Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes- you are right. I will just mention that mathematically with such a small population, small raw numbers make a big percentage change.

Perhaps 8-12 students out of 70 have historically left Latin after 8th grade to head to another high school. Often Walls and often private and often because of sports or other extracurricular pursuits that are more robust elsewhere.

You are correct, few of this handful of students that switch out are at-risk students.

AND, at the same time, the proportion of at-risk students who are applying for the 9th grade slots that have opened is larger than at the middle school level. So non-at-risk students who leave are more likely be replaced with at-risk students in the high school.

Still small actual numbers, but the percentage does jump.

You can see it laid out in this presentation about the at-risk lottery preference that was given to parents over the summer:

https://latinpcs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/21-0629-At-Risk-Preference-PPT-for-parents-updated.pdf

You're sugarcoating the reasons driving the exodus. Latin's top 8th grade performers commonly leave in pursuit of greener pastures intellectually and academically as much as anything else. They go in search of far more robust instruction in STEM subjects, more serious instruction in modern languages, access to college classes at GW via Walls, higher-performing peers and better teaching. Wall's average SAT scores are more than 100 points higher than Latin's in math and English. Latin's staunch refusal to track academically for humanities subjects, so-so science and math instruction, and half-baked teaching in modern languages hold back top performers, motivating some of the families of the strongest students to leave. Some of the brightest low SES minority students find scholarships at expensive privates. This is just as true in 2021 as it was 10 years ago. If BASIS allowed 9th graders to test in, Latin 8th graders would go there, where some 9th graders have already taken AP exams and scored high, something that almost never happens at Latin. Let's not bury our heads in the sand where the appeal of studying alongside high school classmates who accrued the benefit of more challenging MS academics than Latin offers is concerned. I'm not clear on why Latin bothers to track for MS math, when the high school STEM offerings waiting at the other end are decidedly lackluster. Where is the Physics C or the BC Calculus at Latin? For that matter, where is the AP Spanish Lit? To be clear, Latin is an excellent school for the academically average and above average who are humanities-minded, not the rest of its students.

“ You're sugarcoating the reasons driving the exodus. Latin's top 8th grade performers commonly leave in pursuit of greener pastures intellectually and academically as much as anything else.”

Your language gives you away as being hyperbolic and presumptuous. Exodus. Ha. 8-10 kids who, more than anything, want different boys and girls to date and maybe better access to drugs on campus. You know nothing of why these handful of students decide to leave. Jeez.

Anonymous wrote:Of course UMC students peel off for privates, the burbs and Walls. They do the same at Deal and Hardy, too. Strivers gonna strive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes- you are right. I will just mention that mathematically with such a small population, small raw numbers make a big percentage change.

Perhaps 8-12 students out of 70 have historically left Latin after 8th grade to head to another high school. Often Walls and often private and often because of sports or other extracurricular pursuits that are more robust elsewhere.

You are correct, few of this handful of students that switch out are at-risk students.

AND, at the same time, the proportion of at-risk students who are applying for the 9th grade slots that have opened is larger than at the middle school level. So non-at-risk students who leave are more likely be replaced with at-risk students in the high school.

Still small actual numbers, but the percentage does jump.

You can see it laid out in this presentation about the at-risk lottery preference that was given to parents over the summer:

https://latinpcs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/21-0629-At-Risk-Preference-PPT-for-parents-updated.pdf

You're sugarcoating the reasons driving the exodus. Latin's top 8th grade performers commonly leave in pursuit of greener pastures intellectually and academically as much as anything else. They go in search of far more robust instruction in STEM subjects, more serious instruction in modern languages, access to college classes at GW via Walls, higher-performing peers and better teaching. Wall's average SAT scores are more than 100 points higher than Latin's in math and English. Latin's staunch refusal to track academically for humanities subjects, so-so science and math instruction, and half-baked teaching in modern languages hold back top performers, motivating some of the families of the strongest students to leave. Some of the brightest low SES minority students find scholarships at expensive privates. This is just as true in 2021 as it was 10 years ago. If BASIS allowed 9th graders to test in, Latin 8th graders would go there, where some 9th graders have already taken AP exams and scored high, something that almost never happens at Latin. Let's not bury our heads in the sand where the appeal of studying alongside high school classmates who accrued the benefit of more challenging MS academics than Latin offers is concerned. I'm not clear on why Latin bothers to track for MS math, when the high school STEM offerings waiting at the other end are decidedly lackluster. Where is the Physics C or the BC Calculus at Latin? For that matter, where is the AP Spanish Lit? To be clear, Latin is an excellent school for the academically average and above average who are humanities-minded, not the rest of its students.

“ You're sugarcoating the reasons driving the exodus. Latin's top 8th grade performers commonly leave in pursuit of greener pastures intellectually and academically as much as anything else.”

Your language gives you away as being hyperbolic and presumptuous. Exodus. Ha. 8-10 kids who, more than anything, want different boys and girls to date and maybe better access to drugs on campus. You know nothing of why these handful of students decide to leave. Jeez.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes- you are right. I will just mention that mathematically with such a small population, small raw numbers make a big percentage change.

Perhaps 8-12 students out of 70 have historically left Latin after 8th grade to head to another high school. Often Walls and often private and often because of sports or other extracurricular pursuits that are more robust elsewhere.

You are correct, few of this handful of students that switch out are at-risk students.

AND, at the same time, the proportion of at-risk students who are applying for the 9th grade slots that have opened is larger than at the middle school level. So non-at-risk students who leave are more likely be replaced with at-risk students in the high school.

