Upper elementary at a Title 1 school

[Anonymous]

yeah, can I say that our older kid topped out on the English/vocabulary type tests, but it hardly mattered in subject matter classes, e.g., science or math or anything. Just because this kid can read Tolkien in 5th grade hardly does anything besides tell us as parents that the kid has got to work up to a higher potential (himself!!).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have your kids at a Title 1, what's it really like? Are friends leaving every year like people claim? Does the achievement gap start impacting your child's academic experience? Behavior problems? Is the grading scale much lower than "other" DCPS elementary schools? I'm really impressed by a school in our neighborhood and trying not to let stereotypes and biases influence my decision making. How much is real and how much is speculation? Actual first hand experiences would be appreciated!

DP, but I wanted to discuss this further. For those who have stayed at their Title 1 through the upper grades, what advice would you give to those of us starting out in lower elementary?

[Anonymous]

If you are committed to staying, I would suggest not engaging in these types of conversations. You will constantly doubt yourself if you listen to naysayers or family trying to be helpful. You know your kids, their teacher, their classmates. Look at what you see everyday and tune out the rest.

Additionally, think about all the things the school provides that you appreciate. Most likely, unless you have a profoundly gifted child, your child will be advanced but still challenged appropriately. You can “supplement” academics at home, but there are so many things a school provides beyond academics. I have found our title 1 is full of those things, none of which my family could supplement at home. I can practice reading more challenging texts at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have your kids at a Title 1, what's it really like? Are friends leaving every year like people claim? Does the achievement gap start impacting your child's academic experience? Behavior problems? Is the grading scale much lower than "other" DCPS elementary schools? I'm really impressed by a school in our neighborhood and trying not to let stereotypes and biases influence my decision making. How much is real and how much is speculation? Actual first hand experiences would be appreciated!

DP, but I wanted to discuss this further. For those who have stayed at their Title 1 through the upper grades, what advice would you give to those of us starting out in lower elementary?

Figure out a plan for middle school that you are truly.comfortable with, even if you don't share it with others.

Remember that your friends at "better" schools may not know the full picture of their school yet. Many people are thrilled with their HRCS initially but less so as time goes on--I know I was.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll give you the view of a White parent who's committed to going all the way through Title I schools with both kids, one is already in middle school now.

Background re: lens to view me through: people would probably call me woke, liberal, not focused on "what's best for my child." Both parents work white collar jobs with moderate-high income, making us overall higher income than many of our neighbors who send their kids to the local DCPS.

The Choice Regime is real. At every grade kids leave. The ones most likely to leave are the flaky status-conscious White people. You know who. But it does include every type of family. And it generally only ratchets one direction - people don't go to a "desired" school then come back to Title I schools.

There is the kind of general expectation that the Title I families move less and that the upper quartile-income families increasingly leave. It's noticeable in 4th grade probably most for families who are moving for in-boundary fancy schools, either outside DC or in Ward 3, and moreso before 5th grade when kids disappear to go to the 5th-grade-starting-charters which are all higher status than the local middle school.

There is a belief that the kids aren't challenged who are able to test above average for the school. That's only true if you think that the teachers can't engage your kid in material that they don't have fully secure or keep them interested with side work. Judge that on the evidence, in my opinion, rather than assuming your child is a genius surrounded by drooling incipient criminals. And the teachers generally can offer side things to do if your kid is advancing unevenly, as is the case for our older kid - good at some subjects, way ahead in others, this kid was always engaged and had friends in elementary school.

If you think that in schools in Ward 3 or high-status PCS your kids are somehow going to get way beyond the basic scope and sequence for DCPS you're probably wrong. If they're real real smart and you're able to check that out and verify they're going to get pushed, good on you. Otherwise, I just think being engaged in a Title I school is all you need.

My opinion is based on my being raised in a really heterogeneous school as a child with kids basically sorting themselves out based on how engaged THEY were and THEIR level of effort. I think the idea that the parents have to sort the kids in advance of schooling to get good outcomes from their kids is just not true. I believe that that is not true, but not what commonly is done by people of "our class" and of course, as I mentioned, I'm some kind of radical liberal by DC standards.

But let me just say this - if you take my views skeptically - and you should - please also do the same for those views who say you need to "move for the schools" or that it's bad to be an "only" in DCPS or even more bluntly (but not publicly) that White kids are not challenged in schools where they are surrounded by black or Hispanic children and teachers "cater to the lowest common denominator."

All the best, enjoy your children's schooling and your time in DC.

This is a great comment and I think I would like this person, as Ive found that I really like the higher-income people who have stuck around our Title 1 past preK.

