for data wonks: charts on DC public vs. private enrollment trends

[Anonymous]

World Bank has cut private school subsidies over last decade. Will have contributed to the decline.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Interesting graphs.

These data put into question the notion of some on these boards that charters are "eviscerating" DCPS. DCPS enrollment has been relatively flat or grown slightly for the past several years, while charters have continued to grow.

Not really. How many neighborhood dcps schools have been shut down, stunting what might be actual growth in the public schools? And if population is growing, but the playing field has been tilted to ensure the charters grow at the expense of public schools.

With all the gentrification and demographics shifts, this should be the rebirth of neighborhood schools across the city, which make each neighborhood even stronger and more stable. But the charters are preventing that from happening.

Sounds like the DME is preventing that from happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:According to the first chart in the post, there were an estimated 40,846 elementary-aged DC children enrolled in school (private, DCPS and charter) in 2001 and 33,125 in 2012, a 19% drop in the number kids in this category overall (notably DCPS+charters experienced a 10% drop in total numbers at the elementary level.) Total 6th-8th numbers dropped off as well, by about 18%. Has the city lost almost 20% of its school-aged children in the past 10 years? If not, then we should be very suspicious of the raw numbers used here.

I don't know. I have one kid in public and one in private. 90% of the kids in the private live in MD or DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:According to the first chart in the post, there were an estimated 40,846 elementary-aged DC children enrolled in school (private, DCPS and charter) in 2001 and 33,125 in 2012, a 19% drop in the number kids in this category overall (notably DCPS+charters experienced a 10% drop in total numbers at the elementary level.) Total 6th-8th numbers dropped off as well, by about 18%. Has the city lost almost 20% of its school-aged children in the past 10 years? If not, then we should be very suspicious of the raw numbers used here.

I don't know. I have one kid in public and one in private. 90% of the kids in the private live in MD or DC.

Oops. I meant VA, not DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting graphs.

These data put into question the notion of some on these boards that charters are "eviscerating" DCPS. DCPS enrollment has been relatively flat or grown slightly for the past several years, while charters have continued to grow.

I'm not sure dcps has accurate numbers for enrollment to report. Found out recently that my IB school has been counting my DC for the last two years even though we have been enrolled in a charter. It's in the school's best interest to inflate numbers as much as possible, in both charter and public.

[Anonymous]

The figures remain hard to believe. On our block there are 10 school age children. They attend 5 different non dcps schools, 4 inside the dc city limits. Yes we are in nw, no not spring valley.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The figures remain hard to believe. On our block there are 10 school age children. They attend 5 different non dcps schools, 4 inside the dc city limits. Yes we are in nw, no not spring valley.

I live in NW (EotP) and I know only one kid in our entire neighborhood who attends private school.

[Anonymous]

I would be interested in seeing the data for high schools. I am sure the numbers are pretty steady for private school during those years. There are very few good options for high school in DC. I know plenty of parents who stick it out in DCPS until high school then switch to private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The figures remain hard to believe. On our block there are 10 school age children. They attend 5 different non dcps schools, 4 inside the dc city limits. Yes we are in nw, no not spring valley.

The figures are hard to believe because they support such a surprising conclusion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a bit misleading since charters are basically private schools that get taxpayer funding.

Omg no they aren't. Mandatory standardized tests, for starters.

. . . And having to take all children regardless of ability or preparedness. . .

Very naive response. Charters by and large find ways to admit kids they want and boot out or exclude the ones they don't.

DCPS manages to find ways to boot out or exclude 40% of its kids, the ones who they figure are troublemakers and slackers...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a bit misleading since charters are basically private schools that get taxpayer funding.

Omg no they aren't. Mandatory standardized tests, for starters.

. . . And having to take all children regardless of ability or preparedness. . .

Very naive response. Charters by and large find ways to admit kids they want and boot out or exclude the ones they don't.

DCPS manages to find ways to boot out or exclude 40% of its kids, the ones who they figure are troublemakers and slackers...

That's the DCPS dropouts. But before you even get to those numbers (40% of the kids who remained in the DCPS system) they managed to boot out or exclude over 40% (the ones who leave to go to charters) by underserving them and not meeting their needs.

[Anonymous]

I live in NW (East of the Park) and offhand, I can think of at least 32 kids in our neighborhood that go private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in NW (East of the Park) and offhand, I can think of at least 32 kids in our neighborhood that go private.

That's good to know, which schools do they go to? Just curious as I feel like on the pct threads they always seem to say no one lives outside of the areas close to the schools or in MD/VA. Not trolling here, just curious to know which pvt schools are represented eotp as that could be a consideration for us.

[Anonymous]

GDS, St. Albans, Sidwell, St. John's, NCS, Landon, CHDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GDS, St. Albans, Sidwell, St. John's, NCS, Landon, CHDS.

Thanks so much, I'm the PP who asked. I appreciate it.