Fairfax vs Loudoun

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been looking at an elem in Ashburn and the webpage describes Futura as a one-day a week (the whole day) program where kids are taken to a center for a full day of futura programs on that day. So, if your school is assigned Tues, that is the day the G/T kids go to the Futura center for the day.

Is anyone familiar with this? This does not sound like level 2 AAP in Ffx... which is 45 min. /week (when they feel like it).

Yes, Futura is one day a week. Kids leave around 8:45 from their base school and get back around 2. Spectrum in MS is 45 mins every other day. Depending upon the ES there are also leveled math classes starting in 3rd grade (not just for kids identified as GT). So kids could receive accelerated math, reading and spelling at their ES (if needed) and then one day a week do problem solving/projects, etc at Futura. It was a good fit for my kids since they would not have wanted to leave their neighborhood school to attend a full time center. But that's just our experience.

[Anonymous]

My vote is for Loudoun. Happier teachers, administration and pupils. Not much budget shortfall like FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My vote is for Loudoun. Happier teachers, administration and pupils. Not much budget shortfall like FCPS.

FCPS had 11 high schools with higher SAT scores than the top LCPS high school last year.

TJHSST 2182 (FCPS)
Langley 1815 (FCPS)
McLean 1813 (FCPS)
Woodson 1773 (FCPS)
Oakton 1755 (FCPS)
Madison 1744 (FCPS)
Marshall 1713 (FCPS)
Robinson 1691 (FCPS)
Chantilly 1685 (FCPS)
West Springfield 1672 (FCPS)
South Lakes 1669 (FCPS)
Stone Bridge 1666 (LCPS)
Lake Braddock 1661 (FCPS)
Briar Woods 1640 (LCPS)
Fairfax 1640 (FCPS)
Dominion 1638 (LCPS)
Centreville 1637 (FCPS)
Westfield 1633 (FCPS)
Potomac Falls 1632 (LCPS)
Freedom 1629 (LCPS)
Herndon 1628 (FCPS)
Loudoun Valley 1622 (LCPS)
Loudoun County 1614 (LCPS)
Woodgrove 1610 (LCPS)
Broad Run 1609 (LCPS)
Tuscarora 1601 (LCPS)
Heritage 1586 (LCPS)
South County 1581 (FCPS)
West Potomac 1572 (FCPS)
John Champe 1569 (LCPS)
Edison 1523 (FCPS)
Annandale 1517 (FCPS)
Stuart 1506 (FCPS)
Hayfield 1498 (FCPS)
Falls Church 1491 (FCPS)
Lee 1441 (FCPS)
Park View 1420 (LCPS)
Mount Vernon 1407 (FCPS)

[Anonymous]

where are you getting your stats?

I look on fcps and chantilly's overall is 1728... you have it listed as 1685.

Langley is 1850 --- but you have it listed as 1815.

west springfield is 1705, yet you have it listed as 1672.

these are just some examples.

[Anonymous]

These statistics don't really help much since they are proxies for the number of minority/ESOL/FARMS kids taking the SAT. It doesn't really say much when one school encourages a lot of its minorities/ESOL/FARMS kids to take the test and another school has no minorities/ESOL/FARMS kids. Gee, what a shock -- the school with higher SES has a higher average SAT score.

Compare the non-FARMS/non ESOL kids from one school to another and THEN I'll accept your conclusion that one school is better (although it is still debatable whether that is because the students prep more, are more competitive, or whether the teaching is actually better). Until you control for SES, you haven't proven your point that certain schools are better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My vote is for Loudoun. Happier teachers, administration and pupils. Not much budget shortfall like FCPS.

None of what you have stated is true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been looking at an elem in Ashburn and the webpage describes Futura as a one-day a week (the whole day) program where kids are taken to a center for a full day of futura programs on that day. So, if your school is assigned Tues, that is the day the G/T kids go to the Futura center for the day.

Is anyone familiar with this? This does not sound like level 2 AAP in Ffx... which is 45 min. /week (when they feel like it).

Yes, Futura is one day a week. Kids leave around 8:45 from their base school and get back around 2. Spectrum in MS is 45 mins every other day. Depending upon the ES there are also leveled math classes starting in 3rd grade (not just for kids identified as GT). So kids could receive accelerated math, reading and spelling at their ES (if needed) and then one day a week do problem solving/projects, etc at Futura. It was a good fit for my kids since they would not have wanted to leave their neighborhood school to attend a full time center. But that's just our experience.

There is a big problem that many of the teachers seem to resent or refuse to work with the scheduling issues. The kids in futura miss work on they days they are gone and many parents will tell you there is no system for the kids to get the info/assignments they've missed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:where are you getting your stats?

I look on fcps and chantilly's overall is 1728... you have it listed as 1685.

Langley is 1850 --- but you have it listed as 1815.

west springfield is 1705, yet you have it listed as 1672.

these are just some examples.

Taken from a post on another forum right after FCPS and LCPS announced 2015 scores as reported by College Board. The numbers FCPS posts on individual school profiles are adjusted, higher numbers. You can see differences here:

http://www.fcps.edu/cco/pr/satact/2015/table4.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:where are you getting your stats?

I look on fcps and chantilly's overall is 1728... you have it listed as 1685.

Langley is 1850 --- but you have it listed as 1815.

west springfield is 1705, yet you have it listed as 1672.

these are just some examples.

Taken from a post on another forum right after FCPS and LCPS announced 2015 scores as reported by College Board. The numbers FCPS posts on individual school profiles are adjusted, higher numbers. You can see differences here:

http://www.fcps.edu/cco/pr/satact/2015/table4.pdf

Aren't they "adjusted" in that they only include kids who actually went to that HS, as opposed to your numbers which include kids who are home-schooled or who go to private schools in FCPS? Seems like my numbers (only the kids who go to that hs) are the correct numbers to use if you are using them to represent the quality of the teaching or academics at a particular school. The fact that private or home schooled kids in the Langley or Chantilly or ___ zone are bringing the total score down doesn't reflect on that school's quality or achievements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:where are you getting your stats?

I look on fcps and chantilly's overall is 1728... you have it listed as 1685.

Langley is 1850 --- but you have it listed as 1815.

west springfield is 1705, yet you have it listed as 1672.

these are just some examples.

Taken from a post on another forum right after FCPS and LCPS announced 2015 scores as reported by College Board. The numbers FCPS posts on individual school profiles are adjusted, higher numbers. You can see differences here:

http://www.fcps.edu/cco/pr/satact/2015/table4.pdf

Aren't they "adjusted" in that they only include kids who actually went to that HS, as opposed to your numbers which include kids who are home-schooled or who go to private schools in FCPS? Seems like my numbers (only the kids who go to that hs) are the correct numbers to use if you are using them to represent the quality of the teaching or academics at a particular school. The fact that private or home schooled kids in the Langley or Chantilly or ___ zone are bringing the total score down doesn't reflect on that school's quality or achievements.

Fair enough but then you can't compare to LCPS schools unless you have the LCPS scores adjusted on the same basis.