DC versus MD versus VA public school
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Anonymous
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Does anyone have any thoughts on how these compare academically....is there a way to? My husband and I are contemplating a move out our current location in search of a more suitable school district for our LO. As it stands, we are not too happy with were she would end up.
We could technically move anywhere, but would like to stay near the DC Metro as we really like all the area offers and are not too keen on a suburban lifestyle. I have heard good things about Virginia schools as well as Maryland schools. And, a few choice DC schools. Curious if there is a way to compare the options across "state lines". If anyone has any input it would greatly be appreciated! |
Anonymous
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MD is the best! Boo DC! Boo VA!
Just kidding. I think you won't get many unbiased responses to your question |
Anonymous
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We were at 2 schools in DC and now are in Chevy Chase MD - so an urban area proximate to the metro.
DC wins on: - high-quality full-day public preschool/PK that is not means-rested. - dedicated aides through k in all classrooms - ability to fundraise for additional aides in other grades - smaller class sizes (at least at the specific schools I am comparing in DC and MD). MD wins on: - better differentiation - G&T programs starting in elementary - more diverse (the 2 DC schools we were in we’re not diverse at all, though in opposite ways; one was almost all people of color, the other almost all white people. The school we are in now has kids of all backgrounds, races, ethnicities in it, and I don’t think there is a majority race/ethnicity). - most kids go to their neighborhood schools, so there is a sense of community within the school/neighborhood. OOB is pretty rare. - curriculum seems implemented in the same way across the county, so not everyone is clamoring to get into just a couple of schools as in DC. Overall we are glad we moved, although we very much liked the second DCPS we went to in upper NW. We have more space than in the city but are still in a walkable neighborhood with restaurants, shops, and metro nearby. We have had a positive experience in the school. And we think the middle and high school tracks in particular are stronger in MD than in DC. No one here is relying on the lottery to secure a decent education, as is the case in much of DC. No experience with VA. Good luck! |
Anonymous
| You can't really compare DC to MD to VA. You need to compare specific schools. IME, schools with comparable demographics generally perform comparably. |
Anonymous
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I'm an educator who tutors children in DC, MD, and VA. I've also had the opportunity to observe and volunteer in schools throughout the region.
I would send my child to almost any DC elementary school. I know that would concern some DCUM posters, so let me explain. I don't worry about test scores. Scores do not account for progress from beginning of year to end of year for children who are behind grade level. Elementary school children are also notoriously terrible standardized test takers. The tests are dull, lengthy, and usually developmentally inappropriate. Also, there's nothing in it for the students if they do well. Test scores are a stand-in for SES more than anything else. A lot of modern pedagogy relies on small-group instruction and independent learning activities. So if a child one table over in the classroom is at a different reading, writing, or math level, I don't believe that affects my child too much as long as the classroom management is good. What I look out for in DC-schools in two-fold. Generally, I think that teachers who have had to work with high-needs populations tend to have creative solutions to working with all students. They are more likely to switch things up and differentiate instruction. My only red-flag is if a school has an over-concentration of high-needs students. I know that realistically, it's hard for teachers and administrators to meet children's needs if more than 30 percent of their population is special education or coming from unstable living situations. (Keep in mind that lower income does not always mean unstable.) The other red flag for me is if there are old-school educators who believe in "spare the rod, spoil the child" philosophies. While they know better than to hit children in school, folks with those beliefs are unlikely to use positive reinforcement strategies in the classroom, and are more likely to insist that the solution to classroom problems is parental punishment at home. Keep in mind too that Title I schools have smaller class sizes. What's great about DC is that the lottery lets you choose your school without having to move. If a school doesn't work out, you can always enter the lottery again. While secondary schools have been a weaker spot, we're starting to get some stronger contenders. Charters like DC International, Latin, and BASIS have been popular. The Virginia curriculum is expansive. The state did not adopt Common Core, choosing to develop its own standards. That said, what students study in Virginia from year-to-year is not dissimilar to what students study in other states. The breadth of what is covered, particularly in secondary math and science is enormous. This means that some classes are rather fast-paced and opportunities for projects and hands-on learning can be limited. It seems to me like the instructional time spent on grammar and writing in Fairfax elementaries is limited, but my sample size is small. Teacher quality if fine, but the county has suffered some recruiting and retention consequences from insecure funding, poor sub pay, and RIF-ing new staff. Both Fairfax and Arlington have a lot of opportunities for various types of advanced courses, if that's something that