2011 DC-CAS pleasant surprizes?

[Anonymous]

I've quickly eye-balled the scores for charter and DCPS elementary school. please tell me what schools surprized you-- any big improvements? Ross and Brent looked great to me, while Key and Mann continue to impress.

No charter school scores favorably impressed me, but I just did a quick look over so it is likely i missed some gems. Plus, perhaps I have unfairly high expectations for charters in general.

Please refrain from trashing those schools that didn't do as well as you expected. It must be painful for the parents and staff. And after all, it is just a snapshot of a school on a certain day and going negative on that school is unlikely to help it! Instead, let's lift up those that are impressing and improving.

thanks!

[Anonymous]

Which charter school were you looking to be impressed by? There were some pretty impressive scores for charter schools not discussed on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've quickly eye-balled the scores for charter and DCPS elementary school. please tell me what schools surprized you-- any big improvements? Ross and Brent looked great to me, while Key and Mann continue to impress.

No charter school scores favorably impressed me, but I just did a quick look over so it is likely i missed some gems. Plus, perhaps I have unfairly high expectations for charters in general.

Please refrain from trashing those schools that didn't do as well as you expected. It must be painful for the parents and staff. And after all, it is just a snapshot of a school on a certain day and going negative on that school is unlikely to help it! Instead, let's lift up those that are impressing and improving.

thanks!

If losses are just a snapshot of a school on a certain day, then gains must be too.

[Anonymous]

Op, here. thank you for saying there are Pretty impressive charter scores. Please share those names! The website I use is outrageously clunky, especially for looking at a bunch of schools at once.

And yes I realize the impressive scores are just a snapshot and not worthy of much consideration. Nonetheless, it is something folks use to evaluate whether or not to even consider a school. It is merely a straw to grasp at.

[Anonymous]

Idea for a new thread:

2011 DC-Cas unpleasant surpizes

Please list schools that appalled you with their losses. There were many, so it shouldn't be hard.

Please refrain from praising schools that did well, undeservably complimenting parents and students from those schools. Remember it's just a snapshot in time and going positive on a school is unlikely to harm it!

Instead, let's focus on knocking down those that are depressing and regressing.

You know, like Rhee and Henderson did until things started to go downhill on their watch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've quickly eye-balled the scores for charter and DCPS elementary school. please tell me what schools surprized you-- any big improvements? Ross and Brent looked great to me, while Key and Mann continue to impress.

No charter school scores favorably impressed me, but I just did a quick look over so it is likely i missed some gems. Plus, perhaps I have unfairly high expectations for charters in general.

Please refrain from trashing those schools that didn't do as well as you expected. It must be painful for the parents and staff. And after all, it is just a snapshot of a school on a certain day and going negative on that school is unlikely to help it! Instead, let's lift up those that are impressing and improving.

thanks!

Sorry to say, you didn't make AYP in spelling "surprises."

[Anonymous]

Idea for a new thread:

Other forums besides DCUM that provIde a means to exchange information and ideas Without the pointless bickering on dcUM.

I am so done with DCum. Now I remember why I left it 5 years ago.

[Anonymous]

OP- There's a chart on the Charter School Board website that summarizes charter school scores. I can't look it up right now, but see if you can find it. I think it was part of a press release.

Not exactly surprising, since they've done well for many years, but schools with impressive scores for reading and math include KIPP (various campuses), DC Prep, EL Haynes (I think). Also I think LAMB did pretty well. For Middle School, Achievement Prep did really well.

The KIPP schools to me are the real standout, with scores for nearly every grade in the nineties for reading and math. Very impressive, but the model is intense for both teachers and kids- long days, Saturdays. But if you're going for high scores, KIPP is the one.

For the publics, most high scoring elementary schools are in NW and include Janney, Eaton, Mann, Murch, Key, Oyster and probably some others I've missed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:


Sorry to say, you didn't make AYP in spelling "surprises."

Merriam Webster indicates that "surprize" is an acceptable spelling variant of "surprise". Besides, if it is good enough for
Jane Austin, it is good enough for DCUM. (You Yanks are as bad as the Brits about bossing other folks about regarding the details of our common tongue.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP- There's a chart on the Charter School Board website that summarizes charter school scores. I can't look it up right now, but see if you can find it. I think it was part of a press release.

Not exactly surprising, since they've done well for many years, but schools with impressive scores for reading and math include KIPP (various campuses), DC Prep, EL Haynes (I think). Also I think LAMB did pretty well. For Middle School, Achievement Prep did really well.