Still small actual numbers, but the percentage does jump.

You can see it laid out in this presentation about the at-risk lottery preference that was given to parents over the summer:

https://latinpcs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/21-0629-At-Risk-Preference-PPT-for-parents-updated.pdf

You're sugarcoating the reasons driving the exodus. Latin's top 8th grade performers commonly leave in pursuit of greener pastures intellectually and academically as much as anything else. They go in search of far more robust instruction in STEM subjects, more serious instruction in modern languages, access to college classes at GW via Walls, higher-performing peers and better teaching. Wall's average SAT scores are more than 100 points higher than Latin's in math and English. Latin's staunch refusal to track academically for humanities subjects, so-so science and math instruction, and half-baked teaching in modern languages hold back top performers, motivating some of the families of the strongest students to leave. Some of the brightest low SES minority students find scholarships at expensive privates. This is just as true in 2021 as it was 10 years ago. If BASIS allowed 9th graders to test in, Latin 8th graders would go there, where some 9th graders have already taken AP exams and scored high, something that almost never happens at Latin. Let's not bury our heads in the sand where the appeal of studying alongside high school classmates who accrued the benefit of more challenging MS academics than Latin offers is concerned. I'm not clear on why Latin bothers to track for MS math, when the high school STEM offerings waiting at the other end are decidedly lackluster. Where is the Physics C or the BC Calculus at Latin? For that matter, where is the AP Spanish Lit? To be clear, Latin is an excellent school for the academically average and above average who are humanities-minded, not the rest of its students.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes- you are right. I will just mention that mathematically with such a small population, small raw numbers make a big percentage change.

Perhaps 8-12 students out of 70 have historically left Latin after 8th grade to head to another high school. Often Walls and often private and often because of sports or other extracurricular pursuits that are more robust elsewhere.

You are correct, few of this handful of students that switch out are at-risk students.

AND, at the same time, the proportion of at-risk students who are applying for the 9th grade slots that have opened is larger than at the middle school level. So non-at-risk students who leave are more likely be replaced with at-risk students in the high school.

Still small actual numbers, but the percentage does jump.

You can see it laid out in this presentation about the at-risk lottery preference that was given to parents over the summer:

https://latinpcs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/21-0629-At-Risk-Preference-PPT-for-parents-updated.pdf

You're sugarcoating the reasons driving the exodus. Latin's top 8th grade performers commonly leave in pursuit of greener pastures intellectually and academically as much as anything else. They go in search of far more robust instruction in STEM subjects, more serious instruction in modern languages, access to college classes at GW via Walls, higher-performing peers and better teaching. Wall's average SAT scores are more than 100 points higher than Latin's in math and English. Latin's staunch refusal to track academically for humanities subjects, so-so science and math instruction, and half-baked teaching in modern languages hold back top performers, motivating some of the families of the strongest students to leave. Some of the brightest low SES minority students find scholarships at expensive privates. This is just as true in 2021 as it was 10 years ago. If BASIS allowed 9th graders to test in, Latin 8th graders would go there, where some 9th graders have already taken AP exams and scored high, something that almost never happens at Latin. Let's not bury our heads in the sand where the appeal of studying alongside high school classmates who accrued the benefit of more challenging MS academics than Latin offers is concerned. I'm not clear on why Latin bothers to track for MS math, when the high school STEM offerings waiting at the other end are decidedly lackluster. Where is the Physics C or the BC Calculus at Latin? For that matter, where is the AP Spanish Lit? To be clear, Latin is an excellent school for the academically average and above average who are humanities-minded, not the rest of its students.

Anonymous wrote:This thread is interesting. In all my years of DCUM, Latin has always been glorified. Most criticism has been that it has too many UMC kids, not that it failed to serve them well.

My eldest child was disappointed not to get accepted to Latin, then eventually got into BASIS (off the waitlist). For my middle child, we happily listed BASIS first.

We’re considering Latin for our youngest, though, precisely because she could not handle the academics at BASIS.

Anonymous wrote:Latin offers BC calculus as well as AP French and Chinese and Advanced Chinese for students who are done with AP. There are some 9th graders taking PreCalculus and 8th graders taking advanced language classes.

Anonymous wrote:Yes- you are right. I will just mention that mathematically with such a small population, small raw numbers make a big percentage change.

Perhaps 8-12 students out of 70 have historically left Latin after 8th grade to head to another high school. Often Walls and often private and often because of sports or other extracurricular pursuits that are more robust elsewhere.

You are correct, few of this handful of students that switch out are at-risk students.

AND, at the same time, the proportion of at-risk students who are applying for the 9th grade slots that have opened is larger than at the middle school level. So non-at-risk students who leave are more likely be replaced with at-risk students in the high school.

Still small actual numbers, but the percentage does jump.

You can see it laid out in this presentation about the at-risk lottery preference that was given to parents over the summer:

https://latinpcs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/21-0629-At-Risk-Preference-PPT-for-parents-updated.pdf

Anonymous wrote:This also explain why Latin is so committed to implementing the at-risk preference in the lottery. The administration agrees that it wants a mechanism to rais the at-rik numbers back to where they were historically


Anyway--it's obvious that this charter board member was grandstanding, with Latin as his foil.

"You began to address some of the
issues that I want to raise,

but I just feel the
need to state them publicly, which is -- I will
say personally, it gets exhausting to see the
highest-ranked academic schools in this city
consistently have among the lowest at-risk
populations.
In a city where almost 50 percent of
kids are at risk, your numbers are 6.8 in the
middle school and 16.8 in the high school.