SWW - when do notices go out about interviews?

[Anonymous]

So my student got an interview for Walls but hasn’t heard from Banneker. Anyone else in this boat?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid didn’t get into Walls last year. I explained to them that the process was basically a lottery and not to take it to heart. They were a straight A student at Deal for all three years, played a sport that does well at Walls, and was a kid that tests remarkably well. (Consistent top scores on all PARCC tests and did very well on the 9th grade PSAT). But the 5 minute interview didn’t play to their strengths and I couldn’t even use my own conversational abilities to make up for it because it was too high pressure and random even for me. So, they’re at Jackson-Reed and thriving so far. I was really frustrated when they took a hit to their ego by not getting in and then comparing themselves to other students who did get in. But, I really feel like they’re where they belong and that it’s all worked out for the best.

I hope this helps some folks take heart as they navigate the process this year. It’s a lottery and it’s not personal.

You rock, PP, taking this self-defeating idiocy with such grace. But you're WotP. Over here, on Capitol Hill, families without lottery luck for the Latins or BASIS or the means for privates sometimes move. It takes an hour on public transport and on foot to get to DCI, which has proved too rowdy for my eldest. Too many kids don't want to be in the building, too many good teachers quit mid-year. We're aiming for Banneker but may move if it doesn't pan out.

Yes. When you aren't in bounds for either JR or MacArthur, this is an infinitely more stressful process. We are in Shaw, and if my kids don't get into an application school (or somehow lottery into MacArthur), we would have to move or try to get into private. There is no backup, default option.

That pretty much sums it up. You also have to think of the kids that live on the Eastside of the city. Ft. Lincoln, Brookland, Woodridge, Michigan Park, Riggs Park. Those kids are also vying for seats and there is no HS for them like they just built for MacArthur. A trek to MacArthur would be 90 mins each way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So my student got an interview for Walls but hasn’t heard from Banneker. Anyone else in this boat?

I had the opposite experience. Banneker and Tech interviews, no Walls interview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So my student got an interview for Walls but hasn’t heard from Banneker. Anyone else in this boat?

There was a parent two years ago who was in this boat and posted about it a lot. Never got a Banneker interview but matched at Walls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So my student got an interview for Walls but hasn’t heard from Banneker. Anyone else in this boat?

Banneker interviews come out in waves. My kid was in the last wave of interviews 3 years ago and got in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents are sh*tting on a parent of an otherwise qualified kid who didn’t get an interview just because the kid climbed Mount Kilimanjaro but no one is saying that this climb makes the kid qualified.

The fact is that the Walls admissions process is not only opaque, subjective, and unfair but absurd. Two teacher recommendations--graded subjectively by overworked Walls admissions staff--count three times more than GPA. And a three-question interview (“Pick a number between 1 and 20”) and one paragraph “essay”--the interview graded by a Walls teenager and Walls staff member and the “essay” graded by admission staff--count for six times more than GPA.

No magnet school outside of DC has an admissions process even remotely as dumb as this.

And the results are already in: Last year, over 30% of Walls 9th graders scored below grade level in math on the PARCC.

Does anyone seriously think that the Walls admissions process is selecting the top students in the application pool?

Wondering: Where are you getting this information? PARCC tests algebra or geometry specifically, not "grade level" for 9th graders.

PP is correct.

According to DCPS PARCC data for last year, in 9th grade, 147 students at Walls took a PARCC math exam (pretty much the whole class), and 102 received a 4+, 32 received a 3, and 13 received a 1 or 2. That means that 30.62% of Walls 9th graders scored below grade level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents are sh*tting on a parent of an otherwise qualified kid who didn’t get an interview just because the kid climbed Mount Kilimanjaro but no one is saying that this climb makes the kid qualified.

The fact is that the Walls admissions process is not only opaque, subjective, and unfair but absurd. Two teacher recommendations--graded subjectively by overworked Walls admissions staff--count three times more than GPA. And a three-question interview (“Pick a number between 1 and 20”) and one paragraph “essay”--the interview graded by a Walls teenager and Walls staff member and the “essay” graded by admission staff--count for six times more than GPA.

No magnet school outside of DC has an admissions process even remotely as dumb as this.

And the results are already in: Last year, over 30% of Walls 9th graders scored below grade level in math on the PARCC.

Does anyone seriously think that the Walls admissions process is selecting the top students in the application pool?

Wondering: Where are you getting this information? PARCC tests algebra or geometry specifically, not "grade level" for 9th graders.

PP is correct.

