Reply to WotP elementary schools-- Attrition in older grades?

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Reply to "WotP elementary schools-- Attrition in older grades?"

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[quote=Anonymous]With the exception of Sidwell, all kids I know (and I know most of them) from Mann and Key who switched to the private school starting from 6th grade (and who were proficient or above, i.e. about 90% of the class -- see the DC CAS profiles)  were able to go to the private middle school of their choice, St Albans, Nat. Cathedral, Maret, Holy Trinity (which is a very good school and is not pricey, so it is in high demand), Washington Episcopal, Washington International, Georgetown Day etc. None has been turned down (again, with the exception of Sidwell).

This is to say that hysterical parents, who started planning in 3rd grade and left in either 3rd or 4th grade to secure a spot in the top private schools, wasted money in 1-2 additional years of private school, annoyed the teachers and principals (these hyper-parents tend to apply to several schools, meaning multiple recommendation letters), stressed out their kids, annoyed and generated undue concerns in the other parents.

If your kid if a proficient kid, good report cards, good DC-CAS, I can guarantee that there's no need to start shaking from second grade (unless your kid is Baby Brain as the PP).

The outlook of enrollment in private schools in NW DC has dramatically changed in the past 5-7 years. Just take a look at the data from a dedicated topic of 1-2 weeks ago. With the raise in quality and attendance of local DCPS schools, enrollment numbers in private schools dropped by 30-70%, depending on grades. Inside sources tell me that the issue of decrease in applications (which reduces the possibility for private schools of cherry-picking the best students), and strategies to attract applications from good students, is nowadays in the agenda of all NW private schools.

So relax and enjoy your happy public elementary school experience until the end of 5th grade (and my recommendation is that there's no need to switch to private/charter if you are IB for Deal or Hardy -- two schools I am academically very familiar with).

PS: situation is different for the top charters. if your target is for instance BASIS or LATIN, then yes, go for it and apply one year ahead, for enrollment in 5th grade. Chances are much much higher by then, and specialized teaching make insertion in 5th grade (rather than 6th grade) smoother for kids.

Teacher and Parent, Ward 3.[/quote]

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