Anonymous wrote:Yes, but I think that is due to the concentration of kids with special needs. If you look at the population, there is a large number of kids who have special needs who are instructed outside of the general classroom. That means that these kids need enough assistance that they are not integrated into the regular classroom. Test scores from this population is low and if I look at one for 3rd grade math, it is 16%. Average that in with the rest of the kids and voila - 5 on Great Schools. However, those scores don't reflect what is going on in the regular classroom. I have heard great things about the school.

Have also heard about momentum in the middle school where friends with kids at Woodlin are reconsidering it (was an absolute no a few years ago). At the board meeting next week, there is an agenda item to add the middle years program to Sligo and then add IB for Einstein in 9th and 10th grade (it already has IB for 11th and 12th).

That would be great.

If Einstein adds IB for 9th and 10th are only kids who had the middle school IB program eligible?

Yes, but I think that is due to the concentration of kids with special needs. If you look at the population, there is a large number of kids who have special needs who are instructed outside of the general classroom. That means that these kids need enough assistance that they are not integrated into the regular classroom. Test scores from this population is low and if I look at one for 3rd grade math, it is 16%. Average that in with the rest of the kids and voila - 5 on Great Schools. However, those scores don't reflect what is going on in the regular classroom. I have heard great things about the school.

Have also heard about momentum in the middle school where friends with kids at Woodlin are reconsidering it (was an absolute no a few years ago). At the board meeting next week, there is an agenda item to add the middle years program to Sligo and then add IB for Einstein in 9th and 10th grade (it already has IB for 11th and 12th).

I don't understand the rating. There is a learning center in the school. Does that affect the school's scores?

Does Flora Singer seriously have a 5 rating on Great Schools? That's surprising. It's has a spectacular repuation on DCUM, along with its buddy Oakland Terrace.

Oh .. and as to the increased size in 3rd grade, they pull kids out for small group lessons based on need (support/extension/special needs) and so kids are not always in a class of 25-26 … it's often closer to 10-15 for a particular subject or class period.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Flora Singer. Great teachers, great community. Class sizes small until third grade.

How small is "small"?

My child had 16-18 in K-2. Grade 3 and up 25 or 26.

NP here … same experience in size. I am baffled by the Great Schools rating. We are moving out of state and I actually told DH that I don't trust that site because based on it I would not want my kids at Singer. But from personal experience, I am more than thrilled. Actually leaving Singer is one of the things about which I'm most sad. It is a really exceptional learning community. Excellent leadership under Mr. Heatwole, dedicated and active PTA, strong parent community, true diversity in all regards.

And yes, were we staying I would have some concerns about middle school BUT I know there is a big push for the currently involved parents to stay involved at Sligo and my sense is that it is really improving, especially under the new principal. Singer parents were very involved in the push to get Sligo approved as a MYP school (the MS lead up to IB).

We love it there.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We love Flora Singer. Great teachers, great community. Class sizes small until third grade.

How small is "small"?

My child had 16-18 in K-2. Grade 3 and up 25 or 26.

Anonymous wrote:We love Flora Singer. Great teachers, great community. Class sizes small until third grade.

How small is "small"?

We love Flora Singer. Great teachers, great community. Class sizes small until third grade.

Compare the test scores to schools with comparable demographics and see what you find. That's really all you can do. Your upper middle class kid will do fine at any mcps school. He won't do markedly better academically at another mcps school in Bethesda if that's what you're thinking. If your kid is bright, he will be in the top reading and math groups at FS. It's in the schools interest to push the smart kids in an effort to improve test scores across the board. Your kid wil not be neglected.

Now, if you have money for a good private school, you might want to consider it...for other reasons.

The MCPS curriculum is crummy. A good private school will be far superior academically.

I don't think test scores are meaningless, regardless of whether they are explainable by demographics. If there is a large population of kids with poor test scores, there's a potential that the school's resources will be largely devoted to helping those kids, which is appropriate, but it can also mean that higher performing kids are not getting as good an education as they might someplace else without those issues. You're right to try to find out more.

Rankings based on test scores are meaningless. And test scores are meaningless. You already know the demographics at the school, so you should understand the low test scores. The only test score that means anything (and that's debatable) is your own child's score. Period.

I know teachers at the school, and they love it...that's a positive IMHO.

Since you already live there, your only options are to try the school, opt for private or move. I suggest you try the school.

I have read most of those threads, but it seems that generally people are just saying "it's good" or "I've heard people are happy." I'd love to hear more specifically about whether parents are or aren't concerned about the 5 out of 10 Good Schools ranking and why or why not and the answers to my other specific questions. I'd also love to hear more specifically what parents who are there like (or don't like) about it.

Have you read the other threads on Flora Singer? There are a bunch. And from what I recall, the majority of people love the school.

The only concern I've heard from people I know there is that the middle school isn't great...so many people move or send their kids to private for MS. And I've heard that from families at the other elementary schools that feed into Sligo MS.

This the ES we are zoned for. We have a couple of neighbors with kindergarteners there, and they have nothing but good things to say, but that sample size is so small.

Specifically I'm concerned about class size (not specific to FS. It's a concern of mine generally about MoCo schools) and the fact that it has a 5 out of 10 rating by Good Schools. I know that's based on test scores and test scores aren't the be-all end-all, but the ranking does give me pause. Does anybody with experience at FS know whether or not that should be a concern? How are the teachers? Uniformly good or does it vary widely based on whose class your child is in? How well do they handle so many children? Anything else I should consider? Thanks in advance!