Thoughts about Brent Upper School from parents of kids who have gone through 5th?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren’t most Brent families capable of going private with ease…?

Why pay for that? Brent is a wonderful school. If you mean for MS some do go private and some go to charters.

We know a Brent kid at DCI FWIW.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Aren’t most Brent families capable of going private with ease…?

Absolutely not. Good private schools in the DMV are v. expensive, the admissions process is laborious, the campuses aren't close by the Hill SE and admissions isn't guaranteed.

On average, Brent families aren't as wealthy overall as those in Upper NW. I'm guessing that no more than 10% of Brent 4th graders wind up in privates by 6th. Most head to charters, some move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a current Brent 5th grader. Overall we have been happy for many of the reasons stated above. The problem really isn’t Brent or the upper school model. It’s that DCPS lets the charters start at 5th and many families at Brent don’t want to risk being stuck with Jefferson. If Brent fed into SH, you’d see a pattern more like Ludlow Taylor, where kids choose to stay for 5th.

Based on Term 2, the current class of 6th graders at Jefferson are leading all DCPS middle schools in passing all four core classes. 8th graders are also accepted to application HS and privates like Sidwell and Burke. I hope Brent parents will see Jefferson as a possibility and not a definite no off the bat.

Since grading isn't standardized across schools, I'm not sure this says anything meaningful about Jefferson student performance.

I think Brent will be the last of the Jefferson feeders to see any meaningful buy in from MC/UMC families. The demographics are just too different. From 8% to 61% at risk. And from 67% to 3% white.

There was Jefferson buy in at Brent before Covid and immediately after. But then word started to get around about bad experiences and the whole climate has shifted. People tried Jefferson and it did not work. Way too big of a shift from Brent to Jefferson at an age when academics really start to matter.

Meh. Seems about the same from the data available. 12 from Brent in SY20-21 6th grade class. 11 in SY21-22. Fewer than 10 in SY22-23. 10 in SY23-24. Fewer than 10 in SY24-25.

Not a complete picture. The biggest cohort going to Jefferson was SY19-20, I seem to remember that it was 17. Several Brent alums from both the SY20-21 and SY21-22 cohorts didn't make it through the school year at Jefferson. We were part of one of the cohorts from PreS3 and know the families. The word got back that there were families bailing mid-year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Aren’t most Brent families capable of going private with ease…?

Absolutely not. Good private schools in the DMV are v. expensive, the admissions process is laborious, the campuses aren't close by the Hill SE and admissions isn't guaranteed.

On average, Brent families aren't as wealthy overall as those in Upper NW. I'm guessing that no more than 10% of Brent 4th graders wind up in privates by 6th. Most head to charters, some move.

I agree but compared to other Hill elementaries there are a lot more students moving or going private.

SY19-20 4th grade cohort: 62 students, n<10 not in audit in 5th, 13 not in audit in 6th, 21-35% moved or went private
SY20-21 4th grade cohort: 54 students, 11 not in audit in 4th, 17 not in audit in 6th, 52% moved or went private
SY21-22 4th grade cohort: 71 students, 14 not in audit in 5th, 12 not in audit in 6th, 37% moved or went private
SY22-23 4th grade cohort: 59 students, n<10 not in audit in 5th, 12 not in audit in 6th, 22-36% moved or went private
SY23-24 4th grade cohort: 63 students, 19 not in audit in 5th, 30% moved or went private just after 4th

All of this assumes nobody new entered the school in 5th grade, so might be a slight overestimate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a current Brent 5th grader. Overall we have been happy for many of the reasons stated above. The problem really isn’t Brent or the upper school model. It’s that DCPS lets the charters start at 5th and many families at Brent don’t want to risk being stuck with Jefferson. If Brent fed into SH, you’d see a pattern more like Ludlow Taylor, where kids choose to stay for 5th.

Based on Term 2, the current class of 6th graders at Jefferson are leading all DCPS middle schools in passing all four core classes. 8th graders are also accepted to application HS and privates like Sidwell and Burke. I hope Brent parents will see Jefferson as a possibility and not a definite no off the bat.

Since grading isn't standardized across schools, I'm not sure this says anything meaningful about Jefferson student performance.

I think Brent will be the last of the Jefferson feeders to see any meaningful buy in from MC/UMC families. The demographics are just too different. From 8% to 61% at risk. And from 67% to 3% white.

There was Jefferson buy in at Brent before Covid and immediately after. But then word started to get around about bad experiences and the whole climate has shifted. People tried Jefferson and it did not work. Way too big of a shift from Brent to Jefferson at an age when academics really start to matter.

Meh. Seems about the same from the data available. 12 from Brent in SY20-21 6th grade class. 11 in SY21-22. Fewer than 10 in SY22-23. 10 in SY23-24. Fewer than 10 in SY24-25.

