Anonymous
Post 11/27/2011 16:17     Subject: Re:Fairfax versus Arlington schools
Why do Arlington high schools get ranked so low by GreatSchools? Yorktown is a 7, Washington-Lee is a 5, and Wakefield is either a 3 or 4. Fairfax seems to have many 9s and 8s.
Anonymous
Post 11/27/2011 14:23     Subject: Fairfax versus Arlington schools
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

You missed my point entirely.

There is less extreme differentiation in achievement at APS. Which is to say the cohort of students by and large performs at a higher level and are taught to at a higher level as a baseline. The way FCPS has been politicized and commoditized is testament to the role it plays in that system.


If that were true, you'd expect to see higher performance at W-L and Wakefield. W-L would be considered a below-average school in Fairfax, and most Arlington residents distance themselves from Wakefield. Arlington talks a good game, but doesn't deliver.


Based on what measures? Just curious where people find this data. Thanks!
Anonymous
Post 11/27/2011 13:29     Subject: Fairfax versus Arlington schools
Anonymous wrote:

You missed my point entirely.

There is less extreme differentiation in achievement at APS. Which is to say the cohort of students by and large performs at a higher level and are taught to at a higher level as a baseline. The way FCPS has been politicized and commoditized is testament to the role it plays in that system.


If that were true, you'd expect to see higher performance at W-L and Wakefield. W-L would be considered a below-average school in Fairfax, and most Arlington residents distance themselves from Wakefield. Arlington talks a good game, but doesn't deliver.
Anonymous
Post 11/27/2011 13:12     Subject: Fairfax versus Arlington schools
13:07 here -- I neglected to include the exceptionally gifted students in my reply.

Distinguishing the difference:

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/highly_profoundly.htm


You can see how there are many "gifted or moderately gifted" students in the metro DC area, including within Arlington Public Schools.

Anonymous
Post 11/27/2011 13:07     Subject: Fairfax versus Arlington schools
Anonymous wrote:
You missed my point entirely.

There is less extreme differentiation in achievement at APS. Which is to say the cohort of students by and large performs at a higher level and are taught to at a higher level as a baseline. The way FCPS has been politicized and commoditized is testament to the role it plays in that system.


I agree that there is a strong cohort of students that performs at a higher level. It's similar to most of the metro DC area.

For the subset of gifted students (and I will say highly gifted students vs. profoundly gifted students), differentiation in a general ed classroom and/or weekly pull-outs with an assigned gifted ed teacher may not the best learning environment. Therefore the full-time center (such as that available within FCPS) serves as a different (and some would say better) classroom environment for the subset of these highly gifted kids.

As for profoundly gifted kids: that's an entirely different matter, and some would say that even FCPS does a mediocre job at best for this quite small subset of students.
Anonymous
Post 11/27/2011 12:59     Subject: Fairfax versus Arlington schools
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Both school systems are good. FCPS is probably better for the smaller subset of gifted kids, but overall, the Arlington schools are fine.


Back-handed compliment.

Arlington doesn't *need* a gifted program. Ya know?


All public schools in Virginia are required to have some sort of provisions for gifted kids. It is up to the individual school district how to do this.

Fairfax does it different from Arlington. Is Fairfax's approach "better?" That is subject to debate. Personally I think FCPS does a better job for the smaller subset of gifted kids. Arlington HAS a gifted program but it is different.

FCPS Local Plan for the Gifted:
http://www.fcps.edu/is/aap/pdfs/localplan/FinalLocalPlan.pdf

APS (draft) Local Plan for the Gifted:
http://www.arlington.k12.va.us/cms/lib2/VA01000586/Centricity/Domain/62/12-17GS5-yearPlanSept%2027.pdf





You missed my point entirely.

There is less extreme differentiation in achievement at APS. Which is to say the cohort of students by and large performs at a higher level and are taught to at a higher level as a baseline. The way FCPS has been politicized and commoditized is testament to the role it plays in that system.
Anonymous
Post 11/27/2011 12:20     Subject: Fairfax versus Arlington schools
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Both school systems are good. FCPS is probably better for the smaller subset of gifted kids, but overall, the Arlington schools are fine.


Back-handed compliment.

Arlington doesn't *need* a gifted program. Ya know?


All public schools in Virginia are required to have some sort of provisions for gifted kids. It is up to the individual school district how to do this.

Fairfax does it different from Arlington. Is Fairfax's approach "better?" That is subject to debate. Personally I think FCPS does a better job for the smaller subset of gifted kids. Arlington HAS a gifted program but it is different.

