Reply to When should we listen to those small, nagging doubts?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Our title 1 eotp DCPS has lots of individualization/small groups, and very very capable teachers, so so far our kid is being challenged and working at the top of his potential. so we are happy.

But I really think a lot of it depends on the personality of the kid, not just their intelligence level. The "gentrifier" [b]kids I see thriving at our school are all very outgoing and full of positive energy, in addition to being smart --- I think their outgoingness leads the teacher to see them more clearly and to feel excited to challenge them. I see a lot of shy-er UMC kids being overlooked, and their parents aren't as confident about the school meeting their needs[/b] -- maybe these kids would do better in a school where most kids were "above average" and that was the norm..m they wouldn't have to make themselves stand out to be working on advanced material.[/quote]

In addition to these considerations re: kid's temperament, I'd also look to see how kids that fit your demographic tend to do in the upper grades on PARCC.  For example, some schools with lower overall test scores show different results when you look at kids by race/ethnicity, etc.  (I think high SES black families will have more trouble discerning how their own kids will do, and perhaps that's why a lot of them don't send their kids to Title 1 schools in the first place, in addition to concerns about peer pressure.)  But for "gentrifier" families, looking at PARCC by various breakdowns might be instructive.[/quote]

I also agree that the kid’s temperament matters a lot. I was a kid who never wanted to stand out. I was a little bit socially awkward to begin with, so I positioned myself so that I was never singled out as the “smartest” kid. It meant that at my local neighborhood public school, I just didn’t ever talk in math class or do the extra assignments, because I was so afraid of being singled out. I made sure I presented at roughly the 75%ile for everything; never drew a teacher’s ire, always an after thought on the list of good students and never the star. Especially because it was math and, true to stereotype, every other kid who seemed good at it was a boy. It wasn’t until we did these city wide math team challenge type things in 5th grade that my teachers were like, holy shit, she is really good at math. My parents then made every effort to get me into a more selective school. Luckily I tested into a magnet where I promptly positioned myself at the 75%ile. It was until 10th grade when I started doing really well at an EC and enjoying it that I started to get over the fear. If I had been at a T1 equivalent, it would have been a disaster and I guarantee I would have skated along with 3s or 4s on PARCC.

My brother on the other hand? Similar in terms of sheer academic ability but a huge people pleaser who thrives off of teachers loving him. He was the super star at our local school and would have been absolutely fine at a Title 1; might have actually done better there because he would have gotten even more positive feedback in every subject rather than having some challengers in a few. He stayed in neighborhood public schools for middle school because he wanted to and my parents weren’t concerned at all about his performance. Truthfully, I think he would have gotten into any college he wanted from any school in the city; he’s just that type: valedictorian, every teacher’s favorite, class president, standout in two ECs, very popular with peers,
etc.

I hope my kids take after my brother:)[/quote]

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