Kenmore Middle School in Arlington

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The recent Arlington Magazine article on 2013 APS college acceptances had 8 of 28 Wakefield applicants getting into UVA vs. 38 at Yorktown and 43 at W-L. The other figures are off as well. The school reported eight admissions to W&M, for example, not 35.

The other poster says she got information in 2013 from Naviance, but perhaps the Naviance data includes admissions over a multi-year period that is still considered relevant to current high school applicants. The Wakefield data is nowhere near as great as she made it sound.

Sorry.

I don't have the magazine in front of me to check your numbers, but assuming your data are correct, you have left out some important info. If 8 of 28 Wakefield students got into UVA, that's an acceptance rate of 28.6%. Are you saying that the acceptance rates for W-L and Yorktown were significantly higher? I don't remember that being the case, but am happy to be corrected.

Let's also not forget that Wakefield is smaller than W-L and Yorktown, so all things equal will have fewer applicants to any college. (Yorktown has 1784 students, W-L has 1992, Wakefield has 1533.)

The point I made was that the person who posted earlier that Wakefield had 39 admits to U. Va and 35 admits to W&M from the Class of 2013 was almost certainly wrong. I assume it was an honest error based on a misunderstanding of the Naviance data.

You're right - I hadn't looked at the acceptance rate to U. Va from Wakefield. According to the article, the admissions rate of Wakefield applicants to U. Va. in 2013 was also lower than the admissions rate at Yorktown and W-L. So there are fewer applicants from Wakefield than at other schools, and those applicants are less likely to be admitted. I don't think you can draw any conclusion as to why that's the case. It could be that the applicants at Wakefield were less qualified candidates, or it might be that U. Va admissions offices look more favorably on two equally qualified candidates if they attend Yorktown or W-L.

[Anonymous]

What about drop out rate? Just because they were accepted doesn't mean they can handle college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about drop out rate? Just because they were accepted doesn't mean they can handle college.

OMfreakingG.

This conversation is absolutely AMAZING. Basically, what some of you are saying is that you flat out don't believe--WON'T believe--that Wakefield is a decent school, and no matter what honest-to-god data is presented, you will find some way to question or discount it.

Acceptances to top colleges? Must be because affirmative action practices are allowing admission of lesser qualified students.

And don't forget, accepted doesn't mean they can handle it!! They may have a higher drop-out rate. Of course, you have never asked this question about the school your own child attends. Why would you? You just *know* it is a "good" school.

SOL scores showing a solid number/share of advanced students? SOLs don't mean anything. (Unless you are using them to support your own agenda.)

Number of kids taking AP classes? The trend is to push any old kid into AP, doesn't mean they are mastering higher level material.

Respectable number/share of kids scoring 3-5 on national AP exams? Haven't heard your counter to this, but waiting with bated breath.

Basically, it all boils down to the belief that there are too many brown and black children at Wakefield for it to be a good school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about drop out rate? Just because they were accepted doesn't mean they can handle college.

And have you investigated this rate at your child's high school, since it is so important to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about drop out rate? Just because they were accepted doesn't mean they can handle college.

OMfreakingG.

This conversation is absolutely AMAZING. Basically, what some of you are saying is that you flat out don't believe--WON'T believe--that Wakefield is a decent school, and no matter what honest-to-god data is presented, you will find some way to question or discount it.

Acceptances to top colleges? Must be because affirmative action practices are allowing admission of lesser qualified students.

And don't forget, accepted doesn't mean they can handle it!! They may have a higher drop-out rate. Of course, you have never asked this question about the school your own child attends. Why would you? You just *know* it is a "good" school.

SOL scores showing a solid number/share of advanced students? SOLs don't mean anything. (Unless you are using them to support your own agenda.)

Number of kids taking AP classes? The trend is to push any old kid into AP, doesn't mean they are mastering higher level material.

