Elementary school recs? (looking for diverse school with good test scores for Black students)

[Anonymous]

Hang on, the Flora Singer numbers are for 3rd grade reading (I was on the wrong column).

Correction here are the MCAP 4th grade numbers for Flora Singer:

Black -35.7
Hispanic - 11.6
White - 50
FARMs - 11.1
Percentage proficient

[Anonymous]

If the racial achievement gap indicated at the three schools is “doing well” relative to MCPS then this is shameful.

This gets to the problem highlighted above - the numbers you are citing put all Black kids together, and ELLs and kids receiving FARMS are disproportionately Black and brown.

So, it doesn't tell OP information that is useful to her, which is which schools are breaking down the racial achievement gap that persists even for middle-class English speaking Black kids. Some schools do better than others, but the data is harder to find. That's why the Focus Groups model linked by another PP is useful. Here it is: https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/data/LAR-charts/Equity-Accountability-Model-Achievement.html

So we see that at Piney Branch, non-FARMS white and Asian kids get 3/4 in the rankings, meaning that 70-89% of kids in that demographic met the target for proficiency. Non-FARMS Black and Hispanic kids *also* get a 3/4. Now, that doesn't tell us the exact proportion, but it does tell us that non-FARMS Black kids do about as well at Piney Branch as non-FARMS white kids, and that's useful information to OP.

Contrast that with Rock Creek Forest, where white/Asian non-FARMS kids get 3 in ELA and 4 in math, but Black non-FARMS kids get a 2 in both. That's a school where Black kids are under-performing compared to their white and Asian peers, even when you manage to (kind of) control for income.

[Anonymous]

^^ With that said, I mis-read the Flora Singer numbers. They do the same as Rock Creek Forest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some actual data:

Piney Branch
% proficient in 4th grade math and ELA, MCAP
Black - 32.3%
Hispanic - 19.4%
White - 76.6%
FARMS - 26%

For North Chevy Chase (also 4th grade MCAP)
Black - 25%
Hispanic - 10%
White - 61.5%
FARMS - 9.1%

Same data for Flora Singer - again percent proficient in math and ELA per 22-23 MCAP

Black - 22.2%
Hispanic - 23.5%
White - 78%
fARMS - 17.4%

If the racial achievement gap indicated at the three schools is “doing well” relative to MCPS then this is shameful.

OP here. These numbers aren't great, but they are far from the worst I've seen*... and would keep Piney Branch on my list for further research while eliminating the other two. Here's my reasoning: the gap is worse at Piney Branch than at NCC, but the actual performance of Black students at Piney Branch is higher AND the FARMs % is far higher at Piney Branch than at NCC, which partially (but not fully) accounts for the performance gap. Basically, it looks like Piney Branch does a better job teaching the Black students that they serve than NCC does.

*There is a charter school in my current DC neighborhood that several white parents told me I should really consider because the school is so great and their kids learn so much. When I took a look at the school's data, I found that >80% of the white students there score on grade level in math while <10% of the Black students at the same school do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If the racial achievement gap indicated at the three schools is “doing well” relative to MCPS then this is shameful.

This gets to the problem highlighted above - the numbers you are citing put all Black kids together, and ELLs and kids receiving FARMS are disproportionately Black and brown.

So, it doesn't tell OP information that is useful to her, which is which schools are breaking down the racial achievement gap that persists even for middle-class English speaking Black kids. Some schools do better than others, but the data is harder to find. That's why the Focus Groups model linked by another PP is useful. Here it is: https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/data/LAR-charts/Equity-Accountability-Model-Achievement.html

So we see that at Piney Branch, non-FARMS white and Asian kids get 3/4 in the rankings, meaning that 70-89% of kids in that demographic met the target for proficiency. Non-FARMS Black and Hispanic kids *also* get a 3/4. Now, that doesn't tell us the exact proportion, but it does tell us that non-FARMS Black kids do about as well at Piney Branch as non-FARMS white kids, and that's useful information to OP.

Contrast that with Rock Creek Forest, where white/Asian non-FARMS kids get 3 in ELA and 4 in math, but Black non-FARMS kids get a 2 in both. That's a school where Black kids are under-performing compared to their white and Asian peers, even when you manage to (kind of) control for income.

