Middle Schools for Cap Hill

[Anonymous]

Not sure about genuinely enjoyable for most of those who stay on, but undeniably available.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think many parents bail for Basis or Latin l/ll (if they can) not because SH is that bad but to have a guarantee HS option (and no application headaches) that is better than Eastern.

I don’t know too many people who plan to stay at Basis for high school. I chose it got middle school only.

Many BASIS MS parents claim this. But in reality, at least half BASIS MS families stay on for HS and I won't be surprised if more do as time goes on, especially from the Hill.

Unless parents can afford private HS, or are prepared to move to the burbs, where else will the Hill MS kids at BASIS land? Walls admissions has become much more of a crap shoot in the last couple years, Eastern is going nowhere for in-boundary families, OOB spots at Jackson-Reed (Wilson) are almost impossible to come by these days, and the new HS in Ward 3 on McArthur Blvd (not an easy commute from the Hill, like the BASIS schlep) may or may not materialize within the next few years.

This is all true. But also, the more our middle-school DC gets peeks of the high school experience, the more it’s starting to seem appealing. As long as a kid is ok with lots of AP classes and a small school, high school at Basis seems like it might be a genuinely enjoyable experience.

True.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think many parents bail for Basis or Latin l/ll (if they can) not because SH is that bad but to have a guarantee HS option (and no application headaches) that is better than Eastern.

I don’t know too many people who plan to stay at Basis for high school. I chose it got middle school only.

Many BASIS MS parents claim this. But in reality, at least half BASIS MS families stay on for HS and I won't be surprised if more do as time goes on, especially from the Hill.

Unless parents can afford private HS, or are prepared to move to the burbs, where else will the Hill MS kids at BASIS land? Walls admissions has become much more of a crap shoot in the last couple years, Eastern is going nowhere for in-boundary families, OOB spots at Jackson-Reed (Wilson) are almost impossible to come by these days, and the new HS in Ward 3 on McArthur Blvd (not an easy commute from the Hill, like the BASIS schlep) may or may not materialize within the next few years.

BASIS middle school kids and parents should really try to talk to BASIS high school kids and parents. HS is so different than MS. Senior Project presentations are next week. You should go and see what the kids have accomplished.

I don't agree. The BASIS MS experience set the stage for the HS experience. Same focus on math and science achievement, vs. on technology (the budget doesn't stretch to much), humanities, arts, languages. Same push for all AP tests to be taken no later than spring of junior year. Same so-so extra curriculars, with more students finding their own outside the program. Same cramped building/facility. HS get more choice over subjects than MS students, and smaller classes, but there aren't a lot of subjects to choose from. HS students do more independent research, and internships, but only after they've crammed in all their APs by the end of junior year. I note this having worked in the BASIS HS.

[Anonymous]

True.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS 5th graders get the scores they do mainly because they're mostly upper-middle class kids, period.

Why are their scores so low, then?

Low? BASIS and Deal compete for the highest math scores in the city for every subgroup.

But I would expect UMC kids to be scoring higher than the scores coming out of BASIS and Deal. They seem low for UMC kids in general.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS 5th graders get the scores they do mainly because they're mostly upper-middle class kids, period.

Why are their scores so low, then?

Low? BASIS and Deal compete for the highest math scores in the city for every subgroup.

But I would expect UMC kids to be scoring higher than the scores coming out of BASIS and Deal. They seem low for UMC kids in general.

LOL. You think scores should be higher than they are across the board and on that basis you are unimpressed with the best scores in DC. Your observations are noted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS 5th graders get the scores they do mainly because they're mostly upper-middle class kids, period.

Why are their scores so low, then?

Low? BASIS and Deal compete for the highest math scores in the city for every subgroup.

But I would expect UMC kids to be scoring higher than the scores coming out of BASIS and Deal. They seem low for UMC kids in general.

Unfortunately we can’t compare apples to apples because our peer school systems have ditched the PARCC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS 5th graders get the scores they do mainly because they're mostly upper-middle class kids, period.

Why are their scores so low, then?

Low? BASIS and Deal compete for the highest math scores in the city for every subgroup.

But I would expect UMC kids to be scoring higher than the scores coming out of BASIS and Deal. They seem low for UMC kids in general.

Based on your expertise on the demographics of takers of the PARCC exam, which is only taken in DC?

Please enlighten us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://twitter.com/WeedonAmy/status/1523766022020698113

https://twitter.com/christineclapp/status/1510316803423096834

https://twitter.com/HeatherSchoell

Yeah, ok. But there is a reason these three are busy tweeting about their kid’s school choices. Seriously how many of us tweet out our kid’s school name and activities constantly. And pretty much no one else at Eastern doing that. Check the tags🙄

There’s an agenda/identity thing going on. If they were just casually sending their kid to school we wouldn’t be hearing about it on twitter.

