Anonymous
Post 02/11/2019 11:32     Subject: Why are Whitman's English Scores So Bad?

Wasn't the official story that Whitman kids blew off the test since it meant nothing to them personally...used the time to study for AP exams?
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2019 11:29     Subject: Why are Whitman's English Scores So Bad?

Most W's perform poorly when you factor for demographics as a proxy for SES of the surrounding community.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2019 11:25     Subject: Re:Why are Whitman's English Scores So Bad?

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused. Isn't Whitman supposed to be one of the highest ranking high schools in MoCo? 25 percent in English/Language doesn't look like a high ranking. But then their Math score is 80 percent. It doesn't add up... what's going on?

I thought so. Strange.

Well, at our highly-ranked ES, math scores exceed ELA scores (not as drastically as here, though) because of the high percentage of first-generation Asian immigrants, but that's sort of normal for that demographics. Whitman, on the other hand.. Doen't every single student there aspire to go to HYP?
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2019 09:28     Subject: Why are Whitman's English Scores So Bad?


We are an international family in Bethesda (not WW cluster), and know that at the high school level, international kids do their absolute level best to absorb English as rapidly as possible. This English score seems extraordinarily low. Almost like a typo, but who knows?

Anyway, I wouldn't worry. WW is an excellent school, just like WJ and BCC. And the new high school, Woodward, will be just as good. All due to the educated and wealthy parents in the area.


Anonymous
Post 02/11/2019 09:19     Subject: Re:Why are Whitman's English Scores So Bad?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It's a popular school district with embassy, World Bank, and IMF workers so not as many native English speakers compared to some other W schools.

LOL.. Whitman ESOL rate < 5%, average ELA 2.5. RMHS ESOL rate about 9%, average ELA score of 3.2.

You are saying the tiny % of ESOL students at Whitman are dragging down the ELA score at Whitman more than the much bigger (and poorer) ESOL students at RM?


yes

See 9:12. In my former job, one of the supervisors shared ESSA's calculation methods. I am not a math person, but the dumbed down version illustrated the concept of how the "few" can affect the whole.

I personally think ESSA will change or even go - like PARCC, but there's a tiny part of me that likes watching some of these schools suffer. You don't change until you feel some pain. Challenging schools have been punished enough. It's time to level the playing field.

Clearly. But common sense should tell you that a school with a *MUCH* higher % of ESOL and FARMS student will drag down the scores MUCH more than a school with a tiny % of said population. Yet, Whitman has an ELA score of 2.5, while RM has a score of 3.2. Something is wrong at Whitman if their ELA score is *that* low compared to a high FARM/ESOL school like RM.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2019 09:18     Subject: Re:Why are Whitman's English Scores So Bad?

I'm confused. Isn't Whitman supposed to be one of the highest ranking high schools in MoCo? 25 percent in English/Language doesn't look like a high ranking. But then their Math score is 80 percent. It doesn't add up... what's going on?
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2019 09:16     Subject: Re:Why are Whitman's English Scores So Bad?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It's a popular school district with embassy, World Bank, and IMF workers so not as many native English speakers compared to some other W schools.

LOL.. Whitman ESOL rate < 5%, average ELA 2.5. RMHS ESOL rate about 9%, average ELA score of 3.2.

You are saying the tiny % of ESOL students at Whitman are dragging down the ELA score at Whitman more than the much bigger (and poorer) ESOL students at RM?


yes

See 9:12. In my former job, one of the supervisors shared ESSA's calculation methods. I am not a math person, but the dumbed down version illustrated the concept of how the "few" can affect the whole.

I personally think ESSA will change or even go - like PARCC, but there's a tiny part of me that likes watching some of these schools suffer. You don't change until you feel some pain. Challenging schools have been punished enough. It's time to level the playing field.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2019 09:12     Subject: Why are Whitman's English Scores So Bad?

Anonymous wrote:I realize MD is ditching the PARCC, but just wondering why Whitman's English scores are at 25 percent? Is that accurate?
http://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/ReportCards/ReportCardSchool/3/17/6/15/0427/


This doesn't look too promising: Total Earned Points: 66.6

The calculation under ESSA has changed. So a small percentage of non-achieving ESOL kids can indeed drag down test scores - as can sped results.

One attendance issue, for example, can affect multiple schools. So if Jo Jo is chronically absent at School X and then transfers to School Y, both schools are dinged by Jo Jo's absences.

lose-lose

Whitman better ramp it up! lol! It will be feeling the pain the more challenging schools have been experiencing for years.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2019 09:06     Subject: Re:Why are Whitman's English Scores So Bad?

Anonymous wrote:It's a popular school district with embassy, World Bank, and IMF workers so not as many native English speakers compared to some other W schools.

LOL.. Whitman ESOL rate < 5%, average ELA 2.5. RMHS ESOL rate about 9%, average ELA score of 3.2.

You are saying the tiny % of ESOL students at Whitman are dragging down the ELA score at Whitman more than the much bigger (and poorer) ESOL students at RM?
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2019 09:03     Subject: Re:Why are Whitman's English Scores So Bad?

Because they focus on Spanish so they can speak to help.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2019 08:59     Subject: Re:Why are Whitman's English Scores So Bad?

It's a popular school district with embassy, World Bank, and IMF workers so not as many native English speakers compared to some other W schools.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2019 08:56     Subject: Why are Whitman's English Scores So Bad?

Bcs rich kids say things like " my mom/dad will just pay my tutor to do my work."
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2019 08:53     Subject: Re:Why are Whitman's English Scores So Bad?

Because it is a horrible school filled with racist people jealous of Blair, at least that is what I learned on DCUM
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2019 08:53     Subject: Why are Whitman's English Scores So Bad?

Many of the W's have gone downhill in recent years. Real estate markets change over time.
Anonymous
Post 02/11/2019 08:35     Subject: Why are Whitman's English Scores So Bad?

I realize MD is ditching the PARCC, but just wondering why Whitman's English scores are at 25 percent? Is that accurate?
http://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/ReportCards/ReportCardSchool/3/17/6/15/0427/