People definitely leave every year and that is a bummer for my kids. However, the people who leave tend to be, as this PP mentioned, status-conscious. The people who stay are just awesome -- they have confidence in their kids, they are comfortable being a racial minority as a white person, they are almost universally super smart (maybe this is why they have confidence in their kids.) the cohort of families who are sticking with our school for the duration are just awesome, and my kid is very bonded to those friends.

Well, yeah. It's a lot easier to be satisfied with a school if your kid is doing well, on or above grade level, no major concerns. Much harder to stay confident if your child is falling behind and it may or may not be due to the school.

As a parent with a kid that has learning delays and has a lot of similarities to Autism (Testing yes she qualifies but they debate it all the time due to the mix of differences but it does get more funding for SPED)

Our IB dcps did a okay job with SPED for pre-K but was understaffed. The principal and others have left since and I am just not sure what to think about going back. Some of the families where great many were just too busy to be all that involved. I guess it isn't that different at our Charter but they have a LOT more funding for SPED. So, there are many more services but we are learning that isn't showing a difference in the testing. Idk about graduation results as that isn't tracked as kids transition to different schools for middle or high school.
Not sure what to do really. It is really difficult to compare schools if you child has learning differences and needs an IEP. Also added debate given our children are not white and won't be "fine anywhere". Which is why a lot of middle class and upper middle class black families move to Charters or different schools in DC or MD/VA.

[Anonymous]

My kid is starting third grade at a Title 1. We have been trying to lottery to a charter foryears but no luck. We loved the school but by second grade there are HUGE acheivement gaps. So far its worked because the classes are so small (around 16-20) and there are good supports for kids who need help.
I also talk with the teacher a lot about keeping my kid challenged. But the academics definitely are teaching down, not up. the attitude is "your kid will be fine anywhere" is tiresome. The fourth and fifth grades are ususally down to one class compared to 4 classes in first grade. Familiies leave also due to the middle school feed. MacFarland is a no go. My kid has had amazing teachers but don't kid yourself on diferentiation. Even the best teacher cant really reach the kid one grade above and the kid two grades behind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We noticed a lot of movement pre-K 3 through kindergarten. After that, things were pretty stable until end of 4th.

Academic quality has varied more by teacher, which would happen at any school. We have had amazing teachers, good teachers, and ok teachers. Some have been better at differentiation. My kid hasn’t taken PARCC because of COVID, so I can’t say what their score would be… but on all other metrics they are doing great.

The bigger thing I think we have “missed” out on is activities. Our school has some, but I know other “wealthier” schools have more programming, especially in aftercare. We have some basic offerings through volunteer organizations. My kids do not notice, love aftercare, etc. And- most of the time- I appreciate that aftercare is so low key. But I have, at various times, been really jealous when I have heard the various after school clubs and activities other friends have through school. Logistically, it would just be easier if I could use aftercare for my kids extracurricular pursuits.

I totally agree in aftercare and after school activities

Same at our school. The UMC parents have tried to bring more activities but the PTA is controlled by three people who are adamant that NO activities can be added unless they are free to every single kid. Its so frustrating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is starting third grade at a Title 1. We have been trying to lottery to a charter foryears but no luck. We loved the school but by second grade there are HUGE acheivement gaps. So far its worked because the classes are so small (around 16-20) and there are good supports for kids who need help.
I also talk with the teacher a lot about keeping my kid challenged. But the academics definitely are teaching down, not up. the attitude is "your kid will be fine anywhere" is tiresome. The fourth and fifth grades are ususally down to one class compared to 4 classes in first grade. Familiies leave also due to the middle school feed. MacFarland is a no go. My kid has had amazing teachers but don't kid yourself on diferentiation. Even the best teacher cant really reach the kid one grade above and the kid two grades behind.

Which school is this? We’re considering a few MacFarland feeders right now.

[Anonymous]

We have a kid entering 2nd at a Title 1, so not really upper elementary but just to share our experience:

We had a feeling early on that our kid was pretty bright, and as it has turned out she is way above grade level in everything - so much so that the school suggested a grade skip. I don't know, but I feel like that might have been less likely to happen in a school where she had more academic peers. That said, we've stayed put because ironically we felt like the smaller school has been more accommodating than a WOTP school in trying to challenge her...not to mention all of the benefits of non-academic learning in her life at this school. We're taking it year by year, but there is starting to be a bit more of a gap than I'd like.

She lost a lot of friends to other schools at Kindergarten, and it sucked - but a lot of those people that left mentioned how overcrowded the school were that they switched to. However, most that left were high-achieving parents (not just white) that were spooked by the middle school situation. The folks that stayed are generally committed until middle generally and as one poster said, a more chill group of people.

