2011 DC CAS scores are posted

[Anonymous]

This is not entirely accurate. I wish people would not use their preconceived notions to make declarations like "Brent is winning via gentrification". Check out the 5th grade reading scores. 5th grade at Brent was entirely made up of OOB students. They had something like 85% pass rate on the reading test. That most certainly pushed Brent over the hump into making AYP. So if you'd like to argue that gentrification in the loer grades has improved the education for ALL KIDS at Brent, I will agree with you.

Anonymous wrote:Brent is winning via gentrification. Last year 61% of the test takers were poor. This year only 38% were... That said, Brent hasn't been erasing to the top, so they should be proud. Jo wilson and ludlow taylor seem to be missing their erasers.

[Anonymous]

"So if you'd like to argue that gentrification in the loer grades has improved the education for ALL KIDS at Brent, I will agree with you. "

But if all goes to plan, Brent will have under 10% low income children in just 3 years, right?

That is great for children whose parents can afford a house in Brent's boundaries, but not so great for low income kids in DC. Right?

Brent is doing a good job and in 3 years it will be held up as a shining example of excellence in urban education. The rising test scores are directly correlated to SES, which nobody wants to discuss in DCPS.

That said, Brent didn't erase and took some pretty hard hits right here on these boards for not having scores as high as Ludlow-Taylor or JO Wilson. With tighter security, the cheating at those schools wasn't as prevalent this year and scores plunged.

Brent is a fine school, but to pretend that Brent's success isn't related to gentrification is silly.

[Anonymous]

While I can see some social scientist reasons that the shifting demographics at Brent may or may not be great I don't get this debate. We rant about Key's scores being high because they are middle class or upper income kids. We assume there is effective teaching. I am assume at Brent that also is the case maybe even a bit better if they are able to take kids who have had less invested in them (not sure if this does reflect their OOB pop) in their early years and provide similar results. The reason NCLB and these damn tests scores exists is because everyone wanted to be in denial for so long about the poor scores in poor areas. Now all of us are choking on the neglect in these areas.

[Anonymous]

I agree with you that high test scores are directly correlated to SES and that due to shifting demographics in Brent ( there is no PLAN. how nefarious that sounds ) it will soon be almost entirely populated by middle/upper income families. But I do think that having a socio economically integrated school, as Brent as been for the last few year, results in a better education for everyone in the school. The evidence is there and it seems to play out at Brent. Just saying that there may be something to look at here to help improve the situation for low.income students who can't afford a house in a wealthy district like Brent. Perhaps spots get reserved for low income families? What about some real quality magnet schools in some solidly low income schools to draw in a good number of middle income families.

I agree that better test scores are easier in a SES integrated school ( except look at Watkins after all these years of being a vast majority non economically disadvantaged...still can't get it together ). But to look at Brent and sneer " gentrification" misses an important part of the story.

Anonymous wrote:"So if you'd like to argue that gentrification in the loer grades has improved the education for ALL KIDS at Brent, I will agree with you. "

But if all goes to plan, Brent will have under 10% low income children in just 3 years, right?

That is great for children whose parents can afford a house in Brent's boundaries, but not so great for low income kids in DC. Right?

Brent is doing a good job and in 3 years it will be held up as a shining example of excellence in urban education. The rising test scores are directly correlated to SES, which nobody wants to discuss in DCPS.

That said, Brent didn't erase and took some pretty hard hits right here on these boards for not having scores as high as Ludlow-Taylor or JO Wilson. With tighter security, the cheating at those schools wasn't as prevalent this year and scores plunged.

Brent is a fine school, but to pretend that Brent's success isn't related to gentrification is silly.

[Anonymous]

Just to be clear: the important part of the story is that at Brent AYP was finally achieved not because the type of kid taking the test, but because the school as a whole transformed. Leadership, teachers, building, culture and climate FOR SURE, programming, expectations etc. If you dig into the data grade by grade you will see this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just to be clear: the important part of the story is that at Brent AYP was finally achieved not because the type of kid taking the test, but because the school as a whole transformed. Leadership, teachers, building, culture and climate FOR SURE, programming, expectations etc. If you dig into the data grade by grade you will see this.

...not JUST because of the type of kid taking the test.

As far as I'm concerned, the whole conversation here about Brent is speculation - probably some of it accurate and common sense, but still speculation. Yes, it needs to be studied, but will it be?

What's in it for this administration to do anything but threaten teachers and prinicpals, celebrate high scores and hide cheating? That's their whole modus operandi.

Talk about need for a culture change!

[Anonymous]

Agreed! anything good going on in dcps at the moment is despite massive ineptitude at the top.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just to be clear: the important part of the story is that at Brent AYP was finally achieved not because the type of kid taking the test, but because the school as a whole transformed. Leadership, teachers, building, culture and climate FOR SURE, programming, expectations etc. If you dig into the data grade by grade you will see this.

