Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve taught several kids who transferred from St Patrick’s, and their math and writing skills were surprisingly weak, and many were below grade level expectations for dc privates and public schools (I’ve taught in both). However, they have been on or above grade level for reading.

This is very disturbing. It supports what we hear from parents whose kids are no longer at STP. Last year, the school held a meeting with parents to introduce the new math curriculum. Parents of two unrelated STP graduates openly commented to school admin that their children, who were top students in math at STP, were not well prepared for advanced math at their high schools.

my kid was well prepared and finished hs with calc BC

I don't think anyone is suggesting students won't eventually catch up and excel, but in my personal experience St. Patrick's math curriculum was far behind other schools. We left before middle school so I can't speak to that experience, but my neurotypical child needed intensive summer tutoring to get caught up to grade level at his new school.

Did not need to catch up. Went on the HS in top math classes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve taught several kids who transferred from St Patrick’s, and their math and writing skills were surprisingly weak, and many were below grade level expectations for dc privates and public schools (I’ve taught in both). However, they have been on or above grade level for reading.

This is very disturbing. It supports what we hear from parents whose kids are no longer at STP. Last year, the school held a meeting with parents to introduce the new math curriculum. Parents of two unrelated STP graduates openly commented to school admin that their children, who were top students in math at STP, were not well prepared for advanced math at their high schools.

my kid was well prepared and finished hs with calc BC

I don't think anyone is suggesting students won't eventually catch up and excel, but in my personal experience St. Patrick's math curriculum was far behind other schools. We left before middle school so I can't speak to that experience, but my neurotypical child needed intensive summer tutoring to get caught up to grade level at his new school.

I pay 40k at St. Pat’s and on top of that, after picking up my child we do one hour of math with a classic curriculum. We also plan to leave before middle school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve taught several kids who transferred from St Patrick’s, and their math and writing skills were surprisingly weak, and many were below grade level expectations for dc privates and public schools (I’ve taught in both). However, they have been on or above grade level for reading.

This is very disturbing. It supports what we hear from parents whose kids are no longer at STP. Last year, the school held a meeting with parents to introduce the new math curriculum. Parents of two unrelated STP graduates openly commented to school admin that their children, who were top students in math at STP, were not well prepared for advanced math at their high schools.

my kid was well prepared and finished hs with calc BC

I don't think anyone is suggesting students won't eventually catch up and excel, but in my personal experience St. Patrick's math curriculum was far behind other schools. We left before middle school so I can't speak to that experience, but my neurotypical child needed intensive summer tutoring to get caught up to grade level at his new school.

Anonymous wrote:My child is at St. P’s. In 8th grade English and Math, the teachers don’t assign grades—they only write comments. Why is that? Are they afraid of hurting the students’ feelings, or is the curriculum and teaching so poor that they have to resort to this?

Read your child’s most recent report card. Letter grades are there. It came out just a few days ago on the portal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve taught several kids who transferred from St Patrick’s, and their math and writing skills were surprisingly weak, and many were below grade level expectations for dc privates and public schools (I’ve taught in both). However, they have been on or above grade level for reading.

This is very disturbing. It supports what we hear from parents whose kids are no longer at STP. Last year, the school held a meeting with parents to introduce the new math curriculum. Parents of two unrelated STP graduates openly commented to school admin that their children, who were top students in math at STP, were not well prepared for advanced math at their high schools.

my kid was well prepared and finished hs with calc BC

My kids were in the advanced sections and it made a huge difference in their experience. The problem is there is a big gap in curriculum for those who are not in advanced. I think more kids should have been allowed to at least try sdvanced. We loved the school but want to be sensitive that this is something to work on. The music and the athletics are also great. There is nothing more beautiful than the xmas services there at chapel. Hope Mr Brophy and Mrs Peterson are still there!! Religion is also taught in the most inclusive and positive manner. Also hope Mrs K is there-she is the kindest person. I have heard good things about new HOS and can imagine it is hard to follow Mr. Barrett but it has now I think been a few years so maybe everything settled in now.

Anonymous wrote:Another very, very happy former parent here. Our kid was very, very well-prepared for high school. Tested into accelerated math (only freshman accelerated class) and then into several other advanced or accelerated sophomore classes.

The long post slamming their academics sounds a bit troll-ish. I would 100% disregard.

Agreed.

The differentiation is very appropriate. St. P’s offers advanced math, advanced Spanish, and accelerated language arts, history, and science courses in middle school. The advanced sections are offered to students with good grades in the prior year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Academics are not strong. Curriculum is behind DCPS.

Do you have more info about it? How do you know?

This is absolutely incorrect.

- long term St. P’s parent.

So which DC-area K-8 schools are the strongest in math?

My DC(all advanced class at big 3) said the kids who are serious about school and put in the work do very well. Others well their results vary.

You can find this at most schools. It is easier for the parents to blame the school.

Another very, very happy former parent here. Our kid was very, very well-prepared for high school. Tested into accelerated math (only freshman accelerated class) and then into several other advanced or accelerated sophomore classes.

The long post slamming their academics sounds a bit troll-ish. I would 100% disregard.

Anonymous wrote:We were wondering how good their Math and English programs are. We’re also curious if they grade students, and do they challenge advanced students?
Some people told us that they claim to challenge them but actually don’t.

Letter grades (A, B, C, etc.) start in the last trimester of 4th grade. Prior to that its a B (beginning), D (developing), C (consistently) format.

I am current parent at St Pat's and have children who have already graduated. The school is not a pressure cooker and slowly ramps up the rigor in middle school. My children are now at "top 3" schools and have been very well prepared. They both took the accelerated math and spanish classes at St Pat's.

A friend’s son at Eaton has more homework than my child at St. Pat’s

Another parent of a recent St Pats grad at a big 3. Kid has found English very easy and is in top math class. Kid throughly prepared.