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If Fenty Loses ...
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Anonymous
| Maybe it get worse down the road, but I've really liked the curriculum/ experience for my son in preK 3, 4 and K at an up and coming DCPS school. PreK 3 and 4, were lots and lots of play with some numbers, counting, letters, early writing (which was almost optional). He also had library (with a wonderful librarian), Chinese, art, music and field trips to museums. He was so happy there from day one. My MIL is a former elementary school teacher from an excellent suburban district and she was very impressed by DS's classroom and teacher. His kindergarten teacher had a very strong personlity and teaching style. I'm sure she reviewed/used the curriculum, but she inserted tons of techniques that she has honed from 15 years of teaching kindergarten. My only issue was that the curriculum was more academic than my kindergartner and I would have liked. Overall, I think my child has had about as good an experience in preschool and kindergarten as a kid could have anywhere. Does the curriculum get worse in later grades? |
Anonymous
| Sorry, I was using the commonly understood "layman's" meaning of "school quality", including "achievement" as one of the measures thereof. |
Anonymous
Not sure how much involvement you have with DCPS, and I'm speaking only as the parent at one of the rapidly gentrifying elementary schools, but I see a shit-ton of discussion, and parental involvement in curriculum issues. So, yes, people are discussing and demanding it. Of course, it will be a lot easier to "finesse" the curriculum once we get past the massive failure to teach even the most rudimentary math and reading skills. If, as PP said, the subpar curriculum in DCPS is essentially identical to that of MCPS we should eventually be able to get to the same level of basic proficiency as in the 'burbs, right? |
Anonymous
I'm a DCPS parent and teacher. So there's a shit-ton of disccusion on curriculum issues. Great! What curriculum issues are you discussing? what kinds of changes are you demanding? And no, I don't think curriculum and proficiency rates are necessary linked. Students can have high test scores is still be incredibly ignorant about geography, history, literature, etc. For an example, read A Hope in the Unseen by Ron Susskind. |
Anonymous
| 16:30, are you at the "up and coming school" that did IB? Do you think that made a difference? Just curious and glad your son had a good experience. |
Anonymous
Not quite. PARENTING AND CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT Myths and Facts about "Parental Involvement" WHAT WORKS (in order): 1. The educational attainment of the children's mother. 2. The socio-economic level of the children's home. 3. In-home parental promotion of preschoolers' skills acquisitions, such as reading and numbers, game playing, and the creation of a stable, stimulating environment. 4. Parental aspirations (expectations) for children's achievement, and parents' own enthusiasm for, and attitudes toward education and learning. 5. In-home parent-child discussions, valuing of children's opinions and conversation, and social interaction, i.e. "the curriculum of the home." 6. Parental supplementation of children's education with enrichment activities, such as libraries and museums, and family hobbies. 7. Parental encouragement of older children's self-reliance and autonomy. http://www.thelizlibrary.org/liz/021.htm |
Anonymous
Try not to confuse the two. For example, the Lab School has a reputation for providing very high quality educational opportunities to a particular type of student. However, student achievement wouldn't necessarily measure the school quality. Do you see the difference? |
Anonymous
No. We don't have IB at our school, although our parent community is discussing middle schools now and DCPS is suggesting building up our feeder schools with IB. We have really strong teachers at our school- many of whom have been there for 5+ years. |
Anonymous
Not quite. PARENTING AND CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT Myths and Facts about "Parental Involvement" WHAT WORKS (in order): 1. The educational attainment of the children's mother. 2. The socio-economic level of the children's home. 3. In-home parental promotion of preschoolers' skills acquisitions, such as reading and numbers, game playing, and the creation of a stable, stimulating environment. 4. Parental aspirations (expectations) for children's achievement, and parents' own enthusiasm for, and attitudes toward education and learning. 5. In-home parent-child discussions, valuing of children's opinions and conversation, and social interaction, i.e. "the curriculum of the home." 6. Parental supplementation of children's education with enrichment activities, such as libraries and museums, and family hobbies. 7. Parental encouragement of older children's self-reliance and autonomy. http://www.thelizlibrary.org/liz/021.htm You are confirming what I said, which is that educational level and SES of parent are correlated with student achievement. |
Anonymous
You might want to really investiage what IB PYP really consists of by visiting other elementary schools that are currently candidate schools. IB is costly, requires a lot of training, and doesn't really improve curriculum content. It's mostly an educational philosophy and pedagogy. One document that you would really want to study is "Making the PYP Happen." |
Anonymous
I'm not an early childhood specialist. I don't have a very high opinion of the DCPS K-8 content. |
Anonymous
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For those of you who think student achievement needs to rise before a school system can improve its curriculum, take a look at this article.
http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2008/12/great-books-on-the-streets/ |
Anonymous
Any comment on this thread? http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/93750.page I agree with you that "students can have high test scores is still be incredibly ignorant about geography, history, literature, etc." Unfortunately, kids with very low test scores *will* be incredibly ignorant about geography, history, literature, etc... Don't care about curriculum, if a child can't read or add 2 and 2, they're fucked for life. |
Anonymous
That's why so many of your children are bored to death in DCPS. |
Anonymous
| Rhee wants to begin testing the students as early as kindergarter. That's awfully early. Test-grilling children that eary would surely drain the love for school right out of their little souls. |