MacArthur feeder panic

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:And yet their senior class has gotten into phenomenal colleges/universities. Yep. Must be a terrible place. Full panic. 🙄

No kids at the school but I just looked up the SAT average and it’s abysmal at 964. There is a disconnect here with what you are saying.

What you call a “disconnect” is the simple statistical fact that the average does not define the upper bound of a distribution.

The SAT average at JR is 1083, and everyone knows the top kids there have high scores and attend great colleges. MacArthur is the same.

There is not many kids at the upper bound of distribution if the average is that low.

A few outliers does not define a good school with challenge and rigor.

The average scores will go up do to an increased number of kids on the high end.

There are more high-performing kids in the current 9th grade because that's the first class of Hardy kids to no longer have j-R as an option.

With that said, if DCPS actually wanted to create a successful rather than middling school, they would have given no Hardy students to the option to choose J-R.

Have you looked at CAPE scores? Not a lot of high performing kids coming from Hardy esp in math. Deal was the one contributing many mire high performing kids, the majority, when JR was the only feeder for both schools.

Also only about 1/2 Hardy families continued on to MA thus year. I would not consider that a lot of buy in. Scores will not miraculously go way up with such a small sample.

Hardy and Deal both have >95% of students meeting or exceeding on Geometry CAPE. Both the highest in the city.

For Algebra I, Deal had 92% meeting or exceeding, Hardy 84%. Only other school with higher rate was MacFarland at 86%.

We are talking high performing so look at exceeding only and Geometry or higher. Also take that and actually get absolute numbers of kids.

Meeting standards on coursework two years years ahead of grade level is not high performing? There are very few schools anywhere that are going to meet your standards then.

In any case, Deal had 63% level 5 on Geometry, Hardy 28%. Both the highest in the city.

Example of low expectations. Algebra 1 is the standard track and anything below that is remedial for any college bound kid. Geometry is just 1 year ahead. Algebra 2 in 8th is 2 years ahead.

People in the burbs would laugh in your face if you think Algebra 1 in 8th is advance.

So Deal has not only more than 2 times the number of high performing kids in percentages but also more than 2 times the absolute number of kids. Thanks for proving my point that majority of high performing kids going to JR in the past was from Deal.

Enjoy the suburbs I guess.

You should if you have a mathy and Stem kid because geometry and Algebra 2 are a standard part of the curriculum. Algebra 2 will get you to AP Calculus by 10th and you can go 2 years beyond that. TJ is the only school which offers even more advancement and if your kid is gifted, that is where they should go.

It’s shocking that the majority of DCPS middle schools don’t even offer Geometry. The few that do that is the highest. No Algebra 2. But I guess if 95% of the kids are below grade level in math, there is no point because you don’t have any kids who can do it.

Social promotion and low expectations is a vicious cycle that begets more.

This forum is for talking about DC schools. Writing the same thing (no DC school is good enough) over and over across multiple threads isn't really contributing to the conversation. You don't need to continually justify your own decision to move to the suburbs to us.

DCPS schools are not good enough if you have a high performing kid.. You need to realize that so you know to supplement if you want to stay in the city.

The inadequate math offerings are important to know and understand.

Except for BASIS.

Add DCI. 3 levels and the top gets you to AP cal in 10th. Math is also integrated in the IB curriculum and not compartmentalized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet their senior class has gotten into phenomenal colleges/universities. Yep. Must be a terrible place. Full panic. 🙄

No kids at the school but I just looked up the SAT average and it’s abysmal at 964. There is a disconnect here with what you are saying.

What you call a “disconnect” is the simple statistical fact that the average does not define the upper bound of a distribution.

The SAT average at JR is 1083, and everyone knows the top kids there have high scores and attend great colleges. MacArthur is the same.

There is not many kids at the upper bound of distribution if the average is that low.

A few outliers does not define a good school with challenge and rigor.

The average scores will go up do to an increased number of kids on the high end.

There are more high-performing kids in the current 9th grade because that's the first class of Hardy kids to no longer have j-R as an option.

With that said, if DCPS actually wanted to create a successful rather than middling school, they would have given no Hardy students to the option to choose J-R.

Have you looked at CAPE scores? Not a lot of high performing kids coming from Hardy esp in math. Deal was the one contributing many mire high performing kids, the majority, when JR was the only feeder for both schools.

