Anonymous wrote:Reading these posts makes one concerned whether the school prepares its students or the future. What makes it so different from Brent and Ludlow Taylor on the hill or the other schools listed before that makes some wonder about whether it prepares kids for advanced math and other subjects? Aren't the teachers just as qualified and the kids just as motivated? Don't kids come from around the city, though it doesn't seem that diverse beyond special ed?

I don't know why you'd be "concerned" about that. Brent has fewer kids on free and reduced lunch and less than half the % of kids in special ed but its test scores are virtually identical to those of SWS. Ludlow Taylor has very different demographics and much lower test scores so I'm not sure why you'd compare those.

Reading these posts makes one concerned whether the school prepares its students or the future. What makes it so different from Brent and Ludlow Taylor on the hill or the other schools listed before that makes some wonder about whether it prepares kids for advanced math and other subjects? Aren't the teachers just as qualified and the kids just as motivated? Don't kids come from around the city, though it doesn't seem that diverse beyond special ed?

There is more than one route going to SWS from Brookland. Try traveling on different streets. There is more than one way to SWS. Also, the time you travel matters. If you have to go to before care very early, you may avoid some traffic.

To answer op, traffic out of Brookland in that direction seems to get worse and worse every year and is only going to worsen with development plans, unless the powers that be make some forward thinking changes. If you're not comfortable biking or on public transitbr carpooling to broaden your options, I think the traffic would be a headache.

Have you visited capital city charter school? From my visits, I thought it compared nicely to sws and would be an easier commute.

^^^ meant to say that SWS is the feeder to Eliot-Hine, not other way around.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS is a citywide school. Where is the reference for the middle school to which it feeds?

https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/SY16-17%20School%20Feeder%20Patterns%20-%20Revised_0.pdf

Right. This states no feed.

Correct. On the DCPS school profile page it does not list a destination MS unlike other Ward 6 school:

http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/School-Within-School+%40+Goding

Other schools in Ward 6 (not citywide) list destination MS:

http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Brent+Elementary+School

http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Watkins+Elementary+School

You go back to your IB MS after SWS as the default.

I think maybe this is a case where the website doesn't have accurate information or maybe SWS and Eliot-Hine don't have correct info. Call up SWS and ask them about MS feed. Eliot-Hine reps came out to the school in December to talk about MS because we feed into them. Maybe the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing . . .

+1 Eliot-Hine's staff has been actively working this year with the staff at its feeder schools, including SWS, to increase interest in feeder schools' kids continuing on to the designated MS. If you have specific questions, call the SWS main office and they will confirm that Eliot-Hine is the feeder and can answer other questions you have.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS is a citywide school. Where is the reference for the middle school to which it feeds?

https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/SY16-17%20School%20Feeder%20Patterns%20-%20Revised_0.pdf

Right. This states no feed.

Correct. On the DCPS school profile page it does not list a destination MS unlike other Ward 6 school:

http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/School-Within-School+%40+Goding

Other schools in Ward 6 (not citywide) list destination MS:

http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Brent+Elementary+School

http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Watkins+Elementary+School

You go back to your IB MS after SWS as the default.

I think maybe this is a case where the website doesn't have accurate information or maybe SWS and Eliot-Hine don't have correct info. Call up SWS and ask them about MS feed. Eliot-Hine reps came out to the school in December to talk about MS because we feed into them. Maybe the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing . . .

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS is a citywide school. Where is the reference for the middle school to which it feeds?

https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/SY16-17%20School%20Feeder%20Patterns%20-%20Revised_0.pdf

Right. This states no feed.

Correct. On the DCPS school profile page it does not list a destination MS unlike other Ward 6 school:

http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/School-Within-School+%40+Goding

Other schools in Ward 6 (not citywide) list destination MS:

http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Brent+Elementary+School

http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Watkins+Elementary+School

You go back to your IB MS after SWS as the default.

Back to the test results and the difference between "old" SWS and current SWS, because I have kids in the younger grades and am VERY concerned (not impressed with the work I see of the students in the older grades hung in the hallways-- terrible spelling, penmanship, etc), but really deeply would love to be able to stay at SWS because it makes our commute great and the kids have great friends and are so happy. But, bottom line, we need a school that will prepare them for advanced math, etc, in middle school (not planning on MS on the Hill), so if SWS can't do that, we'll move.

Test results: You need to control for race in showing the data. When you control for race SWS does not fare as well. As another poster said, it makes no sense that a school as white and affluent as SWS should have such low scores. It is almost like it is failing the very demographic that is "impossible" to fail!

Can folks speak to specifics about how things are changing to take academics more seriously?

