Can anyone shed light on what is likely to change at Norwood with new leadership?

[Anonymous]

Of course schools publicize graduating class sizes. But you or whomever was trying to bait the Norwood poster ("prove you work there by posting info") were asking for analysis on attrition over a multi-year period. That's not the type of information schools make public. All of your name-calling (really? The poster is a janitor?) or even for "transparency" doesn't change that reality.

Sounds awfully defensive over a matter of simple numbers. This is not about revealing your credit card number, bank account numbers, social security number or personal identifiers. Worthy schools don't hide these numbers or play games? What are you hiding?

No bait here just simple and clear answers to clear, simple and straightforward questions?

Get back on tract and answer the simple questions. There's no need here for distracting smoke. These facts, and provision thereof, are not tied to employment at Norwood.

[Anonymous]

Norwood is for Potomac parents who get rejected by the Big 3 schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Of course schools publicize graduating class sizes. But you or whomever was trying to bait the Norwood poster ("prove you work there by posting info") were asking for analysis on attrition over a multi-year period. That's not the type of information schools make public. All of your name-calling (really? The poster is a janitor?) or even for "transparency" doesn't change that reality.

Sounds awfully defensive over a matter of simple numbers. This is not about revealing your credit card number, bank account numbers, social security number or personal identifiers. Worthy schools don't hide these numbers or play games? What are you hiding?

No bait here just simple and clear answers to clear, simple and straightforward questions?

Get back on tract and answer the simple questions. There's no need here for distracting smoke. These facts, and provision thereof, are not tied to employment at Norwood.

I don't have Norwood ties, but can say that independent schools in general do not publicize information such as historical attrition rates. That sort of analysis is something an Admissions Director gives to a Board of Trustees. I don't think you'd be able to find it in the public domain for other schools.

Without having any inside knowledge about the future of Norwood (I drive by it on my commute), I would caution any parents or potential parents who are reading this thread to not expect to see information about attrition rates posted here and to not interpret this as some sort of confirmation that there's an issue. Talk to your school admin or a board member if you are concerned.

[Anonymous]

Look, attrition at a NoVa or MoCo private school is not a big deal. The public schiools are not scary and people roll straight into them with little hesitation. It only takes a slight pay reduction to make a person think quickly about public school.
Norwood loses kids to:
Holton and Landon after third grade.
Public at any time, but most common in the K-3 set.
Rarely GDS, NCS, and Sidwell.
A small groupd goes off to Catholic schools or other religious schools because they want more religion.
Norwood gets kids from:
Primary Day
Habor
Green Acres
Public (usually early on or in middle school).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Norwood is for Potomac parents who get rejected by the Big 3 schools.

You might be correct. We at Norwood, are not as competitive as the others.
Also, the commute to a big three from Potomac is long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Of course schools publicize graduating class sizes. But you or whomever was trying to bait the Norwood poster ("prove you work there by posting info") were asking for analysis on attrition over a multi-year period. That's not the type of information schools make public. All of your name-calling (really? The poster is a janitor?) or even for "transparency" doesn't change that reality.


Sounds awfully defensive over a matter of simple numbers. This is not about revealing your credit card number, bank account numbers, social security number or personal identifiers. Worthy schools don't hide these numbers or play games? What are you hiding?

No bait here just simple and clear answers to clear, simple and straightforward questions?

Get back on tract and answer the simple questions. There's no need here for distracting smoke. These facts, and provision thereof, are not tied to employment at Norwood.


I don't have Norwood ties, but can say that independent schools in general do not publicize information such as historical attrition rates. That sort of analysis is something an Admissions Director gives to a Board of Trustees. I don't think you'd be able to find it in the public domain for other schools.

Without having any inside knowledge about the future of Norwood (I drive by it on my commute), I would caution any parents or potential parents who are reading this thread to not expect to see information about attrition rates posted here and to not interpret this as some sort of confirmation that there's an issue. Talk to your school admin or a board member if you are concerned.

NP here who works in college admissions. The immediate PP is correct about historical attrition rates being considered proprietary information.

The previous PP accusing others of "distracting smoke" doesn't work in education or any other field requiring data analysis and has no insight, obviously.

[Anonymous]

I don't have Norwood ties, but can say that independent schools in general do not publicize information such as historical attrition rates. That sort of analysis is something an Admissions Director gives to a Board of Trustees. I don't think you'd be able to find it in the public domain for other schools.

Without having any inside knowledge about the future of Norwood (I drive by it on my commute), I would caution any parents or potential parents who are reading this thread to not expect to see information about attrition rates posted here and to not interpret this as some sort of confirmation that there's an issue. Talk to your school admin or a board member if you are concerned.

If attrition rates scare the Dickens out of everyone let's make it simple...what are the sizes of Grades 6, 7, and 8 over the last few years? Is this proprietary information too. Kiddos this is not rocket or NSA science. Do not make a mountain out of a mole hill. One does not need to be an education bureaucrat to understand this information. A Norwood middle school student would understand this concept.

[Anonymous]

NP here who works in college admissions. The immediate PP is correct about historical attrition rates being considered proprietary information.

The previous PP accusing others of "distracting smoke" doesn't work in education or any other field requiring data analysis and has no insight, obviously.

I would bet even if the poster does not work in college admissions, as you claim you do; the poster probably knows more about education, and data and statistical analysis, than you. Why are you so intimidated by the rather simple questions posed? What the hell do you think a consumer wants to know when he or she buys a service or product for 2 to 9 years? Are these questions off limit? If so, the product or service is useless and will not get an investment from me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

NP here who works in college admissions. The immediate PP is correct about historical attrition rates being considered proprietary information.