Not a complete picture. The biggest cohort going to Jefferson was SY19-20, I seem to remember that it was 17. Several Brent alums from both the SY20-21 and SY21-22 cohorts didn't make it through the school year at Jefferson. We were part of one of the cohorts from PreS3 and know the families. The word got back that there were families bailing mid-year.

I am also very familiar with many of the 2021 Brent grads who went to Jefferson. I know that some of those of kids left after the first year, but I don’t know any who bailed “mid-year.” Where would they even go if they did that?

Also, for a “complete picture,” note that there are Brent grads from that same 2021 “cohort” who went all the way through Jefferson then landed at selective high schools including SWW and Banneker.

[Anonymous]

Right, some of the Brent grads attending Jefferson go on to selective high schools. But when 4th grade cohorts of 75-80 are whittled down to 10, or even fewer, 6th graders going on to Jefferson, a great deal has gone awry in the process, and that's putting it mildly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a current Brent 5th grader. Overall we have been happy for many of the reasons stated above. The problem really isn’t Brent or the upper school model. It’s that DCPS lets the charters start at 5th and many families at Brent don’t want to risk being stuck with Jefferson. If Brent fed into SH, you’d see a pattern more like Ludlow Taylor, where kids choose to stay for 5th.

Based on Term 2, the current class of 6th graders at Jefferson are leading all DCPS middle schools in passing all four core classes. 8th graders are also accepted to application HS and privates like Sidwell and Burke. I hope Brent parents will see Jefferson as a possibility and not a definite no off the bat.

Since grading isn't standardized across schools, I'm not sure this says anything meaningful about Jefferson student performance.

I think Brent will be the last of the Jefferson feeders to see any meaningful buy in from MC/UMC families. The demographics are just too different. From 8% to 61% at risk. And from 67% to 3% white.

There was Jefferson buy in at Brent before Covid and immediately after. But then word started to get around about bad experiences and the whole climate has shifted. People tried Jefferson and it did not work. Way too big of a shift from Brent to Jefferson at an age when academics really start to matter.

Meh. Seems about the same from the data available. 12 from Brent in SY20-21 6th grade class. 11 in SY21-22. Fewer than 10 in SY22-23. 10 in SY23-24. Fewer than 10 in SY24-25.

Not a complete picture. The biggest cohort going to Jefferson was SY19-20, I seem to remember that it was 17. Several Brent alums from both the SY20-21 and SY21-22 cohorts didn't make it through the school year at Jefferson. We were part of one of the cohorts from PreS3 and know the families. The word got back that there were families bailing mid-year.

I am also very familiar with many of the 2021 Brent grads who went to Jefferson. I know that some of those of kids left after the first year, but I don’t know any who bailed “mid-year.” Where would they even go if they did that?

Also, for a “complete picture,” note that there are Brent grads from that same 2021 “cohort” who went all the way through Jefferson then landed at selective high schools including SWW and Banneker.

My kid is in this cohort as well, so I know several of the kids who went to Jefferson and now are in selective high schools. None (of the several I know personally) of them (or their parents) thought it was a good school/experience (they just sucked it up and got through it); none of their younger siblings are going to Jefferson.

[Anonymous]

I believe that some students specifically in the pandemic cohort dropped out mid-year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a current Brent 5th grader. Overall we have been happy for many of the reasons stated above. The problem really isn’t Brent or the upper school model. It’s that DCPS lets the charters start at 5th and many families at Brent don’t want to risk being stuck with Jefferson. If Brent fed into SH, you’d see a pattern more like Ludlow Taylor, where kids choose to stay for 5th.

Based on Term 2, the current class of 6th graders at Jefferson are leading all DCPS middle schools in passing all four core classes. 8th graders are also accepted to application HS and privates like Sidwell and Burke. I hope Brent parents will see Jefferson as a possibility and not a definite no off the bat.

Since grading isn't standardized across schools, I'm not sure this says anything meaningful about Jefferson student performance.

I think Brent will be the last of the Jefferson feeders to see any meaningful buy in from MC/UMC families. The demographics are just too different. From 8% to 61% at risk. And from 67% to 3% white.

There was Jefferson buy in at Brent before Covid and immediately after. But then word started to get around about bad experiences and the whole climate has shifted. People tried Jefferson and it did not work. Way too big of a shift from Brent to Jefferson at an age when academics really start to matter.

Meh. Seems about the same from the data available. 12 from Brent in SY20-21 6th grade class. 11 in SY21-22. Fewer than 10 in SY22-23. 10 in SY23-24. Fewer than 10 in SY24-25.

