Reply to Fleeing APS schools for FFX County

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[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]

Of course they are. Getting people curious about facts that can be used to direct resources effectively is very helpful. Using measures such as readiness makes it possible to accurately describe the nature of educational achievement gaps. They are not because poor kids are falling behind. They're doing better than ever. The gaps are there because well off kids, through preschool an extra curricular enrichment, are pulling up and away. It's not simply that kids at say, Jamestown are richer than those at Randolph. It's that as a result, they are availing themselves of a variety of activities that complement and strengthen classroom learning. Why wouldn't you want to quantify those things? [/quote]

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