The previous PP accusing others of "distracting smoke" doesn't work in education or any other field requiring data analysis and has no insight, obviously.

I would bet even if the poster does not work in college admissions, as you claim you do; the poster probably knows more about education, and data and statistical analysis, than you. Why are you so intimidated by the rather simple questions posed? What the hell do you think a consumer wants to know when he or she buys a service or product for 2 to 9 years? Are these questions off limit? If so, the product or service is useless and will not get an investment from me.

You sound crazy.

[Anonymous]

The thread has turned into people giving accurate information about Norwood vs. Norwood parents desperate to defend their kid's school.

[Anonymous]

NP here who works in college admissions. The immediate PP is correct about historical attrition rates being considered proprietary information.

The previous PP accusing others of "distracting smoke" doesn't work in education or any other field requiring data analysis and has no insight, obviously.

I would bet even if the poster does not work in college admissions, as you claim you do; the poster probably knows more about education, and data and statistical analysis, than you. Why are you so intimidated by the rather simple questions posed? What the hell do you think a consumer wants to know when he or she buys a service or product for 2 to 9 years? Are these questions off limit? If so, the product or service is useless and will not get an investment from me.

You sound crazy.

If one is crazy to get data about a neurosurgeon's mortality and morbidity rates before signing the consent/assent forms for one's child to undergo a craniectomy and removal of a benign brain tumor; or inquire about a school's attrition rates before signing annual tuition commitment letters then I am proud to be crazy.

And if the neurosurgeon or school are evasively dancing, as if on a bed of hot coals, I will think twice before signing any consent papers.

I submit to being crazy for this position; but where does this leave you? ... dumb and stupid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

NP here who works in college admissions. The immediate PP is correct about historical attrition rates being considered proprietary information.

The previous PP accusing others of "distracting smoke" doesn't work in education or any other field requiring data analysis and has no insight, obviously.

I would bet even if the poster does not work in college admissions, as you claim you do; the poster probably knows more about education, and data and statistical analysis, than you. Why are you so intimidated by the rather simple questions posed? What the hell do you think a consumer wants to know when he or she buys a service or product for 2 to 9 years? Are these questions off limit? If so, the product or service is useless and will not get an investment from me.

You sound crazy.

If one is crazy to get data about a neurosurgeon's mortality and morbidity rates before signing the consent/assent forms for one's child to undergo a craniectomy and removal of a benign brain tumor; or inquire about a school's attrition rates before signing annual tuition commitment letters then I am proud to be crazy.

And if the neurosurgeon or school are evasively dancing, as if on a bed of hot coals, I will think twice before signing any consent papers.

I submit to being crazy for this position; but where does this leave you? ... dumb and stupid?

+1 -- you've bought a ticket on the crazy train. But keep it going! You're on a roll on mixed metaphors.

[Anonymous]

+1 -- you've bought a ticket on the crazy train. But keep it going! You're on a roll on mixed metaphors.

Yup, transparency around performance and satisfaction metrics for private education services (or even medical, legal and dining services) are concepts only crazies understand. I gather you are a Norwood graduate or parent?

[Anonymous]

There are pretty clearly several different posters other than 19:21. I can't speak for others, but I do not have ties to Norwood. I read this thread because I am interested in the DC independent school scene, having taught in independent schools for a time after graduating from college. I find the business side of things interesting.

Whether or not more transparency would be a good thing in the independent school world, the fact of the matter is that schools do not currently make public information such as attrition rates over time. I guess a motivated parent with multiple kids, and thus access to school directories over time, could put together a historical list of the size of various grades over the past decade, but I don't know why anyone would do so or share their results wholly outside their school community on a forum like this (although I would be among those who would be interested in such a post). My point here is that Norwood is not unusual in not making such information publicly accessible -- again, perhaps the industry standard "should" be different but the status quo is that such information is closely held. These schools are independent and have pretty good leverage and can control how much information they share.

I have a decent ear to the ground for schools around here -- Norwood grads go to the school with which I do have ties -- and I have not heard any rumblings of problems. It may be that there are issues with the K-6 or K-8 model but at least for now, there seem to be enough people in this area who are willing and able to pay for private school costs that well-established schools like Norwood should not have trouble. As another poster noted, almost certainly there is higher attrition at schools in Montgomery Country, as parents are more comfortable with the public school alternative than is generally the case in DC.

I do look at things both from a "school" perspective and from the point of view of a parent so I don't like to see innuendo or whisper campaigns against any given school, and it seems there are some posts on this thread that could be unduly raising concerns where none are warranted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NP here who works in college admissions. The immediate PP is correct about historical attrition rates being considered proprietary information.

The previous PP accusing others of "distracting smoke" doesn't work in education or any other field requiring data analysis and has no insight, obviously.

I would bet even if the poster does not work in college admissions, as you claim you do; the poster probably knows more about education, and data and statistical analysis, than you. Why are you so intimidated by the rather simple questions posed? What the hell do you think a consumer wants to know when he or she buys a service or product for 2 to 9 years? Are these questions off limit? If so, the product or service is useless and will not get an investment from me.

You sound crazy.

If one is crazy to get data about a neurosurgeon's mortality and morbidity rates before signing the consent/assent forms for one's child to undergo a craniectomy and removal of a benign brain tumor; or inquire about a school's attrition rates before signing annual tuition commitment letters then I am proud to be crazy.

And if the neurosurgeon or school are evasively dancing, as if on a bed of hot coals, I will think twice before signing any consent papers.

I submit to being crazy for this position; but where does this leave you? ... dumb and stupid?

+1 -- you've bought a ticket on the crazy train. But keep it going! You're on a roll on mixed metaphors.

+1