Reply to let's have Middle Schools start at 6th grade -- BASIS, Latin, Cap City, etc. realign

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Reply to "let's have Middle Schools start at 6th grade -- BASIS, Latin, Cap City, etc. realign"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I agree with the idea that Middle School grades should be aligned across the system. If kids are peeling off from DCPS ES to go to good charters, perhaps all the ES should stop at 4th grade. Or else, all middle schools should start at 6th grade.

The problem with the current system is that motivated parents are the ones who pull their students out of DCPS for charters in 5th grade, because of the lack of good DCPS middle school alternatives and the impossibility of getting into good charters at later grades. This makes the DCPS 5th grade population much smaller. This trend will just accelerate over time resulting in clearly under-populated 5th grades in ES that have no good MS to feed into. [/quote]

If a DCPS-DCPCS standard were to be established, then starting MS at 5th grade is the better of the two options as it creates space in DCPS ESs for more Pre-K and PS classes.

However, an argument can be made for maintaining the status quo, despite the under-populated 5th grades in ESs that feed bad MSs.   The current system gives families leaving DCPS for charter MSs an additional year to get into a desirable school.  If they do poorly in the lottery for a 5th grade spot, they can stay at their ES and try again for a 6th grade spot.  Switching to an undesirable MS for 5th only to leave for a desirable one for 6th would undoubtedly take its toll.
 [/quote]

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