I am a little late to this thread, and may be speaking into the void here, but I wanted to offer a different perspective. There are great programs and good things happening at a lot of schools across the city - in addition to the few select schools that are always mentioned on DCUM. As we know from this website, many people make decisions and assumptions about schools without actually knowing anybody at the school, and without any firsthand experience. What some may view as over-sharing may also be an effort to share their experience so people can make more informed decisions and avoid stereotypes/assumptions about schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://twitter.com/WeedonAmy/status/1523766022020698113

https://twitter.com/christineclapp/status/1510316803423096834

https://twitter.com/HeatherSchoell

Yeah, ok. But there is a reason these three are busy tweeting about their kid’s school choices. Seriously how many of us tweet out our kid’s school name and activities constantly. And pretty much no one else at Eastern doing that. Check the tags🙄

There’s an agenda/identity thing going on. If they were just casually sending their kid to school we wouldn’t be hearing about it on twitter.

I am a little late to this thread, and may be speaking into the void here, but I wanted to offer a different perspective. There are great programs and good things happening at a lot of schools across the city - in addition to the few select schools that are always mentioned on DCUM. As we know from this website, many people make decisions and assumptions about schools without actually knowing anybody at the school, and without any firsthand experience. What some may view as over-sharing may also be an effort to share their experience so people can make more informed decisions and avoid stereotypes/assumptions about schools.

Please go ahead and tell us specifically which schools have great programs and good things happening. And please do explain why the middle school test scores are so low, and why so many people who give Jefferson and Eliot-Hine a try in 6th grade do not stick around for 7th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS 5th graders get the scores they do mainly because they're mostly upper-middle class kids, period.

Why are their scores so low, then?

Low? BASIS and Deal compete for the highest math scores in the city for every subgroup.

But I would expect UMC kids to be scoring higher than the scores coming out of BASIS and Deal. They seem low for UMC kids in general.

Based on your expertise on the demographics of takers of the PARCC exam, which is only taken in DC?

Please enlighten us.

I’m basing my opinion on the demographics of DCUM, specifically those that live in DC and send their kids to Deal and Basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://twitter.com/WeedonAmy/status/1523766022020698113

https://twitter.com/christineclapp/status/1510316803423096834

https://twitter.com/HeatherSchoell

Yeah, ok. But there is a reason these three are busy tweeting about their kid’s school choices. Seriously how many of us tweet out our kid’s school name and activities constantly. And pretty much no one else at Eastern doing that. Check the tags🙄

There’s an agenda/identity thing going on. If they were just casually sending their kid to school we wouldn’t be hearing about it on twitter.

I am a little late to this thread, and may be speaking into the void here, but I wanted to offer a different perspective. There are great programs and good things happening at a lot of schools across the city - in addition to the few select schools that are always mentioned on DCUM. As we know from this website, many people make decisions and assumptions about schools without actually knowing anybody at the school, and without any firsthand experience. What some may view as over-sharing may also be an effort to share their experience so people can make more informed decisions and avoid stereotypes/assumptions about schools.

Maybe. But there are also many, many people who have informed themselves well, done their research and rejected schools or programs or administrations on grounds that are patently not based in stereotypes snd assumptions. I think you underestimate two things 1) the high level of desire and interest in having middle and high schools on Capitol Hill that function and high quality ( not the students—the grown-ups, the program, the curriculum) 2) the extreme level of dysfunction, chaos, abuse, unprofessionalism, ideologival malfeasance and incompetence that exists in middle and high school programs across DCPS.

You seem sweet, I wish you well.

[Anonymous]

It’s really not mysterious. Are you following the debacle around HVAC and airconditioning in DCPS schools right now? Were you around for their COVID response/testing programs? Did you follow the graduation rate scandal of a few years back?

These aren’t minor concerns. If DCPS can’t get these right, what makes you think there is anyone at the helm providing good decision-making, hiring and leadership when it comes to the actual complex and critical job of educating children?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://twitter.com/WeedonAmy/status/1523766022020698113

https://twitter.com/christineclapp/status/1510316803423096834

https://twitter.com/HeatherSchoell

Yeah, ok. But there is a reason these three are busy tweeting about their kid’s school choices. Seriously how many of us tweet out our kid’s school name and activities constantly. And pretty much no one else at Eastern doing that. Check the tags🙄

There’s an agenda/identity thing going on. If they were just casually sending their kid to school we wouldn’t be hearing about it on twitter.

I am a little late to this thread, and may be speaking into the void here, but I wanted to offer a different perspective. There are great programs and good things happening at a lot of schools across the city - in addition to the few select schools that are always mentioned on DCUM. As we know from this website, many people make decisions and assumptions about schools without actually knowing anybody at the school, and without any firsthand experience. What some may view as over-sharing may also be an effort to share their experience so people can make more informed decisions and avoid stereotypes/assumptions about schools.

Please go ahead and tell us specifically which schools have great programs and good things happening. And please do explain why the middle school test scores are so low, and why so many people who give Jefferson and Eliot-Hine a try in 6th grade do not stick around for 7th.

So many? If you're going to make an assertion like this, I assume you have some statistics. What percentage of students who attend sixth grade at Eliot-Hine and Jefferson do not return for seventh grade? And how does that percentage compare to that other schools?

[Anonymous]

hardy has over the past decade transformed from being a school that umc neighborhood families largely flatout avoided in droves to becoming a school large number of inbound elementary students at all socioeconomic levels opt into attending. is it still an imperfect urban dcps middle school? sure. why wont that happen for hobson/jefferson/eh?