School Without Walls (SWW) - Recent Experience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

Er, perhaps high standardized test scores =\= a good education?!

Besides, I want my kids to go to top 4 year colleges. What good is an associates’s degree from a middling college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

Er, perhaps high standardized test scores =\= a good education?!

Besides, I want my kids to go to top 4 year colleges. What good is an associates’s degree from a middling college?

People whose kids are doing the GW track are not doing it for an associate degree although it’s good to have on your application to any college showing you are already performing at college level vs someone who doesn’t have that.. They are doing it because their child can perform at a very high level and needs to be challenged at the college level. No other DCPS high school offers this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

Er, perhaps high standardized test scores =\= a good education?!

Besides, I want my kids to go to top 4 year colleges. What good is an associates’s degree from a middling college?

People whose kids are doing the GW track are not doing it for an associate degree although it’s good to have on your application to any college showing you are already performing at college level vs someone who doesn’t have that.. They are doing it because their child can perform at a very high level and needs to be challenged at the college level. No other DCPS high school offers this.

except Banneker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

Er, perhaps high standardized test scores =\= a good education?!

Besides, I want my kids to go to top 4 year colleges. What good is an associates’s degree from a middling college?

People whose kids are doing the GW track are not doing it for an associate degree although it’s good to have on your application to any college showing you are already performing at college level vs someone who doesn’t have that.. They are doing it because their child can perform at a very high level and needs to be challenged at the college level. No other DCPS high school offers this.

I believe all DCPS high schools allow students to take classes at local colleges. SWW has the arrangement with GW that allows kids to pursue an associate's degree, but I believe that program is limited to a few students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

Hmm, I don't think I love sequestering high achieving students together. Sounds like a pressure cooker, and not the real world either, not to mention lack of diversity and children of all kinds of intelligence (not only narrow academic ability). I really benefited from this variety in my own high school, which was more like a Wilson. I probably won't be looking at SWW for my kid.

In what ways does Walls lack diversity?

Well see below from another thread, and just compared to DC as a whole it's much more white. There is likely other lack of diversity in terms of interests of kids, extracurricular which are not done only for college applications, etc. I worry about this because I see a negative trend of stress in high schoolers in order to get into college.

Wilson is 34% White, 32% AA, 22% Hispanic/Latino and 6% Asian
Walls is 43% White, 31%AA, 12% Hispanic/Latino, and 8% Asian
Banneker is 1% White, 74% AA, 20% Hispanic/Latino, and 3% Asian
Ellington is 9% White, 74% AA, 11% Hispanic/Latino, and 2% Asian

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

Hmm, I don't think I love sequestering high achieving students together. Sounds like a pressure cooker, and not the real world either, not to mention lack of diversity and children of all kinds of intelligence (not only narrow academic ability). I really benefited from this variety in my own high school, which was more like a Wilson. I probably won't be looking at SWW for my kid.

u

Hmmm. This poster sounds like the parent of a younger-than-middle-school child. Get back with me after you first year in a non-Deal DCPS middle school and tell me how that variety is working out for your hopefully at least at grade level child.

Agree, get back to us after your child is in classes with disruptive students, classes with too many students, and classes where your child isn’t challenge because they are with peers not working at the same level and it’s dumb down. I’ll take Walls any day over that. The students at Walls who are in what you call a pressure cooker and competing against other high achieveing students will be well prepared for college and the real world. Also sounds like person has no idea about the student body and diversity at the school.

Sad that these are the options

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

Hmm, I don't think I love sequestering high achieving students together. Sounds like a pressure cooker, and not the real world either, not to mention lack of diversity and children of all kinds of intelligence (not only narrow academic ability). I really benefited from this variety in my own high school, which was more like a Wilson. I probably won't be looking at SWW for my kid.

u

Hmmm. This poster sounds like the parent of a younger-than-middle-school child. Get back with me after you first year in a non-Deal DCPS middle school and tell me how that variety is working out for your hopefully at least at grade level child.

Agree, get back to us after your child is in classes with disruptive students, classes with too many students, and classes where your child isn’t challenge because they are with peers not working at the same level and it’s dumb down. I’ll take Walls any day over that. The students at Walls who are in what you call a pressure cooker and competing against other high achieveing students will be well prepared for college and the real world. Also sounds like person has no idea about the student body and diversity at the school.

