact that Campbell is also a unique program.

Yea, I thought this was confusing -- it looked like ASFS was going to become the neighborhood school for the current ASFS/Key district. Only strange thing about that is that ASFS is not actually in the district where it is the neighborhood school.

So if ASFS becomes the neighborhood school and Key continues to be immersion, shouldn't the programs switch buildings? Then there is a neighborhood school in the Key zone and the immersion program continues on at the current ASFS site.

One of the pps, I totally agree. Not really sure it would affect the kids much other than I think asfs might have some slightly newer labs (never been inside key though so I have no idea).

Key pulls from all over the county so its current location is great b/c kids can commute by metro bus, metro rail, and ART, in addition to the traditional, walk, drive or school bus options. Moving it could complicate access for many families who take advantage of the public transportation options.

Also I believe Key has 150 to 200 more students than ASFS. It is already bursting at the seams so moving it to a smaller school doesn't see like a viable option.

[Anonymous]

I also wonder how this works for kids already in immersion. My son starts at Claremont next year, but we currently live in Drew. If I am reading the chart on the powerpoint right, drew would now be under zone 2, which would go to Key not Claremont. But I am also not 100% sure I am understanding it correctly.

But I would prefer to remain at Claremont so hopefully this program would just be for incoming students, of course then I wonder how sibling preference works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happens to ASFS? Theoretically it's not a neighborhood school but rather an options school for students who are in boundary for 3 schools and after that for the entire county?

So Key/ASFS is a zone with two option schools and NO neighborhood school. ASFS is the defacto neighborhood school because it is the most mainstream program. What are they thinking in terms of this zone?

Under this vision the whole 'team' thing in that part of the county goes away. There really is no reason that this little area of the county should have some exclusive school options. Key becomes just a immersion option program for one half of the county while Claremont is the immersion option for the other half of the county (and the "halfs" area East/West, not North/South). They suggested that all neighborhood schools would have as a default a "STEAM" instructional model since the usual description of the STEAM model is all things they would want all ES kids to get -- problem solving, creativity, innovation, emphasis on science, math and arts, along with literacy of course. So ASFS becomes a neighborhood school with nothing particularly unique about its instructional focus.

Each half of the county would have an immersion option and an IB option plus the countywide options for Montessori and ATS. However, they have completely overlooked the fact that Campbell is also a unique program.

Yea, I thought this was confusing -- it looked like ASFS was going to become the neighborhood school for the current ASFS/Key district. Only strange thing about that is that ASFS is not actually in the district where it is the neighborhood school.

So if ASFS becomes the neighborhood school and Key continues to be immersion, shouldn't the programs switch buildings? Then there is a neighborhood school in the Key zone and the immersion program continues on at the current ASFS site.

One of the pps, I totally agree. Not really sure it would affect the kids much other than I think asfs might have some slightly newer labs (never been inside key though so I have no idea).

Key pulls from all over the county so its current location is great b/c kids can commute by metro bus, metro rail, and ART, in addition to the traditional, walk, drive or school bus options. Moving it could complicate access for many families who take advantage of the public transportation options.

Also I believe Key has 150 to 200 more students than ASFS. It is already bursting at the seams so moving it to a smaller school doesn't see like a viable option.

Asfs is less than a mile from two metro stations so don't think this would have a big effect. We are zoned for key but went to asfs to avoid immersion-- I'm not sure how they can turn asfs into a neighborhood school without massively drawing the zoning lines. There would be at least three planning units that are currently Taylor that would have to get moved because they are in between the current asfs zoned area and where asfs is located. Maybe that's the plan though,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What happens to ASFS? Theoretically it's not a neighborhood school but rather an options school for students who are in boundary for 3 schools and after that for the entire county?

So Key/ASFS is a zone with two option schools and NO neighborhood school. ASFS is the defacto neighborhood school because it is the most mainstream program. What are they thinking in terms of this zone?

Under this vision the whole 'team' thing in that part of the county goes away. There really is no reason that this little area of the county should have some exclusive school options. Key becomes just a immersion option program for one half of the county while Claremont is the immersion option for the other half of the county (and the "halfs" area East/West, not North/South). They suggested that all neighborhood schools would have as a default a "STEAM" instructional model since the usual description of the STEAM model is all things they would want all ES kids to get -- problem solving, creativity, innovation, emphasis on science, math and arts, along with literacy of course. So ASFS becomes a neighborhood school with nothing particularly unique about its instructional focus.

Each half of the county would have an immersion option and an IB option plus the countywide options for Montessori and ATS. However, they have completely overlooked the fact that Campbell is also a unique program.