The numbers are there for the kids in 4th and 5th grade. I did a chart to look at how the numbers changed for the same group of kids moving up. I also included actual number of students not just percentages because the segments are so small. What the numbers show from last year to this year is big movement from basic into proficient for our top two grades. Our 5th graders had no one below basic in reading or math. This is a not a change in kids. This is a change in attitude. Not "we'll just wait until the new kids make it to testing grades." It was a committment to all of our kids at Brent to not let the system continue failing them.

Having said this, I absolutely agree that the move in of more higher income families had an impact on Brent, not because they care more about their kids, but because it allowed us to put in money to the school to supplement our staff where needed. The PTA being able to help pay for additional teacher training, the music program and the sports allowed the school's budget to make room for teaches that helped our lower performing kids meet their potential by offering additional support. There is also a big difference between a mostly out-of-boundary, out-of-neighborhood school vs. an in boundary or out-of-boundary but neighborhood school. It is much easier to volunteer after hours or weekends when you live closer. And yes, yes, I know the pricing of the hosues but there are many of us who were on the Hill long before the big housing increase, we just didn't move off and made a commitment to the local schools. So not all of it is due to rich people moving in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just to be clear: the important part of the story is that at Brent AYP was finally achieved not because the type of kid taking the test, but because the school as a whole transformed. Leadership, teachers, building, culture and climate FOR SURE, programming, expectations etc. If you dig into the data grade by grade you will see this.

The numbers are there for the kids in 4th and 5th grade. I did a chart to look at how the numbers changed for the same group of kids moving up. I also included actual number of students not just percentages because the segments are so small. What the numbers show from last year to this year is big movement from basic into proficient for our top two grades. Our 5th graders had no one below basic in reading or math. This is a not a change in kids. This is a change in attitude. Not "we'll just wait until the new kids make it to testing grades." It was a committment to all of our kids at Brent to not let the system continue failing them.

Having said this, I absolutely agree that the move in of more higher income families had an impact on Brent, not because they care more about their kids, but because it allowed us to put in money to the school to supplement our staff where needed. The PTA being able to help pay for additional teacher training, the music program and the sports allowed the school's budget to make room for teaches that helped our lower performing kids meet their potential by offering additional support. There is also a big difference between a mostly out-of-boundary, out-of-neighborhood school vs. an in boundary or out-of-boundary but neighborhood school. It is much easier to volunteer after hours or weekends when you live closer. And yes, yes, I know the pricing of the hosues but there are many of us who were on the Hill long before the big housing increase, we just didn't move off and made a commitment to the local schools. So not all of it is due to rich people moving in.

you have way too much time on your hands

[Anonymous]

"you have way too much time on your hands "

Nope - the Brent community worked very hard for about six years. We have a right to be pleased with the direction of the school.

[Anonymous]

This is true. I have lived in the Brent district for 10 years. Definitely not rich by DC standards.

[Anonymous]

But if all goes to plan, Brent will have under 10% low income children in just 3 years, right?

That is great for children whose parents can afford a house in Brent's boundaries, but not so great for low income kids in DC. Right?

What's the percentage of low income kids in FCPS as a whole?

FCPS' success is great for those parents who can afford a house in-boundary, but not so great for low-income kids in DC.

Explain to me the difference. Hopefully something other than, "We've erected arbitrary state/district lines to achieve de facto segregation so we have no moral obligation."

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why people paint Brent as having some dasterdly plan. The school has improved and is now very popular with in-boundary families. The majority of the 3rd and 5th grade classes (the testing grades) are largely out of boundary. The vast majority of preschool and prek students are in boundary. This has impacted my family as my older son is a 2nd grader and my younger children were not able to get into Brent OOB. But I get why this is happening and I'm not bitter about it - its not myserious and its not dasterdly. Its a public school (not a charter or a magnet) and its serving the children within its boundary well - in a few years there won't be many OOB kids left there. Because my younger kids didn't get into Brent, we are sending them to our in boundary school, Payne, where we plan on being in the PTA and working with the teachers and principal to support that school.

[Anonymous]

I got no sense that people were accusing brent of anything - simply commenting and speculating on reasons for the changes there.

Certainly that's Ok and there's not just one allowed way for schools to improve -- great teaching, with strict adherence to IMPACT guidelines

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:stoddert's floundering - did not make AYP, after making it last year.

From 2008 to 2011
reading: 77, 74, 90, 78
Math: 66, 80, 92, 84

yikes. hope they were not erasing.

That was my first thought as well, the jump from 09 to 10 and then back down in 11 is just too strange.

Although the scores dropped from last year, Stoddert made AYP overall. Eight points off in math is not that all significant. The 12 points in reading is a bit troubling. However, Stoddert is a transient school with ambassador's kids and military. The addition and subtraction of kids could have turned the tide a bit. In any event, Stoddert was not on the list of schools with suspicious erasure marks. That said respectable scores for 2011.