Anonymous
Post 07/26/2013 11:25     Subject: Flora Singer ES
Anonymous wrote:The demographic at otes is quite different. I also heard there was a huge test prep focus there and not so much at fses. It doesn't matter though that the otes scores are higher. It's comparing apples or oranges and the test is no longer aligned to the curriculum. Fses is an excellent school and you should be happy to be in the community.


Demographics aren't really that different, actually. I guess FSES has a slighly higher percentage of FARMS, ESOL and SPED, but OTES isn't really "whiter" per se.

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/02769.pdf
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/glance/currentyear/schools/02770.pdf

FWIW, I know parents at both schools that are happy, however. Just not convinced demographics alone explains the difference.
Anonymous
Post 07/26/2013 10:16     Subject: Flora Singer ES
Anonymous wrote:Does anyone actually have any perspective on the school itself?



We are very happy with the school. My kids both had excellent teachers and we've had very positive interactions with the principal and asst princip. Great community. My kids have both received appropriate enrichment.
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2013 21:16     Subject: Flora Singer ES
Anonymous wrote:The reality is that all of MCPS has a TEST culture...especially schools with lots of farms kids and minorities (the principals are under a lot of pressure to demonstrate improvement, and that gets pushed onto the teachers). This was Floras first year, so they really don't have a baseline yet in terms of what they needed to do to improve. Plus, they didn't even have a 5th grade class (so no need to stress over their scores). I'm not knocking the school...just grinning at the newbie parents who think their new school is some sort of Candyland that bucks the MCPS test trend.


Oh no. The "Flora" poster is back.
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2013 21:10     Subject: Flora Singer ES
Does anyone actually have any perspective on the school itself?
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2013 19:49     Subject: Flora Singer ES
The reality is that all of MCPS has a TEST culture...especially schools with lots of farms kids and minorities (the principals are under a lot of pressure to demonstrate improvement, and that gets pushed onto the teachers). This was Floras first year, so they really don't have a baseline yet in terms of what they needed to do to improve. Plus, they didn't even have a 5th grade class (so no need to stress over their scores). I'm not knocking the school...just grinning at the newbie parents who think their new school is some sort of Candyland that bucks the MCPS test trend.
Anonymous
Post 07/25/2013 19:42     Subject: Flora Singer ES
The demographic at otes is quite different. I also heard there was a huge test prep focus there and not so much at fses. It doesn't matter though that the otes scores are higher. It's comparing apples or oranges and the test is no longer aligned to the curriculum. Fses is an excellent school and you should be happy to be in the community.
Anonymous
Post 07/24/2013 20:59     Subject: Flora Singer ES
Does OTES have a learning center now?
Anonymous
Post 07/24/2013 16:48     Subject: Flora Singer ES
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote: It wouldn't be wise to compare msa scores of fses and otes. The schools are very different in a lot of ways but mainly with special education. Fses has a learning center and otes does not. There's so much more that goes into what makes a school good or not than how students did on one isolated assessment. It's also the last year of it so different schools placed a different amount of attention on test preparation. Lastly it Doesn't correlate well to 2.0


Can you describe what you mean by, "the schools are very different?" And also, what is a "learning center?" Would you say FS is better for special education? And how does that influence test scores?


If you look at the MSA results, it is apparent OTES got rid of the low performers, scores are up there and appreciably lower at FSES. DC will go to FS but I rather wish we were still zoned for OTES.


What happened is that OTES became whiter and richer. It's a demographic difference not a quality of education difference.

You will not regret FSES. I prefer it and had kids at OTES for a number of years before FSES was built. Your kid's scores won't be lower as a result of the demographic differences.

Also, FSES is much better at providing differentiation than OTES.
Anonymous
Post 07/24/2013 13:27     Subject: Flora Singer ES
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote: It wouldn't be wise to compare msa scores of fses and otes. The schools are very different in a lot of ways but mainly with special education. Fses has a learning center and otes does not. There's so much more that goes into what makes a school good or not than how students did on one isolated assessment. It's also the last year of it so different schools placed a different amount of attention on test preparation. Lastly it Doesn't correlate well to 2.0


Can you describe what you mean by, "the schools are very different?" And also, what is a "learning center?" Would you say FS is better for special education? And how does that influence test scores?


If you look at the MSA results, it is apparent OTES got rid of the low performers, scores are up there and appreciably lower at FSES. DC will go to FS but I rather wish we were still zoned for OTES.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2013 22:42     Subject: Flora Singer ES
Re. the PP who mentioned lack of collaboration - our experience in 1st grade (as a parent) is that the classes do a lot of things together. But, Curious Educator, I'd try to find a way to talk with the actual teachers - as parents we really don't have a clue what it would be like to work there. From the parent perspective to me it looks like a great place to work.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2013 21:47     Subject: Flora Singer ES
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Do you mean MSAs of 3rd and 4th graders? I don't think they are available yet. I do know that 7 third graders from Singer got into the HGC for next year and two kids got in from OTES.


How do you know that?


HGCs have lists of the home schools of admitted students.
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2013 21:41     Subject: Flora Singer ES
Anonymous wrote: It wouldn't be wise to compare msa scores of fses and otes. The schools are very different in a lot of ways but mainly with special education. Fses has a learning center and otes does not. There's so much more that goes into what makes a school good or not than how students did on one isolated assessment. It's also the last year of it so different schools placed a different amount of attention on test preparation. Lastly it Doesn't correlate well to 2.0


Can you describe what you mean by, "the schools are very different?" And also, what is a "learning center?" Would you say FS is better for special education? And how does that influence test scores?
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2013 21:39     Subject: Flora Singer ES
Anonymous wrote:Do you mean MSAs of 3rd and 4th graders? I don't think they are available yet. I do know that 7 third graders from Singer got into the HGC for next year and two kids got in from OTES.


How do you know that?
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2013 21:37     Subject: Flora Singer ES
It wouldn't be wise to compare msa scores of fses and otes. The schools are very different in a lot of ways but mainly with special education. Fses has a learning center and otes does not. There's so much more that goes into what makes a school good or not than how students did on one isolated assessment. It's also the last year of it so different schools placed a different amount of attention on test preparation. Lastly it Doesn't correlate well to 2.0
Anonymous
Post 05/13/2013 12:21     Subject: Flora Singer ES
MSA results are usually back at the beginning of June, so shouldn't be too much longer.