OP here... yesssssss. This. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

This thread has taken a bizarre twist OP, all this info is easily accessible in the at a glance reports. And I find it offensive that so many people are assuming bias before it even happens.
If you don’t find the unicorn you are looking for, because you won’t, perhaps PH county private schools will work better for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In addition to Takoma Park/Piney Branch, I would also take a look at these elementary schools:
East Silver Spring
Glen Haven
Highland View
Sligo Creek
Woodlin

Absolutely yes to these, and I work at one of them, but be aware that many (possibly a majority) of the Black kids at these schools are Ethiopian immigrants. Not sure exactly what demographic you are or what you are looking for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread has taken a bizarre twist OP, all this info is easily accessible in the at a glance reports. And I find it offensive that so many people are assuming bias before it even happens.
If you don’t find the unicorn you are looking for, because you won’t, perhaps PH county private schools will work better for you.

Spoken like a parent who can rest assured that their child will get a good education at any "good" school. I'm sorry that a discussion about the ways that schools benefit some groups to the detriment of others "offends" your delicate sensibilities. You're welcome to leave this thread at any time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some actual data:

Piney Branch
% proficient in 4th grade math and ELA, MCAP
Black - 32.3%
Hispanic - 19.4%
White - 76.6%
FARMS - 26%

For North Chevy Chase (also 4th grade MCAP)
Black - 25%
Hispanic - 10%
White - 61.5%
FARMS - 9.1%

Same data for Flora Singer - again percent proficient in math and ELA per 22-23 MCAP

Black - 22.2%
Hispanic - 23.5%
White - 78%
fARMS - 17.4%

If the racial achievement gap indicated at the three schools is “doing well” relative to MCPS then this is shameful.

Interesting that all these schools are above state averages for the MCAP, which is known to be a flawed test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some actual data:

Piney Branch
% proficient in 4th grade math and ELA, MCAP
Black - 32.3%
Hispanic - 19.4%
White - 76.6%
FARMS - 26%

For North Chevy Chase (also 4th grade MCAP)
Black - 25%
Hispanic - 10%
White - 61.5%
FARMS - 9.1%

Same data for Flora Singer - again percent proficient in math and ELA per 22-23 MCAP

Black - 22.2%
Hispanic - 23.5%
White - 78%
fARMS - 17.4%

If the racial achievement gap indicated at the three schools is “doing well” relative to MCPS then this is shameful.

Interesting that all these schools are above state averages for the MCAP, which is known to be a flawed test.

How is MCAP "known" to be flawed?

[Anonymous]

These school metrics are just parental wealth metrics. You can go live where your similarly rich Black friends and colleagues live. Black people are a statistical minority and less wealthy in average, and there are no rich Black enclaves, so you aren't going to find a place with a high percentage of students who are both high performing and Black.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These school metrics are just parental wealth metrics. You can go live where your similarly rich Black friends and colleagues live. Black people are a statistical minority and less wealthy in average, and there are no rich Black enclaves, so you aren't going to find a place with a high percentage of students who are both high performing and Black.

You should really read the rest of this thread or work on your reading comprehension.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hang on, the Flora Singer numbers are for 3rd grade reading (I was on the wrong column).

Correction here are the MCAP 4th grade numbers for Flora Singer:

Black -35.7
Hispanic - 11.6
White - 50
FARMs - 11.1
Percentage proficient

That doesn’t seem right- IIRC FARMs is more like 40%?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread has taken a bizarre twist OP, all this info is easily accessible in the at a glance reports. And I find it offensive that so many people are assuming bias before it even happens.
If you don’t find the unicorn you are looking for, because you won’t, perhaps PH county private schools will work better for you.

Spoken like a parent who can rest assured that their child will get a good education at any "good" school. I'm sorry that a discussion about the ways that schools benefit some groups to the detriment of others "offends" your delicate sensibilities. You're welcome to leave this thread at any time.

Your assumption is incorrect. I wish I could crowdsource the best school for my child and get this level of engagement. My child is at one of the worst performing high schools in the county and is performing as best as she could in that environment. Her teachers treat all engaged students with respect but are clearly agitated by those kids who make it obvious they don’t want to be there. Race isn’t the issue. Behavior is. I would love to send her somewhere else but we don’t have the budget that you do. So from where I am sitting, the fact that you have a choice and continue to nit pick schoo performance down to the percentages of kids by race makes me wonder if you don’t see how privileged you are. Your snowflake will be fine at any of those schools everyone has researched for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These school metrics are just parental wealth metrics. You can go live where your similarly rich Black friends and colleagues live. Black people are a statistical minority and less wealthy in average, and there are no rich Black enclaves, so you aren't going to find a place with a high percentage of students who are both high performing and Black.

There is a lot of research showing the achievement gap is not just by income, it is also by race. I get why people on DCUM are not aware of this research but it's still disheartening hos ignorant you all are.