Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS white students have the highest test scores in the country. So some things are ok.

I think it is safe to say that their scores are in spite of the DCPS. Their scores are probably more attributable to outside learning activities and to their parents, not to DCPS.

Right, all the white kids in DC go to school and then run home to be homeschooled by parents and tutors. You should maybe visit a classroom in DCPS someday.

I wouldn't exactly combine the Rhee and Henderson tenures as the same. It was definitely good that they promoted Kaya from within which gave the system a little continuity, but they did have their very different ways of governing. Weast in Montgomery co had pretty much an unprecedented run for a large school system superintendent, I think it was over 13 years. Otherwise, they're lucky to get two four year contracts from the same district. It's very unfortunate, since I do believe that it takes some time for a superintendent to be able to make a difference, get to know the schools and their needs, etc. One 4 yr contract is not enough.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS white students have the highest test scores in the country. So some things are ok.

I think it is safe to say that their scores are in spite of the DCPS. Their scores are probably more attributable to outside learning activities and to their parents, not to DCPS.

This is probably true of upper middle class kids everywhere. Family income is a stronger predictor of school success than school quality. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/10/18/poor-kids-who-do-everything-right-dont-do-better-than-rich-kids-who-do-everything-wrong/)

What I really appreciate about DC is that there is REAL effort to try to mitigate the effects of income disparity (see: free meals and aftercare at Title I schools, see free universal PS3 & PK4).

Obviously DCPS is not perfect and there is room to improve, but I am to live in a place that is making these efforts and consider my tax dollars well spent.

You must work at DCPS downtown. Well spent, go into a Southeast school and then get back to me.

I work in a SE DCPS in a stable SE neighborhood. They are not all horrible. We have few behavior problems, solid staff and technology. We've also got a lot of gains to make but we are moving students in the right direction.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS white students have the highest test scores in the country. So some things are ok.

I think it is safe to say that their scores are in spite of the DCPS. Their scores are probably more attributable to outside learning activities and to their parents, not to DCPS.

This is probably true of upper middle class kids everywhere. Family income is a stronger predictor of school success than school quality. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/10/18/poor-kids-who-do-everything-right-dont-do-better-than-rich-kids-who-do-everything-wrong/)

What I really appreciate about DC is that there is REAL effort to try to mitigate the effects of income disparity (see: free meals and aftercare at Title I schools, see free universal PS3 & PK4).

Obviously DCPS is not perfect and there is room to improve, but I am to live in a place that is making these efforts and consider my tax dollars well spent.

You must work at DCPS downtown. Well spent, go into a Southeast school and then get back to me.

The point of this post is that there has been remarkable stability at the top of DCPS with Henderson (and Rhee before her, which is one of the same) which is remarkably rare for large district superintendents. Just look at Montgomery county or Prince george's--how many have they gone through during the same 8 year period?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS white students have the highest test scores in the country. So some things are ok.

LOL you do realize comparing DC the city vs the entire state of Maryland or Virginia is not an accurate view. It would make sense to compare DC to a county or to school pyramids.

NP, Actually it would be more accurate to compare DC not to a county, but to other urban cities with large swaths of poverty. So perhaps DC should be compared to Richmond, VA and Baltimore, MD opposed to Baltimore County Schools and Fairfax County.

Anonymous wrote:DCPS white students have the highest test scores in the country. So some things are ok.

LOL you do realize comparing DC the city vs the entire state of Maryland or Virginia is not an accurate view. It would make sense to compare DC to a county or to school pyramids.

Anonymous wrote:DC is considered the best urban school district due to their innovation and trying to push the needle. It's extremely difficult given the poverty.

I think it is safe to say that the innovation is primarily due to charters and not to DCPS.

So many things are so much better.

In the early 1990s, school was not able to open on time in September because there were so many fire code violations at the buildings. Think chained emergency doors, non-working fire alarms, etc. Schools didn't open for four weeks. Can you imagine?

OK you can't because you are new here. Welcome.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS white students have the highest test scores in the country. So some things are ok.

I think it is safe to say that their scores are in spite of the DCPS. Their scores are probably more attributable to outside learning activities and to their parents, not to DCPS.

This is probably true of upper middle class kids everywhere. Family income is a stronger predictor of school success than school quality. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/10/18/poor-kids-who-do-everything-right-dont-do-better-than-rich-kids-who-do-everything-wrong/)

What I really appreciate about DC is that there is REAL effort to try to mitigate the effects of income disparity (see: free meals and aftercare at Title I schools, see free universal PS3 & PK4).

Obviously DCPS is not perfect and there is room to improve, but I am to live in a place that is making these efforts and consider my tax dollars well spent.

Anonymous wrote:DCPS white students have the highest test scores in the country. So some things are ok.

I think it is safe to say that their scores are in spite of the DCPS. Their scores are probably more attributable to outside learning activities and to their parents, not to DCPS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is statistically true when the testing samples are reduced. Maryland and Virginia's testing samples are much greater than DC. Also, the median family income of whites in DC is greater that the median family income of whites in Maryland and Virginia,

Sure, but the point is that many upper middle class white families appear to have the perception that DC public schools wouldn't serve their kids very well. The actual data tell a different story: white kids in DC public schools are doing very well.

If you look at that stat honestly it is because white families in DC trend wealthy and thus have an ability/tendency to mive their students to a place within the system where they will do well. If these white students were randomly scattered to schools throughout the system they wouldn't all be doing as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is statistically true when the testing samples are reduced. Maryland and Virginia's testing samples are much greater than DC. Also, the median family income of whites in DC is greater that the median family income of whites in Maryland and Virginia,

Sure, but the point is that many upper middle class white families appear to have the perception that DC public schools wouldn't serve their kids very well. The actual data tell a different story: white kids in DC public schools are doing very well.

As long as you go to school in Ward 3.

Sidenote: I believe NAEP results include all public schools -- that is, both DCPS and charters. That said, DCPS has about twice as many white kids as charters do, so they are responsible or most of the white subgroup performance.

Anonymous wrote:This is statistically true when the testing samples are reduced. Maryland and Virginia's testing samples are much greater than DC. Also, the median family income of whites in DC is greater that the median family income of whites in Maryland and Virginia,

Sure, but the point is that many upper middle class white families appear to have the perception that DC public schools wouldn't serve their kids very well. The actual data tell a different story: white kids in DC public schools are doing very well.