International Baccalaureate at Eastern?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The average of a test in school should still be above the national average. They should do better to serve those students.

Perhaps the students are being served well, but the SAT is a different kind of beast. For everybody. Absent the test prep that many suburban kids can afford, they may be doing okay and would be as competitive on the test if their parents could afford prep instead of housing them in homeless shelters after school where they're needed to babysit.

The kids at Banneker face the same traumas and issues as other DC kids. They're just more motivated to do well.

[Anonymous]

I can't believe you guys spent your holiday weekend re-re-fighting the "DCUM Battle of Capitol Hill".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The average of a test in school should still be above the national average. They should do better to serve those students.

Perhaps the students are being served well, but the SAT is a different kind of beast. For everybody. Absent the test prep that many suburban kids can afford, they may be doing okay and would be as competitive on the test if their parents could afford prep instead of housing them in homeless shelters after school where they're needed to babysit.

The kids at Banneker face the same traumas and issues as other DC kids. They're just more motivated to do well.

This view of SAT prep is dated. Over the winter, my enterprising 17 year-old nephew ensured that his cash-strapped family paid nothing for extensive SAT test prep beyond their Verizon bill. He used half a dozen free test prep sites on-line, including Khan Academy and YouTube (where he found many good SAT prep videos), and checked out prep books from the local public library. He scored in the 700s on all three sections. I don't doubt that the Banneker kids are motivated, it's the school's lackluster SAT scores, hovering around the national average, which concern me.

[Anonymous]

^^^^
The only thing outdated in your post is your nephew's approach to test prep. The SAT book is what I used when I graduated in the 80's. Today most kids benefit from test prep classes, like the ones offered at expensive learning centers. This is what I did for lay 2 DC--and what a lot of parents are doing to give their kids a leg up.

Furthermore, your response ignores the fact that many Banneker students are dealing with situations and traumas that don't allow them the extra prep. No Khan Academy videos if you don't have a computer or Internet access. No time to use internet on library if you're working after school. What if you don't know where you'll be sleeping after school from one day to the next? Don't underestimate the challenges some of those kids face.

PS
I'm more impressed with the fact that Banneker boasted of 2 graduates with acceptance into all 8 Ivy leagues last year.

[Anonymous]

I thought DCPS high schools had free SAT test prep classes.

[Anonymous]

Not buying that expensive test prep is the key to success, or that any DC public school is producing students with 8 Ivy League acceptances. Such stories make the front pages of newspapers of national record. And I've heard more than enough excuses for Banneker's unimpressive scores.

I grew up in a low-income family (qualifying for free lunch through MS, though my proud immigrant parents wouldn't accept the food). We couldn't afford SAT prep classes and I worked in the family business from grade school, yet was a PSAT National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist in NY, a state with one of the country's highest PSAT cut-off scores. My younger sister was also a semifinalist, and as was my lower middle-class spouse and her brother.

What I had that the Banneker and Eastern kids lack were mostly high SES white and Asian classmates. Frequent visits to their homes taught me how mainstream upper middle-class Americans live - with reliable cars, backyard pools, and trips to Disneyland and the Grand Canyon. I wanted in and asked classmates' professional parents how to get there.

DCPS, please end apartheid education on Capitol Hill past elementary school and Stuart-Hobson. Find a way to integrate Eastern in five years or less. The half-baked IB Diploma Program pretty clearly isn't going to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^^
The only thing outdated in your post is your nephew's approach to test prep. The SAT book is what I used when I graduated in the 80's. Today most kids benefit from test prep classes, like the ones offered at expensive learning centers. This is what I did for lay 2 DC--and what a lot of parents are doing to give their kids a leg up.

Furthermore, your response ignores the fact that many Banneker students are dealing with situations and traumas that don't allow them the extra prep. No Khan Academy videos if you don't have a computer or Internet access. No time to use internet on library if you're working after school. What if you don't know where you'll be sleeping after school from one day to the next? Don't underestimate the challenges some of those kids face.

PS
I'm more impressed with the fact that Banneker boasted of 2 graduates with acceptance into all 8 Ivy leagues last year.

Shouldn't a "rigorous" test-in high school full of poor minority kids send a lot of kids to top colleges? It is a sought-after hook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any school with average SATs as low as Banneker's by default cannot be academically rigorous.

Do you understand how averages are calculated?

Yes. A school that sells itself as a challenging, test-in high school should have far above average SAT scores. Because every student should be far above average. How easy is this entrance test?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not buying that expensive test prep is the key to success, or that any DC public school is producing students with 8 Ivy League acceptances. Such stories make the front pages of newspapers of national record. And I've heard more than enough excuses for Banneker's unimpressive scores.

I grew up in a low-income family (qualifying for free lunch through MS, though my proud immigrant parents wouldn't accept the food). We couldn't afford SAT prep classes and I worked in the family business from grade school, yet was a PSAT National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist in NY, a state with one of the country's highest PSAT cut-off scores. My younger sister was also a semifinalist, and as was my lower middle-class spouse and her brother.

What I had that the Banneker and Eastern kids lack were mostly high SES white and Asian classmates. Frequent visits to their homes taught me how mainstream upper middle-class Americans live - with reliable cars, backyard pools, and trips to Disneyland and the Grand Canyon. I wanted in and asked classmates' professional parents how to get there.

DCPS, please end apartheid education on Capitol Hill past elementary school and Stuart-Hobson. Find a way to integrate Eastern in five years or less. The half-baked IB Diploma Program pretty clearly isn't going to do it.

The Banneker students absolutely made national news. The first one was all over everyone's FB feed...including my own. I would post a link to the story or at least give you his name so you could look it up but I'm busy and on my phone. But I'm sure a quick Google will bring up the story for you. The second boy's story was a bit overshadowed but also made national news.

[Anonymous]

Avery Coffey, Banneker graduate '14, was accepted at 5 ivies...feel free to google!
Homeless Anacostia student '14 was accepted at Georgetown...I believe her name is Ramesha Melon..just successfully completed her 1st yr

[Anonymous]

OH yeah, Cedric Jennings, subject of the book A Hope in the Unseen, a Ballou student was accepted and graduated from Brown in the 90s. DC has been producing some very driven students and sending them to ivies for a while. All 3 of the students I've named will bring up tons of stories, videos etc once googled.

[Anonymous]

PS: it's Rashema Melon

[Anonymous]

Where are the Eastern graduates going....?

[Anonymous]

It's been proven that white and Asian college applicants currently need SAT scores at least 250 and 450 points higher than AA applicants respectively to achieve similar admissions outcomes.

I conclude that my half white-half Asian family can't afford to mess around in any of these so-so DC pubilc high schools, other than maybe Walls and the BASIS juvenile detention facility. We're not IB for Wilson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's been proven that white and Asian college applicants currently need SAT scores at least 250 and 450 points higher than AA applicants respectively to achieve similar admissions outcomes.

I conclude that my half white-half Asian family can't afford to mess around in any of these so-so DC pubilc high schools, other than maybe Walls and the BASIS juvenile detention facility. We're not IB for Wilson.

Please go to SWW.