Anyone just starting at Hearst?

[Anonymous]

Hi - just wanted to see if anyone was just starting at Hearst to see if you could let me know what you think of the place so far. We're in-boundary for the school but a few years off and wanted to see how people like it there.

thanks -

[Anonymous]

My child started Pre-k at Hearst and I have nothing but great things to say. It is a small school with an intimate feel packed with many opportunities to expand young minds. The students enjoy receiving arts education through Fillmore Arts Center. They have a piano teacher that comes to give private lessons after school. I don't know why people past this gem off as lower rung of Ward 3 schools. Hearst is right up there with Murch, Mann, and Janney ("the DCPS superstar schools").

[Anonymous]

I have the same question as OP/also in-boundary and a few years off,,,,,. I think that the difference of Hearst, from other schools mentioned, is that there is a lower ratio of in-boundary families, for whatever reason. This can obviously become self-perpetuating and lead to perceptions like lower-rung.... My family is always ready to try a school, though now that we are finally living in a neighborhood with a neighborhood feel, I would love to see more "neighbors" at the local school. My child has always attended high OOB schools, but never had the opp to walk to school with kids etc... so I have a vested interest in hoping Hearst's local participation rises... But I would like to hear more about Hearst as well-- I've seen some mention of its arts collaboration. I am familiar with Fillmore and it's a great program but its partnerships with schools run from middling to very strong. More about that would be interesting. And about the academic approach --reading, writing, Science etc....
Hearst intrigues me as well.

[Anonymous]

I've heard that the current 2nd grade class at Hearst had a lot of behavioral problems in 1st grade last year. Accepted a lot of kids who were kicked out of K elsewhere. . . .

I've also heard from parents in other of the younger classes (current K and current 1st) that their child has had a great experience

[Anonymous]

Kicked out of K? Wow. Thanks for the insight. Was that a weird aberration, or the result of some acceptance policy? One or two outlaws a grade seems acceptable, but a whole class of kindergarten scofflaws not so much....

[Anonymous]

If you really want to now about Hearst you should visit. When I went to observe last year I was impressed by the good behavior of the students and the attention they paid to their teachers (and vice versa). The kindergarten teacher was a rock star!

BTW, the test scores (if you're into these things) are totally in line with those at Lafayette, Janney, etc.

[Anonymous]

Hearst was one of the schools investigated inconclusively I believe for its test-score 'jump'. It sounds like an interesting school and I will definitely visit and check it out--would like to see sustained test scores , if only to prove this probe wrong?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/03/AR2009090302129.html

[Anonymous]

haven't read the link yet, but at Hearst the only grade where DC-CAS was offered was 3rd for 2008 and 2009. They are starting 4th in 2009-10, so for 2010, 3rd and 4th graders will take the test.

Hearst has one 3rd grade classroom.

So in 2008, one classroom of kids tooks the tests. Those kids then left Heart and dispersed into other schools.

In 2009, an entirely different set of kids took the test (unless someone was retained in 3rd grade). Those kids may have stayed at Hearst for 4th grade, and then would be part of the 2010 test group.

With a completely different set of kids, and a small sample size, score trends at Hearst, up, down, or sideways, are likely to be statistically meaningless.

[Anonymous]

18:19 back. okay, I've read the article now and looked to the scores for Hearst. http://www.nclb.osse.dc.gov/dccas_reportcards.asp

I see nothing that would make me concerned about Hearst. My prior post still holds, except that the years are 2007 and 2008 for the score improvment.

By year, # kids tested, followed by Reading, # below basis, # basic, # proficient, # advanced.

2006: 22 -- 0. 9. 12. 1
2007: 16 -- 2, 4, 8, 2
2008: 23 -- 0, 3, 13, 7
2009: 27 -- 1, 4, 19, 3

Looking at this pattern, the question I think worth asking is did the increase in class size between 2008 and 2009 impact the teacher's ability to offer differentiated instruction? Why are so many fewer students in the advanced group in 2009? Realizing that is may simply be the kids that ended up in that one class.

[Anonymous]

I sent my DC to Hearst for pre-K 4 years ago. Our experience was disappointing. My issues at that time were:

1. inconsistent quality in the teaching staff. One pre-K teacher had years of experience and ran a good classroom. The other pre-K teacher was new to teaching and struggled. Similar situation with teachers for some of the other grades.
2. The principal set a low bar for teacher performance.
3. TVs used as a babysitter in the classrooms so the teachers could get some work done. My DC watched full-length Disney movies.
4. Lots of junk food in the classroom (maybe this is the way it is in all public classrooms but it's so not necessary.)

The good things:
1. great playground
2. small school

Beware that all of this may be out of date.

[Anonymous]

I believe there is a new principal and aggressive PTA; hopefully they can inform us of new positive changes through community outreach. It seems Hearst currently has a mixed reputation. Some folks seem to love it; some disappointed. And as a high percentage OOB school, it obviously needs to make inroads with the local school population.