Not a complete picture. The biggest cohort going to Jefferson was SY19-20, I seem to remember that it was 17. Several Brent alums from both the SY20-21 and SY21-22 cohorts didn't make it through the school year at Jefferson. We were part of one of the cohorts from PreS3 and know the families. The word got back that there were families bailing mid-year.

I am also very familiar with many of the 2021 Brent grads who went to Jefferson. I know that some of those of kids left after the first year, but I don’t know any who bailed “mid-year.” Where would they even go if they did that?

Also, for a “complete picture,” note that there are Brent grads from that same 2021 “cohort” who went all the way through Jefferson then landed at selective high schools including SWW and Banneker.

My kid is in this cohort as well, so I know several of the kids who went to Jefferson and now are in selective high schools. None (of the several I know personally) of them (or their parents) thought it was a good school/experience (they just sucked it up and got through it); none of their younger siblings are going to Jefferson.

This. We know some of the kids, too. I can't imagine why any parent with an option to jump to BASIS, one of the Latins, or a private, Stuart Hobson or DCI for 6th grade would stick around for Jefferson here in 2026. The positive spin on Jefferson is coming from a tiny number of UMC die-hards who are trying to recruit Brent Upper School parents. All DCPS has to do to make Jefferson work for a growing cohort of Brenties year-on-year is offer definite, self-contained, test-in honors/intensified classes for science, social studies, English and math. There is no way that this will happen, at least not under Bowser, so the middle school feed never takes off and Brent continues to lose most of its 4th graders before 5th grade every single year. There's no more to say. A larger building isn't going to change the trend come 2028.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a current Brent 5th grader. Overall we have been happy for many of the reasons stated above. The problem really isn’t Brent or the upper school model. It’s that DCPS lets the charters start at 5th and many families at Brent don’t want to risk being stuck with Jefferson. If Brent fed into SH, you’d see a pattern more like Ludlow Taylor, where kids choose to stay for 5th.

Based on Term 2, the current class of 6th graders at Jefferson are leading all DCPS middle schools in passing all four core classes. 8th graders are also accepted to application HS and privates like Sidwell and Burke. I hope Brent parents will see Jefferson as a possibility and not a definite no off the bat.

Since grading isn't standardized across schools, I'm not sure this says anything meaningful about Jefferson student performance.

I think Brent will be the last of the Jefferson feeders to see any meaningful buy in from MC/UMC families. The demographics are just too different. From 8% to 61% at risk. And from 67% to 3% white.

There was Jefferson buy in at Brent before Covid and immediately after. But then word started to get around about bad experiences and the whole climate has shifted. People tried Jefferson and it did not work. Way too big of a shift from Brent to Jefferson at an age when academics really start to matter.

Meh. Seems about the same from the data available. 12 from Brent in SY20-21 6th grade class. 11 in SY21-22. Fewer than 10 in SY22-23. 10 in SY23-24. Fewer than 10 in SY24-25.

Not a complete picture. The biggest cohort going to Jefferson was SY19-20, I seem to remember that it was 17. Several Brent alums from both the SY20-21 and SY21-22 cohorts didn't make it through the school year at Jefferson. We were part of one of the cohorts from PreS3 and know the families. The word got back that there were families bailing mid-year.

I am also very familiar with many of the 2021 Brent grads who went to Jefferson. I know that some of those of kids left after the first year, but I don’t know any who bailed “mid-year.” Where would they even go if they did that?

Also, for a “complete picture,” note that there are Brent grads from that same 2021 “cohort” who went all the way through Jefferson then landed at selective high schools including SWW and Banneker.

My kid is in this cohort as well, so I know several of the kids who went to Jefferson and now are in selective high schools. None (of the several I know personally) of them (or their parents) thought it was a good school/experience (they just sucked it up and got through it); none of their younger siblings are going to Jefferson.

This. We know some of the kids, too. I can't imagine why any parent with an option to jump to BASIS, one of the Latins, or a private, Stuart Hobson or DCI for 6th grade would stick around for Jefferson here in 2026. The positive spin on Jefferson is coming from a tiny number of UMC die-hards who are trying to recruit Brent Upper School parents. All DCPS has to do to make Jefferson work for a growing cohort of Brenties year-on-year is offer definite, self-contained, test-in honors/intensified classes for science, social studies, English and math. There is no way that this will happen, at least not under Bowser, so the middle school feed never takes off and Brent continues to lose most of its 4th graders before 5th grade every single year. There's no more to say. A larger building isn't going to change the trend come 2028.

Which is why I think they are making Brent have self contained classrooms -to ‘fill’ space. Which is funny because the reno is not that large.

I’m curious if Chisholm is closing theirs down and that’s why Brent is being made to have one. I don’t think even Van Ness has one and not any schools on the hill.

