Why is Oyster only 7% Black?

[Anonymous]

I asked this question on the DCPS demographic thread, but I’m interested in hearing if any current Oyster parents have some insight. I think Oyster now has the lowest percentage of Black students in any DCPS. Given DCPS’ overall demographic make-up, and Oyster’s proximity to Adams Morgan and Mount Pleasant, I would expect to see a much higher percentage. Further, I think the percentage of Black students at Oyster was at 12 or 13% six to eight years ago. I’m not trying to insinuate that anything untoward is happening at Oyster, I’m just interested in why there has been such a dramatic demographic change in a relatively short period of time.

[Anonymous]

Here's the link: http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/

[Anonymous]

I don't see proximity to non-in-boundary neighborhoods to be relevant--unless you are a native Spanish speaker, you are not getting into Oyster out of bounds. The part of Adams-Morgan that is in-boundary for Oyster is the higher SES part. The rest of Adams-Morgan and Mt. Pleasant are IB for other schools--Bancroft, Cooke, and Reed.

I think you simply have an instance where black people are unlikely to live in-boundary for the school AND all the out-of-boundary slots are taken by native Spanish speakers, who tend to be Latino rather than black.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I asked this question on the DCPS demographic thread, but I’m interested in hearing if any current Oyster parents have some insight. I think Oyster now has the lowest percentage of Black students in any DCPS. Given DCPS’ overall demographic make-up, and Oyster’s proximity to Adams Morgan and Mount Pleasant, I would expect to see a much higher percentage. Further, I think the percentage of Black students at Oyster was at 12 or 13% six to eight years ago. I’m not trying to insinuate that anything untoward is happening at Oyster, I’m just interested in why there has been such a dramatic demographic change in a relatively short period of time.

Answered.

[Anonymous]

I think the answer is pretty straightforward, as laid out by 15:05. Any race is shut out from OOB unless you can demonstrate spanish dominance. So, unless there are IB AA, they are not at the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't see proximity to non-in-boundary neighborhoods to be relevant--unless you are a native Spanish speaker, you are not getting into Oyster out of bounds. The part of Adams-Morgan that is in-boundary for Oyster is the higher SES part. The rest of Adams-Morgan and Mt. Pleasant are IB for other schools--Bancroft, Cooke, and Reed.

I think you simply have an instance where black people are unlikely to live in-boundary for the school AND all the out-of-boundary slots are taken by native Spanish speakers, who tend to be Latino rather than black.

That’s a fair point, but Janney (AU Park), Mann (Spring Valley), Key (Palisades), etc. are located in neighborhoods that are just as expensive and white (or more so) than Woodley Park AND they take virtually no OOB students. However, they manage to have black student populations that are a couple to several percentage points higher.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps because, according to that link, it is 61% Hispanic/ Latino?

The more interesting question is why it is only 26% White - if you look at the school boundary (mostly Woodley Park with just a bit of Kalorama and Adams Morgan) I'd imagine kids living there must be at least 80% white.

I'd guess lower grades are more white, higher ones are more Hispanic (via lottery for Spanish-speakers, which I guess is not very relevant no non-Spanish speakers whites or blacks or Asians).

[Anonymous]

I think there are more apartments round Woodley than Key

[Anonymous]

I think the higher grades are much much higher hispanic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see proximity to non-in-boundary neighborhoods to be relevant--unless you are a native Spanish speaker, you are not getting into Oyster out of bounds. The part of Adams-Morgan that is in-boundary for Oyster is the higher SES part. The rest of Adams-Morgan and Mt. Pleasant are IB for other schools--Bancroft, Cooke, and Reed.

I think you simply have an instance where black people are unlikely to live in-boundary for the school AND all the out-of-boundary slots are taken by native Spanish speakers, who tend to be Latino rather than black.

That’s a fair point, but Janney (AU Park), Mann (Spring Valley), Key (Palisades), etc. are located in neighborhoods that are just as expensive and white (or more so) than Woodley Park AND they take virtually no OOB students. However, they manage to have black student populations that are a couple to several percentage points higher.

Answer: note the 61% Hispanic/ Latino just noted. Which leaves just 39% for everyone else. Please report back the Hispanic/ Latino % for those schools you mention...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't see proximity to non-in-boundary neighborhoods to be relevant--unless you are a native Spanish speaker, you are not getting into Oyster out of bounds. The part of Adams-Morgan that is in-boundary for Oyster is the higher SES part. The rest of Adams-Morgan and Mt. Pleasant are IB for other schools--Bancroft, Cooke, and Reed.

I think you simply have an instance where black people are unlikely to live in-boundary for the school AND all the out-of-boundary slots are taken by native Spanish speakers, who tend to be Latino rather than black.

+1. Quite obvious. OP is just trying to stir the pot...and the funny thing is that it's (mostly white) in-boundary parents who should be doing so...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Perhaps because, according to that link, it is 61% Hispanic/ Latino?

The more interesting question is why it is only 26% White - if you look at the school boundary (mostly Woodley Park with just a bit of Kalorama and Adams Morgan) I'd imagine kids living there must be at least 80% white.

I'd guess lower grades are more white, higher ones are more Hispanic (via lottery for Spanish-speakers, which I guess is not very relevant no non-Spanish speakers whites or blacks or Asians).

Hispanics can be any race. The 26% of whites at Oyster are non-Hispanic whites. If you were to walk into most classrooms at Oyster, they would “look” predominately white. Although the percentage is not given, I would guess that Oyster is at least 60% to 70% “white” if you include white Hispanics.

[Anonymous]

And some of the african-descended children there are in the hispanic column

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And some of the african-descended children there are in the hispanic column

There is a relatively small percentage of Afro-Hispanics at Oyster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And some of the african-descended children there are in the hispanic column

There is a relatively small percentage of Afro-Hispanics at Oyster.

yes, but they are there