Do parents of older kids have confidence the kids who are in PK, K, and 1st this year will be able to spell, use correct grammar, be on the path to MS advanced math, etc, when they leave 5th grade?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That commute wouldn't bother me, OP, especially for SWS.

Only thing to consider - SWS has no middle school feed.

SWS also has some of the challenges that CMI is having in their upper grades (I don't know as much about ITS). Touchy feely child centered is great until your kid starts missing academic metrics for middle school preparedness.

SWS has a designated middle school feed - Eliot-Hine. So perhaps, you meant to say that SWS doesn't have a MS feed that is acceptable to you.

And in terms of academic preparedness, I'm an SWS parent with children in younger and older grades. The school will readily admit that it's learning what works and what doesn't work - as evidenced by the changes in curriculum and approach. My younger child is having a vastly different experience. I think whether you're happy as a parent with an older student has a lot to do with whether your student is 'succeeding.'

I am of the belief that given the school's demographics, test scores should be higher given the documented correlation between affluence and test scores and the fact that the school has taught the majority of these kids since PK4; FYI - the school's FARMS rate is 10% and that includes the the medically-fragile classrooms. I think the scores are not as high because the school was expanding and going through a learning curve. For those of you entering in EC years, I'd pay attention to how quickly PARCC scores increase - that will be a signal as to how quickly SWS is navigating the learning curve.

No, I said what I effing meant. SWS does not have a guaranteed middle school feed. You return to your neighborhood school.

NP here. If you meant that, then you are wrong. SWS absolutely feeds to E-H.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SWS is a citywide school. Where is the reference for the middle school to which it feeds?

https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/SY16-17%20School%20Feeder%20Patterns%20-%20Revised_0.pdf

Right. This states no feed.

Anonymous wrote:SWS is a citywide school. Where is the reference for the middle school to which it feeds?

https://dcps.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dcps/publication/attachments/SY16-17%20School%20Feeder%20Patterns%20-%20Revised_0.pdf

SWS is a citywide school. Where is the reference for the middle school to which it feeds?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That commute wouldn't bother me, OP, especially for SWS.

Only thing to consider - SWS has no middle school feed.

SWS also has some of the challenges that CMI is having in their upper grades (I don't know as much about ITS). Touchy feely child centered is great until your kid starts missing academic metrics for middle school preparedness.

SWS has a designated middle school feed - Eliot-Hine. So perhaps, you meant to say that SWS doesn't have a MS feed that is acceptable to you.

And in terms of academic preparedness, I'm an SWS parent with children in younger and older grades. The school will readily admit that it's learning what works and what doesn't work - as evidenced by the changes in curriculum and approach. My younger child is having a vastly different experience. I think whether you're happy as a parent with an older student has a lot to do with whether your student is 'succeeding.'

I am of the belief that given the school's demographics, test scores should be higher given the documented correlation between affluence and test scores and the fact that the school has taught the majority of these kids since PK4; FYI - the school's FARMS rate is 10% and that includes the the medically-fragile classrooms. I think the scores are not as high because the school was expanding and going through a learning curve. For those of you entering in EC years, I'd pay attention to how quickly PARCC scores increase - that will be a signal as to how quickly SWS is navigating the learning curve.

No, I said what I effing meant. SWS does not have a guaranteed middle school feed. You return to your neighborhood school.

Nope, the middle school feed in Elliot-Hine. Lots of students currently in 3rd, 4th, and 5th live in bounds for Stuart Hobson because they started at SWS when the boundary was the Cluster so they may go there based on address, but the school truly does feed into EH.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That commute wouldn't bother me, OP, especially for SWS.

Only thing to consider - SWS has no middle school feed.

SWS also has some of the challenges that CMI is having in their upper grades (I don't know as much about ITS). Touchy feely child centered is great until your kid starts missing academic metrics for middle school preparedness.

SWS has a designated middle school feed - Eliot-Hine. So perhaps, you meant to say that SWS doesn't have a MS feed that is acceptable to you.

And in terms of academic preparedness, I'm an SWS parent with children in younger and older grades. The school will readily admit that it's learning what works and what doesn't work - as evidenced by the changes in curriculum and approach. My younger child is having a vastly different experience. I think whether you're happy as a parent with an older student has a lot to do with whether your student is 'succeeding.'

I am of the belief that given the school's demographics, test scores should be higher given the documented correlation between affluence and test scores and the fact that the school has taught the majority of these kids since PK4; FYI - the school's FARMS rate is 10% and that includes the the medically-fragile classrooms. I think the scores are not as high because the school was expanding and going through a learning curve. For those of you entering in EC years, I'd pay attention to how quickly PARCC scores increase - that will be a signal as to how quickly SWS is navigating the learning curve.

No, I said what I effing meant. SWS does not have a guaranteed middle school feed. You return to your neighborhood school.