Also only about 1/2 Hardy families continued on to MA thus year. I would not consider that a lot of buy in. Scores will not miraculously go way up with such a small sample.

Hardy and Deal both have >95% of students meeting or exceeding on Geometry CAPE. Both the highest in the city.

For Algebra I, Deal had 92% meeting or exceeding, Hardy 84%. Only other school with higher rate was MacFarland at 86%.

We are talking high performing so look at exceeding only and Geometry or higher. Also take that and actually get absolute numbers of kids.

Meeting standards on coursework two years years ahead of grade level is not high performing? There are very few schools anywhere that are going to meet your standards then.

In any case, Deal had 63% level 5 on Geometry, Hardy 28%. Both the highest in the city.

Example of low expectations. Algebra 1 is the standard track and anything below that is remedial for any college bound kid. Geometry is just 1 year ahead. Algebra 2 in 8th is 2 years ahead.

People in the burbs would laugh in your face if you think Algebra 1 in 8th is advance.

So Deal has not only more than 2 times the number of high performing kids in percentages but also more than 2 times the absolute number of kids. Thanks for proving my point that majority of high performing kids going to JR in the past was from Deal.

Enjoy the suburbs I guess.

You should if you have a mathy and Stem kid because geometry and Algebra 2 are a standard part of the curriculum. Algebra 2 will get you to AP Calculus by 10th and you can go 2 years beyond that. TJ is the only school which offers even more advancement and if your kid is gifted, that is where they should go.

It’s shocking that the majority of DCPS middle schools don’t even offer Geometry. The few that do that is the highest. No Algebra 2. But I guess if 95% of the kids are below grade level in math, there is no point because you don’t have any kids who can do it.

Social promotion and low expectations is a vicious cycle that begets more.

Did Deal stop offering Algebra 2? My kid took it in 8th grade.

Many advanced math kids in DCPS take DE math classes at GW et al. Mine took two. I assume MCPS has a similar offering.

No kids at Deal but I heard that you have to squeeze in a math course in the summer to get to Cal in 10th. Doesn’t JR offer at least 2 years of advance math past Cal?

[Anonymous]

Sorry to derail a bit, but is there a consensus that Hardy has "flipped"? What exactly does that mean? IB newcomer to this feeder pattern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry to derail a bit, but is there a consensus that Hardy has "flipped"? What exactly does that mean? IB newcomer to this feeder pattern.

People zoned for the school are staying and others are more eager to lottery in.

46% of students lived in boundary in 2019-2020, 61% in 2024-2025.

172 matched or waitlisted for 6th grade lottery in 2017-2018, 213 matched or waitlisted for 2025-2026.

Students meeting or exceeding standards in statewide testing: 24% in ELA and 22% in math in 2014-2015, 74% in ELA and 55% in math in 2024-2025

25% economically disadvantaged in 2014-2015, 13% in 2024-2025.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parent of Hardy 8th grader. Not panicked at all

+100. There are so many other things to worry about right now- MacArthur is not one of them (and also a parent of an 8th grader at Hardy).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like people have never been in the building but have a lot of assumptions about what is happening there. They have open houses, you should go. On their acceptance wall are the likes of Howard, Princeton, American, Penn State, Maryland, Minnesota, NC A&T, and SCAD just to name a few. Kids can be very successful at MacArthur.

This is the problem with DCUM. Many people comment here without any knowledge of the school, the current parents, students, teachers, etc. They have never been in the building, at an open house, and then they start “panic” threads on DCUM, which only spread more anxiety and rumors. It’s actually really gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet their senior class has gotten into phenomenal colleges/universities. Yep. Must be a terrible place. Full panic. 🙄

No kids at the school but I just looked up the SAT average and it’s abysmal at 964. There is a disconnect here with what you are saying.

What you call a “disconnect” is the simple statistical fact that the average does not define the upper bound of a distribution.

The SAT average at JR is 1083, and everyone knows the top kids there have high scores and attend great colleges. MacArthur is the same.

There is not many kids at the upper bound of distribution if the average is that low.

A few outliers does not define a good school with challenge and rigor.

The average scores will go up do to an increased number of kids on the high end.

There are more high-performing kids in the current 9th grade because that's the first class of Hardy kids to no longer have j-R as an option.

