School Without Walls (SWW) - Recent Experience?

[Anonymous]

Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

Not all students can earn an associates degree - the program is limited to a few students each year. and unless you choose GWU for college, most selective colleges and universities will limit the amount of college credit given for work complete during in high school, especially work for which you received credit toward your diploma.

The education at SWW doesn’t live up to its billing. It is fine but nothing particularly special.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Walls is do far from its original mission - experiential education - it is ridiculous.

Honestly I think it should be merged with another school (Banneker?) under joint management (keep the bldg) or just reconstituted entirely.

What is the point of a selective “humanities” school that offers no post-AP humanities classes? Does every course have students leave the bldg every week and use the city as their name reflects?

Why don’t people demand more?

The Wilson humanities program looks pretty amazing. I'm impressed with all of the academy programs, but the problem is class size and getting into the classes to begin with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

Not all students can earn an associates degree - the program is limited to a few students each year. and unless you choose GWU for college, most selective colleges and universities will limit the amount of college credit given for work complete during in high school, especially work for which you received credit toward your diploma.

The education at SWW doesn’t live up to its billing. It is fine but nothing particularly special.

It's a solid college preparatory program, with a strong track record of kids moving on to manage college expectations. Many in selective colleges and intense programs.

[Anonymous]

We can’t all go to Wilson. The majority of SWW students are outside the Wilson boundary.

[Anonymous]

But it could be more, if the principal weren't also trying to manage a PK-8 school a mile away and there were really excellent college counselors and classes that helped kids to be better writers and researchers and that better tied in with all that DC has to offer (Supreme Court hearings, the Smithsonians, National Archives, library of Congress, professional sports teams, embassies, NIH just to name a few). The fact that it's better than other DCPS options doesn't mean it's as good as it could be.

[Anonymous]

SWW wasn’t very different pre-shared principal and maybe that’s the problem.

It seems to me that Walls has done precious little to innovate and enhance its program. It could and should continually try to improve to provide a richer, deeper experience.

The Walls student body is well prepared, gets good PARCC scores and has a 100% graduation rate. DCPS isn’t asking more of it than that - but that’s no excuse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

Hmm, I don't think I love sequestering high achieving students together. Sounds like a pressure cooker, and not the real world either, not to mention lack of diversity and children of all kinds of intelligence (not only narrow academic ability). I really benefited from this variety in my own high school, which was more like a Wilson. I probably won't be looking at SWW for my kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

Hmm, I don't think I love sequestering high achieving students together. Sounds like a pressure cooker, and not the real world either, not to mention lack of diversity and children of all kinds of intelligence (not only narrow academic ability). I really benefited from this variety in my own high school, which was more like a Wilson. I probably won't be looking at SWW for my kid.

u

Hmmm. This poster sounds like the parent of a younger-than-middle-school child. Get back with me after you first year in a non-Deal DCPS middle school and tell me how that variety is working out for your hopefully at least at grade level child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

Hmm, I don't think I love sequestering high achieving students together. Sounds like a pressure cooker, and not the real world either, not to mention lack of diversity and children of all kinds of intelligence (not only narrow academic ability). I really benefited from this variety in my own high school, which was more like a Wilson. I probably won't be looking at SWW for my kid.

In what ways does Walls lack diversity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't speak about later grades or real academics, but My child is in PK3 and it's been amazing. DC's teachers are incredible- so patient, comforting, and amazing at what they do. I have a friend with a child in 4th and she is equally pleased with the school and teachers.

The security, on the other hand, leaves a lot of room for discomfort.

The OP is asking about SWW, not Francis-Stevens at SWW. These are completely different schools despite the "merger."

OP literally did not specify that, at all. Asshole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

Hmm, I don't think I love sequestering high achieving students together. Sounds like a pressure cooker, and not the real world either, not to mention lack of diversity and children of all kinds of intelligence (not only narrow academic ability). I really benefited from this variety in my own high school, which was more like a Wilson. I probably won't be looking at SWW for my kid.

u

Hmmm. This poster sounds like the parent of a younger-than-middle-school child. Get back with me after you first year in a non-Deal DCPS middle school and tell me how that variety is working out for your hopefully at least at grade level child.

Agree, get back to us after your child is in classes with disruptive students, classes with too many students, and classes where your child isn’t challenge because they are with peers not working at the same level and it’s dumb down. I’ll take Walls any day over that. The students at Walls who are in what you call a pressure cooker and competing against other high achieveing students will be well prepared for college and the real world. Also sounds like person has no idea about the student body and diversity at the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't speak about later grades or real academics, but My child is in PK3 and it's been amazing. DC's teachers are incredible- so patient, comforting, and amazing at what they do. I have a friend with a child in 4th and she is equally pleased with the school and teachers.

The security, on the other hand, leaves a lot of room for discomfort.

The OP is asking about SWW, not Francis-Stevens at SWW. These are completely different schools despite the "merger."

OP literally did not specify that, at all. Asshole.

DP. Nice try but OP specified access to GW opportunity, application only, and decision to attend. Plus SWW is the high school. SWW at Francis-Stevens is the lower school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't speak about later grades or real academics, but My child is in PK3 and it's been amazing. DC's teachers are incredible- so patient, comforting, and amazing at what they do. I have a friend with a child in 4th and she is equally pleased with the school and teachers.

The security, on the other hand, leaves a lot of room for discomfort.

The OP is asking about SWW, not Francis-Stevens at SWW. These are completely different schools despite the "merger."

OP literally did not specify that, at all. Asshole.

Not in the title but certainly in the first post. Unless the PreKers are going to class at GWU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't speak about later grades or real academics, but My child is in PK3 and it's been amazing. DC's teachers are incredible- so patient, comforting, and amazing at what they do. I have a friend with a child in 4th and she is equally pleased with the school and teachers.

The security, on the other hand, leaves a lot of room for discomfort.

The OP is asking about SWW, not Francis-Stevens at SWW. These are completely different schools despite the "merger."

OP literally did not specify that, at all. Asshole.

They have different names. SWW and SWW@FS.