According to DCPS PARCC data for last year, in 9th grade, 147 students at Walls took a PARCC math exam (pretty much the whole class), and 102 received a 4+, 32 received a 3, and 13 received a 1 or 2. That means that 30.62% of Walls 9th graders scored below grade level.

Yeah, that's pretty sad. I wonder if that fraction has gone up significantly during the past three years, when only GPA and an interview were considered, versus previously, when there was an entrance exam. If anyone has easy hands on the data (i.e. is less lazy than me) and wanted to look, that would be interesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents are sh*tting on a parent of an otherwise qualified kid who didn’t get an interview just because the kid climbed Mount Kilimanjaro but no one is saying that this climb makes the kid qualified.

The fact is that the Walls admissions process is not only opaque, subjective, and unfair but absurd. Two teacher recommendations--graded subjectively by overworked Walls admissions staff--count three times more than GPA. And a three-question interview (“Pick a number between 1 and 20”) and one paragraph “essay”--the interview graded by a Walls teenager and Walls staff member and the “essay” graded by admission staff--count for six times more than GPA.

No magnet school outside of DC has an admissions process even remotely as dumb as this.

And the results are already in: Last year, over 30% of Walls 9th graders scored below grade level in math on the PARCC.

Does anyone seriously think that the Walls admissions process is selecting the top students in the application pool?

Wondering: Where are you getting this information? PARCC tests algebra or geometry specifically, not "grade level" for 9th graders.

PP is correct.

According to DCPS PARCC data for last year, in 9th grade, 147 students at Walls took a PARCC math exam (pretty much the whole class), and 102 received a 4+, 32 received a 3, and 13 received a 1 or 2. That means that 30.62% of Walls 9th graders scored below grade level.

That is astounding. I guess I feel somewhat better about my 4.0 kid with 5s in both PARCC sections not getting into Walls last year (waitlisted with a very high number after a 3 minute interview where they asked one question about a hobby).

FWIW, DC is thriving at J-R and we never looked back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents are sh*tting on a parent of an otherwise qualified kid who didn’t get an interview just because the kid climbed Mount Kilimanjaro but no one is saying that this climb makes the kid qualified.

The fact is that the Walls admissions process is not only opaque, subjective, and unfair but absurd. Two teacher recommendations--graded subjectively by overworked Walls admissions staff--count three times more than GPA. And a three-question interview (“Pick a number between 1 and 20”) and one paragraph “essay”--the interview graded by a Walls teenager and Walls staff member and the “essay” graded by admission staff--count for six times more than GPA.

No magnet school outside of DC has an admissions process even remotely as dumb as this.

And the results are already in: Last year, over 30% of Walls 9th graders scored below grade level in math on the PARCC.

Does anyone seriously think that the Walls admissions process is selecting the top students in the application pool?

Wondering: Where are you getting this information? PARCC tests algebra or geometry specifically, not "grade level" for 9th graders.

PP is correct.

According to DCPS PARCC data for last year, in 9th grade, 147 students at Walls took a PARCC math exam (pretty much the whole class), and 102 received a 4+, 32 received a 3, and 13 received a 1 or 2. That means that 30.62% of Walls 9th graders scored below grade level.

Yeah, that's pretty sad. I wonder if that fraction has gone up significantly during the past three years, when only GPA and an interview were considered, versus previously, when there was an entrance exam. If anyone has easy hands on the data (i.e. is less lazy than me) and wanted to look, that would be interesting.

OSSE has changed how they report the data in the ensuing years. But in 2019, 85% of Walls 9th graders had a 4 or 5 on Algebra II and 84% had a 4 or 5 on Geometry. No results that year for Algebra I. (not sure if they had no kids taking it or if the number was too small to report)

It seems like the number of kids with below grade level results on math has doubled.

[Anonymous]

I hope you realize some kids could care less about PARCC or MAP exams because it does not directly affect their GPA. If the scores were related to acceptance criteria for schools then they would push harder on these exams. Even SAT scores submitted for colleges are optional now. There has to be a direct correlation between exam scores and school acceptance for PARCC/MAP to be a selection factor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So my student got an interview for Walls but hasn’t heard from Banneker. Anyone else in this boat?

dude, same

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parents are sh*tting on a parent of an otherwise qualified kid who didn’t get an interview just because the kid climbed Mount Kilimanjaro but no one is saying that this climb makes the kid qualified.

The fact is that the Walls admissions process is not only opaque, subjective, and unfair but absurd. Two teacher recommendations--graded subjectively by overworked Walls admissions staff--count three times more than GPA. And a three-question interview (“Pick a number between 1 and 20”) and one paragraph “essay”--the interview graded by a Walls teenager and Walls staff member and the “essay” graded by admission staff--count for six times more than GPA.

