Anonymous wrote:I was reading Amada Ripley's book The Smartest Kids in the World focusing on why American schools are not cutting it relative to other high performing systems like Finland or South Korea or even Poland. She had a lot of points she was trying to make, but one of them that stood out too me is that the U.S. has an obsession with identifying kids as "smart" i.e. gifted, but if we actually had rigorous classrooms this is a not really necessary and more effective. It is my understanding that this is the point of the school enrichment model. While I have been in tracked systems and get why they can be important I wonder if part of our obsession is really what is holding back our education system.

I don't think an obsession with tracking or advanced classes is the problem with DCPS.

I was reading Amada Ripley's book The Smartest Kids in the World focusing on why American schools are not cutting it relative to other high performing systems like Finland or South Korea or even Poland. She had a lot of points she was trying to make, but one of them that stood out too me is that the U.S. has an obsession with identifying kids as "smart" i.e. gifted, but if we actually had rigorous classrooms this is a not really necessary and more effective. It is my understanding that this is the point of the school enrichment model. While I have been in tracked systems and get why they can be important I wonder if part of our obsession is really what is holding back our education system.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I figured it was too good to be true. So its not really english or math advanced classes, which is truly what DCPS needs. If Hardy could pilot that, I have a feeling their IB retention would soar.

My impression from presentations was that the advanced subject classes are very much part of the model, but they're not all of it. They indeed shouldn't be, not if you recognize that what sets children apart in the pursuit of an advanced professional or academic career is their higher order thinking skills. That said, if your key concern is a middle school full of advanced classes in pretty much all subjects, then you'll be better off at a school like Stuart-Hobson.

I honestly can't tell if this is a joke or not. how many advanced classes does Stuart Hobson offer?

Is Ms. Bax still there? She is a wonderful math teacher and her Algebra I class was really advanced.

Anonymous wrote:I figured it was too good to be true. So its not really english or math advanced classes, which is truly what DCPS needs. If Hardy could pilot that, I have a feeling their IB retention would soar.

My impression from presentations was that the advanced subject classes are very much part of the model, but they're not all of it. They indeed shouldn't be, not if you recognize that what sets children apart in the pursuit of an advanced professional or academic career is their higher order thinking skills. That said, if your key concern is a middle school full of advanced classes in pretty much all subjects, then you'll be better off at a school like Stuart-Hobson.

so to answer the original posters question...it's not as challenging as it could be at time, but it's getting there. They are tailoring the SEM to meet ALL kids and that means that kids are all over the map in terms of what they need but they are at least trying. I see kids engaged in interesting activities and working on difficult concepts. They are not just doing higher level math and science, but they are engaged in reading,writing, economics, math, science etc. There are a variety of ways students can thrive and push themselves. Is it all that is should be yet? No but it's only in the beginning of it's second year. Give it a chance.

I don't think it's too good to be true. It's good and it's true. Don't knock it before you've seen it in action. Honestly, sometimes I feel like folks are just looking for a way to be negative. How do you know it's too good to be true? As a parent at Hardy RIGHT NOW I think they are doing something pretty good. Is it perfect? No. But they are putting some wonderful things in place that serve all children not just your 'gifted' child.

I figured it was too good to be true. So its not really english or math advanced classes, which is truly what DCPS needs. If Hardy could pilot that, I have a feeling their IB retention would soar.

THe Hardy Website also describes some of this.

another Hardy parent here..... there aren't any 'gifted' classes. The school believes all the kids are 'gifted' in the sense that they can all learn and can all be exposed to enrichment opportunities. The SEM program is about the Student Enrichment Model which is different than a GATE program. It is an opportunity for all the kids to find things they are interested in, have an affinity for and give them 'extra' opportunities in some of those areas. Each student does the online Renzuli process where they are asked questions and it shows up their strengths/affinities. From that questionnaire students are asked if they want to participate in certain 'extras'. My child is interested in business and entrepreneurship. She's helping to run a farmer's market at the school on Wednesday's. The students are learning about business models and how to think about profits etc. Students do some activities during the school day (lunch and are pulled from other classes) and some after school. There are book clubs, rocketry clubs/classes etc.. Each student 6-8 will have the opportunity to do something each year but not necessarily for the entire year. Does that help?

I'm not a Hardy parent but went to open houses last year. I found those really informative on all the questions PPs are asking here. For us, Hardy was just too far and out of the way but other than that, I was very impressed and found their G&T (SEM) very compelling.

How many hours a day are the kids in the gifted classes. Do they have to test in? Can any student take a gifted class regardless of ability?

so what classes does your child take, and
which are the gifted ones they take?
and worse things about it?

Hardy parent here. My DC was part of the gifted program last year, and even so, I was a bit skeptical of the value.
But this year, I think the program has really hit its stride. There clearly has been an effort to learn some lessons from last year and improve. The addition of a second gifted and talented teacher has also helped. Now they have one teacher running the humanities side, and one running the STEM side. Each can focus more, and there seems to be an exponential improvement in how the program is run. There are more classes, more opportunities, and they are better integrated with the rest of the classes taken by my child. And Principal Pride seems to really value the program and have a vision for it.

I think any kind of student can thrive at Hardy. The high achievers stand out, and get the extra attention they need from the teachers. But the "in the middle" kids that might be lost at other schools are not lost at Hardy because it is so small.

I know a lot of in-boundary parents worry about kids coming to Hardy from "other parts of the city", but I think our child finds that in general, all the kids in his class at Hardy are warm, supportive, and accepting. There are a few exceptions of course, but those are the exceptions, not the rule. There does not appear to be much negative peer pressure at all, and not a lot of the pressure I remember from middle school to fit in at all costs - the kids at Hardy like each other, accept each other's quirks and differences, and work well together.

Please be honest-how challenged are the kids, what kind of student thrives and what kind wallows ther, what are the worse and best things about it, etc...