Coolidge High School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To answer the original question- if I was looking for a school for next year I would not likely send my student to the regular program at Coolidge but would consider the early college program. This is not out of safety concerns (I live 2 blocks away) but due to academic achievement. That said I am cautiously optimistic about improvement over time. There have only been a few years since renovation, change in feeder pattern to create Ida B Wells middle and reboot of the school that have not been affected by COVID. I feel confident enough to stay in the neighborhood at a feeder elementary that is doing an amazing job with my child. I am planning for my student to attend Ida B Wells (and personally know kids there- not just the aggregate test scores). There are options for HS and I’m not going to stress about it 8 years early. Others make different choices which is fine.

There were 13 kids total across 9th and 10th grade scoring proficient in math last year, including the early college program students.

There are presumably zero students who have actually earned an associate's degree through it, or else DCPS would be saying something, and there'd probably be a Post article.

What's going on there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To answer the original question- if I was looking for a school for next year I would not likely send my student to the regular program at Coolidge but would consider the early college program. This is not out of safety concerns (I live 2 blocks away) but due to academic achievement. That said I am cautiously optimistic about improvement over time. There have only been a few years since renovation, change in feeder pattern to create Ida B Wells middle and reboot of the school that have not been affected by COVID. I feel confident enough to stay in the neighborhood at a feeder elementary that is doing an amazing job with my child. I am planning for my student to attend Ida B Wells (and personally know kids there- not just the aggregate test scores). There are options for HS and I’m not going to stress about it 8 years early. Others make different choices which is fine.

There were 13 kids total across 9th and 10th grade scoring proficient in math last year, including the early college program students.

There are presumably zero students who have actually earned an associate's degree through it, or else DCPS would be saying something, and there'd probably be a Post article.

What's going on there?

There has not been a single cohort who has gone through the program 9-12 grade in person yet. The seniors this year were virtual in 9th grade. Next year will graduate the first group going through the full program. The program needs some time to ramp up and see success!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you guys are freaking out about Takoma? Am I reading this right?

Yes. There are some people on this board who are showing themselves to be scared of their own shadows at this point. Truly the only time I've experienced anything resembling "trouble" was when I was walking with my head down and walked straight into a tree branch. It's basically a suburb.

Gun violence is very localized. Last year, there were at least three separate incidents near Coolidge involving gunfire. A Safe Passage worker was murdered, a student was robbed at gunpoint (and shots were fired), and Coolidge (and Wells and Whittier) were put on lockdown because of gunfire.

+1 not sure why people dismissed these incidents. They happened. There have been also lot of carjacking in the area.

OK, but we also have Banneker in Shaw, SWW in downtown, and kids fighting in Tenleytown. Maybe we should all move to Potomac?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To answer the original question- if I was looking for a school for next year I would not likely send my student to the regular program at Coolidge but would consider the early college program. This is not out of safety concerns (I live 2 blocks away) but due to academic achievement. That said I am cautiously optimistic about improvement over time. There have only been a few years since renovation, change in feeder pattern to create Ida B Wells middle and reboot of the school that have not been affected by COVID. I feel confident enough to stay in the neighborhood at a feeder elementary that is doing an amazing job with my child. I am planning for my student to attend Ida B Wells (and personally know kids there- not just the aggregate test scores). There are options for HS and I’m not going to stress about it 8 years early. Others make different choices which is fine.

There were 13 kids total across 9th and 10th grade scoring proficient in math last year, including the early college program students.

There are presumably zero students who have actually earned an associate's degree through it, or else DCPS would be saying something, and there'd probably be a Post article.

What's going on there?

There has not been a single cohort who has gone through the program 9-12 grade in person yet. The seniors this year were virtual in 9th grade. Next year will graduate the first group going through the full program. The program needs some time to ramp up and see success!

OK, but are the kids at grade level or not? And what does it mean when someone says they know of families that have succeeded in the program? If the answer is, "like McKinley, this is a program where a lot of students aren't at grade level, but they're hardworking, the environment is supportive, the teachers are great" -- that's much-needed and terrific. It's just, it's clearly not what's implied by the name and description, so it's difficult to tell what it is.

[Anonymous]

Agree that the neighborhood is fine, the school...not good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you guys are freaking out about Takoma? Am I reading this right?

Yes. There are some people on this board who are showing themselves to be scared of their own shadows at this point. Truly the only time I've experienced anything resembling "trouble" was when I was walking with my head down and walked straight into a tree branch. It's basically a suburb.