No magnet school outside of DC has an admissions process even remotely as dumb as this.

And the results are already in: Last year, over 30% of Walls 9th graders scored below grade level in math on the PARCC.

Does anyone seriously think that the Walls admissions process is selecting the top students in the application pool?

Wondering: Where are you getting this information? PARCC tests algebra or geometry specifically, not "grade level" for 9th graders.

PP is correct.

According to DCPS PARCC data for last year, in 9th grade, 147 students at Walls took a PARCC math exam (pretty much the whole class), and 102 received a 4+, 32 received a 3, and 13 received a 1 or 2. That means that 30.62% of Walls 9th graders scored below grade level.

Yeah, that's pretty sad. I wonder if that fraction has gone up significantly during the past three years, when only GPA and an interview were considered, versus previously, when there was an entrance exam. If anyone has easy hands on the data (i.e. is less lazy than me) and wanted to look, that would be interesting.

OSSE has changed how they report the data in the ensuing years. But in 2019, 85% of Walls 9th graders had a 4 or 5 on Algebra II and 84% had a 4 or 5 on Geometry. No results that year for Algebra I. (not sure if they had no kids taking it or if the number was too small to report)

It seems like the number of kids with below grade level results on math has doubled.

And also like there's been a shift in level of preparedness for more advanced math classes.

[Anonymous]

Exactly. If you live in Brookland or Woodridge, your inbound HS is Dunbar. And even that is not very close.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid didn’t get into Walls last year. I explained to them that the process was basically a lottery and not to take it to heart. They were a straight A student at Deal for all three years, played a sport that does well at Walls, and was a kid that tests remarkably well. (Consistent top scores on all PARCC tests and did very well on the 9th grade PSAT). But the 5 minute interview didn’t play to their strengths and I couldn’t even use my own conversational abilities to make up for it because it was too high pressure and random even for me. So, they’re at Jackson-Reed and thriving so far. I was really frustrated when they took a hit to their ego by not getting in and then comparing themselves to other students who did get in. But, I really feel like they’re where they belong and that it’s all worked out for the best.

I hope this helps some folks take heart as they navigate the process this year. It’s a lottery and it’s not personal.

You rock, PP, taking this self-defeating idiocy with such grace. But you're WotP. Over here, on Capitol Hill, families without lottery luck for the Latins or BASIS or the means for privates sometimes move. It takes an hour on public transport and on foot to get to DCI, which has proved too rowdy for my eldest. Too many kids don't want to be in the building, too many good teachers quit mid-year. We're aiming for Banneker but may move if it doesn't pan out.

Yes. When you aren't in bounds for either JR or MacArthur, this is an infinitely more stressful process. We are in Shaw, and if my kids don't get into an application school (or somehow lottery into MacArthur), we would have to move or try to get into private. There is no backup, default option.

That pretty much sums it up. You also have to think of the kids that live on the Eastside of the city. Ft. Lincoln, Brookland, Woodridge, Michigan Park, Riggs Park. Those kids are also vying for seats and there is no HS for them like they just built for MacArthur. A trek to MacArthur would be 90 mins each way.

[Anonymous]

Can I ask, for those who regularly travel around these areas, is it hard to get to Dunbar, or is that just my impression?

I usually go in/out of DC along 16th and Georgia and related corridors and it seems to me that getting from NE down North Capitol or NJ or 1st or whatever to Dunbar is not easy. Is there a Metro near there or anything? Is there any bus line that can take you there?

It just seems to me - no specific knowledge, just 30 years as a DC resident - that if there wasn't a high school already where Dunbar is, that it wouldn't be the place we would choose to site one. (Not that good sites are chosen - MacArthur's location is insane.)

But can anybody share on that? And does it affect where NE kids actually choose to go to high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can I ask, for those who regularly travel around these areas, is it hard to get to Dunbar, or is that just my impression?

I usually go in/out of DC along 16th and Georgia and related corridors and it seems to me that getting from NE down North Capitol or NJ or 1st or whatever to Dunbar is not easy. Is there a Metro near there or anything? Is there any bus line that can take you there?

It just seems to me - no specific knowledge, just 30 years as a DC resident - that if there wasn't a high school already where Dunbar is, that it wouldn't be the place we would choose to site one. (Not that good sites are chosen - MacArthur's location is insane.)

But can anybody share on that? And does it affect where NE kids actually choose to go to high school?

It's bizarre that you think there isn't a bus line. The 80 runs right down North Capitol only a block or two away. The P6 goes along K. The G8 would be a little more of a walk but is totally doable for a kid that age.