The KIPP schools to me are the real standout, with scores for nearly every grade in the nineties for reading and math. Very impressive, but the model is intense for both teachers and kids- long days, Saturdays. But if you're going for high scores, KIPP is the one.

For the publics, most high scoring elementary schools are in NW and include Janney, Eaton, Mann, Murch, Key, Oyster and probably some others I've missed.

KIPP is also the school to go for if you want regimentation and location in AA neigborhoods

[Anonymous]

There has been extensive reporting on the achievement of charters. I believe a few charter HS in economically embattled neighborhoods handily bested Wilson in terms of performance with AA's. Say what you will about KIPP (I wouldn't send my kid there), it is going to open doors of a generation of AA kids in our city. THAT is something to cheer about. Other charters did OK or better than their DCPS peers, while offering varied programs that are valuable just for that--providing something specific instead of one size fits all.
I hope all schools in our city (DCPS and charter) can be freed up more to focus more on specific missions and offerings versus mediocrity for everyone, and I hope charters start getting some attention and support from the City Council.

[Anonymous]

OP here-- thanks for the info about the CSB website and for naming those charter schools that impressed you. I haven't even heard of Achievement Prep, so I'll definately have to check it out.

KIPP is so interesting-- it shows that children can do very well on these tests, even if very low-income and without mom's with higher education (according to Freakonomics, the best indicator of future educational success), but that it is NOT EASY. It takes hard work and long hours by all involved.

Anonymous wrote:OP- There's a chart on the Charter School Board website that summarizes charter school scores. I can't look it up right now, but see if you can find it. I think it was part of a press release.

Not exactly surprising, since they've done well for many years, but schools with impressive scores for reading and math include KIPP (various campuses), DC Prep, EL Haynes (I think). Also I think LAMB did pretty well. For Middle School, Achievement Prep did really well.

The KIPP schools to me are the real standout, with scores for nearly every grade in the nineties for reading and math. Very impressive, but the model is intense for both teachers and kids- long days, Saturdays. But if you're going for high scores, KIPP is the one.

For the publics, most high scoring elementary schools are in NW and include Janney, Eaton, Mann, Murch, Key, Oyster and probably some others I've missed.

[Anonymous]

sorry -- should have wrote "without moms with higher education . . ."

Anonymous wrote:OP here-- thanks for the info about the CSB website and for naming those charter schools that impressed you. I haven't even heard of Achievement Prep, so I'll definately have to check it out.

KIPP is so interesting-- it shows that children can do very well on these tests, even if very low-income and without mom's with higher education (according to Freakonomics, the best indicator of future educational success), but that it is NOT EASY. It takes hard work and long hours by all involved.

Anonymous wrote:OP- There's a chart on the Charter School Board website that summarizes charter school scores. I can't look it up right now, but see if you can find it. I think it was part of a press release.

Not exactly surprising, since they've done well for many years, but schools with impressive scores for reading and math include KIPP (various campuses), DC Prep, EL Haynes (I think). Also I think LAMB did pretty well. For Middle School, Achievement Prep did really well.

The KIPP schools to me are the real standout, with scores for nearly every grade in the nineties for reading and math. Very impressive, but the model is intense for both teachers and kids- long days, Saturdays. But if you're going for high scores, KIPP is the one.

For the publics, most high scoring elementary schools are in NW and include Janney, Eaton, Mann, Murch, Key, Oyster and probably some others I've missed.

[Anonymous]

re KIPP - it also takes kicking out the kids who are disruptive and whose parents don't live up to their commitments to the school.

I think KIPP is great too, for the subset of kids and parents open to educational opportunities who didn't have them before in their communities. In a generation, we'll see more benefits, as KIPP grads become parents themselves.

[Anonymous]

Very impressed by KIPP. Live by KIPP Grow and Will Academy and always impressed by how well the kids behave outside of school too. Many kids in the neighborhood attend even though it's a charter and I really appreciate how they conduct drop off and pick up for the kids who don't.

Sad to admit that we turned down KIPP Grow for preK. It's almost 100% AA and not comfortable having DC be the only white kid there. Did not like the extended schedule and Saturday classes but we probably could have worked with it if the school was more diverse. We found the administration and staff to be kind, welcoming and pretty fabulous and the teachers seemed great and liked teaching there (which makes all the difference in the world).