Academics at Ellington

[Anonymous]

Have a middle schooler who is more artistic / drama / music inspired that academically inclined. Dear child also has ADHD and standardized tests are difficult (though testing at grade level, thank goodness). DH and I are both science / engineer types, so sometimes we struggle with DC's academic issues. Math homework is difficult reading comprehension is difficult, focus is difficult, executive functioning is difficult. So we have a private tutor for DC twice a week, there's a 504 plan in place, we spend a lot of time working on giving DC the tools needed to navigate school.

As we look to high school, we've been thinking more and more of Ellington as a possibility. DC has skills in music and art and is interested in drama. So this could be a possibility.

And then I look at test scores and I think, what the heck is going on here? I don't think test scores are the be all end all, and I know there were issues with test scores at various high schools. But on this board, people talk about the ridiculous extravagance of Ellington's renovation (which I agree is a huge problem), or non DC students paying tuition at Ellington. But there's very little on the academics at Ellington. 9% proficient in math? What?

What's it like academically at Ellington?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have a middle schooler who is more artistic / drama / music inspired that academically inclined. Dear child also has ADHD and standardized tests are difficult (though testing at grade level, thank goodness). DH and I are both science / engineer types, so sometimes we struggle with DC's academic issues. Math homework is difficult reading comprehension is difficult, focus is difficult, executive functioning is difficult. So we have a private tutor for DC twice a week, there's a 504 plan in place, we spend a lot of time working on giving DC the tools needed to navigate school.

As we look to high school, we've been thinking more and more of Ellington as a possibility. DC has skills in music and art and is interested in drama. So this could be a possibility.

And then I look at test scores and I think, what the heck is going on here? I don't think test scores are the be all end all, and I know there were issues with test scores at various high schools. But on this board, people talk about the ridiculous extravagance of Ellington's renovation (which I agree is a huge problem), or non DC students paying tuition at Ellington. But there's very little on the academics at Ellington. 9% proficient in math? What?

What's it like academically at Ellington?

The academics are dismal, especially in math. Those scores speak for themselves.

Think of Ellington as some kind of vocational school for aspiring artists/ baristas.

IMO, if your DH and you are "science / engineer types"...you're going to suffer seeing your kid there.

[Anonymous]

Duke Ellington does what it claims to do really well. The arts programs are great, and it does a fantastic job getting kids into college. The list of colleges might not impress everyone, but for DCPS, the list is fantastic, and virtually every Ellington graduate gets in somewhere.

It's not just a "vocational school for aspiring artists/baristas" (wow, the barista dig is such a rude way to write off some incredibly creative and cool kids). It's also an oasis for hard-working kids who have
*some* creative ability but mostly want to escape from their dead-end in-boundary high schools.

That said, if your child is an academic high-flyer, you have to consider your options carefully. Although Ellington does have a few kids every year who get into really selective colleges, they have many more students who work really hard but who haven't had the preparation to get them ready for taking 5-10 AP classes during high school. Consequently, Ellington doesn't offer that many AP or high level classes, especially compared to Wilson, Walls, or Banneker.

[Anonymous]

Wouldnt it be great if academic high schieverd in dcps were treated with the same attention and resources per student as the students at Ellington enjoy?

[Anonymous]

Hi OP,

I have an 11th grader at Ellington. My child has a profile somewhat like yours.

I think Ellington could be a good fit for your child. The academics are fine, in my opinion. Each kid carries ten classes, six academic courses (three a day) and four arts courses (two a day). It's a long day, from 8 am to 5 pm, plus more rehearsals, but if you child has interest in an art I'd say go for it. Not every kid is Dave Chappelle or Denyse Graves or Samira Wiley, but they can go on to a professional arts career or not, as they choose. There are higher level courses (honors, APs) as well and kids have gone on to all kinds of careers in STEM fields. Ellington's graduation rate is one of the highest in DC (97% or something like that) and almost all the kids go on to college or a conservatory. College acceptances are high-- these kids show through their tough schedules that they can handle a lot of work and can adapt.

One thing that I really like about Ellington is that 504s and IEPs are supported. They know a lot of quirky artsy kids might have some need for support and just work with it. Kids are always traveling or going to performances, master classes, etc., so they can make up work. The kids are responsible for keeping track of assignments and making it up, but at least there's the opportunity-- at some other high schools that's not so much the case. It's also a safe haven for kids that might not fit in elsewhere (LGBTQ, a boy who dances or likes opera, etc.).

The PARCC math score was dismal but I have to wonder if something didn't go wrong with which kids took it, etc. Just knowing the kids in my child's grade I would think they would be able to do better than that. My own did well on it. There are a bunch of talented kids in the class, arts and academics, so I don't know what went wrong. The English score was more reasonable. I personally wouldn't put a lot of stock on the PARCC scores... new test, flawed roll-out by DCPS in my opinion, and I don't care too much about them. The kids in my child's classes are smart and funny and motivated. They are a great cohort of kids.