Respectable number/share of kids scoring 3-5 on national AP exams? Haven't heard your counter to this, but waiting with bated breath.

Basically, it all boils down to the belief that there are too many brown and black children at Wakefield for it to be a good school.

Uh huh defensive much?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about drop out rate? Just because they were accepted doesn't mean they can handle college.

OMfreakingG.

This conversation is absolutely AMAZING. Basically, what some of you are saying is that you flat out don't believe--WON'T believe--that Wakefield is a decent school, and no matter what honest-to-god data is presented, you will find some way to question or discount it.

Acceptances to top colleges? Must be because affirmative action practices are allowing admission of lesser qualified students.

And don't forget, accepted doesn't mean they can handle it!! They may have a higher drop-out rate. Of course, you have never asked this question about the school your own child attends. Why would you? You just *know* it is a "good" school.

SOL scores showing a solid number/share of advanced students? SOLs don't mean anything. (Unless you are using them to support your own agenda.)

Number of kids taking AP classes? The trend is to push any old kid into AP, doesn't mean they are mastering higher level material.

Respectable number/share of kids scoring 3-5 on national AP exams? Haven't heard your counter to this, but waiting with bated breath.

Basically, it all boils down to the belief that there are too many brown and black children at Wakefield for it to be a good school.

Uh huh defensive much?

PP is not being defensive, PP is making a very reasonable point. Because it is just BIZARRE how invested some people seem to be in making Wakefield out to be a horrible school, despite actual data to the contrary. I can't fathom the motivation. If your kid doesn't go to Wakefield, why do you care?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about drop out rate? Just because they were accepted doesn't mean they can handle college.

OMfreakingG.

This conversation is absolutely AMAZING. Basically, what some of you are saying is that you flat out don't believe--WON'T believe--that Wakefield is a decent school, and no matter what honest-to-god data is presented, you will find some way to question or discount it.

Acceptances to top colleges? Must be because affirmative action practices are allowing admission of lesser qualified students.

And don't forget, accepted doesn't mean they can handle it!! They may have a higher drop-out rate. Of course, you have never asked this question about the school your own child attends. Why would you? You just *know* it is a "good" school.

SOL scores showing a solid number/share of advanced students? SOLs don't mean anything. (Unless you are using them to support your own agenda.)

Number of kids taking AP classes? The trend is to push any old kid into AP, doesn't mean they are mastering higher level material.

Respectable number/share of kids scoring 3-5 on national AP exams? Haven't heard your counter to this, but waiting with bated breath.

Basically, it all boils down to the belief that there are too many brown and black children at Wakefield for it to be a good school.

Uh huh defensive much?

PP is not being defensive, PP is making a very reasonable point. Because it is just BIZARRE how invested some people seem to be in making Wakefield out to be a horrible school, despite actual data to the contrary. I can't fathom the motivation. If your kid doesn't go to Wakefield, why do you care?

No need to lie to other parents about wakefield when the data is one or two internet click away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The point I made was that the person who posted earlier that Wakefield had 39 admits to U. Va and 35 admits to W&M from the Class of 2013 was almost certainly wrong. I assume it was an honest error based on a misunderstanding of the Naviance data.

honestly, all i wanted to know is whether there was a Wakefield kid went to Harvard last year. Or, alternatively, how many had gone in the last five/ten years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about drop out rate? Just because they were accepted doesn't mean they can handle college.

OMfreakingG.

This conversation is absolutely AMAZING. Basically, what some of you are saying is that you flat out don't believe--WON'T believe--that Wakefield is a decent school, and no matter what honest-to-god data is presented, you will find some way to question or discount it.

Acceptances to top colleges? Must be because affirmative action practices are allowing admission of lesser qualified students.

And don't forget, accepted doesn't mean they can handle it!! They may have a higher drop-out rate. Of course, you have never asked this question about the school your own child attends. Why would you? You just *know* it is a "good" school.

