Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Misfire...sorry. Thinking of switching to Deal next year for 6th. Currently at a private school in DC but want more economic diversity, extracurrics, and different social experience.

What can we expect from above and from academics?

Is Deal still economically diverse? Maybe more than a typical private but isn't it almost entirely a WOTP school now?

Deal is 70% IB, 12% economically disadvantaged and 47% white (see link). The boundary includes students from Bancroft and Shepherd, so it's not all WOTP.

http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Deal+Middle+School

It will be more economically diverse than a private where the tuition costs (even with financial aid) are so high... Next year, there will be a little shift at Deal & Hardy - when Eaton switches to feeding to Hardy. Even if half of the 5th grade goes to Hardy, that dramatically changes Hardy's make up (since it's a small school) - and DCPS is looking at it as 'opening up' 40-70 slots at Deal for OOB or the rising feeder population #s ... Not a ton of change, but has some impact (not saying it was a good idea, just a reality for this coming year)... and of course this then re-impacts the over crowded at Wilson issues (since Hardy's total #s will go up as part of this equation).

It makes room for the rising 6th grade class which is another bubble class (meaning at the feeder schools those classes added a classroom in their schools at some point).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Misfire...sorry. Thinking of switching to Deal next year for 6th. Currently at a private school in DC but want more economic diversity, extracurrics, and different social experience.

What can we expect from above and from academics?

Is Deal still economically diverse? Maybe more than a typical private but isn't it almost entirely a WOTP school now?

Deal is 70% IB, 12% economically disadvantaged and 47% white (see link). The boundary includes students from Bancroft and Shepherd, so it's not all WOTP.

http://profiles.dcps.dc.gov/Deal+Middle+School

It will be more economically diverse than a private where the tuition costs (even with financial aid) are so high... Next year, there will be a little shift at Deal & Hardy - when Eaton switches to feeding to Hardy. Even if half of the 5th grade goes to Hardy, that dramatically changes Hardy's make up (since it's a small school) - and DCPS is looking at it as 'opening up' 40-70 slots at Deal for OOB or the rising feeder population #s ... Not a ton of change, but has some impact (not saying it was a good idea, just a reality for this coming year)... and of course this then re-impacts the over crowded at Wilson issues (since Hardy's total #s will go up as part of this equation).

Anonymous wrote:The only downside to the "evaluate first few weeks of school" model was that it led to reshuffling of the classes (within the teams) for the kids who got into advanced math. My kid adapted pretty well but was bummed to move after starting to make friends in his previous setup.

Agree that this is a bit disruptive but it also seems to work out fairly well from a math placement perspective.

One other thing about Deal is they mix up the teams every year and this can be a bit disruptive for kids In the same way as between 6th and 7th (and I assume 8th as well but have no actual experience).

The only downside to the "evaluate first few weeks of school" model was that it led to reshuffling of the classes (within the teams) for the kids who got into advanced math. My kid adapted pretty well but was bummed to move after starting to make friends in his previous setup.

*OP (autocorrect keeps subbing in "OK." Not OK!)

OK again --
Thanks for the info.

Anonymous wrote:This year (current 6th graders) they started everyone in the same on-level class, tested them all and then moved kids up as needed.

They used to use the end of the year assessment test from their elementary schools for math. Stopped that last year - the kids took the test in the first week or two of school and they observed them for 2-3 weeks in class. That way if a kid tested on the margins but showed aptitude in class - they would place up and vice versa. Seemed to work much better as I heard lots of complaining before they implemented this.

Also, they will let students who have an A or B in their math class take either summer classes in math or online classes via Khan Academy over the summer to test into a higher level the next year. There a decent number of 7th graders taking Algebra (grade level 9) this year. So, even if your child ends up in Match 6 the first year - they can do Math 7 over the summer and if they pass the test in the first week of school - take Math 8 in 7th grade.

Math is the only thing that is accelerated. Solid school - not perfect - there are some duds of teachers. But given, what they deal (no pun intended!) with in terms of sheer numbers and overcrowding - it also awes me how well they do. Chinese teachers are great.