test-in dcps middle school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ PP are you not aware that

1- DC has many, many academically high performing AA students who would benefit from a test-in middle school

2- all the test in high schools have a large majority of AA students

3- before tracking was abolished, Jefferson and Hardy were the equivalent of academic test-in schools where the principals hand picked strong students from all over the city and gave them specialized programming. It was exclusively AA students who benefitted from this.

+1000

Apparently PP thinks it's fine to deny high-performing AA students an opportunity, for no good reason other than a fear that some high-performing white kids might end up in that school as well.

[Anonymous]

the kids who are being denied are the kids who cannot afford private school. High SES families (black, white Asian) will find other opportunities. Middle class and lower-income kids who cannot afford to move easily, are the ones who most need this.

even if a test-in or application middle school with a seriously rigorous curriculum were initially only 25% black (which I doubt would happen, since as posters mentioned because of interest and population there are tons of AA families who are looking for better schooling), that would still be a significant portion and an opportunity that those kids simply do not have now. Self-selection/lottery and weeding out through heavy homework like a Basis model will not work for many families.

[Anonymous]

My figures are not way off there are not enough whites in the system to make a difference in the school population to have such a test-in necessity. Do you own research on any DCPS school web-site the percentage of whites is there for everyone to see. Don't get excited just because you see 33% white at one school doesn't mean that all 33% will matriculate to the neighborhood walkable school. Also if you spread out the 33% over the school population like DCPS that's comes out to a mere 3%. Such the case a test-in middle school of 700 could have about 3-whites and we all know how whites don't like the fish-bowl effect of being the "white and lonely" in their school settings.

[Anonymous]

I truly don't understand pp. He/she seems convinced that a test-in middle school is about white people wanting to have a school that is all white.

I have listened to dozens of AA parents clamor for a test-in middle school including the AA educational leaders of Ward 5.

It is not a white/black thing. It is an academically prepared or not thing. And like it or not, that doesn't fall in any racial lines.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I support 2-3 test-in middle schools, in easily accessible (and relatively crime-free) areas of the city...say brookland, capital hill, near St Elizabeth's new campus

The scores for walls and banneker aren't impressive, but I think they would be better with better middle school preparation

How are those easily accessible places!! They're nowhere near, say, Dupont!

Not everything has to be in NW....besides which, there is no space round there...

"Space" is negotiable in cities, but sure, not everything needs to be in NW. But really, St. Elizabeth's?!! That might as well be on the moon.

For central city families, "easily accessible" means within a few blocks of Metro or frequently-running ( > every 10 mins. all day) bus routes.

St E's is close to a metro. I see lots of new townhomes going up there, the area is changing due to the new federal space at the old campus, and Branch ave/pennsylvania Ave SE have middle income areas, if you take a good look around
I read complaints here about kids crowding into ward 3 schools. There's no better way to ease crowding than creating a decent program much closer to home

[Anonymous]

^^ no thank you. My DD is not walking from the metro to school in that neighborhood

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I truly don't understand pp. He/she seems convinced that a test-in middle school is about white people wanting to have a school that is all white.

I have listened to dozens of AA parents clamor for a test-in middle school including the AA educational leaders of Ward 5.

It is not a white/black thing. It is an academically prepared or not thing. And like it or not, that doesn't fall in any racial lines.

+1

There are plenty of AA parents looking for high-quality educational opportunities for their kids, and plenty of high-achieving AA students who could benefit from such programs.

[Anonymous]

I would say that the crew furthest along toward a test-in school is the folks in Hillcrest. So that should lead me to the conclusion that test in schools are a conspiracy against longtime black residents. Oh wait.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I support 2-3 test-in middle schools, in easily accessible (and relatively crime-free) areas of the city...say brookland, capital hill, near St Elizabeth's new campus

The scores for walls and banneker aren't impressive, but I think they would be better with better middle school preparation

How are those easily accessible places!! They're nowhere near, say, Dupont!

Not everything has to be in NW....besides which, there is no space round there...

"Space" is negotiable in cities, but sure, not everything needs to be in NW. But really, St. Elizabeth's?!! That might as well be on the moon.

For central city families, "easily accessible" means within a few blocks of Metro or frequently-running ( > every 10 mins. all day) bus routes.

St E's is close to a metro. I see lots of new townhomes going up there, the area is changing due to the new federal space at the old campus, and Branch ave/pennsylvania Ave SE have middle income areas, if you take a good look around
I read complaints here about kids crowding into ward 3 schools. There's no better way to ease crowding than creating a decent program much closer to home

St. Elizabeth's is nowhere near my Ward 1 home, and I'm under the impression that the Metro isn't actually so "near" the campus as to be a brief but pleasant walk. The campus may be within the city limits, but it's not a destination that works for urban families at all.

[Anonymous]

I do believe that's PP assumption that whites want the test-in school but many AA's would out number them in the accpetance, thus the minority of whites will feel uncomfortable. Also, many whites feel that having a test-in gives them more control over a public education format. Yes AA's want and will support anything that is new in the education format but consider this why isn't a focus group of AA's meeting with the Chancellor and asking for this vary same thing of test-in schools? I am just saying familiarity brings comfort at all levels, so why not use the race card among your own race.

[Anonymous]

thats crazy. white students are a minority at every single test-in high school and most every other school in washington DCPS or Charter. and all is good.

yes. AA are meeting and asking for test-in middle schools as we speak. good for them and i will join with them and send my white child if it comes to pass

[Anonymous]

NYC is 58% white, 18% Latino, 17% AA and 8% Asian.

I've no dog in this, but posters keep referencing Stuyvesant HS, NYC's flagship test-in. It's student body is 72% Asian, 24% white, 3% Latino and 1% AA.

42% are FARMS students, though they don't call it that in NY.

[Anonymous]

NYC is 58% white, 18% Latino, 17% AA and 8% Asian.

Whoops, these are New York State's numbers. The City's are 33%, 29%, 25% and 13%, respectively.

[Anonymous]

From those figures on the NYC test-in experience, it goes to show that AAs have absolutely nothing to fear or lose from test-in schools and in fact may benefit greatly from them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From those figures on the NYC test-in experience, it goes to show that AAs have absolutely nothing to fear or lose from test-in schools and in fact may benefit greatly from them.

Ha ha - but the NYC specialized schools all use the same test, the SHSAT - what specifically in the SHSAT is the race-based barrier that trips students up?