Banneker versus School Without Walls

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I ask what are the alternatives in DCPS? What are the SAT scores at Walls?

I doubt most of the posters have kids anywhere near high school age. If they did, basic research would be done vs gossipy BS posts. We are in the midst of high school visits and research so we are researching as much as we can. The HBCU comments are simply hilarious. Spend a few minutes at HU, Morgan, or Bowie St. and you'd a least have point of reference.

Walls and Banneker serve very different populations. The Walls administration doesn't have to deal with the issues that a Title I school like Banneker deals with. Thus, the actual starting points are different for kids. These are facts not excuses. I'd expect better scores from Banneker but I do understand some of the challenges-1st generation college bound, kids not showing up ready to learn b/c of home life, poverty, hunger, etc. SAT/ACT scores are so important schools are considering weighing them less or phasing them out

Walls scores look better but not by much - 1274 vs 1111. This could certainly vary class to class. Considering the resources a lot of the kids have at Walls, I'd expect better. This seems like a DCPS issue.

From our research trove....Public info..Imagine that..

Walls - https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ee0f425c4f3ed4b48c52995/t/5f6e77b64ca040062e6e4d34/1601075126675/SWW+School+Profile+2020-2021.pdf

Banneker (as posted previously) - https://www.benjaminbanneker.org/ourpages/auto/2015/3/22/49894145/Banneker%20School%20Profile%2021-22_.pdf?rnd=1635171254717

I posted above saying freshman do not all start in Algebra 1. I said this because I have a freshman at Banneker who is taking a higher level of math.

Sorry hit reply too soon. But there have been posts from current parents. The HBCU comments are absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I ask what are the alternatives in DCPS? What are the SAT scores at Walls?

I doubt most of the posters have kids anywhere near high school age. If they did, basic research would be done vs gossipy BS posts. We are in the midst of high school visits and research so we are researching as much as we can. The HBCU comments are simply hilarious. Spend a few minutes at HU, Morgan, or Bowie St. and you'd a least have point of reference.

Walls and Banneker serve very different populations. The Walls administration doesn't have to deal with the issues that a Title I school like Banneker deals with. Thus, the actual starting points are different for kids. These are facts not excuses. I'd expect better scores from Banneker but I do understand some of the challenges-1st generation college bound, kids not showing up ready to learn b/c of home life, poverty, hunger, etc. SAT/ACT scores are so important schools are considering weighing them less or phasing them out

Walls scores look better but not by much - 1274 vs 1111. This could certainly vary class to class. Considering the resources a lot of the kids have at Walls, I'd expect better. This seems like a DCPS issue.

From our research trove....Public info..Imagine that..

Walls - https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ee0f425c4f3ed4b48c52995/t/5f6e77b64ca040062e6e4d34/1601075126675/SWW+School+Profile+2020-2021.pdf

Banneker (as posted previously) - https://www.benjaminbanneker.org/ourpages/auto/2015/3/22/49894145/Banneker%20School%20Profile%2021-22_.pdf?rnd=1635171254717

I posted above saying freshman do not all start in Algebra 1. I said this because I have a freshman at Banneker who is taking a higher level of math.

Thanks for sharing real and accurate info.....

[Anonymous]

The fabulous new building is a great start. I hope the school does indeed hire more science and math teachers and expands its STEM offerings. Having classes without disruptive students seems like a huge positive of Banneker

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I ask what are the alternatives in DCPS? What are the SAT scores at Walls?

I doubt most of the posters have kids anywhere near high school age. If they did, basic research would be done vs gossipy BS posts. We are in the midst of high school visits and research so we are researching as much as we can. The HBCU comments are simply hilarious. Spend a few minutes at HU, Morgan, or Bowie St. and you'd a least have point of reference.

Walls and Banneker serve very different populations. The Walls administration doesn't have to deal with the issues that a Title I school like Banneker deals with. Thus, the actual starting points are different for kids. These are facts not excuses. I'd expect better scores from Banneker but I do understand some of the challenges-1st generation college bound, kids not showing up ready to learn b/c of home life, poverty, hunger, etc. SAT/ACT scores are so important schools are considering weighing them less or phasing them out

Walls scores look better but not by much - 1274 vs 1111. This could certainly vary class to class. Considering the resources a lot of the kids have at Walls, I'd expect better. This seems like a DCPS issue.

From our research trove....Public info..Imagine that..

Walls - https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ee0f425c4f3ed4b48c52995/t/5f6e77b64ca040062e6e4d34/1601075126675/SWW+School+Profile+2020-2021.pdf

Banneker (as posted previously) - https://www.benjaminbanneker.org/ourpages/auto/2015/3/22/49894145/Banneker%20School%20Profile%2021-22_.pdf?rnd=1635171254717

I posted above saying freshman do not all start in Algebra 1. I said this because I have a freshman at Banneker who is taking a higher level of math.

Thanks for sharing real and accurate info.....

Sorry, but a 163 point average SAT difference, especially right in the heart of the bell curve, is not even remotely similar… That’s the 61st v 86th percent or an entire quartile higher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I ask what are the alternatives in DCPS? What are the SAT scores at Walls?