Hope this helps. Go to the open house on Oct 18, 3 pm at the Garnet Patterson building.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP,

I have an 11th grader at Ellington. My child has a profile somewhat like yours.

I think Ellington could be a good fit for your child. The academics are fine, in my opinion. Each kid carries ten classes, six academic courses (three a day) and four arts courses (two a day). It's a long day, from 8 am to 5 pm, plus more rehearsals, but if you child has interest in an art I'd say go for it. Not every kid is Dave Chappelle or Denyse Graves or Samira Wiley, but they can go on to a professional arts career or not, as they choose. There are higher level courses (honors, APs) as well and kids have gone on to all kinds of careers in STEM fields. Ellington's graduation rate is one of the highest in DC (97% or something like that) and almost all the kids go on to college or a conservatory. College acceptances are high-- these kids show through their tough schedules that they can handle a lot of work and can adapt.

One thing that I really like about Ellington is that 504s and IEPs are supported. They know a lot of quirky artsy kids might have some need for support and just work with it. Kids are always traveling or going to performances, master classes, etc., so they can make up work. The kids are responsible for keeping track of assignments and making it up, but at least there's the opportunity-- at some other high schools that's not so much the case. It's also a safe haven for kids that might not fit in elsewhere (LGBTQ, a boy who dances or likes opera, etc.).

The PARCC math score was dismal but I have to wonder if something didn't go wrong with which kids took it, etc. Just knowing the kids in my child's grade I would think they would be able to do better than that. My own did well on it. There are a bunch of talented kids in the class, arts and academics, so I don't know what went wrong. The English score was more reasonable. I personally wouldn't put a lot of stock on the PARCC scores... new test, flawed roll-out by DCPS in my opinion, and I don't care too much about them. The kids in my child's classes are smart and funny and motivated. They are a great cohort of kids.

Hope this helps. Go to the open house on Oct 18, 3 pm at the Garnet Patterson building.

The dismal math scores at Ellington have little to do with the new PARCC...they have been the same for years.

It's OK if that's not important for you, but why try to mislead OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP,

I have an 11th grader at Ellington. My child has a profile somewhat like yours.

I think Ellington could be a good fit for your child. The academics are fine, in my opinion. Each kid carries ten classes, six academic courses (three a day) and four arts courses (two a day). It's a long day, from 8 am to 5 pm, plus more rehearsals, but if you child has interest in an art I'd say go for it. Not every kid is Dave Chappelle or Denyse Graves or Samira Wiley, but they can go on to a professional arts career or not, as they choose. There are higher level courses (honors, APs) as well and kids have gone on to all kinds of careers in STEM fields. Ellington's graduation rate is one of the highest in DC (97% or something like that) and almost all the kids go on to college or a conservatory. College acceptances are high-- these kids show through their tough schedules that they can handle a lot of work and can adapt.

One thing that I really like about Ellington is that 504s and IEPs are supported. They know a lot of quirky artsy kids might have some need for support and just work with it. Kids are always traveling or going to performances, master classes, etc., so they can make up work. The kids are responsible for keeping track of assignments and making it up, but at least there's the opportunity-- at some other high schools that's not so much the case. It's also a safe haven for kids that might not fit in elsewhere (LGBTQ, a boy who dances or likes opera, etc.).

The PARCC math score was dismal but I have to wonder if something didn't go wrong with which kids took it, etc. Just knowing the kids in my child's grade I would think they would be able to do better than that. My own did well on it. There are a bunch of talented kids in the class, arts and academics, so I don't know what went wrong. The English score was more reasonable. I personally wouldn't put a lot of stock on the PARCC scores... new test, flawed roll-out by DCPS in my opinion, and I don't care too much about them. The kids in my child's classes are smart and funny and motivated. They are a great cohort of kids.

Hope this helps. Go to the open house on Oct 18, 3 pm at the Garnet Patterson building.

The dismal math scores at Ellington have little to do with the new PARCC...they have been the same for years.

It's OK if that's not important for you, but why try to mislead OP?

PP, I specifically used the words "personally" and "in my opinion." Why would you think I was trying to mislead her? Plus she can look up previous years' scores on her own, readily available. For example why don't you look up DC CAS scores for Ellington for 2011 through 2015?

[Anonymous]

A family moved to our street in Petworth from Virginia a few years ago specifically so their arts-focused daughter could attend Duke Ellington. It was a complete disappointment, they were astonished by the lack of focus on academics, they suffered through the year and then she tested into the SWW, from which she graduated. Just relating one story. I don't have personal experience with the school.

[Anonymous]

A family moved to our street in Petworth from Virginia a few years ago specifically so their arts-focused daughter could attend Duke Ellington. It was a complete disappointment, they were astonished by the lack of focus on academics, they suffered through the year and then she tested into the SWW, from which she graduated. Just relating one story. I don't have personal experience with the school.