Reply to NOVA Stats for spring '17 UVA, W & M & Tech acceptances (or not)

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Reply to "NOVA Stats for spring '17 UVA, W & M & Tech acceptances (or not)"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]a further response to the canards brought up again at 15:05;

(1) please, someone, document the actual cost differential for AP v. IB - the FY17 Program Budget and FY18 Budget Questions are not definitive but suggest that it is not nearly as significant a difference as some suggest - but (note carefully) I have asked the question of Kristen Michael (Asst Supt Finance) and been rebuffed.  Before asserting this again, please find some real data.

(2) TJ students don't necessarily "work harder" than other students in FCPS (or elsewhere).  There are diligent students in each HS in FCPS.  TJ has a particular focus (STEM) that is not attractive to many students' interests (including my two who tested in and turned it down in favor of pupil placing to an IB program - we know one other family in our neighborhood who also gained admission and rejected it in favor of attending the local AP school).  TJ's culture is singular for a lack of diversity, and a very competitive academic environment - not all parents or students want a "pressure cooker" atmosphere.  In our case, we wanted our students to be self motivated, not driven by peer pressures/expectations.

(3) I recognize that anecdotes are not data, but our small neighborhood has parents who have made choices that belie the assertion that affluent, successful parents don't choose IB over AP  In fact, they do.  We are in the Madison (AP) district so that is the default school.  There are currently 11 students from five families who chose to pupil place from Madison to Marshall for IB (that I know of - I estimate roughly that approximately a quarter of the kids attending public school from our small neighborhood, choose to pupil place for IB).   Five have just graduated with full IB Diplomas (six are still in the program) and the graduates are attending; Columbia, UVA (Jefferson scholar - full ride), Naval Academy, Berkeley School of Music, and the University of Chicago.

IB worked very well for us and our neighbors, and it kept many high performing students in schools that otherwise they would not have attended.  You can argue whether this is beneficial to the other students - I suggest that it is but I have no data to support this.

I do know that my kids can think critically and that they cringe every time I ask them for information and perspective to respond to the assertions of people who don't do the minimum amount of due diligence to understand IB.  I respect that some don't like IB.  I don't respect baseless assertion, innuendo and unnecessary, mean spirited calumny.[/quote]

Everything you've posted is consistent with the observation that IB benefits a small number of students and families at the expense of the majority of students, and that most parents/students at the higher-performing schools like Madison have no interest in having AP replaced with IB.

You did acknowledge that your anecdote is not data, which is admirable, but the percentage of students transferring from Madison to Marshall for IB is much, much smaller than "a quarter of the kids" zoned for Madison.  Moreover, Madison has needed to cap the number of students seeking to pupil place there from Marshall and South Lakes.  [/quote]

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