Gun violence is very localized. Last year, there were at least three separate incidents near Coolidge involving gunfire. A Safe Passage worker was murdered, a student was robbed at gunpoint (and shots were fired), and Coolidge (and Wells and Whittier) were put on lockdown because of gunfire.

+1 not sure why people dismissed these incidents. They happened. There have been also lot of carjacking in the area.

OK, but we also have Banneker in Shaw, SWW in downtown, and kids fighting in Tenleytown. Maybe we should all move to Potomac?

But the thread is about Coolidge. You are welcome to start a thread about safety around those schools/areas.

[Anonymous]

I live in the neighborhood and was walking in Fort Slocum with two kids when some teenagers decided (at like 2pm on a Saturday) to see how well their gun fired. They were just shooting at trees or squirrels, I presume. But....never went back to Fort Slocum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you guys are freaking out about Takoma? Am I reading this right?

Yes. There are some people on this board who are showing themselves to be scared of their own shadows at this point. Truly the only time I've experienced anything resembling "trouble" was when I was walking with my head down and walked straight into a tree branch. It's basically a suburb.

Gun violence is very localized. Last year, there were at least three separate incidents near Coolidge involving gunfire. A Safe Passage worker was murdered, a student was robbed at gunpoint (and shots were fired), and Coolidge (and Wells and Whittier) were put on lockdown because of gunfire.

Also that bicyclist that was shot and killed, but that was at night. The memorial is on third and something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To answer the original question- if I was looking for a school for next year I would not likely send my student to the regular program at Coolidge but would consider the early college program. This is not out of safety concerns (I live 2 blocks away) but due to academic achievement. That said I am cautiously optimistic about improvement over time. There have only been a few years since renovation, change in feeder pattern to create Ida B Wells middle and reboot of the school that have not been affected by COVID. I feel confident enough to stay in the neighborhood at a feeder elementary that is doing an amazing job with my child. I am planning for my student to attend Ida B Wells (and personally know kids there- not just the aggregate test scores). There are options for HS and I’m not going to stress about it 8 years early. Others make different choices which is fine.

There were 13 kids total across 9th and 10th grade scoring proficient in math last year, including the early college program students.

There are presumably zero students who have actually earned an associate's degree through it, or else DCPS would be saying something, and there'd probably be a Post article.

What's going on there?

This is actually not true. The first class finished last year https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/03/27/dc-early-college-coolidge-trinity/ .

You also don't have their PARCC data as they were in 9th grade 2019-2020 school year. So their 9th grade year, no testing. Their 10th grade year, no testing. Their 11th grade year, there was testing, but they were already at Trinity and no longer taking PARCC. Last year, same thing as 11th grade. Please only speak of what you know!

[Anonymous]

Another news story - https://wjla.com/news/local/early-college-program-coolidge-high-school-dc-academy-trinity-washington-students-graduation-public-washington-chancellor-ferebee.

36 graduates last year with DCPS diploma + associates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To answer the original question- if I was looking for a school for next year I would not likely send my student to the regular program at Coolidge but would consider the early college program. This is not out of safety concerns (I live 2 blocks away) but due to academic achievement. That said I am cautiously optimistic about improvement over time. There have only been a few years since renovation, change in feeder pattern to create Ida B Wells middle and reboot of the school that have not been affected by COVID. I feel confident enough to stay in the neighborhood at a feeder elementary that is doing an amazing job with my child. I am planning for my student to attend Ida B Wells (and personally know kids there- not just the aggregate test scores). There are options for HS and I’m not going to stress about it 8 years early. Others make different choices which is fine.

There were 13 kids total across 9th and 10th grade scoring proficient in math last year, including the early college program students.

There are presumably zero students who have actually earned an associate's degree through it, or else DCPS would be saying something, and there'd probably be a Post article.

What's going on there?

This is actually not true. The first class finished last year https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/03/27/dc-early-college-coolidge-trinity/ .

You also don't have their PARCC data as they were in 9th grade 2019-2020 school year. So their 9th grade year, no testing. Their 10th grade year, no testing. Their 11th grade year, there was testing, but they were already at Trinity and no longer taking PARCC. Last year, same thing as 11th grade. Please only speak of what you know!

You only take PARCC in 9th and 10th grade. So the 13 kids last year scoring proficient in math at Coolidge include every 9th and 10th grader who was in the early college program last year. If the cohort is in fact much bigger than that, then most of the kids in it are not at grade level. What part of this is wrong? And the article doesn't say how many kids, if any, completed the associates degree. It said the associates degree was paid for. It said students earned credits and that that were accepted to the bachelor's program. It didn't say they earned the degree.

