Of course it is partially DCPS' fault, but a lot of the kids are not exclusively the product of DCPS. This city has plenty of terrible underperforming charter schools. Lots of kids move here from other states and the PG County school system is also not very good. And then there is the home environment factor, and factors innate to the kids. Kids enter PK3 way behind where they should be. |
|
Here is the bottom line people. I’ll make it easy for everyone,
If your kid is at level 1 or 2 and you are looking for a school to help them “grow”, feel free to look at these parameters. If your kid is at level 4 or 5, forget it, look and see if the majority of kids are at 4 and 5. |
| Impressed by Garrison’s progress! |
If you understand the “reality” of DC schools, how could you possibly expect the schools alone to get your child where you need and want them to be? And yes, lower SES demos get a pass on judgement from me on this, but that’s a poor consultation prize. |
Sound ‘bout right, but I’m still aggrieved that my high-performing school is being punished by these metrics!! |
| You can’t learn if you’re out ‘jacking. |
Oh, it’s def extra-school factors primarily at play. These kids are failed by society writ large and DCPS and MPD are left to pick up the pieces. Most of this stuff is baked into the cake before kindergarten. I don’t have any answers. |
Yes you can. |
And for those of us not inbound for schools with the majority of kids at 4-5 I think there is a difference between a school with 40-50% 3-5 and 10-20%. My inbound might not be amazing but there seems to be enough on grade level kids to mean that they will be ignored. |
| Sorry PP- I mean will NOT be ignored. |
No it’s not extra school factors primarily at play. Both PP above don’t get that sure some factors are external especially the early years but much of the blame is on DCPS - social promotion, no consequences for truancy, no consequences for behaviors with BS restorative justice, lower expectations, no consequences for not doing homework, no extensive support system early for those that need it (tutoring, mentors, behav health, etc..), and lastly a top down system from a bloated central admin who has absolutely no clinical classroom experience. What other school district in this country do you know where high 90% kids are not on grade level, basically the whole school. It’s just abysmal and shocking that the system continues as it does status quo. And the status quo continues because of PP’s above. BTW most kids are exclusively the product of DCPS. There are no poor kids moving from other states into the city with the HCOL in the city happening for the past decade. Many of the low SES have actually been pushed out and gone to PG county. Fairfax and Montgomery county have experienced a high increase in lower SES families too while the city has gone the opposite way and attracting much higher income families. |
That’s not how it works. So if you have 40-50% 3-5, that basically translates to maybe 20% at grade level at best because we know majority in that group are 3 and not 5. The remaining 50-60% kids are all way below grade level. Instead of keeping those 20% kids together and track them for grade level teaching. Gasp! We can’t have that because of “equity”. What the school does is spread those 20% kids out among the 3 or 4 classes so you have a handful of kids in each class at best on grade level. Teaching won’t be on grade level like your assumption. |
To add what you really want is overwhelming majority in grade level like 70%. Then you can actually teach on grade level and easily differentiate better for the kids above grade level to challenge them. The 30% below grade level you can spread a month the 3 or 4 classes and then do push in or pull out to help these struggling kids |
Typo among |
Love how you are confidently making things up for my inbound school. It is actually 56% 3-5 and 35% 4-5. Also students with 3’s are not hopelessly below grade-level and especially at the elementary level often include at least some students doing OK who test poorly. My school also includes about 40% students that are English language learners so this suggests most native English students at the school are actually on or approaching grade-level. The ELL students are getting significant push in and pull out help (95% of those made their growth targets!). I acknowledge that this is not the same as being a Janney but I just don’t get why you are so invested at telling others that such a school couldn’t possibly work. |