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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I don't see why DCPS can't use the PARCC scores to prove the existence of academically proficient students before they enter 6th grade.  Once those parents make a commitment to middle school in 5th grade, DCPS could use those numbers to justify hiring teachers to instruct them.  AND, if DCPS told 5th grade parents ahead of time that once a sufficient number of students (who meet a certain threshold PARCC score) commit to 6th grade, that teachers will be hired to instruct them, there would be a lot of interest.  I guarantee you a bunch of kids would commit to JA under those circumstances.

The "chicken or egg" problem argued by DCPS just doesn't pass logic.[/quote]

This is only the 3rd year of PARCC testing but I suspect PARCC will be used for some scenarios like application HS admissions.  It's harder to use for MS planning because enrollment is so fluid.  You don't know which students are committed to staying in boundary and the only strong indicator of MS intent is having an older sibling enrolled at a charter.  What happens if a school "plans" for 12 advance kids but half of them bail for BASIS or Latin when the opportunity arises?[/quote]

You would just request final commitments from 5th graders entering 6th grade some short time after charter school lottery results come out.  In reality, the "advanced" kids are going to be applying for very few available seats at select charter schools anyway.  I doubt there would be more than 3% variance from the "committed" number and the "final" number, given how few seats they're vying for.[/quote]

That variance would be well above 3%.  Charters are just one outlet as some families plan moves or decamp to private, and the charter waitlists do move until the early portion of the school year.   Judging by the typical drop off from 4th to 5th grade that figure would be closer to 40-50% at most schools outside of Deal feeders.[/quote]

No, you're not paying attention to the question:  how can you assure parents will stick to their commitments between the end of 5th grade and the first day of 6th grade?  That's not a wide span of time we're talking about -- your concern about 4th grade numbers is irrelevant to the question.  All you have to do, if you're DCPS, is assure committed parents that you're going to offer advanced coursework in 6th grade.  That's enough to encourage nearly all of them to keep their commitments, imo.

Not that I have the data, but ask any Ward 3 Principal how many students drop off between the time of their initial commitments and the charter lottery.  It's not that much, maybe 10% difference.  The variance would be even less than that, if proper reciprocal commitments were made by DCPS.[/quote]

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