So I guess I would just say that if your kid is the type of kid that everyone is constantly talking about how smart they are and you have a sense that they are definitely way advanced, it might not be the best fit to stay, but there are also benefits for doing so. Good luck with your decision.

[Anonymous]

I tell every parent on school tours, ask to talk to parents of kids from 2nd (or preferably 3rd) grade and up. They know.

[Anonymous]

Would you send your kid to a suboptimal college? Anyone who can flees crappy schools. Do yourself and your kids a favor and leave now

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because ses is a reliable predictor of academic achievement.
So not so much the white piece of it but the ses piece.
We all know this.

Academic opportunity is a reliable indicator of academic achievement. What these title 1 schools are doing is giving kids from lower SES families a shot at opportunity. That's how it was with my kids in small group instruction at a title 1.
I'd much prefer my kids to be in classes with them than the middling kids from high SES families who have been test-prepped into "advanced".

We are a lower SES who moved to upper NW shot the shot a opportunity. I think DC would have simply been a good kid doing grade level work. At NW school, his high SES peers showed him different kind of norm. His reading was on 11th grade level in 5th grade, and his Parcc's were all 5's. No way would that have been the case in Tubman.

Having just finished a year with a 5th grade class that started all virtual, some went to a CAREs room, then hybrid, then in person with multiple teachers and cohort changes + at least one quarantine, reading scores were all over the place but ranged from 2st grade to 12th grade. I'm not sure how much being amongst their peers (either virtually or in person) really impacted those at the higher reading level. If there was ever a year to discredit a "norm" this one was it. The unfortunate part is the kids that started below grade level, generally stayed there - but almost everyone else progressed as expected despite the worst worst possible academic setting.

[Anonymous]

Generally speaking, I have found that "differentiation" for Reading is simply reading a higher level book during independent reading time and for Math is extra time on one of the Math application games (Computer time). At the elementary level, this feels fine to me. Although, a lot of it is dependent on your children wanting to do the assignment in the moment. Conceptually it sounds good, but practically speaking, my kid isn't always going to want to do the "hard" work when something easier or more fun is still an option.

Someone once framed it for me in this way- there are some people who would prefer that students continue learning vertically, (move on to the next metric once they have mastered one). Other people would prefer students continue learning horizontally, (stay at the same level but practice more, or do more advanced versions of the current metric). If you prefer vertical learning- that is not what you will see. But, if you are comfortable with horizontal learning, then you should be satisfied. These schools are not going to teach your kids the next level (unless they completely skip a grade for one or more classes). But they will provide them with other challenging things at the current level- either through compute programs, additional practice sheets/games/puzzles, or reading materials.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have your kids at a Title 1, what's it really like? Are friends leaving every year like people claim? Does the achievement gap start impacting your child's academic experience? Behavior problems? Is the grading scale much lower than "other" DCPS elementary schools? I'm really impressed by a school in our neighborhood and trying not to let stereotypes and biases influence my decision making. How much is real and how much is speculation? Actual first hand experiences would be appreciated!

DP, but I wanted to discuss this further. For those who have stayed at their Title 1 through the upper grades, what advice would you give to those of us starting out in lower elementary?

I'd add: Talk to your children and try to get them to talk about what the classroom is like on a day-to-day basis. Our kids aren't that communicative, and then one day they mentioned that it was hard to work when there were so many disruptions, including kids throwing chairs. (This was at a non-Title I school; and I'm sure there are Title I schools with better functioning classrooms.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Generally speaking, I have found that "differentiation" for Reading is simply reading a higher level book during independent reading time and for Math is extra time on one of the Math application games (Computer time). At the elementary level, this feels fine to me. Although, a lot of it is dependent on your children wanting to do the assignment in the moment. Conceptually it sounds good, but practically speaking, my kid isn't always going to want to do the "hard" work when something easier or more fun is still an option.

Someone once framed it for me in this way- there are some people who would prefer that students continue learning vertically, (move on to the next metric once they have mastered one). Other people would prefer students continue learning horizontally, (stay at the same level but practice more, or do more advanced versions of the current metric). If you prefer vertical learning- that is not what you will see. But, if you are comfortable with horizontal learning, then you should be satisfied. These schools are not going to teach your kids the next level (unless they completely skip a grade for one or more classes). But they will provide them with other challenging things at the current level- either through compute programs, additional practice sheets/games/puzzles, or reading materials.

PP, what did you do outside of school for your kid? Or did you end up moving schools? Honestly asking.