FCPS Boundary Review Updates

[Anonymous]

The biggest IB defenders are
Parents who use it to escape their zoned IB
Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The biggest IB defenders are
Parents who use it to escape their zoned IB
Schools

Or their zoned AP schools. Works both ways.

That's why I think they should survey IB school parents to see what they prefer--but limit the survey to "in boundary" students. Obviously, the out of boundary parents would prefer IB to remain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest IB defenders are
Parents who use it to escape their zoned IB
Schools

Or their zoned AP schools. Works both ways.

That's why I think they should survey IB school parents to see what they prefer--but limit the survey to "in boundary" students. Obviously, the out of boundary parents would prefer IB to remain.

Which parents want to escspe AP schools to an IB school?

The AP schools are the highest performing schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest IB defenders are
Parents who use it to escape their zoned IB
Schools

Or their zoned AP schools. Works both ways.

That's why I think they should survey IB school parents to see what they prefer--but limit the survey to "in boundary" students. Obviously, the out of boundary parents would prefer IB to remain.

Which parents want to escspe AP schools to an IB school?

The AP schools are the highest performing schools.

The only such situation with any significant numbers is Herndon transfers to South Lakes, but that’s also influenced by AAP kids in the Herndon pyramid going to Hughes.

[Anonymous]

Head on a swivel for split feeders to be posted today hopefully.

[Anonymous]

Not me over here refreshing the website for split feeder boundary meeting every other minute…ugh, just post the damn thing already

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not me over here refreshing the website for split feeder boundary meeting every other minute…ugh, just post the damn thing already

My money is on them posting it in the late afternoon, after school hours. They might also post it at some point mid week. They know it’s going to blow up and they always send bad news later in the day (like the late afternoon email days after school was out for the summer last year telling everyone that there would be a monthly early release day for elementary schools …)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not me over here refreshing the website for split feeder boundary meeting every other minute…ugh, just post the damn thing already

My money is on them posting it in the late afternoon, after school hours. They might also post it at some point mid week. They know it’s going to blow up and they always send bad news later in the day (like the late afternoon email days after school was out for the summer last year telling everyone that there would be a monthly early release day for elementary schools …)

I’ll take your word for it. My family is not in FCPS yet but will start next year.

[Anonymous]

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You will be iced out of Chantilly because there's many more kids who are closer to that school than you are. One reason why I didn't buy in Franklin Farms or Franklin Glen, Oak Hill area for that matter. That whole area could easily be transferred to Westfield and it's not even that crazy because as PP said there are surrounding neighborhoods even further away already going to Westfield.

That's because the South Lakes and Herndon PTA's refused them during the 2008 boundary study. And, yes, it was the South Lakes PTA that made the decisions.

It doesn't matter. As far as I'm concerned, if kids living off of Sunrise Valley can attend Westfield, so can PP in Franklin Farms.

Yep. And Centreville can relieve Westfield when the renovation is finished. Virginia Run elementary could shift to Centreville.

Many people want to ignore the possible changes.

And, whether serious or not, all these suggestions do not change anything. You are just moving the chess pieces and it won't make anything better. Shifting neighborhoods for no good reason.
There were reasons that the neighborhoods were assigned where they are--and most of those reasons still exist.

When/if Centreville is expanded, is the time to adjust. Not now. And, likely, Centreville will take kids from Fairfax whose boundary boundary borders the Centreville High property.

The only simple fix to all of this is to eliminate IB. That fixes the so-called "issues" at Lewis and Herndon.

What issues are at Lewis and Herndon?

DP. The "issues" are (1) under-enrollment relative to capacity; and (2) a perception of "brain drain" to nearby, more affluent schools (i.e., a lot of Lewis kids transfer to Lake Braddock purportedly for AP and a lot of Herndon kids transfer to South Lakes purportedly for IB). Eliminate IB and these transfers aren't possible.

Note that PP put "issues" in quotes because they presumably question whether this is really the problem that some boundary change advocates suggest.

The Advanced Academic Advisory Committee is spending the year analyzing AP and IB.


“2024-25 Committee Charge

AAPAC will learn more about the Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) options for FCPS high school students, including analyzing access, participation rates, and numbers of student exams in order to make recommendations about effective practices and possible areas for improvement”

https://www.fcps.edu/committee/advanced-academic-programs-aap-advisory-committee#committee-purpose

A YEAR? How absurd. They have all the data they need, right now. If a bunch of anonymous posters on DCUM can gather and analyze this information, then they can too. What a total waste of money and resources.