With that said, if DCPS actually wanted to create a successful rather than middling school, they would have given no Hardy students to the option to choose J-R.

Have you looked at CAPE scores? Not a lot of high performing kids coming from Hardy esp in math. Deal was the one contributing many mire high performing kids, the majority, when JR was the only feeder for both schools.

Also only about 1/2 Hardy families continued on to MA thus year. I would not consider that a lot of buy in. Scores will not miraculously go way up with such a small sample.

Hardy and Deal both have >95% of students meeting or exceeding on Geometry CAPE. Both the highest in the city.

For Algebra I, Deal had 92% meeting or exceeding, Hardy 84%. Only other school with higher rate was MacFarland at 86%.

We are talking high performing so look at exceeding only and Geometry or higher. Also take that and actually get absolute numbers of kids.

Meeting standards on coursework two years years ahead of grade level is not high performing? There are very few schools anywhere that are going to meet your standards then.

In any case, Deal had 63% level 5 on Geometry, Hardy 28%. Both the highest in the city.

Example of low expectations. Algebra 1 is the standard track and anything below that is remedial for any college bound kid. Geometry is just 1 year ahead. Algebra 2 in 8th is 2 years ahead.

People in the burbs would laugh in your face if you think Algebra 1 in 8th is advance.

So Deal has not only more than 2 times the number of high performing kids in percentages but also more than 2 times the absolute number of kids. Thanks for proving my point that majority of high performing kids going to JR in the past was from Deal.

Enjoy the suburbs I guess.

You should if you have a mathy and Stem kid because geometry and Algebra 2 are a standard part of the curriculum. Algebra 2 will get you to AP Calculus by 10th and you can go 2 years beyond that. TJ is the only school which offers even more advancement and if your kid is gifted, that is where they should go.

It’s shocking that the majority of DCPS middle schools don’t even offer Geometry. The few that do that is the highest. No Algebra 2. But I guess if 95% of the kids are below grade level in math, there is no point because you don’t have any kids who can do it.

Social promotion and low expectations is a vicious cycle that begets more.

Did Deal stop offering Algebra 2? My kid took it in 8th grade.

Many advanced math kids in DCPS take DE math classes at GW et al. Mine took two. I assume MCPS has a similar offering.

No kids at Deal but I heard that you have to squeeze in a math course in the summer to get to Cal in 10th. Doesn’t JR offer at least 2 years of advance math past Cal?

You don't if they still offer Algebra 2 (again, they did as of three years ago).

JR offers AP Stat and you can take AP CS A (as well as AP Physics C)...but those aren't really post-Calc BC. Again, you can take Dual Enrollment courses at GW and other local colleges and basically take whatever you want...multivariable, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, et al.

[Anonymous]

Why is there any surprise? J-R also has a lot of rowdy kids. I chalk it up to being in NW!

[Anonymous]

There is a lot of wrong information on this thread. I certainly recommend that parents do their own research.

For instance, if you look at 8th grade CAPE scores for grade level and above (this is after kids have been at the schools for a while), the top school for both math and English is BASIS DC. If your kid cares about academics, BASIS DC should be the top choice. But it is almost impossible to get in after 5th grade.

Here is the data:

BASIS DC

Math 78.5
ELA 84.4

Deal

Math 64.0
ELA 81.0

Latin--2nd St

Math 63.3
ELA 72.4

DCI

Math 41.0
ELA 58.1

[Anonymous]

Ah, there it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a lot of wrong information on this thread. I certainly recommend that parents do their own research.

For instance, if you look at 8th grade CAPE scores for grade level and above (this is after kids have been at the schools for a while), the top school for both math and English is BASIS DC. If your kid cares about academics, BASIS DC should be the top choice. But it is almost impossible to get in after 5th grade.

Here is the data:

BASIS DC

Math 78.5
ELA 84.4

Deal

Math 64.0
ELA 81.0

Latin--2nd St

Math 63.3
ELA 72.4

DCI

Math 41.0
ELA 58.1

Wow--DCI is even below Hardy.

Hardy

Math 50.0
ELA 65.9

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And yet their senior class has gotten into phenomenal colleges/universities. Yep. Must be a terrible place. Full panic. 🙄

No kids at the school but I just looked up the SAT average and it’s abysmal at 964. There is a disconnect here with what you are saying.