Yea, I thought this was confusing -- it looked like ASFS was going to become the neighborhood school for the current ASFS/Key district. Only strange thing about that is that ASFS is not actually in the district where it is the neighborhood school.

So if ASFS becomes the neighborhood school and Key continues to be immersion, shouldn't the programs switch buildings? Then there is a neighborhood school in the Key zone and the immersion program continues on at the current ASFS site.

One of the pps, I totally agree. Not really sure it would affect the kids much other than I think asfs might have some slightly newer labs (never been inside key though so I have no idea).

Key pulls from all over the county so its current location is great b/c kids can commute by metro bus, metro rail, and ART, in addition to the traditional, walk, drive or school bus options. Moving it could complicate access for many families who take advantage of the public transportation options.

Also I believe Key has 150 to 200 more students than ASFS. It is already bursting at the seams so moving it to a smaller school doesn't see like a viable option.

Actually, the enrollment numbers are very close http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Feb-28-Membership-2016-17.pdf

656 vs 669 for k-5, total including preschool 674 vs 700. I don't think it can be shot down on building size alone. Plus, as someone else mentioned, the current ASFS site is not far from the bus and metro lines. I think giving the Key zone a real neighborhood school deserves consideration. Clearly the demand is there if you look at transfers out of Key immersion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also wonder how this works for kids already in immersion. My son starts at Claremont next year, but we currently live in Drew. If I am reading the chart on the powerpoint right, drew would now be under zone 2, which would go to Key not Claremont. But I am also not 100% sure I am understanding it correctly.

But I would prefer to remain at Claremont so hopefully this program would just be for incoming students, of course then I wonder how sibling preference works.

Like policy changes in the past, I am sure that currently enrolled students would get to stay where they are, and the policy would apply only to incoming students, with siblings concurrently enrolled being an exception. That's how they've handled in the past. I'd expect the same for this plan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also wonder how this works for kids already in immersion. My son starts at Claremont next year, but we currently live in Drew. If I am reading the chart on the powerpoint right, drew would now be under zone 2, which would go to Key not Claremont. But I am also not 100% sure I am understanding it correctly.

But I would prefer to remain at Claremont so hopefully this program would just be for incoming students, of course then I wonder how sibling preference works.

Like policy changes in the past, I am sure that currently enrolled students would get to stay where they are, and the policy would apply only to incoming students, with siblings concurrently enrolled being an exception. That's how they've handled in the past. I'd expect the same for this plan.

Thank you, I appreciate the clarification. I hope you are right.

[Anonymous]

Key is ES, though. How many ES kids are getting to/from school by metro? They certainly are not traveling alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Key is ES, though. How many ES kids are getting to/from school by metro? They certainly are not traveling alone.

They are not alone. I see kids get off the metro and the bus all the time.
We can't discount the number of lower income families who go to Key. It is much higher than ASF. Remember Key pulls from North and South Arlington. For some of these families school bus times may not work. I get that the times aren't ideal for everyone but lower income families are less likely to have cars and/or work hour flexibility. Being able to use public transportation is a big plus.

ASF being less than a mile from 2 metro stations is not the same as Key being 2-3 blocks from the metro and several bus lines.

We are walkers to Key and I metro to work so I see a fair share of kids who commute using public transportation. With their parents of course.
Stats on this would be helpful as this is just my personal observation over 3 years.

For the PP who asked about transfer out stats, I don't think these exist. The current zone is Key/ASF you go to one or the other. You don't have to opt out of Key to go to ASF.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Key is ES, though. How many ES kids are getting to/from school by metro? They certainly are not traveling alone.

They are not alone. I see kids get off the metro and the bus all the time.
We can't discount the number of lower income families who go to Key. It is much higher than ASF. Remember Key pulls from North and South Arlington. For some of these families school bus times may not work. I get that the times aren't ideal for everyone but lower income families are less likely to have cars and/or work hour flexibility. Being able to use public transportation is a big plus.

ASF being less than a mile from 2 metro stations is not the same as Key being 2-3 blocks from the metro and several bus lines.

We are walkers to Key and I metro to work so I see a fair share of kids who commute using public transportation. With their parents of course.
Stats on this would be helpful as this is just my personal observation over 3 years.

For the PP who asked about transfer out stats, I don't think these exist. The current zone is Key/ASF you go to one or the other. You don't have to opt out of Key to go to ASF.

