Reply to MacFarland Middle & Roosevelt High

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Reply to "MacFarland Middle & Roosevelt High - Status?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]There seems to be confusion about what schools will feed MacFarland. Bancroft is already in the mix, as are many other students in immersion programs.

I don't think there's room or a rationale to put Shepherd in the mix. The building will hold 600.

Geographic feeders / PARCC % proficient and advanced

West - ELA 28 Math 21
Bruce Monroe - ELA 15 Math 18
Truesdell - ELA 14 Math 20
Barnard - ELA 26 Math 25
Powell - ELA 15 Math 35
Raymond - ELA 16 Math 13

Programmatic feeder rights :

Cleveland - ELA 31 Math 26
Marie Reed - ELA 18 Math 33
Tyler - ELA 19 Math 27
Bancroft - ELA 12 Math 20
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Yes this is correct, although you could put Powell and Bruce Monroe in both lists.

I think it is silly that someone is already trying to announce the new MacFarland as a failure (albeit on DCUM only, and it sounds like one person). Aside from DCPS there are a lot of people invested in MacFarland's re-opening, some very good and committed parents and education activists, including but not limited to the Ward 4 Education Alliance. Plus there is the issue of demographics as another PP mentioned, the reversal of the trend of school-aged population IB for MacFarland. Give it a few years and let's see how it goes. I am optimistic.

I do have one concern that was raised a couple of years ago on DCUM when the MacFarland plan was announced. This was that the dual language program at MacFarland might attract more committed parents, more interest, more applications, and so on, compared to the regular program at MacFarland. First because dual language is in demand these days and second because some of the dual language feeder schools may be stronger than the geographic feeders. I am not sure about the latter given the test scores posted above, but I agree with the former about dual language being very popular. The concern is that this could lead to a well-regarded and in-demand dual language stream at MacFarland and a less-well-regarded regular stream.

But at least until we see what actually happens, I don't see the potential strength of the dual language program as a negative. I see it as a positive that MacFarland has something tangible and unique that will make it a big draw. MacFarland is I believe the only DCPS dual language MS? That's a big plus that will attract families from the dual language feeders, and that interest and vitality will benefit the whole school. It will be important not to privilege the dual language program over the English-only program but I expect that the school admin and the PTA can maintain the balance. Plus there is, again, the demographic angle which works in favor of the geographic feeders, with an increasing school-age population IB for MacFarland.

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I realized as soon as I hit "submit" that Oyster-Adams has a MS so MacFarland is not the only dual language MS. But Oyster is small and its geographical boundary exclusive, so the dual language program at MacFarland while not unique will still be a big draw, IMO.

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