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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here. Never thought I'd see this many responses, but my takeaway is: FFX uses larger class sizes and the AAP program to manage the potential overcrowding at schools. From everything I've heard in APS over the 4-5 years we've been part of it, there is no way they'd consider tracking and AAP. Seems like a non-starter, for whatever reason. But maybe we're getting to the point where we should consider expanding class sizes. I haven't heard many negative comments about it from FFX parents, seems like it hasn't been all that detrimental to the classroom.

And no surprise we're never going to have as many options as FFX does in terms of finding land to build new schools. They have so much more flexibility in that regard. I wonder if APS needs to at least consider making the 4th HS a combined 6-12 grade school. Perhaps that could open up more options and relieve some of the busing costs? Maybe have the 6-8 grades start at a different time, to stagger the buses? Just throwing out ideas at this point. [/quote]

APS doesn't do "tracking" but residential housing segregation is essentially the same thing. I bet it would be eyepopping to find out what percentage of students in each elementary school had a preschool education. At a school like Jamestown it's probably well over 90%. At Barcroft or Randolph I'd be very surprised if it cracked 50%. Kids who go to preschool start out ahead (north Arlington) or wait for the others to catch up (south Arlington).[/quote]

You’re speculating.[/quote]

Well duh, that's what speculative language like "wouldn't be surprised" implies. Here's another speculation: APS almost certainly has some measure of school readiness for the student body at each elementary school.[/quote]

Yes, but your speculations are not helpful at all.  [/quote]

DP, but I think it's relevant. [b]Other than VPI, what access would a low-income family have to quality preschool in Arlington?[/b] While access to quality preschool may not have measurable long-term effects, especially when those students go on to attend highly segregated ES-HS, certainly in the early years a lack of preschool preparation could affect test scores. Whether this will affect their HS scores, who knows. But I could see how 3rd grade SOL reading/writing scores might be lower at some schools, especially if first exposure to the English language is happening at school. SOLs don't measure intellect, just preparation. [/quote]

We're in Fairfax, but I assumed that Arlington was the same.  Churches host inexpensive, excellent preschools in Fairfax.  Some are affiliated with the church and some aren't.  I imagine they'd be willing to be flexible on tuition and/or financial aid, especially the ones affiliated with a church.  Does Arlington not have any low-cost preschools?[/quote]

DP. Arlington does, but you're showing your privilege in spades here. If you're a family barely making ends meet and you have free childcare available at home (say, a grandparent who lives with you or a parent who doesn't work because full-time childcare would cost more than their potential earnings), you're not going to pay for even low-cost preschool for your child because the money simply isn't there. That's true in FCPS as much as it is in APS.[/quote]

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