I doubt most of the posters have kids anywhere near high school age. If they did, basic research would be done vs gossipy BS posts. We are in the midst of high school visits and research so we are researching as much as we can. The HBCU comments are simply hilarious. Spend a few minutes at HU, Morgan, or Bowie St. and you'd a least have point of reference.

Walls and Banneker serve very different populations. The Walls administration doesn't have to deal with the issues that a Title I school like Banneker deals with. Thus, the actual starting points are different for kids. These are facts not excuses. I'd expect better scores from Banneker but I do understand some of the challenges-1st generation college bound, kids not showing up ready to learn b/c of home life, poverty, hunger, etc. SAT/ACT scores are so important schools are considering weighing them less or phasing them out

Walls scores look better but not by much - 1274 vs 1111. This could certainly vary class to class. Considering the resources a lot of the kids have at Walls, I'd expect better. This seems like a DCPS issue.

From our research trove....Public info..Imagine that..

Walls - https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ee0f425c4f3ed4b48c52995/t/5f6e77b64ca040062e6e4d34/1601075126675/SWW+School+Profile+2020-2021.pdf

Banneker (as posted previously) - https://www.benjaminbanneker.org/ourpages/auto/2015/3/22/49894145/Banneker%20School%20Profile%2021-22_.pdf?rnd=1635171254717

I posted above saying freshman do not all start in Algebra 1. I said this because I have a freshman at Banneker who is taking a higher level of math.

Thanks for sharing real and accurate info.....

Sorry, but a 163 point average SAT difference, especially right in the heart of the bell curve, is not even remotely similar… That’s the 61st v 86th percent or an entire quartile higher.

Ok. Go to a different school. Not sure why you are carrying on when I posted my kid goes to the school. The kids are more than their test scores. They’re actually very nice and hard working kids.

[Anonymous]

NP who doesn’t care about SAT scores!

I toured with my 8th grader Saturday also. The school is beautiful and it’s clear the teachers and principal care about and expect a lot from the students. I have no doubt that my child would get a good education there.

But I guess I wonder about the joy aspect of things. It seems like there’s so much emphasis on academic classes that there is no time left for electives. They offer some sports, but I don’t have a particularly sporty kid. There’s a list of clubs, but it’s hard to know how active they are.

A few people have mentioned lots of rules and homework to me. I just wonder what that actually means. What are the rules that bother your kid? What does homework look like, during a typical night/week?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP who doesn’t care about SAT scores!

I toured with my 8th grader Saturday also. The school is beautiful and it’s clear the teachers and principal care about and expect a lot from the students. I have no doubt that my child would get a good education there.

But I guess I wonder about the joy aspect of things. It seems like there’s so much emphasis on academic classes that there is no time left for electives. They offer some sports, but I don’t have a particularly sporty kid. There’s a list of clubs, but it’s hard to know how active they are.

A few people have mentioned lots of rules and homework to me. I just wonder what that actually means. What are the rules that bother your kid? What does homework look like, during a typical night/week?

I got the tour from the English teacher. She seemed really engaging. She said three hours of homework per night is typically the norm, but that the teachers are rethinking the amount of hw in light of the pandemic given the importance of socializing for kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP who doesn’t care about SAT scores!

I toured with my 8th grader Saturday also. The school is beautiful and it’s clear the teachers and principal care about and expect a lot from the students. I have no doubt that my child would get a good education there.

But I guess I wonder about the joy aspect of things. It seems like there’s so much emphasis on academic classes that there is no time left for electives. They offer some sports, but I don’t have a particularly sporty kid. There’s a list of clubs, but it’s hard to know how active they are.

A few people have mentioned lots of rules and homework to me. I just wonder what that actually means. What are the rules that bother your kid? What does homework look like, during a typical night/week?

I got the tour from the English teacher. She seemed really engaging. She said three hours of homework per night is typically the norm, but that the teachers are rethinking the amount of hw in light of the pandemic given the importance of socializing for kids.

My kid has typically 2 hours a night, which is about the same as reported by friends at Walls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I ask what are the alternatives in DCPS? What are the SAT scores at Walls?

I doubt most of the posters have kids anywhere near high school age. If they did, basic research would be done vs gossipy BS posts. We are in the midst of high school visits and research so we are researching as much as we can. The HBCU comments are simply hilarious. Spend a few minutes at HU, Morgan, or Bowie St. and you'd a least have point of reference.

Walls and Banneker serve very different populations. The Walls administration doesn't have to deal with the issues that a Title I school like Banneker deals with. Thus, the actual starting points are different for kids. These are facts not excuses. I'd expect better scores from Banneker but I do understand some of the challenges-1st generation college bound, kids not showing up ready to learn b/c of home life, poverty, hunger, etc. SAT/ACT scores are so important schools are considering weighing them less or phasing them out

Walls scores look better but not by much - 1274 vs 1111. This could certainly vary class to class. Considering the resources a lot of the kids have at Walls, I'd expect better. This seems like a DCPS issue.