Sad that these are the options

THere are other options. Banneker, McKinley, Bard early college (successful in other cities), Washington Latin, BASIS and, perhaps, DCI (jury is out since they haven't graduated anyone yet)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

Hmm, I don't think I love sequestering high achieving students together. Sounds like a pressure cooker, and not the real world either, not to mention lack of diversity and children of all kinds of intelligence (not only narrow academic ability). I really benefited from this variety in my own high school, which was more like a Wilson. I probably won't be looking at SWW for my kid.

In what ways does Walls lack diversity?

Well see below from another thread, and just compared to DC as a whole it's much more white. There is likely other lack of diversity in terms of interests of kids, extracurricular which are not done only for college applications, etc. I worry about this because I see a negative trend of stress in high schoolers in order to get into college.

Wilson is 34% White, 32% AA, 22% Hispanic/Latino and 6% Asian
Walls is 43% White, 31%AA, 12% Hispanic/Latino, and 8% Asian
Banneker is 1% White, 74% AA, 20% Hispanic/Latino, and 3% Asian
Ellington is 9% White, 74% AA, 11% Hispanic/Latino, and 2% Asian

Depends on how you define diversity. From above Walls is pretty diverse in my book. And if you are touting Wilson as being diverse in your post above, a few percentages is nothing so your arguement doesn’t hold up with Wilson being diverse and Walls not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

Hmm, I don't think I love sequestering high achieving students together. Sounds like a pressure cooker, and not the real world either, not to mention lack of diversity and children of all kinds of intelligence (not only narrow academic ability). I really benefited from this variety in my own high school, which was more like a Wilson. I probably won't be looking at SWW for my kid.

In what ways does Walls lack diversity?

Well see below from another thread, and just compared to DC as a whole it's much more white. There is likely other lack of diversity in terms of interests of kids, extracurricular which are not done only for college applications, etc. I worry about this because I see a negative trend of stress in high schoolers in order to get into college.

Wilson is 34% White, 32% AA, 22% Hispanic/Latino and 6% Asian
Walls is 43% White, 31%AA, 12% Hispanic/Latino, and 8% Asian
Banneker is 1% White, 74% AA, 20% Hispanic/Latino, and 3% Asian
Ellington is 9% White, 74% AA, 11% Hispanic/Latino, and 2% Asian

Depends on how you define diversity. From above Walls is pretty diverse in my book. And if you are touting Wilson as being diverse in your post above, a few percentages is nothing so your arguement doesn’t hold up with Wilson being diverse and Walls not.

I define consider a DC public school diverse when it reflects either the diversity of the public school population or the diversity of school-age children living in the city generally.

By those measures, Ellington gets closest to mirroring the city's mix.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

Er, perhaps high standardized test scores =\= a good education?!

Besides, I want my kids to go to top 4 year colleges. What good is an associates’s degree from a middling college?

People whose kids are doing the GW track are not doing it for an associate degree although it’s good to have on your application to any college showing you are already performing at college level vs someone who doesn’t have that.. They are doing it because their child can perform at a very high level and needs to be challenged at the college level. No other DCPS high school offers this.

I believe all DCPS high schools allow students to take classes at local colleges. SWW has the arrangement with GW that allows kids to pursue an associate's degree, but I believe that program is limited to a few students.

You may be right but at most other schools I think it’s limited to 1 or 2 courses your senior year. At Walls, you can start junior year till graduation, take more courses and hence get the associate degree. The lack of access and logistics also hinders students from other schools in taking advantage of this because the specific college associated with the school is not close.. At Walls, you are already at the GW campus.

[Anonymous]

These have got to be troll posts.

Walls is an academic application school, to say it does not have enough “academic diversity” because it is only populated by students that are strong academically is quite frankly silly. Also, the measure for entrance is not to reflect the cities demographics but to provide an educational option for kids that pass an academic test.

It is a very diverse school by almost any valid measure. Diverse does not mean reflect the cities demographics, it means “showing a great deal of variety”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Parent of a middle school student here. I think Walls now offers what the parents of high-achieving students have demanded over the course of their child’s education.