What you call a “disconnect” is the simple statistical fact that the average does not define the upper bound of a distribution.

The SAT average at JR is 1083, and everyone knows the top kids there have high scores and attend great colleges. MacArthur is the same.

There is not many kids at the upper bound of distribution if the average is that low.

A few outliers does not define a good school with challenge and rigor.

I don't understand the obsession on this board with taking Cal by 10th grade. I was always good at math, but I didn't take calculus until I was a senior in high school. And I got into an ivy league school where I graduated with honors. My kids are younger so I'm sure there's plenty to say about DC middle schools and high schools that I don't understand, but I truly don't understand why this is something people harp on here.
The average scores will go up do to an increased number of kids on the high end.

There are more high-performing kids in the current 9th grade because that's the first class of Hardy kids to no longer have j-R as an option.

With that said, if DCPS actually wanted to create a successful rather than middling school, they would have given no Hardy students to the option to choose J-R.

Have you looked at CAPE scores? Not a lot of high performing kids coming from Hardy esp in math. Deal was the one contributing many mire high performing kids, the majority, when JR was the only feeder for both schools.

Also only about 1/2 Hardy families continued on to MA thus year. I would not consider that a lot of buy in. Scores will not miraculously go way up with such a small sample.

Hardy and Deal both have >95% of students meeting or exceeding on Geometry CAPE. Both the highest in the city.

For Algebra I, Deal had 92% meeting or exceeding, Hardy 84%. Only other school with higher rate was MacFarland at 86%.

We are talking high performing so look at exceeding only and Geometry or higher. Also take that and actually get absolute numbers of kids.

Meeting standards on coursework two years years ahead of grade level is not high performing? There are very few schools anywhere that are going to meet your standards then.

In any case, Deal had 63% level 5 on Geometry, Hardy 28%. Both the highest in the city.

Example of low expectations. Algebra 1 is the standard track and anything below that is remedial for any college bound kid. Geometry is just 1 year ahead. Algebra 2 in 8th is 2 years ahead.

People in the burbs would laugh in your face if you think Algebra 1 in 8th is advance.

So Deal has not only more than 2 times the number of high performing kids in percentages but also more than 2 times the absolute number of kids. Thanks for proving my point that majority of high performing kids going to JR in the past was from Deal.

Enjoy the suburbs I guess.

You should if you have a mathy and Stem kid because geometry and Algebra 2 are a standard part of the curriculum. Algebra 2 will get you to AP Calculus by 10th and you can go 2 years beyond that. TJ is the only school which offers even more advancement and if your kid is gifted, that is where they should go.

It’s shocking that the majority of DCPS middle schools don’t even offer Geometry. The few that do that is the highest. No Algebra 2. But I guess if 95% of the kids are below grade level in math, there is no point because you don’t have any kids who can do it.

Social promotion and low expectations is a vicious cycle that begets more.

Did Deal stop offering Algebra 2? My kid took it in 8th grade.

Many advanced math kids in DCPS take DE math classes at GW et al. Mine took two. I assume MCPS has a similar offering.

No kids at Deal but I heard that you have to squeeze in a math course in the summer to get to Cal in 10th. Doesn’t JR offer at least 2 years of advance math past Cal?

[Anonymous]

I don't understand the obsession on this board with taking Cal by 10th grade. I was always good at math, but I didn't take calculus until I was a senior in high school. And I got into an ivy league school where I graduated with honors. My kids are younger so I'm sure there's plenty to say about DC middle schools and high schools that I don't understand, but I truly don't understand why this is something people harp on here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the obsession on this board with taking Cal by 10th grade. I was always good at math, but I didn't take calculus until I was a senior in high school. And I got into an ivy league school where I graduated with honors. My kids are younger so I'm sure there's plenty to say about DC middle schools and high schools that I don't understand, but I truly don't understand why this is something people harp on here.

It's beyond me too, and I was a math major at an Ivy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous[b wrote:]I don't understand the obsession on this board with taking Cal by 10th grade.[/b] I was always good at math, but I didn't take calculus until I was a senior in high school. And I got into an ivy league school where I graduated with honors. My kids are younger so I'm sure there's plenty to say about DC middle schools and high schools that I don't understand, but I truly don't understand why this is something people harp on here.

It's just a proxy for "acceptable school." That's it.