Is it true that starting from 2017-2018 Wilson HS won't offer honors classes in 9th grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:March 14 @ 8:00 is the Coffee with the Principal at Wilson (see the Events section of their school website).

Parent should attend, as well as representatives of the feeder school community (Deal, Hardy, Oyster).

I find outrageous that this important plan was omitted from the presentations at the Wilson open house, at a time when we were making our choices, only to find out later , when for many it is too late for alternative school plans.

It's not only that I have legitimate concerns for my son's 9th grade learning experience and for his unwillingness to go through, once again, disrupted classes and learning environment geared for damage mitigation instead of focused on learning and growth. I am concerned for the longer term trends, for the next moves, e.g. cancellation of Calculus BC ? Cap to how many AP classes students can take? Even larger AP classes? We already are at 40 students per class for AP Biology.... why not 60?

I am speechless .

Give me my voucher.

Wow, dramatic much???

Agree. It is TWO classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:March 14 @ 8:00 is the Coffee with the Principal at Wilson (see the Events section of their school website).

Parent should attend, as well as representatives of the feeder school community (Deal, Hardy, Oyster).

I find outrageous that this important plan was omitted from the presentations at the Wilson open house, at a time when we were making our choices, only to find out later , when for many it is too late for alternative school plans.

It's not only that I have legitimate concerns for my son's 9th grade learning experience and for his unwillingness to go through, once again, disrupted classes and learning environment geared for damage mitigation instead of focused on learning and growth. I am concerned for the longer term trends, for the next moves, e.g. cancellation of Calculus BC ? Cap to how many AP classes students can take? Even larger AP classes? We already are at 40 students per class for AP Biology.... why not 60?

I am speechless .

Give me my voucher.

Wow, dramatic much???

Agree. It is TWO classes.

2 classes in the same year, which is a significant change to a kid's experience for that year. And it's a bad sign. My kids are younger, and every time I get comfortable with the idea of Wilson, they do something asinine.

[Anonymous]

Honors for all is honors for none.

[Anonymous]

My dc is at a feeder MS in the higher level math class. Not sure what the criteria are for taking the higher level classes but there are a LOT of children in that class that are not interested in learning. The teacher is constantly being interrupted and covers a fraction of the material he is able to cover in classes that are not so disruptive. Who is really being served in this situation? Is the achievement gap being lessened by stunting the advancement of students at the higher end? Why can't DCPS figure out a way to help poor performing students without harming more advanced students?

[Anonymous]

At our private school there is only one honors elective for 9th graders. Students can place in higher level math or language. The kids are learning plenty. The teaching is good and the smartest kids are the ones that excel. By Junior and Senior year the students are knee-deep in work.

[Anonymous]

Making Bio and English all honors is a big deal because History already includes all students. Electives in 9th grade are also non differentiated. This means that math is the only class left where you can attempt to separate out advanced students from regular. Kim Martin's idea sounds good but it will lead to even more chaos in classes at Wilson. Most (not all) 9th grade teachers at Wilson range from bad to mediocre. They will not put in the effort to challenge kids more than the bare minimum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Making Bio and English all honors is a big deal because History already includes all students. Electives in 9th grade are also non differentiated. This means that math is the only class left where you can attempt to separate out advanced students from regular. Kim Martin's idea sounds good but it will lead to even more chaos in classes at Wilson. Most (not all) 9th grade teachers at Wilson range from bad to mediocre. They will not put in the effort to challenge kids more than the bare minimum.

Maybe this is a plan to reduce overcrowding -- by making some parents decide not to go to Wilson?

[Anonymous]

Will the Ward3 education network be discussing this change? I understand that group represents all Wilson feeder schools, is that correct?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At our private school there is only one honors elective for 9th graders. Students can place in higher level math or language. The kids are learning plenty. The teaching is good and the smartest kids are the ones that excel. By Junior and Senior year the students are knee-deep in work.

Our private has 2 honors classes at 9th. It is pretty typical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our private school there is only one honors elective for 9th graders. Students can place in higher level math or language. The kids are learning plenty. The teaching is good and the smartest kids are the ones that excel. By Junior and Senior year the students are knee-deep in work.

Our private has 2 honors classes at 9th. It is pretty typical.

The difference is that, in most private schools, there is not the same range of motivation and academic preparedness across students that you see at Wilson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our private school there is only one honors elective for 9th graders. Students can place in higher level math or language. The kids are learning plenty. The teaching is good and the smartest kids are the ones that excel. By Junior and Senior year the students are knee-deep in work.

Our private has 2 honors classes at 9th. It is pretty typical.

The difference is that, in most private schools, there is not the same range of motivation and academic preparedness across students that you see at Wilson.

At Wilson you have kids who are barely literate (or illiterate) and those who would be in a gifted program elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My dc is at a feeder MS in the higher level math class. Not sure what the criteria are for taking the higher level classes but there are a LOT of children in that class that are not interested in learning. The teacher is constantly being interrupted and covers a fraction of the material he is able to cover in classes that are not so disruptive. Who is really being served in this situation? Is the achievement gap being lessened by stunting the advancement of students at the higher end? Why can't DCPS figure out a way to help poor performing students without harming more advanced students?

This is so depressing. Hardy or Deal? Please tell us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At our private school there is only one honors elective for 9th graders. Students can place in higher level math or language. The kids are learning plenty. The teaching is good and the smartest kids are the ones that excel. By Junior and Senior year the students are knee-deep in work.

Our private has 2 honors classes at 9th. It is pretty typical.

The difference is that, in most private schools, there is not the same range of motivation and academic preparedness across students that you see at Wilson.

this! Im guessing that Georgetown Prep doesn't have kids that are three grade levels behind in 9th grade. Wilson does.

[Anonymous]

Last year's 9th grade PARCC in English showed a sizeable portion of students scoring below grade level.

This would suggest investing in ad-hoc teaching to push weaker students (the ones generating the achievement gap) up to their grade level.

Instead Wilson is choosing to lessen it by cutting the propulsion of students at the higher end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:March 14 @ 8:00 is the Coffee with the Principal at Wilson (see the Events section of their school website).

Parent should attend, as well as representatives of the feeder school community (Deal, Hardy, Oyster).

I find outrageous that this important plan was omitted from the presentations at the Wilson open house, at a time when we were making our choices, only to find out later , when for many it is too late for alternative school plans.

It's not only that I have legitimate concerns for my son's 9th grade learning experience and for his unwillingness to go through, once again, disrupted classes and learning environment geared for damage mitigation instead of focused on learning and growth. I am concerned for the longer term trends, for the next moves, e.g. cancellation of Calculus BC ? Cap to how many AP classes students can take? Even larger AP classes? We already are at 40 students per class for AP Biology.... why not 60?

I am speechless .

Give me my voucher.

Wow, dramatic much???

Agree. It is TWO classes.

2 classes in the same year, which is a significant change to a kid's experience for that year. And it's a bad sign. My kids are younger, and every time I get comfortable with the idea of Wilson, they do something asinine.

+ 1 . It's a bad sign. And it's been presented as just a start. Next is that students will be allowed into AP classes though a lottery?