What's Banneker HS like?

[Anonymous]

Any families (or former students) out there who have been through Banneker HS? Would love to know what the school is like, what it's strengths and weaknesses are, and if you'd recommend it. Were you glad you went there?

[Anonymous]

It is one of the top DCPS schools. Good cohort of kids - focused on going to college and very respectable AP results. What more do you need to know?

[Anonymous]

Um, I think what else OP needs to know is what the school is like, what its strengths and weaknesses are, and if you'd recommend it. Ok?

[Anonymous]

I love Banneker and hope my son gets in when it's his time. From my research, the only negatives seem to be limited sports teams. The sports they don't offer, kids are eligible to play so other schools but I'm not sure how realistic and feasible that would be. The positives are plenty from outside looking in. I don't have direct experience so can't opine much more.

[Anonymous]

The attrition rate is very high. They lose at least 30% of students by 12th grade, graduating about 75 each year. They start with 125-150.

[Anonymous]

It's not diverse

[Anonymous]

I had wanted to consider it for my non-white child but when I looked closely at the scores for the school including the SAT scores as well as the general info about the courses offered including quite a bit of remediation courses, I realized that the students are doing well for students in DCPS and do better than those in other DCPS high schools but compared to suburb schools or other charter schools, they are only doing about average.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had wanted to consider it for my non-white child but when I looked closely at the scores for the school including the SAT scores as well as the general info about the courses offered including quite a bit of remediation courses, I realized that the students are doing well for students in DCPS and do better than those in other DCPS high schools but compared to suburb schools or other charter schools, they are only doing about average.

One should really compare their SAT scores to those that are low income and/or AA to really compare apples to apples. When you do that, you will see Banneker scores a lot higher (I think 100+).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had wanted to consider it for my non-white child but when I looked closely at the scores for the school including the SAT scores as well as the general info about the courses offered including quite a bit of remediation courses, I realized that the students are doing well for students in DCPS and do better than those in other DCPS high schools but compared to suburb schools or other charter schools, they are only doing about average.

Thats true of probably every single DCPS schools We look at one school that has 30% of the kids meeting expectations and we think thats GOOD because it is better than most DCPS third graders. But its a terrible comparison. Definitely need to compare to the suburban schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not diverse

Correct. It's demographics are very similar to Janney or Lafayette as far as 70%-80% of one population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had wanted to consider it for my non-white child but when I looked closely at the scores for the school including the SAT scores as well as the general info about the courses offered including quite a bit of remediation courses, I realized that the students are doing well for students in DCPS and do better than those in other DCPS high schools but compared to suburb schools or other charter schools, they are only doing about average.

Thats true of probably every single DCPS schools We look at one school that has 30% of the kids meeting expectations and we think thats GOOD because it is better than most DCPS third graders. But its a terrible comparison. Definitely need to compare to the suburban schools

Why do you have to compare it to the suburban schools? OP's question is "what is Banneker like". not "Is Banneker objectively THE BEST high school in the region?" Presumably OP is a DC resident scoping out the various DC options. For a school to be a viable option it does not necessarily have to be "the best" school, and the comparators would be the schools in the same school district. So it would be great to hear from ACTUAL BANNEKER PARENTS about what their child's experience has been. I know that there's been at least one Banneker Mom who has posted on here about how her daughter did great there, but she had to pull her son.

[Anonymous]

A lot of homework. Mostly girls. Strong history and traditions.

[Anonymous]

Banneker is basically a HS version of Howard (which I mean as a compliment). The kids may not have the highest stats around but they're bright, serious students taking advantage of the first-rate education on offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The attrition rate is very high. They lose at least 30% of students by 12th grade, graduating about 75 each year. They start with 125-150.

Basis apparently only KEEPS about 30%, losing 60-70% of their students by graduation, yet some people think it's a great school. So apparently attrition isn't something many parents consider, for better or worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The attrition rate is very high. They lose at least 30% of students by 12th grade, graduating about 75 each year. They start with 125-150.

Basis apparently only KEEPS about 30%, losing 60-70% of their students by graduation, yet some people think it's a great school. So apparently attrition isn't something many parents consider, for better or worse.

Not many if 70% leave.