The year 2025: where would you rather send your sixth grader - Hardy or Deal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope DCI will be a great school in 9 years but it is not established yet. Test scores aren't great, lots of behavior problems. We will be looking at other options for DC, including Hardy.

DCI is about 2 years old? So, it has time to grow.

The best thing that happened to Hardy, is kicking in Eaton (and the Oyster families who don't want to deal with Adams). Those decisions in and of themselves will improve the school.

Uh no. Eaton was already very high OOB so yeah you may have some OOB feeder kids (smart I'm sure), but you don't have a spike in Eaton catchment kids going to Hardy. The best thing to happen to Hardy in the concerted effort families from Stoddert, Mann, and yes some Eaton have made to improve Hardy and commit to going. Of the schools, I'd say Stoddert has largest role. Stoddert has some of the highest scores in the city (higher than some JKLM) and they bring a diverse cohort of kids. Those families' commitment is making a big difference IMO. Eaton being moved hasn't been felt yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agreed DCI has time to grow and probably will be good but it is not a sure thing. If we are going to add DCI, we should also consider CM and IT, both of which just added middle schools.

DCI requires language fluency, right?

[Anonymous]

Hardy, clearly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agreed DCI has time to grow and probably will be good but it is not a sure thing. If we are going to add DCI, we should also consider CM and IT, both of which just added middle schools.

DCI requires language fluency, right?

No - per their charter they have to accept anyone who gets in via the lottery (regardless of language background). But students from their feeder schools have preference and it isn't clear how much space they will have for new students from year to year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The relevance is that out-of-boundary students tend to churn more, and cohort cohesion is important for student success.

The feeder schools are relatively close to FS, making the boundary issue not so relevant. Again, with little viable MS alternatives, OOB or IB, if the feeders stick it out, I see potential for FS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The relevance is that out-of-boundary students tend to churn more, and cohort cohesion is important for student success.

The feeder schools are relatively close to FS, making the boundary issue not so relevant. Again, with little viable MS alternatives, OOB or IB, if the feeders stick it out, I see potential for FS.

What feeder does the FS middle have, other than FS elementary? Isn't this really just an "education campus"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The relevance is that out-of-boundary students tend to churn more, and cohort cohesion is important for student success.

The feeder schools are relatively close to FS, making the boundary issue not so relevant. Again, with little viable MS alternatives, OOB or IB, if the feeders stick it out, I see potential for FS.

What feeder does the FS middle have, other than FS elementary? Isn't this really just an "education campus"?

Students from Ross can go to FS for 6-8, or they can go to Cardozo.

Students from Thomson can go to FS for 6-8, or they can go to Jefferson Academy.

And yes, it's not a middle school in the way that Deal, Hardy, Jefferson, Brookland are.

http://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/SY15-16%20DCPS%20Feeder%20Patterns_0.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MacFarland

thats funny and we are IB for mcfarland. it will take at least 15-20 years before solid cohort of high SES/high acheiving kids come from the feeder schools. Sure the area is gentrifying but so far high SES families are not sticking with he feeders past 1st grade for the most part.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MacFarland

thats funny and we are IB for mcfarland. it will take at least 15-20 years before solid cohort of high SES/high acheiving kids come from the feeder schools. Sure the area is gentrifying but so far high SES families are not sticking with he feeders past 1st grade for the most part.

I'm not joking. I'm engaging rather than being pessimistic or trying to find ways to opt out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MacFarland

thats funny and we are IB for mcfarland. it will take at least 15-20 years before solid cohort of high SES/high acheiving kids come from the feeder schools. Sure the area is gentrifying but so far high SES families are not sticking with he feeders past 1st grade for the most part.

Not everyone judges a school by the same measures. FWIW, we're going on first grade EOTP at a MacFarland feeder. Kid is still doing fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MacFarland

thats funny and we are IB for mcfarland. it will take at least 15-20 years before solid cohort of high SES/high acheiving kids come from the feeder schools. Sure the area is gentrifying but so far high SES families are not sticking with he feeders past 1st grade for the most part.

Not everyone judges a school by the same measures. FWIW, we're going on first grade EOTP at a MacFarland feeder. Kid is still doing fine.

and you really plan to stay through 5th grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope DCI will be a great school in 9 years but it is not established yet. Test scores aren't great, lots of behavior problems. We will be looking at other options for DC, including Hardy.

DCI is about 2 years old? So, it has time to grow.

The best thing that happened to Hardy, is kicking in Eaton (and the Oyster families who don't want to deal with Adams). Those decisions in and of themselves will improve the school.

Uh no. Eaton was already very high OOB so yeah you may have some OOB feeder kids (smart I'm sure), but you don't have a spike in Eaton catchment kids going to Hardy. The best thing to happen to Hardy in the concerted effort families from Stoddert, Mann, and yes some Eaton have made to improve Hardy and commit to going. Of the schools, I'd say Stoddert has largest role. Stoddert has some of the highest scores in the city (higher than some JKLM) and they bring a diverse cohort of kids. Those families' commitment is making a big difference IMO. Eaton being moved hasn't been felt yet.

But aren't the younger grades at Eaton almost all IB?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MacFarland

thats funny and we are IB for mcfarland. it will take at least 15-20 years before solid cohort of high SES/high acheiving kids come from the feeder schools. Sure the area is gentrifying but so far high SES families are not sticking with he feeders past 1st grade for the most part.

Not everyone judges a school by the same measures. FWIW, we're going on first grade EOTP at a MacFarland feeder. Kid is still doing fine.

and you really plan to stay through 5th grade?

Yes. One year at a time, as long as my kid is doing well. I haven't played the lottery since PK3.

[Anonymous]

We're on the same plan. We aren't like the people who are going to shun a Hardy for a Deal or somesuch. If there is a way to make it succeed, we will be there all the way through to MacFarland. And fingers crossed for Roosevelt, but there are citywide options that many choose at that point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MacFarland

thats funny and we are IB for mcfarland. it will take at least 15-20 years before solid cohort of high SES/high acheiving kids come from the feeder schools. Sure the area is gentrifying but so far high SES families are not sticking with he feeders past 1st grade for the most part.

Not everyone judges a school by the same measures. FWIW, we're going on first grade EOTP at a MacFarland feeder. Kid is still doing fine.

and you really plan to stay through 5th grade?

Yes. One year at a time, as long as my kid is doing well. I haven't played the lottery since PK3.

And so far you've finished K and are entering 1st.

People get their feelings hurt around here when you point out reality, but this is a problem that a lot of families on the Hill have been trying to solve for >35 years and so far there's no solid MS to show for it. So, there's a reason that folks get jaded about the subject. There's a huge difference between being happy with Kindergarten and being happy with 4th or 5th grade. Even Brent families bail on 5th because of the middle school issues. Kaya admitted that DCPS can't do middle schools and that's a reason for the charters.

I'm personally skeptical and resentful of the amount of money that's going to be spent on schools like Roosevelt, MacFarland, and Coolidge which maybe 300 students will attend, and maybe 25% will be academically proficient.