interests you. Arlington has a science-focus elementary school that has a really interesting program. Test scores and diversity statistics scare many people away from Arlington, but neither has anything to do with the quality of the education that teachers are giving. Montgomery County has benefited from having one of the more positive relationships between its union and it the schools' leadership. They developed "Curriculum 2.0," a modified version of the Common Core. They also provide their teachers with a fair amount of material that they can use through their network. Of all the schools districts that I've observed, MoCo seems to have the best teacher supervision programs for helping to mentor new teachers and improve teacher quality. That does not mean that every dud is ushered out of the classroom, particularly with the limits of tenure, but they do have good systems in place. The elementary spelling program is one that I believe in and is research supported. |
Anonymous
| i work for an ed research firm and I would say on a variety of outcome measures across diverse learners, Fairfax County is consistently the strongest, both in overall achievement and in equality. And they tend to use evidenced-based instructional practices. But that doesn't mean it's the best for anyone in particular--you have to look at your own situation. And it's a more suburban environment than the other schools. PP who mentioned teacher shortages is also correct--though that is a nationwide problem, it is hitting FCPS a little harder than others in the region at the moment. But Virginia just changed its policy and approved more undergraduate education majors (used to just have grad programs) so that may help (though some assert that having prospective teachers major in a core subject--e.g., math, biology, history, english and then take graduate courses in education to get a teaching license like Virginia has traditionally done promotes stronger educators). I think the new requirements will ensure Virginia undergrads still major in a content area, but education courses can be taken at the undergraduate level. |
Anonymous
| Terrible taxes in Montgomery county. If you make over a certain HHI, just head straight to VA now that state taxes are not dullly deductible off federal taxes. |
Anonymous
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Top: NOVA publics, particularly most of fcps
Middle: MD schools Bottom: DC schools. The good DC schools are equivalent to the middling MD schools and the top of the bottom NOVA schools. |
Anonymous
You are too clueless MD is always in the top 5 in the nation ( third this year after being #1 for 3 straight year). VA never made top 5 The best schools are in MoCo. NoVa has only one great school :TJ |
Anonymous
Sure. Sure. |
Anonymous
Overall Maryland state has stronger k-12 schools than Virginia, but NOVA --particularly FCPS --is a touch stronger than MCPS. In 2018, the average SAT scores across the 25 public Fairfax high schools was 1218. The average score for MCPS was 1167. They had similar participation rates. They are both very good, very diverse school systems with similar spectrums of mainly high wealth but pockets of poverty, lots of English Language learners, that attract and support high achieving students. Fairfax schools are slightly higher performing on a wide variety of metric--but it's a slight difference that doesn't make much of a difference. |
Anonymous
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What I love about our DC charter:
--small classes - 18 max -- very diverse! Every background is represented and no one group predominates. -- low bureaucracy. It's all in the building. -- very open to all the supports our child needs in an IEP, no fighting it. -- caring staff and teachers -- great facilities What I don't like: - kids are from all over the city (and kids in our neighborhood go all over!) - middle school is much further away |
Anonymous
No, this is far from the truth. MCPS is stronger than NoVa's and performs better than FCPS on a wide variety of metric. Better AP passing rate https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?pagetype=showrelease&id=8161&type=&startYear=&pageNumber=&mode= Better college preparedness https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/mcps-takes-first-place-in-ranking-on-college-preparedness-stem-career-readiness/ More schools producing more STEM scholars https://student.societyforscience.org/regeneron-sts-2019-scholars More schools placing students in top Ivies https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/10/10/which-local-schools-have-the-most-graduates-go-on-to-the-ivy-league/re schools placing students in top Ivies MCPS outperforms FCPS in almost every academic competitions . And in the regional competition, it's not even close : the score is 36-4, MCPS |
Anonymous
Your link on AP doesn't give a comparison to FCPS AP rates? DO you have that data? My knowledge of the historical data is that it's not a variable on which there is much difference between the systems, but things change. The STEM scholar award is a particular program that FCPS doesn't participate in--they have different related ones. It's not a systematic evaluation of STEM placement. The top Ivies may be more about the concentration of high levels of wealth and legacy--but your link doesn't work so I can't really see the evidence on that. I don't know how you are assessing academic competitions--and the regional competition of what? There are many different competitions in many categories. Anyway, my overall opinion to give to OP--as stated above-- is that MCPS and FCPS are fairly equivalent school systems and any differences between them are too minor to make a difference in your individual choices. |
Anonymous
| Ignoring the magnet schools (eg TJ/Blair), the other top public schools in both Fairfax and Montgomery Counties are quite strong. Some students opt not to go to the magnet schools and attend these strong base schools. |