Wilson “hybrid” schedule next year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A group of parents need to go to these DC x XG or whatever crap DCPS is pushing and ask for the research behind 4x4 in terms of academic gains. They want to reimagine high school so they should be very open to parent input on what is not working.

Excellent. Have your started organizing?

[Anonymous]

They have purposely arranged these engagement meetings during the week and in-person where very few people can go.

But I agree that people should demand the research behind the 4x4 and every other policy that DCPS and XQ puts in place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two things might have impact here: 1) lots and lots of people emailing DCPS; 2) media attention (this has gotten zero coverage so DCPS has not had to justify it). Anyone have any ideas for how to get local media to cover it? Make Ferebee somehow justify that it is good educational practice while at the same time explain that his kid happens to be at one of the only schools that is exempt from it...

I’m planning on emailing Ferebee. Should cc Melissa Kim also

[Anonymous]

OMG, did people see this????

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/02/23/dc-schools-pandemic-poll/

People need comment and email Perry Stein.

[Anonymous]

Actually, it seems like there's a solution in here...why doesn't DCPS have a remote high school option that is on a 4x4 schedule? Then, if kids fail a class, they can make up the credit online?

It seems like this is actually a perfect solution that would allow students/families for whom the online option works to have that AND DCPS to have their 4x4 for the goal of "credit repair" while not forcing every high school to adopt that schedule.

[Anonymous]

I can't find ANYTHING on the DCPS website about the 4x4 schedule. Has anyone actually seen an official policy about this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't find ANYTHING on the DCPS website about the 4x4 schedule. Has anyone actually seen an official policy about this?

They aren’t going to post it anywhere public because it isn’t actual policy. They also don’t want the push back. All of these conversations are had in meetings, not in writing between principals and DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Wait, if it's not actual policy, does that mean that high schools do NOT have to adhere to it? We have been told that it is NOT Wilson's choice--that DCPS has mandated it of all high schools. That sounds like a policy...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait, if it's not actual policy, does that mean that high schools do NOT have to adhere to it? We have been told that it is NOT Wilson's choice--that DCPS has mandated it of all high schools. That sounds like a policy...

They may have told all high schools they have to do it but they won’t put it out as a policy for the community to see unless

1. There are no exceptions (which at the moment there are)
2. They don’t think it will cause an uproar with parents. Which it will.

Right now they are skating by pretending the change is a result of the pandemic.

[Anonymous]

So, what makes something a policy? My understanding is that the justification has nothing to do with the pandemic and that the application schools are exempt...and will continue to be exempt. Can they say it's not "policy" indefinitely while at the same time imposing it on almost all schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, what makes something a policy? My understanding is that the justification has nothing to do with the pandemic and that the application schools are exempt...and will continue to be exempt. Can they say it's not "policy" indefinitely while at the same time imposing it on almost all schools?

The justification DCPS gave had to do with the pandemic- they claimed everyone had to do the 4x4 so virtual students could simulcast in different classes and so kids could come back after being virtual for the semester. What posters have stated, which is the real truth, is that 4x4 makes it easier to graduate. But again DCPS isn’t putting out edicts about this. They have conversations directly with principals.

And the exemptions given were hard fought- walls and Banneker didn’t automatically get exempt, they had to work their way up to the DCPS chain with appeals to get the exemption. Perhaps because graduation rates aren’t a problem at those schools DCPS gave the exemption. I’m not sure why. But it wasn’t just automatic.

[Anonymous]

But my understanding is that the move to 4x4 predated the pandemic...and Wilson had an exemption for several years and was only denied once the pandemic hit.

So, again, I'm trying to understand what makes something a "policy". Is it actually true that something is only a policy if it applies without exception? That would be bizarre...

[Anonymous]

Okay, now that we are back from February break, what can actually be done to make DCPS justify this policy? There is literally nothing on the website that talks about this god-awful schedule...and they seem to be able so simply ignore inquiries about it...

[Anonymous]

Update from the principal’s call this morning: The DCPS policy requirement is that they offer one section per semester of courses required for graduation, so he said the intention at Wilson is to offer that minimum only.

For example, most sections of algebra 1 will be full-year, but every semester there will also be a semester-long section. He also said they will let people accelerate; so, a student could take algebra 1 one semester and geometry the next semester.

As already reported, all AP classes will be full-year, and there will be an exception to the mandate to offer a semester option for required classes if there was a less-than 10% failure rate for a required class the prior year. (E.g., If algebra 1 had a less than 10% failure rate the prior year, Wilson wouldn’t have to offer any single-semester sections of algebra 1 the next year.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Update from the principal’s call this morning: The DCPS policy requirement is that they offer one section per semester of courses required for graduation, so he said the intention at Wilson is to offer that minimum only.

For example, most sections of algebra 1 will be full-year, but every semester there will also be a semester-long section. He also said they will let people accelerate; so, a student could take algebra 1 one semester and geometry the next semester.

As already reported, all AP classes will be full-year, and there will be an exception to the mandate to offer a semester option for required classes if there was a less-than 10% failure rate for a required class the prior year. (E.g., If algebra 1 had a less than 10% failure rate the prior year, Wilson wouldn’t have to offer any single-semester sections of algebra 1 the next year.)

Great info - thank you for reporting! This sounds promising and flexible.