Wouldn't it be easier to have staff compile the data and present it to the School Board?

Meanwhile, I would really like the IB defenders to explain why we need it in the schools. It certainly does not seem to be working in FCPS schools. I would think na survey of "in boundary" parents at IB schools would be quite revealing.

I can see where IB would be helpful for foreign service families or others who could be posted overseas away from a DODEA school since many international schools use IB. There are some people who just like the interdisciplinary approach and emphasis on writing. That's a very small subset of the population though, and the schools like Lewis and Mt. Vernon would be much better served by AP since it could serve as a means of cutting college costs for economically disadvantaged families. I imagine there could be a couple of schools set up to serve those who really want and would benefit from IB.

Should have been decided before the boundary review began. Now if they try to shovel people into a crappy IB school it will be like the South Lakes situation in 2008 (where people pleaded with FCPS to add AP to South Lakes and were ignored) except on steroids.

These people learn absolutely nothing from the past.

PP here. Oh, I don't disagree at all. I think the number of families who would want or need IB is very small, and if it exists at all, it should be like the language immersions schools in elementary where people apply for it so no one is forced into IB. I'm not sure if something like that is economically feasible, though. If it is not, they need to get rid of it altogether. AP and DE are the most beneficial and practical options for most families, especially those in high FARMS pyramids. I feel like they have done the opposite with offering IB in those schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The biggest IB defenders are
Parents who use it to escape their zoned IB
Schools

We are at SLHS and most of the people in my neighborhood are happy there and think that it is crazy that we are thinking about principal placing to an AP school. Some have kids working on the diploma. Some just don't get the idea of leaving the school and friends for a different school because "IB is fine." I think most fall into the latter category. They are ok with their kids taking a few IB classes and honors classes. I think the reality is that most of the IB schools are places where a significant percentage of the population are not fully engaged in school as it is and the kids are mainly in gen ed classes. The kids who are really academically engaged or motivated will go for the diploma or transfer out. The other families are happy with what the IB offers and where their kids go to college and don't have a strong feeling.

I would guess then that you would have 10% of the population being very supportive of IB, 10% wanting a change to AP, 50% not caring, and 30 percent happy and unconcerned.

But I do have friends who think that IB is great and is better than AP. I have friends who just want our kid to stay at the base school with his friends because they are friends. Most of our neighbors think moving for AP is extreme and don't think that it matters that Calculus is taught as its own class or that IB physics is algebra based and not calculus based.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest IB defenders are
Parents who use it to escape their zoned IB
Schools

We are at SLHS and most of the people in my neighborhood are happy there and think that it is crazy that we are thinking about principal placing to an AP school. Some have kids working on the diploma. Some just don't get the idea of leaving the school and friends for a different school because "IB is fine." I think most fall into the latter category. They are ok with their kids taking a few IB classes and honors classes. I think the reality is that most of the IB schools are places where a significant percentage of the population are not fully engaged in school as it is and the kids are mainly in gen ed classes. The kids who are really academically engaged or motivated will go for the diploma or transfer out. The other families are happy with what the IB offers and where their kids go to college and don't have a strong feeling.

I would guess then that you would have 10% of the population being very supportive of IB, 10% wanting a change to AP, 50% not caring, and 30 percent happy and unconcerned.

But I do have friends who think that IB is great and is better than AP. I have friends who just want our kid to stay at the base school with his friends because they are friends. Most of our neighbors think moving for AP is extreme and don't think that it matters that Calculus is taught as its own class or that IB physics is algebra based and not calculus based.

The only successful IB school in FCPS is Robinson.

None of the others come close in diplomas awarded.

Go to the Virginia Department of Education website and look at the yearly stats provided by FCPS.

It is clear that IB is a failure everywhere except for Robinson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest IB defenders are
Parents who use it to escape their zoned IB
Schools

We are at SLHS and most of the people in my neighborhood are happy there and think that it is crazy that we are thinking about principal placing to an AP school. Some have kids working on the diploma. Some just don't get the idea of leaving the school and friends for a different school because "IB is fine." I think most fall into the latter category. They are ok with their kids taking a few IB classes and honors classes. I think the reality is that most of the IB schools are places where a significant percentage of the population are not fully engaged in school as it is and the kids are mainly in gen ed classes. The kids who are really academically engaged or motivated will go for the diploma or transfer out. The other families are happy with what the IB offers and where their kids go to college and don't have a strong feeling.