The stats do exist in the transfer report. http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Transfer-Report-2015-16.pdf

The Key zone sent 462 students to ASFS during the 2015-16 school year. Of these transfers, of these transfers, 113 were of "disadvantaged" status. Key, on the other hand, had 282 in zone students attend (673 total minus 391 transfers in). Of the 391 transfers into Key, 110 were disadvantaged. Key is sending as many disadvantaged kids to ASFS as are coming in with transfers. I get that you want to keep your walkable Key with your preferred program. I want to have a walkable Key as a normal neighborhood school. These are our respective biases and I think both positions are understandable. The numbers appear to show that there are more in the Key zone that want a more mainstream curriculum than those who want immersion as indicated by the 462 transferring to ASFS vs the 282 staying at Key.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Key is ES, though. How many ES kids are getting to/from school by metro? They certainly are not traveling alone.

They are not alone. I see kids get off the metro and the bus all the time.
We can't discount the number of lower income families who go to Key. It is much higher than ASF. Remember Key pulls from North and South Arlington. For some of these families school bus times may not work. I get that the times aren't ideal for everyone but lower income families are less likely to have cars and/or work hour flexibility. Being able to use public transportation is a big plus.

ASF being less than a mile from 2 metro stations is not the same as Key being 2-3 blocks from the metro and several bus lines.

We are walkers to Key and I metro to work so I see a fair share of kids who commute using public transportation. With their parents of course.
Stats on this would be helpful as this is just my personal observation over 3 years.

For the PP who asked about transfer out stats, I don't think these exist. The current zone is Key/ASF you go to one or the other. You don't have to opt out of Key to go to ASF.

The stats do exist in the transfer report. http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Transfer-Report-2015-16.pdf

The Key zone sent 462 students to ASFS during the 2015-16 school year. Of these transfers, of these transfers, 113 were of "disadvantaged" status. Key, on the other hand, had 282 in zone students attend (673 total minus 391 transfers in). Of the 391 transfers into Key, 110 were disadvantaged. Key is sending as many disadvantaged kids to ASFS as are coming in with transfers. I get that you want to keep your walkable Key with your preferred program. I want to have a walkable Key as a normal neighborhood school. These are our respective biases and I think both positions are understandable. The numbers appear to show that there are more in the Key zone that want a more mainstream curriculum than those who want immersion as indicated by the 462 transferring to ASFS vs the 282 staying at Key.

The school board is facing many difficult questions. Luckily, this isn't one of them. The enrollment at Key is higher than ASFS and the ASFS facility has less capacity. It's a non-starter because it creates real and immediate problems, something the SB has enough of already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Key is ES, though. How many ES kids are getting to/from school by metro? They certainly are not traveling alone.

They are not alone. I see kids get off the metro and the bus all the time.
We can't discount the number of lower income families who go to Key. It is much higher than ASF. Remember Key pulls from North and South Arlington. For some of these families school bus times may not work. I get that the times aren't ideal for everyone but lower income families are less likely to have cars and/or work hour flexibility. Being able to use public transportation is a big plus.

ASF being less than a mile from 2 metro stations is not the same as Key being 2-3 blocks from the metro and several bus lines.

We are walkers to Key and I metro to work so I see a fair share of kids who commute using public transportation. With their parents of course.
Stats on this would be helpful as this is just my personal observation over 3 years.

For the PP who asked about transfer out stats, I don't think these exist. The current zone is Key/ASF you go to one or the other. You don't have to opt out of Key to go to ASF.

The stats do exist in the transfer report. http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Transfer-Report-2015-16.pdf

The Key zone sent 462 students to ASFS during the 2015-16 school year. Of these transfers, of these transfers, 113 were of "disadvantaged" status. Key, on the other hand, had 282 in zone students attend (673 total minus 391 transfers in). Of the 391 transfers into Key, 110 were disadvantaged. Key is sending as many disadvantaged kids to ASFS as are coming in with transfers. I get that you want to keep your walkable Key with your preferred program. I want to have a walkable Key as a normal neighborhood school. These are our respective biases and I think both positions are understandable. The numbers appear to show that there are more in the Key zone that want a more mainstream curriculum than those who want immersion as indicated by the 462 transferring to ASFS vs the 282 staying at Key.

The school board is facing many difficult questions. Luckily, this isn't one of them. The enrollment at Key is higher than ASFS and the ASFS facility has less capacity. It's a non-starter because it creates real and immediate problems, something the SB has enough of already.

The enrollment numbers as of 2/28/17 show 656 K-5 and 674 with preschool at ASFS. On the same enrollment report Key has 669 K-5 and 700 including preschool. http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Feb-28-Membership-2016-17.pdf

Key has 13 k-5 students and 13 preschoolers more than ASFS as of 2/28/17. To me, this shows them to be very similarly sized.