[Anonymous]

Or if they're earning the degree but the new classes are below grade level ... What's going on there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you guys are freaking out about Takoma? Am I reading this right?

Yes. There are some people on this board who are showing themselves to be scared of their own shadows at this point. Truly the only time I've experienced anything resembling "trouble" was when I was walking with my head down and walked straight into a tree branch. It's basically a suburb.

Gun violence is very localized. Last year, there were at least three separate incidents near Coolidge involving gunfire. A Safe Passage worker was murdered, a student was robbed at gunpoint (and shots were fired), and Coolidge (and Wells and Whittier) were put on lockdown because of gunfire.

+1 not sure why people dismissed these incidents. They happened. There have been also lot of carjacking in the area.

OK, but we also have Banneker in Shaw, SWW in downtown, and kids fighting in Tenleytown. Maybe we should all move to Potomac?

But the thread is about Coolidge. You are welcome to start a thread about safety around those schools/areas.

Don’t miss the point, though. These schools’ quality is not counterargued with points about nearby shooting. Haven’t heard “don’t go to Banneker, a boy got shot at Kennedy Rec” when the tenor of the Coolidge discussion is focused on nearby shooting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To answer the original question- if I was looking for a school for next year I would not likely send my student to the regular program at Coolidge but would consider the early college program. This is not out of safety concerns (I live 2 blocks away) but due to academic achievement. That said I am cautiously optimistic about improvement over time. There have only been a few years since renovation, change in feeder pattern to create Ida B Wells middle and reboot of the school that have not been affected by COVID. I feel confident enough to stay in the neighborhood at a feeder elementary that is doing an amazing job with my child. I am planning for my student to attend Ida B Wells (and personally know kids there- not just the aggregate test scores). There are options for HS and I’m not going to stress about it 8 years early. Others make different choices which is fine.

There were 13 kids total across 9th and 10th grade scoring proficient in math last year, including the early college program students.

There are presumably zero students who have actually earned an associate's degree through it, or else DCPS would be saying something, and there'd probably be a Post article.

What's going on there?

This is actually not true. The first class finished last year https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/03/27/dc-early-college-coolidge-trinity/ .

You also don't have their PARCC data as they were in 9th grade 2019-2020 school year. So their 9th grade year, no testing. Their 10th grade year, no testing. Their 11th grade year, there was testing, but they were already at Trinity and no longer taking PARCC. Last year, same thing as 11th grade. Please only speak of what you know!

You only take PARCC in 9th and 10th grade. So the 13 kids last year scoring proficient in math at Coolidge include every 9th and 10th grader who was in the early college program last year. If the cohort is in fact much bigger than that, then most of the kids in it are not at grade level. What part of this is wrong? And the article doesn't say how many kids, if any, completed the associates degree. It said the associates degree was paid for. It said students earned credits and that that were accepted to the bachelor's program. It didn't say they earned the degree.

First of all some of the early college program students may not be taking parcc for math in 10th grade if they already completed those math courses. Also- maybe the program is doing a decent job taking motivated kids approaching proficiency and is helping them successfully complete the program. Or maybe most of the kids are doing horrible in their college classes? The limited data we can easily google makes it impossible to know. It is a very new program. I encourage anyone with a middle schooler looking for high schools to actually visit the school for an open house and learn about the program for real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:you guys are freaking out about Takoma? Am I reading this right?

Yes. There are some people on this board who are showing themselves to be scared of their own shadows at this point. Truly the only time I've experienced anything resembling "trouble" was when I was walking with my head down and walked straight into a tree branch. It's basically a suburb.

Gun violence is very localized. Last year, there were at least three separate incidents near Coolidge involving gunfire. A Safe Passage worker was murdered, a student was robbed at gunpoint (and shots were fired), and Coolidge (and Wells and Whittier) were put on lockdown because of gunfire.

+1 not sure why people dismissed these incidents. They happened. There have been also lot of carjacking in the area.

OK, but we also have Banneker in Shaw, SWW in downtown, and kids fighting in Tenleytown. Maybe we should all move to Potomac?

But the thread is about Coolidge. You are welcome to start a thread about safety around those schools/areas.

Don’t miss the point, though. These schools’ quality is not counterargued with points about nearby shooting. Haven’t heard “don’t go to Banneker, a boy got shot at Kennedy Rec” when the tenor of the Coolidge discussion is focused on nearby shooting.

The op was asking about education AND safety. Providing info about safety is not arguing against any aspect of the education, which is also being discussed.