I would guess then that you would have 10% of the population being very supportive of IB, 10% wanting a change to AP, 50% not caring, and 30 percent happy and unconcerned.

But I do have friends who think that IB is great and is better than AP. I have friends who just want our kid to stay at the base school with his friends because they are friends. Most of our neighbors think moving for AP is extreme and don't think that it matters that Calculus is taught as its own class or that IB physics is algebra based and not calculus based.

Are you "in boundary?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest IB defenders are
Parents who use it to escape their zoned IB
Schools

We are at SLHS and most of the people in my neighborhood are happy there and think that it is crazy that we are thinking about principal placing to an AP school. Some have kids working on the diploma. Some just don't get the idea of leaving the school and friends for a different school because "IB is fine." I think most fall into the latter category. They are ok with their kids taking a few IB classes and honors classes. I think the reality is that most of the IB schools are places where a significant percentage of the population are not fully engaged in school as it is and the kids are mainly in gen ed classes. The kids who are really academically engaged or motivated will go for the diploma or transfer out. The other families are happy with what the IB offers and where their kids go to college and don't have a strong feeling.

I would guess then that you would have 10% of the population being very supportive of IB, 10% wanting a change to AP, 50% not caring, and 30 percent happy and unconcerned.

But I do have friends who think that IB is great and is better than AP. I have friends who just want our kid to stay at the base school with his friends because they are friends. Most of our neighbors think moving for AP is extreme and don't think that it matters that Calculus is taught as its own class or that IB physics is algebra based and not calculus based.

The only successful IB school in FCPS is Robinson.

None of the others come close in diplomas awarded.

Go to the Virginia Department of Education website and look at the yearly stats provided by FCPS.

It is clear that IB is a failure everywhere except for Robinson.

Robinson is very big, so it awards the most IB diplomas, but my recollection is that a higher percentage of the IB diploma candidates at Marshall receive IB diplomas than at Robinson or the six other FCPS schools with IB.

Regardless of whether you consider IB a failure or a success at some schools, most parents and students prefer AP over IB, and further efforts to redistrict kids into IB schools will land with a giant thud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest IB defenders are
Parents who use it to escape their zoned IB
Schools

We are at SLHS and most of the people in my neighborhood are happy there and think that it is crazy that we are thinking about principal placing to an AP school. Some have kids working on the diploma. Some just don't get the idea of leaving the school and friends for a different school because "IB is fine." I think most fall into the latter category. They are ok with their kids taking a few IB classes and honors classes. I think the reality is that most of the IB schools are places where a significant percentage of the population are not fully engaged in school as it is and the kids are mainly in gen ed classes. The kids who are really academically engaged or motivated will go for the diploma or transfer out. The other families are happy with what the IB offers and where their kids go to college and don't have a strong feeling.

I would guess then that you would have 10% of the population being very supportive of IB, 10% wanting a change to AP, 50% not caring, and 30 percent happy and unconcerned.

But I do have friends who think that IB is great and is better than AP. I have friends who just want our kid to stay at the base school with his friends because they are friends. Most of our neighbors think moving for AP is extreme and don't think that it matters that Calculus is taught as its own class or that IB physics is algebra based and not calculus based.

The only successful IB school in FCPS is Robinson.

None of the others come close in diplomas awarded.

Go to the Virginia Department of Education website and look at the yearly stats provided by FCPS.

It is clear that IB is a failure everywhere except for Robinson.

Robinson is very big, so it awards the most IB diplomas, but my recollection is that a higher percentage of the IB diploma candidates at Marshall receive IB diplomas than at Robinson or the six other FCPS schools with IB.

Regardless of whether you consider IB a failure or a success at some schools, most parents and students prefer AP over IB, and further efforts to redistrict kids into IB schools will land with a giant thud.

Actually Lewis over the past couple years has had the highest literal IB candidate to diploma rate. They were 10/10 in 2024, 16/16 in 2022, 4/4 in 2021, 19/22 in 2019.

[Anonymous]

It’s gonna come through right during my kids kindergarten orientation at Waples I suspect