DCPS Policy on Talented & Gifted & Acaemic Magnet Middle School Programs...Questions for You

[Anonymous]

How many Ward 5 fifth graders are proficient/advanced in math/reading?

[Anonymous]

Controlled Choice means that the PARENTS have a choice of schools, not that the school has a choice of students. I think that is being misunderstood here. It simply means that parents can choose among 4 or 5 different schools, perhaps that offer some specialized offering: language, stem, international baccalaureate etc. Parents rank their choices and then some crazy algorithm tries to make the schools balanced ( economically or whatever ) while still providing families with one of their top preferred program.

Some kind of application/ minimum academic score is a whole other scenario.

[Anonymous]

WHAT IS CONTROLLED CHOICE?

Controlled choice differs from other choice plans, such as open enrollment and voucher models, in that it does not rely on market competition between schools to initiate school improvement (Chubb and Moe 1990). As one of the original designers of controlled choice has written, the market analogy "is inappropriate in an educational situation" because it ignores the social aspect of education by promoting strong schools rather than nurturing weak ones (Willie 1990/91).
Controlled choice attempts to provide choice while maintaining ethnic and racial integration. Controlled choice plans do away with neighborhood attendance districts, create zones, and allow families to choose within their zone, provided that admitting students to their school of choice does not upset the racial and ethnic balance at that school (Alves and Willie 1990).

A few cities have used controlled choice since the 1970s, but most programs are patterned after a plan that was first implemented in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1981. Designed by Michael Alves and Charles Willie, the Cambridge plan has evolved into a system where new families visit a central registration area, choose four schools, and rank them in order of preference. The district reviews the lists and tries to assign students to their choices, but it also tries to ensure that no school exceeds its capacity and all schools reflect the district's racial and ethnic composition (Tan 1990). Not all students receive their first preference, but a balance is struck between allowing parents and students some choice while ensuring that schools remain integrated, with the overall intent of school improvement (Yanofsky and Young 1992).

[Anonymous]

Just give me an application middle school.

[Anonymous]

Or at least give us tracking beyond math class in our middle schools!

[Anonymous]

I hope everyone commenting on this thread is also submitting written testimony to the city council hearings on middle schools. Anonymous forum is one thing, being brave enough to make your needs/opinions clear to your government is another:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a chance to make your voice heard on this issue:


Middle Grades Roundtable

On Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at 10:00 am in the Council Chamber of the John A. Wilson Building, the Committee of the Whole will hold a public oversight roundtable on "Middle Grades Education in the District: Preparing our Students for Success in High School and Beyond." The purpose of the rou ndtable is to allow middle grades experts, families, students and other community members to discuss the District's current approach to educating students in grades 6-8 and best practices for moving forward.

This roundtable is for public witnesses only; government witnesses will testify at a separate roundtable on September 27, 2011 at 10:00 am. Individuals and representatives of organizations who wish to testify at the public oversight roundtable are asked to telephone Priscilla McIver, Administrative Assistant to the Committee of the Whole, at [phone], or via e-mail at [e-mail] and furnish their names, addresses, telephone numbers, and organizational affiliation, if any, by the close of business Tuesday, September 6, 2011. They should also bring 20 copies of their written testimony or submit one copy of their written testimony by Tuesday, September 6, 2011. Persons presenting testimony may be limited to 3 minutes in order to permit each witness an opportunity to be heard.

Written statements are encouraged for individuals and representatives of organizations who are unable to testify and will be made a part of the official record. Copies of written statements should be submitted to the Committee of the Whole, Council of the District of Columbia, Suite 508 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004.

[Anonymous]

I prefer to do my kvetching anonymously.

[Anonymous]

Is Controlled Choice what San Francisco does? If so, it seems like it's a disaster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many Ward 5 fifth graders are proficient/advanced in math/reading?

Impossible to say. The vast majority do not attend schools within the ward. They are private, parochial, charter and OOB. I don't think the DCCAS scores or any other scores are singled out by wards. BTW, Why do you ask the question?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any actual figures on how many Ward 5 students are opting out of in bounds public schools? In Brookland, eyeballing it, I'd think it's probably close to 20% in bounds, 80% in privates, parochial, charter, OOB. Or even less in bounds, and shrinking. But I've never seen any real numbers.

Very very striking trends, and tons of kids lost to DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many Ward 5 fifth graders are proficient/advanced in math/reading?

Impossible to say. The vast majority do not attend schools within the ward. They are private, parochial, charter and OOB. I don't think the DCCAS scores or any other scores are singled out by wards. BTW, Why do you ask the question?

Ward 5 has work to do on it PS to 12 continuum. Middle school is the most vexing question. If one Ward 5 middle school was built, how many Ward 5 students would attend? How many would be proficient/advanced? Demand for wrap around services? Could Ward 5 support a school like Deal?

[Anonymous]

Everyone would benefit from a city-wide magnet middle school. Hundreds of strong students in less affluent wards would qualify. Wards 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8 have the chops and have a lot of students prepared for a magnet school.

[Anonymous]

What DC council members would favor magnet middle schools?

[Anonymous]

Is advocating for tracking in DC schools racist?

Is advocating for a magnet middle school program in DC racist?

[Anonymous]

Who would object to an admissions based middle school program?