FCPS Local Plan for the Gifted:
http://www.fcps.edu/is/aap/pdfs/localplan/FinalLocalPlan.pdf

APS (draft) Local Plan for the Gifted:
http://www.arlington.k12.va.us/cms/lib2/VA01000586/Centricity/Domain/62/12-17GS5-yearPlanSept%2027.pdf



Anonymous
Post 11/27/2011 11:58     Subject: Fairfax versus Arlington schools
Anonymous wrote:Both school systems are good. FCPS is probably better for the smaller subset of gifted kids, but overall, the Arlington schools are fine.


Back-handed compliment.

Arlington doesn't *need* a gifted program. Ya know?
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2011 23:54     Subject: Fairfax versus Arlington schools
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

The answer is simple. If you want to continue to live close to the city, live in Arlington. If you wan to live further out, look at Fairfax County. You will find quality schools in both school districts. Arlington is very expensive, so if you want more house for your money, look in Fairfax.


Fairfax continues to out-perform Arlington, year after year. People don't simply live there for a larger home.[/quote]

This. Please tell me what Arlington schools compare to those in the Churchill/Cooper/Langley school district?


None really compare. You brought up the best school pyramid in the whole state.

The Arlington high school most similar to Langley is Yorktown. If you look at the students, Yorktown like Langley is mostly very, very affluent kids. On the other hand, Langley does consistently outperform Yorktown. W-L is more diverse and has similarly very affluent students, but also averages about 30% FARMS year after year. If you want to live in Arlington, lower your expectations a bit and be willing to embrace more socio-economic diversity and the lower test scores that come with that. For the respective N Arlington high schools, the best pyramids would likely be Jamestown/Williamsburg/Yorktown and Taylor/Swanson/W-L. For S Arlington, the best pyramid is Oakridge/Gunston/Wakefield.

Anonymous
Post 11/26/2011 23:25     Subject: Fairfax versus Arlington schools
Anonymous wrote:

Fairfax continues to out-perform Arlington, year after year. People don't simply live there for a larger home.


People don't live in Arlington simply for the schools. It's a combination of good schools and attractive neighborhoods close to the city. If the aggregate scores of Fairfax push it to the top of the of all DC suburbs, then great. But there are other very good options out there.
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2011 21:57     Subject: Fairfax versus Arlington schools
Anonymous wrote:

The answer is simple. If you want to continue to live close to the city, live in Arlington. If you wan to live further out, look at Fairfax County. You will find quality schools in both school districts. Arlington is very expensive, so if you want more house for your money, look in Fairfax.


Fairfax continues to out-perform Arlington, year after year. People don't simply live there for a larger home.[/quote]

This. Please tell me what Arlington schools compare to those in the Churchill/Cooper/Langley school district?
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2011 21:50     Subject: Fairfax versus Arlington schools


The answer is simple. If you want to continue to live close to the city, live in Arlington. If you wan to live further out, look at Fairfax County. You will find quality schools in both school districts. Arlington is very expensive, so if you want more house for your money, look in Fairfax.


Fairfax continues to out-perform Arlington, year after year. People don't simply live there for a larger home.
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2011 18:39     Subject: Fairfax versus Arlington schools
Anonymous wrote: W-L's scores declined last year, while Yorktown's remained stable.


From 2010 to 2011 Yorktown's SAT scores dropped by about 20 points, W-L by 60, and Wakefield by 30. Not a good year for Arlington, but scores fluctuate, and both W-L and Yorktown are well above the state and natl averages.
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2011 17:38     Subject: Fairfax versus Arlington schools
Anonymous wrote:We are currently in N Arlington public elementary schools. I see people moving to Fairfax and I would like to know if Fairfax County public schools are better and why? I really need your honest advice because we are considering buying a house.


The answer is simple. If you want to continue to live close to the city, live in Arlington. If you wan to live further out, look at Fairfax County. You will find quality schools in both school districts. Arlington is very expensive, so if you want more house for your money, look in Fairfax.
Anonymous
Post 11/26/2011 16:49     Subject: Fairfax versus Arlington schools
If you search in past threads, you will find that no one is specifically hyping up W-L. But people do agree that it is a good school. I double checked the SAT stats and the PP is right. W-L's scores declined last year, while Yorktown's remained stable. W-L was ranked 9 in nova according to the 2010 SAT scores, but dropped last year.

Arlington is an attractive place to buy, because of at least two solid high schools and their strong feeder schools, and there are many people on this forum that support S Arlington schools as well. No one is fooling themselves into thinking that W-L is like Yorktown, which at close to 70% white is one of the least diverse and most uniformly affluent schools in the DC area. So naturally it would have the better reputation. Few dwell on those facts however, and are perfectly happy with the schools their kids attend or will attend. There are no bad schools in N Arlington.

On this forum there are lots of Arlington boosters, but few hype up particular schools. And many are aware of the differences between them.