Classmates who all perform well on standardized tests, and a learning experience validated by high test standardized scores, AP, SAT et al. And the opportunity to work ahead to hone competitive advantage: students can actually earn an associate’s degree starting junior year, right?

What’s not to love?

Er, perhaps high standardized test scores =\= a good education?!

Besides, I want my kids to go to top 4 year colleges. What good is an associates’s degree from a middling college?

People whose kids are doing the GW track are not doing it for an associate degree although it’s good to have on your application to any college showing you are already performing at college level vs someone who doesn’t have that.. They are doing it because their child can perform at a very high level and needs to be challenged at the college level. No other DCPS high school offers this.

I believe all DCPS high schools allow students to take classes at local colleges. SWW has the arrangement with GW that allows kids to pursue an associate's degree, but I believe that program is limited to a few students.

You may be right but at most other schools I think it’s limited to 1 or 2 courses your senior year. At Walls, you can start junior year till graduation, take more courses and hence get the associate degree. The lack of access and logistics also hinders students from other schools in taking advantage of this because the specific college associated with the school is not close.. At Walls, you are already at the GW campus.

Two other high school programs are now providing a path to early college degrees, Bard and Coolidge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These have got to be troll posts.

Walls is an academic application school, to say it does not have enough “academic diversity” because it is only populated by students that are strong academically is quite frankly silly. [b]Also, the measure for entrance is not to reflect the cities demographics but to provide an educational option for kids that pass an academic test.[b]

It is a very diverse school by almost any valid measure. Diverse does not mean reflect the cities demographics, it means “showing a great deal of variety”.

SWW is interested in making sure diverse candidates have a shot at getting in, which suggests they are also concerned with the makeup of the school's population both racially and ethnically as well as geographically. While it didn't move forward this year due to lack of timely communication and notification -- starting next year students who do not have a 4 or 5 on PARCC will be allowed to sit for the SWW exam provided they are in the top 15% of their high school class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These have got to be troll posts.

Walls is an academic application school, to say it does not have enough “academic diversity” because it is only populated by students that are strong academically is quite frankly silly. [b]Also, the measure for entrance is not to reflect the cities demographics but to provide an educational option for kids that pass an academic test.[b]

It is a very diverse school by almost any valid measure. Diverse does not mean reflect the cities demographics, it means “showing a great deal of variety”.

SWW is interested in making sure diverse candidates have a shot at getting in, which suggests they are also concerned with the makeup of the school's population both racially and ethnically as well as geographically. While it didn't move forward this year due to lack of timely communication and notification -- starting next year students who do not have a 4 or 5 on PARCC will be allowed to sit for the SWW exam provided they are in the top 15% of their high school class.

I am the PP and I agree with you and with the committment from Walls. But there are some posts on here that just seem as if they are posted to get a reaction. Of course an academic-based application school will be populated with students that are strong academically. Just like Ellington is going to be populated by students that have talent in and passion for the arts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These have got to be troll posts.

Walls is an academic application school, to say it does not have enough “academic diversity” because it is only populated by students that are strong academically is quite frankly silly. [b]Also, the measure for entrance is not to reflect the cities demographics but to provide an educational option for kids that pass an academic test.[b]

It is a very diverse school by almost any valid measure. Diverse does not mean reflect the cities demographics, it means “showing a great deal of variety”.

SWW is interested in making sure diverse candidates have a shot at getting in, which suggests they are also concerned with the makeup of the school's population both racially and ethnically as well as geographically. While it didn't move forward this year due to lack of timely communication and notification -- starting next year students who do not have a 4 or 5 on PARCC will be allowed to sit for the SWW exam provided they are in the top 15% of their high school class.

I am the PP and I agree with you and with the committment from Walls. But there are some posts on here that just seem as if they are posted to get a reaction. Of course an academic-based application school will be populated with students that are strong academically. Just like Ellington is going to be populated by students that have talent in and passion for the arts.

Right, the comment was in response to someone asking in what way is Walls not diverse, after I suggested it is less diverse than Wilson. It is a magnet school so by its nature, no, it's not diverse academically. That is exactly what gives me pause, but, if the only other options are to be in overcrowded classrooms of poorly performing kids (suggested above) then that's sad. Period. Walls: you do you. I just don't know if that's where I want my kid.