Achievement gap

[Anonymous]

Who started this phrase? I hear it referred to constantly in reference to MCPS and Montgomery County.

[Anonymous]

"Achievement gap" is not specific to MCPS or Montgomery County. It's part of the national discussion about education.

[Anonymous]

I never see it mentioned in DC or VA. Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never see it mentioned in DC or VA. Why?

Because you're not paying attention.

[Anonymous]

Because you're not paying attention.

I don't think so. I'm trying to decide whether we move or not. JKLM are good schools in DC. I've been talking to people in all 3 systems, googling the local press about the different school system and reading the DC, VA, and MD threads. Achievement gap seems to be at a different level for Montgomery County and I haven't run across the constant mentioning of it for the other areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Because you're not paying attention.

I don't think so. I'm trying to decide whether we move or not. JKLM are good schools in DC. I've been talking to people in all 3 systems, googling the local press about the different school system and reading the DC, VA, and MD threads. Achievement gap seems to be at a different level for Montgomery County and I haven't run across the constant mentioning of it for the other areas.

Are you saying that the achievement gap is bigger in Montgomery County than in DC or Virginia? Or that people in Montgomery County worry more about the achievement gap than people in DC or Virginia? Or that posters on the DCUM MD public schools forum mention the achievement gap more than posters on the DCUM VA public schools forum or the DCUM DC schools forum?

People on the DCUM MD public schools forum mainly mention the achievement gap in the context of "MCPS is trying to reduce the achievement gap by refusing to educate my brilliant child!!!!!!!!!!!!!1". I take that for what it's worth.

[Anonymous]

Oh here we go again.
Nice try Troll!!!

[Anonymous]

Achievement gap is part of Montgomery County politics. The county and schools talk about it more in the press than parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Achievement gap is part of Montgomery County politics. The county and schools talk about it more in the press than parents.

I agree, and I think Starr has made reducing the achievement gap his #1 priority.

[Anonymous]

The majority of Montgomery County schools perform poorly. Test scores from the Bethesda/Potomac and a few other areas carry the rest of the county. Same thing in DC if you compare younger kids test scores in JKLM with other ES schools. JKLM students don't matriculate into the high schools at as high rate and they aren't numerous enough to make it look like a big gap.

The difference is that Montgomery County has hidden its poor school performance behind the high scoring areas. Montgomery County overall is on the decline. The high SES areas are not growing but the low SES areas are growing very fast. DC is turning over more neighborhoods pushing the poverty into Montgomery County which isn't improving areas. VA is also growing fast in the high SES areas too.

[Anonymous]

Dealing with the problem of "underachievement" would be far more helpful to kids that focusing on the idea of an "achievement gap." Ultimately the issue you want to fix is underachievement. When phrased as an achievement gap, we create the opportunity for politicians to "close the gap" by simply lowering the standards at the top. That way, yes, the gap will close, but the kids at the bottom haven't been helped at all (and the kids at the top do worse, which also doesn't help anyone).

[Anonymous]

Fairfax county just announced it is reorganizing on an admin level to help close their gap. Their two high performing high schools (Langley and Mclean) will be separated. Differences between different socioeconomic groups exist everywhere aside from the places where the school districts are not diverse. I actually think MCPS does not hide the gap...they are focused on fixing something that maybe be beyond the reach of a school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dealing with the problem of "underachievement" would be far more helpful to kids that focusing on the idea of an "achievement gap." Ultimately the issue you want to fix is underachievement. When phrased as an achievement gap, we create the opportunity for politicians to "close the gap" by simply lowering the standards at the top. That way, yes, the gap will close, but the kids at the bottom haven't been helped at all (and the kids at the top do worse, which also doesn't help anyone).

I agree completely. It's better to raise everybodies performance by 10% then in is to keep the top the same and raise the bottom 10% even though the latter reduces the "gap".

[Anonymous]

Changing school admin, changing teachers or busing students will not close the Gap. If Whitman HS and Wheaton HS are combined and all the students attend one campus and have the same excess to the teachers, classes and facility, the Gap will still be there. Early education, changing the culture of some of the low achievers, boarding school for those kids start from 1.5 year may lift some of the students.

[Anonymous]

Fairfax county just announced it is reorganizing on an admin level to help close their gap.

No don't try to misrepresent what Fairfax is doing, geez. Fairfax is cutting out senior level administrative positions to address funding cuts. There will be fewer six figure administrators managing larger regions.