[Anonymous]

What is a self contained classroom? Asking as an upcoming Brent in-bounds family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is a self contained classroom? Asking as an upcoming Brent in-bounds family.

It’s a classroom with only students with high needs manifestations of a disability. They are smaller class sizes like 6-12 kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is a self contained classroom? Asking as an upcoming Brent in-bounds family.

My understanding is that it’s a special ed classroom for kids who can’t be in a mainstream classroom. I’ve never seen it used in the gifted context like PP does above.

But agree with the PP’s premise. More than 1/3 of last year’s Brent 4th got 5s on the math cape. You can’t expect all those parents to be totally fine with their kids being kids being thrown into classes where 90% of the kids are not at grade level. The school would need to lead with differentiation to attract many Brent families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a current Brent 5th grader. Overall we have been happy for many of the reasons stated above. The problem really isn’t Brent or the upper school model. It’s that DCPS lets the charters start at 5th and many families at Brent don’t want to risk being stuck with Jefferson. If Brent fed into SH, you’d see a pattern more like Ludlow Taylor, where kids choose to stay for 5th.

Based on Term 2, the current class of 6th graders at Jefferson are leading all DCPS middle schools in passing all four core classes. 8th graders are also accepted to application HS and privates like Sidwell and Burke. I hope Brent parents will see Jefferson as a possibility and not a definite no off the bat.

Since grading isn't standardized across schools, I'm not sure this says anything meaningful about Jefferson student performance.

I think Brent will be the last of the Jefferson feeders to see any meaningful buy in from MC/UMC families. The demographics are just too different. From 8% to 61% at risk. And from 67% to 3% white.

There was Jefferson buy in at Brent before Covid and immediately after. But then word started to get around about bad experiences and the whole climate has shifted. People tried Jefferson and it did not work. Way too big of a shift from Brent to Jefferson at an age when academics really start to matter.

Meh. Seems about the same from the data available. 12 from Brent in SY20-21 6th grade class. 11 in SY21-22. Fewer than 10 in SY22-23. 10 in SY23-24. Fewer than 10 in SY24-25.

Not a complete picture. The biggest cohort going to Jefferson was SY19-20, I seem to remember that it was 17. Several Brent alums from both the SY20-21 and SY21-22 cohorts didn't make it through the school year at Jefferson. We were part of one of the cohorts from PreS3 and know the families. The word got back that there were families bailing mid-year.

I am also very familiar with many of the 2021 Brent grads who went to Jefferson. I know that some of those of kids left after the first year, but I don’t know any who bailed “mid-year.” Where would they even go if they did that?

Also, for a “complete picture,” note that there are Brent grads from that same 2021 “cohort” who went all the way through Jefferson then landed at selective high schools including SWW and Banneker.

My kid is in this cohort as well, so I know several of the kids who went to Jefferson and now are in selective high schools. None (of the several I know personally) of them (or their parents) thought it was a good school/experience (they just sucked it up and got through it); none of their younger siblings are going to Jefferson.

This. We know some of the kids, too. I can't imagine why any parent with an option to jump to BASIS, one of the Latins, or a private, Stuart Hobson or DCI for 6th grade would stick around for Jefferson here in 2026. The positive spin on Jefferson is coming from a tiny number of UMC die-hards who are trying to recruit Brent Upper School parents. All DCPS has to do to make Jefferson work for a growing cohort of Brenties year-on-year is offer definite, self-contained, test-in honors/intensified classes for science, social studies, English and math. There is no way that this will happen, at least not under Bowser, so the middle school feed never takes off and Brent continues to lose most of its 4th graders before 5th grade every single year. There's no more to say. A larger building isn't going to change the trend come 2028.

Which is why I think they are making Brent have self contained classrooms -to ‘fill’ space. Which is funny because the reno is not that large.

I’m curious if Chisholm is closing theirs down and that’s why Brent is being made to have one. I don’t think even Van Ness has one and not any schools on the hill.

This is definitely not true. L-T has 3 self-contained classes (and has run out of space to such an extent that they are currently building an extension even though they renovated less than a decade ago). Acting like it's absurd to make Brent host *one* is crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is a self contained classroom? Asking as an upcoming Brent in-bounds family.

My understanding is that it’s a special ed classroom for kids who can’t be in a mainstream classroom. I’ve never seen it used in the gifted context like PP does above.

But agree with the PP’s premise. More than 1/3 of last year’s Brent 4th got 5s on the math cape. You can’t expect all those parents to be totally fine with their kids being kids being thrown into classes where 90% of the kids are not at grade level. The school would need to lead with differentiation to attract many Brent families.

Yes - it would be criminal to do that, but plenty of equity advocates would love to see it.