Reply to If I'm not supposed to judge based on FARMS and test scores, what CAN I judge on?

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Reply to "If I'm not supposed to judge based on FARMS and test scores, what CAN I judge on?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Gotta say ... DD is at a high FARMS school (approximately 40%) and she has 15 kids in her 1st grade class.  There's an upside to it, too.  While there are kids there who need a lot more academic help, she is getting way more individual attention than her peers at predominantly white & asian and high SES schools in other areas (who have 20+ kids in their classes).[/quote]

Small class sizes are great, but not at the expense of having a critical mass of students at or near the ability of your child. The real issue at elementary schools with high FARMs is that the teacher cannot differentiate the learning.  Many of the FARMs kids are working at or below grade level. If your kid is only one of a few working above grade level, then it's not likely she will get instruction that will challenge her.  Most of the resources are going to be put towards getting the below level students up to passing.

At the HS/MA levels, a concern is peer groups.  Schools with a higher % FARMs students have a smaller percentage of students going to college, and only a very few going to elite colleges.  Most parents would prefer their kids attend schools with a strong academic focus.  Parents with higher SES have more time and resources to devote to their child's education.  This affects the atmosphere of the school.  [/quote]

It depends on the school (re: academic focus, peer groups). JEB Stuart has one of the highest FARMS rates of any high school in the DC suburbs, yet the school boundaries include very wealthy neighborhoods around Lake Barcroft. The kids that grow up in Lake Barcroft form an academically focused peer group. In elem., middle, and high school those kids challenge themselves within their peer group and eventually attend the best private and public universities. The downside is you have a "school within a school" of a small group of highly motivated students. But for Lake Barcroft, Stuart still presents itself as a strong neighborhood high school, and students often form friendships across socioeconomic lines.   [/quote]

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