SOL scores showing a solid number/share of advanced students? SOLs don't mean anything. (Unless you are using them to support your own agenda.)

Number of kids taking AP classes? The trend is to push any old kid into AP, doesn't mean they are mastering higher level material.

Respectable number/share of kids scoring 3-5 on national AP exams? Haven't heard your counter to this, but waiting with bated breath.

Basically, it all boils down to the belief that there are too many brown and black children at Wakefield for it to be a good school.

Uh huh defensive much?

No, actually. My child goes to one of the "good" high schools in Arlington. I just happened to believe DC would do just as well at Wakefield.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The recent Arlington Magazine article on 2013 APS college acceptances had 8 of 28 Wakefield applicants getting into UVA vs. 38 at Yorktown and 43 at W-L. The other figures are off as well. The school reported eight admissions to W&M, for example, not 35.

The other poster says she got information in 2013 from Naviance, but perhaps the Naviance data includes admissions over a multi-year period that is still considered relevant to current high school applicants. The Wakefield data is nowhere near as great as she made it sound.

Sorry.

Wait, only 28 kids in that entire senior class applied to UVA? None of this is making any sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The point I made was that the person who posted earlier that Wakefield had 39 admits to U. Va and 35 admits to W&M from the Class of 2013 was almost certainly wrong. I assume it was an honest error based on a misunderstanding of the Naviance data.

honestly, all i wanted to know is whether there was a Wakefield kid went to Harvard last year. Or, alternatively, how many had gone in the last five/ten years.

In that case I'd assume you're either glad or indifferent that the incorrect statement about the number of Class of 2013 kids at Wakefield getting into different schools was noted. It really wouldn't be fair if someone sent their kids to Kenmore because they though Wakefield was sending 20% of its graduating class to two highly selective state universities, or was getting multiple kids into certain Ivies, only to find out later that wasn't the case at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The recent Arlington Magazine article on 2013 APS college acceptances had 8 of 28 Wakefield applicants getting into UVA vs. 38 at Yorktown and 43 at W-L. The other figures are off as well. The school reported eight admissions to W&M, for example, not 35.

The other poster says she got information in 2013 from Naviance, but perhaps the Naviance data includes admissions over a multi-year period that is still considered relevant to current high school applicants. The Wakefield data is nowhere near as great as she made it sound.

Sorry.

Wait, only 28 kids in that entire senior class applied to UVA? None of this is making any sense.

It makes a lot of sense because kids self-select where they apply. George Mason is the school that gets tons of applications because so many students view it as a potential safety. They can look at the Naviance data and see how kids with better stats routinely get turned down by U.Va., so why apply?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The recent Arlington Magazine article on 2013 APS college acceptances had 8 of 28 Wakefield applicants getting into UVA vs. 38 at Yorktown and 43 at W-L. The other figures are off as well. The school reported eight admissions to W&M, for example, not 35.

The other poster says she got information in 2013 from Naviance, but perhaps the Naviance data includes admissions over a multi-year period that is still considered relevant to current high school applicants. The Wakefield data is nowhere near as great as she made it sound.

Sorry.

Wait, only 28 kids in that entire senior class applied to UVA? None of this is making any sense.

It makes a lot of sense because kids self-select where they apply. George Mason is the school that gets tons of applications because so many students view it as a potential safety. They can look at the Naviance data and see how kids with better stats routinely get turned down by U.Va., so why apply?

And the privilege might not realize the high cost of the application process. Very costly for families so they can't apply to a dozen schools like a kid at Yorktown or Langley.

[Anonymous]

I think some parents have a vested interest in knocking down Wakefield because they paid A LOT more money for their homes than necessary. Need to preserve their investment, after all.

Smart kids, with smart, involved parents, will gravitate toward similarly-focused peers, regardless of the name of their school.

[Anonymous]

OP here. This neighborhood is Ashlawn/Kenmore/W&L, so Wakefield isn't really an issue here.