school without walls essay prompt

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there any evidence that these gifted programs are necessary or that they produce genuine innovators or scholars?

I went to an HYP with lots of kids from Stuyvesant and Lowell. Do some have impressive outcomes? Sure. More impressive than the kids who were just the smart kid at the local public high school? Nope.

My kid is currently in DCPS high school — this is a very Pollyanna view of what it means to attend a poorly performing urban high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the words of both the wise and unwise, “it is what it is.” Be sure to cast a wide net for your kid’s high school search.

This. Accept it.

What people really need to accept is that the number of high-scoring kids in DC is rising. The number of 7th graders scoring 5 on ELA rose from 140 in 2015, to 377 in 2019, to 434 in 2023. Meanwhile the number of seats at Walls has risen … from 149 to 158.

Just a decade ago, there used to be room at Walls for every kid scoring 5 on ELA in 7th grade. Now, no matter how they do admissions, most of those kids will be excluded.

How much of that is due to other states dropping out and our standards getting weaker?

Average SAT score at Walls went up over that period too. So did the number of white students in DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just moved to DC. Why isn't it just like NYC stuyvesant nd bronx: everybody who wants to take test does and top scores get in?

Because of racial politics (not a normative statement, just an obvious descriptive one) and the makeup of the city council.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t see why DCPS “should” do it. There is a big Asian lobby in NYC that advocates for test-based admissions. There is no similar lobby in DC. Both school systems have policies that reflect local priorities. Another example is, NYC doesn’t have any by-right neighborhood high schools. Are you saying DC should get rid of those too? Just to be more like NYC?

Honestly McKinley should go to a test based admission. Banneker and Walls have constituencies that would probably successfully resist this, but McKinley is built to be a test in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t see why DCPS “should” do it. There is a big Asian lobby in NYC that advocates for test-based admissions. There is no similar lobby in DC. Both school systems have policies that reflect local priorities. Another example is, NYC doesn’t have any by-right neighborhood high schools. Are you saying DC should get rid of those too? Just to be more like NYC?

Honestly McKinley should go to a test based admission. Banneker and Walls have constituencies that would probably successfully resist this, but McKinley is built to be a test in school.

Great idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t see why DCPS “should” do it. There is a big Asian lobby in NYC that advocates for test-based admissions. There is no similar lobby in DC. Both school systems have policies that reflect local priorities. Another example is, NYC doesn’t have any by-right neighborhood high schools. Are you saying DC should get rid of those too? Just to be more like NYC?

Honestly McKinley should go to a test based admission. Banneker and Walls have constituencies that would probably successfully resist this, but McKinley is built to be a test in school.

That is not the population the Mayor wants at McKinley. If McKinley moved to a test based admission, the passing score would be set so low it would be meaningless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t see why DCPS “should” do it. There is a big Asian lobby in NYC that advocates for test-based admissions. There is no similar lobby in DC. Both school systems have policies that reflect local priorities. Another example is, NYC doesn’t have any by-right neighborhood high schools. Are you saying DC should get rid of those too? Just to be more like NYC?

Honestly McKinley should go to a test based admission. Banneker and Walls have constituencies that would probably successfully resist this, but McKinley is built to be a test in school.

That is not the population the Mayor wants at McKinley. If McKinley moved to a test based admission, the passing score would be set so low it would be meaningless.

A test at McKinley wouldn’t be remotely meaningless. In an uncertain admissions environment, using a math exam with a low passing score at McKinley would ensure that kids doing grade-level work or better aren’t stranded in severely underperforming high schools.

[Anonymous]

For the Walls admissions process, does it matter what classes you take? For example, does it matter if you take Algebra vs. regular math?

Do they see the students grades by term or just the year-end grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just moved to DC. Why isn't it just like NYC stuyvesant nd bronx: everybody who wants to take test does and top scores get in?

Because of racial politics (not a normative statement, just an obvious descriptive one) and the makeup of the city council.

Perhaps there are laws that make it difficult to use non-academic criteria for admission, but it seems to me you could structure test-in in politically palatable ways. For example:

- 20% equitable access set aside

- Top 5 test takers from each DCPS middle school get automatic admission

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just moved to DC. Why isn't it just like NYC stuyvesant nd bronx: everybody who wants to take test does and top scores get in?

Because of racial politics (not a normative statement, just an obvious descriptive one) and the makeup of the city council.

Perhaps there are laws that make it difficult to use non-academic criteria for admission, but it seems to me you could structure test-in in politically palatable ways. For example:

- 20% equitable access set aside

- Top 5 test takers from each DCPS middle school get automatic admission

I like the second approach because I think ultimately it could help increase buy-in to DCPS middle schools, which would improve the educational experience there even for kids who don't ultimately get into Walls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the Walls admissions process, does it matter what classes you take? For example, does it matter if you take Algebra vs. regular math?

Do they see the students grades by term or just the year-end grade?

Classes don't matter. Only the final GPA matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t see why DCPS “should” do it. There is a big Asian lobby in NYC that advocates for test-based admissions. There is no similar lobby in DC. Both school systems have policies that reflect local priorities. Another example is, NYC doesn’t have any by-right neighborhood high schools. Are you saying DC should get rid of those too? Just to be more like NYC?

Honestly McKinley should go to a test based admission. Banneker and Walls have constituencies that would probably successfully resist this, but McKinley is built to be a test in school.

That is not the population the Mayor wants at McKinley. If McKinley moved to a test based admission, the passing score would be set so low it would be meaningless.

A test at McKinley wouldn’t be remotely meaningless. In an uncertain admissions environment, using a math exam with a low passing score at McKinley would ensure that kids doing grade-level work or better aren’t stranded in severely underperforming high schools.

But that's happening right now. McKinley prefers to admit students that have a 3.0 GPA, requires a math teacher recommendation, and completion of an onsite essay. It takes in students from a variety of schools across the District.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the Walls admissions process, does it matter what classes you take? For example, does it matter if you take Algebra vs. regular math?

Do they see the students grades by term or just the year-end grade?

Classes don't matter. Only the final GPA matters.

Exactly why GPA is a silly way to do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any evidence that these gifted programs are necessary or that they produce genuine innovators or scholars?

I went to an HYP with lots of kids from Stuyvesant and Lowell. Do some have impressive outcomes? Sure. More impressive than the kids who were just the smart kid at the local public high school? Nope.

My kid is currently in DCPS high school — this is a very Pollyanna view of what it means to attend a poorly performing urban high school.

Sure but did you go to HYP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just moved to DC. Why isn't it just like NYC stuyvesant nd bronx: everybody who wants to take test does and top scores get in?

Because of racial politics (not a normative statement, just an obvious descriptive one) and the makeup of the city council.

Perhaps there are laws that make it difficult to use non-academic criteria for admission, but it seems to me you could structure test-in in politically palatable ways. For example:

- 20% equitable access set aside

- Top 5 test takers from each DCPS middle school get automatic admission

I like the second approach because I think ultimately it could help increase buy-in to DCPS middle schools, which would improve the educational experience there even for kids who don't ultimately get into Walls.

This worked really well in Texas for the universities, and made the satellite universities a lot better