From our research trove....Public info..Imagine that..

Walls - https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ee0f425c4f3ed4b48c52995/t/5f6e77b64ca040062e6e4d34/1601075126675/SWW+School+Profile+2020-2021.pdf

Banneker (as posted previously) - https://www.benjaminbanneker.org/ourpages/auto/2015/3/22/49894145/Banneker%20School%20Profile%2021-22_.pdf?rnd=1635171254717

I posted above saying freshman do not all start in Algebra 1. I said this because I have a freshman at Banneker who is taking a higher level of math.

Thanks for sharing real and accurate info.....

Sorry, but a 163 point average SAT difference, especially right in the heart of the bell curve, is not even remotely similar… That’s the 61st v 86th percent or an entire quartile higher.

They are very similar and both schools are not performing up to expectations in standardized testing. I actually expect close to 1400 for magnet type schools. So why would Walls get a pass?

The percentiles don't tell the whole story and an average for a school doesn't matter on college applications. It's all about the story and presentation for each child. I'm willing to bet that the top performers from both schools are pretty similar.

[Anonymous]

I'm not willing to bet that. I don't remember seeing a single name from Banneker on the PSAT National Merit Scholarship semifinalist list in the last decade. Meanwhile, Walls has had as many as 5 semifinalists per year in the last decade, and 1-2 almost every year, as has Wilson.

Before you standardized test-hostile types jump on calling the PSAT worthless and racist, perhaps it's worth noting that roughly 1/3 the class of TJ HS in Fairfax makes the grade on the PSAT for NM almost every year, more than 100 students with AAs among them. In a nutshell, far more AA students ace the PSAT at TJ in a single year than at Banneker in a decade. DC can do better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not willing to bet that. I don't remember seeing a single name from Banneker on the PSAT National Merit Scholarship semifinalist list in the last decade. Meanwhile, Walls has had as many as 5 semifinalists per year in the last decade, and 1-2 almost every year, as has Wilson.

Before you standardized test-hostile types jump on calling the PSAT worthless and racist, perhaps it's worth noting that roughly 1/3 the class of TJ HS in Fairfax makes the grade on the PSAT for NM almost every year, more than 100 students with AAs among them. In a nutshell, far more AA students ace the PSAT at TJ in a single year than at Banneker in a decade. DC can do better.

TJ is not a Title 1 school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not willing to bet that. I don't remember seeing a single name from Banneker on the PSAT National Merit Scholarship semifinalist list in the last decade. Meanwhile, Walls has had as many as 5 semifinalists per year in the last decade, and 1-2 almost every year, as has Wilson.

Before you standardized test-hostile types jump on calling the PSAT worthless and racist, perhaps it's worth noting that roughly 1/3 the class of TJ HS in Fairfax makes the grade on the PSAT for NM almost every year, more than 100 students with AAs among them. In a nutshell, far more AA students ace the PSAT at TJ in a single year than at Banneker in a decade. DC can do better.

TJ is not a Title 1 school.

That doesn't mean that the kids attending aren't from poor families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not willing to bet that. I don't remember seeing a single name from Banneker on the PSAT National Merit Scholarship semifinalist list in the last decade. Meanwhile, Walls has had as many as 5 semifinalists per year in the last decade, and 1-2 almost every year, as has Wilson.

Before you standardized test-hostile types jump on calling the PSAT worthless and racist, perhaps it's worth noting that roughly 1/3 the class of TJ HS in Fairfax makes the grade on the PSAT for NM almost every year, more than 100 students with AAs among them. In a nutshell, far more AA students ace the PSAT at TJ in a single year than at Banneker in a decade. DC can do better.

TJ is not a Title 1 school.

NP but don’t you think you are moving the goalposts here? PP made a comparable example of students who are successful on the PSAT and your response is always ‘but’ and an excuse. I know SES matters but I can imagine all kids at TJ are MC or UMC. Just like not all kids at Banneker come from low income families.

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not willing to bet that. I don't remember seeing a single name from Banneker on the PSAT National Merit Scholarship semifinalist list in the last decade. Meanwhile, Walls has had as many as 5 semifinalists per year in the last decade, and 1-2 almost every year, as has Wilson.

Before you standardized test-hostile types jump on calling the PSAT worthless and racist, perhaps it's worth noting that roughly 1/3 the class of TJ HS in Fairfax makes the grade on the PSAT for NM almost every year, more than 100 students with AAs among them. In a nutshell, far more AA students ace the PSAT at TJ in a single year than at Banneker in a decade. DC can do better.

TJ is not a Title 1 school.

NP but don’t you think you are moving the goalposts here? PP made a comparable example of students who are successful on the PSAT and your response is always ‘but’ and an excuse. I know SES matters but I can imagine all kids at TJ are MC or UMC. Just like not all kids at Banneker come from low income families.

Learn more about Title 1 schools, SES & standardized test scores, and how averages are calculated. Your comparison of these two schools is not an apple-to-apple comparison, which is different than a moving goalpost.