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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]When I saw this thread had continued on for several pages, I thought we had gotten back to the ongoing debate as to whether Banneker was suitable for the children of the well-off DCUMers. Surprised at first to see that the focus was on whether this young man deserved his 5 acceptances [b]and the ensuing publicity[/b]. But I guess I shouldn't be.

At any rate, I know that Banneker won't suit every child, but isn't it at least conceivable now that it's worth investigating more closely for your own kids instead if rejecting it out of hand?[/quote]

No, Banneker is not worth investigating and DC CAS scores mean nothing - or if they mean something, the only thing that matters is how many kids score advanced, and whether that is surprising given their SES.  One of the reasons this story got SO much publicity is because he comes from Banneker, and while it is ranked 2nd in DC by US News & World Report (after SWW, in the 200s, 77% AA but only 18% FARMS), it is ranked 461 nationally and that it is ranked so high kind of scares me.  Actually really makes me question the rankings completely except maybe the top 100 or so...........

Here are the stats from US NEWS on Banneker, which we know has SAT scores lower than the NATIONAL AVERAGE in the entire country, of all kids who take the SAT, although it is one of the few admission only schools in DC, which again means the DC CAS means nada....
But the stats do explain why this was such an incredible feat for this kid to get into these colleges, AND the IB diploma does prove that he, unlike most students at Banneker, is ready for college - even a top college.

College readiness: less than 50%
rank: 461 (explain THAT to me please?)
percent minority: 100%
interesting stat: 70% female, 30% male
classified as magnet not STEM
Title I school (although I thought that meant at least 40% FARMS and they also say SWW is Title I - not true)
DC CAS (only math available) 69% proficient, 39% advanced - why is this meaningless? maybe the advanced part is not, especially given the high FARMS population, but usually it is only meaningful as a floor below which a parent will not go, not anything to brag about.  OTOH, Janney had 50% advanced math & English last year

DC has the lowest avg NAEP scores in the entire country compared both to every state and every urban district they chose to measure, although white students in DC have the highest scores in the country, avg black score 50 pts lower, avg Latino score slightly less, gap between FARMS and whites has DOUBLED in ten years while the other gaps have remained the same.............

AP exams (also why DC CAS worthless probably and why college readiness is so bad)
82% took one or more AP exam, 
36% passed rate, of those who took more (the 36%?) avg pass was 1.9 APs

Why this kid is qualified to do well in Ivy League and how he proved it was obtaining an IB diploma
17% of students participated in IB program (took at least one IB exam)
100% passed at least one (clearly a self selecting group)
60% pass rate
average person took 8 IB exams
53.3% of participants got IB diploma, which was 8.9% of the student population

that plus GPA plus presumably stellar AP exam grades plus  spelling bee and who knows what else makes him the exception at Banneker, and in DCPS/DCPCS.  He may or may not qualify for FARMS, but HYP only offer need based scholarships - GW may offer merit.

I think the fact that he is the child of a single mother might have played a role, more so because he is a boy, he clearly typifies the DC profile - AA and poor, in a "magnet" school that is not great, but he found a way out and is clearly qualified to attend any college or university in the country, and those things make this news because it is not the norm in DC - our white kids from Wilson may make it to the Ivy League, but that is not news.

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