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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]There is no doubt that Hill parents are willing to surmount obstacles that many high-SES families in living outside of the District wouldn't even consider taking on.  Maybe we are gluttons for punishment or maybe we have an unhealthy obsession with overcoming challenges, but in either case we love living on the Hill and are reluctant to walk away without a fight.  Yes, although Jefferson is geographically isolated (in fact, it doesn't even have Metrobus service from the Hill), DCPS is never going to open the doors of Stuart-Hobson to schools like Brent or Maury, perhaps because it is perceived as doing just well enough in terms of the population being served insofar as it is purportedly the "Second Best Middle School in DC.". (Trademark Pending).  If anything, Stuart-Hobson should get stronger in just a few years as greater numbers of families IB for the Cluster and Ludlow-Taylor decide to stay in the feeder pattern through at least 8th Grade.  From my viewpoint, Jefferson doesn't seem to have any of these attributes going for it.  While it has a strong principal, families living in SW currently make up less than half of the student body.

As Tyler will now be feeding to Jefferson, DCPS is adding a sizable cohort of students with no ties to either Jefferson or surrounding community, and whose test scores seem to preset a new set of challenges with fewer than one-third demonstrating proficiency in math and fewer than half demonstrating proficiency in reading.  I think it's also fair to assume that many of these kids, some of who, live in Potomac Gardens, will each have their own unique set of hurdles to overcome.

When they arrive at Jefferson, they will be joining kids from Amidon whose test scores demonstrate that only about 30 percent are proficient in either reading or math.  While I can applaud the hard work at Jefferson which seems to show remarkable results in terms of attaining proficiency, I have doubts whether there are enough resources to meaningfully advance pedagogy for the minority of students who are already proficient at the time of matriculation (which itself is a relatively low bar in DC) without the introduction of something akin to an honors track.  Ironically, one of the few things that Jefferson potentially had going for it was the fact that SW (as well as a swath of the Brent District) had been IB for Wilson.  With that off the table, and charters continuing to provide a jumping off point at 5th Grade, I don't see much prospect of change on the horizon.  I just can't think of a compelling reason to take a chance on Jefferson for three years if Eastern is a non-starter for former member of the Stroller Brigade, and SWW may or may not pan out as a viable option.  While I'll readily acknowledge that I am an in curable pessimist by nature, I can't see any light at the end of the Jefferson tunnel.  [/quote]

Isn't Jefferson starting an IB curriculum?

And I'm curious about the current Jefferson OOB kids. I have a theory that Jefferson is acting like an unofficial magnet - because of its relative strength & history of strength, more ambitious parents are sending their kids there ... but that may also have been due to the Wilson feed?  [/quote]

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