Posts by Natalie Wexler — Contributor
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Some DC schools are betting that personalization can fix education
DC is at the forefront of a movement to make education a more personalized experience, relying in part on technology to tailor learning to each student’s needs and interests. The approach promises to ensure that advanced students are challenged and struggling ones engaged, even if they share the same classroom. In any given classroom, some kids grasp the material easily… Keep reading…
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Some DCPS schools have to cope with an influx of midyear transfers
Thousands of DC students switch schools midyear, especially at some high schools that are part of the DC Public School system. That has negative consequences both for the students who switch and the schools they enter. A recent report from DC’s Office of the State Superintendent of Education found that over 92% of DC students remain in the same school throughout the year,… Keep reading…
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What’s behind the low standardized test scores in one high-priced DC neighborhood
Generally, housing prices in DC correlate with neighborhood school test scores. But Garrison Elementary in Logan Circle is a striking exception: it’s a school with math and reading proficiency rates in the mid-20s in an area where the median sale price for a three-bedroom home last year was over a million dollars. Garrison’s principal, Collin Hill, says that… Keep reading…
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It’s more expensive to live in a good school district, with a few exceptions
Generally speaking, higher test scores at a DC Public School elementary school correlate with higher housing costs. But there are a few “bargain” neighborhoods, and one outlier school that’s surrounded by pricey housing despite low scores. Keep reading…
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A redeveloped mixed-income neighborhood revives a closed DCPS school
At a time of alleged cost overruns and mismanagement on school construction projects and delays in long-promised renovations, does it make sense to spend $28 million to reopen a dilapidated DC Public School? It might, if the school holds the promise of providing a high-quality education to a permanently diverse group of students. A year ago, some parents and community activists… Keep reading…
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To keep its best principals, DCPS needs to give them more autonomy
After 35 years as a teacher and principal in DC Public Schools, during which he managed to turn around two struggling schools, Patrick Pope resigned, becoming part of a wave of high turnover among DCPS principals in recent years. He’s now principal of a charter school. If DCPS administrators want to retain successful school leaders like Pope, they need to trust their judgment… Keep reading…
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Here’s how standardized tests are impeding learning in DC
Standardized tests, which have proliferated in classrooms in DC and elsewhere in recent years, have led teachers to concentrate on reading and math at the expense of subjects like social studies and science. And while the tests have value, they generally don’t improve instruction or boost learning. Testing not only takes significant amounts of time away from instruction,… Keep reading…
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There’s a growing feeling that standardized tests are taking time from instruction
Some DC education activists, teachers, and parents are concerned that standardized testing and test prep are taking too much time away from instruction. But there’s no hard data on how much time schools here devote to testing, and it’s not clear education officials are planning to collect it. Testing has been a contentious national issue for years, and the debate… Keep reading…
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If you can’t get kids to a mental health clinic, bring the clinic to a school
Teachers at high-poverty schools often struggle with behavior problems caused by students’ mental health issues. One solution is to provide mental health services in schools, as a company formed by two clinical psychologists is now doing in DC. Education reformers have tended to focus on what goes on inside classrooms, saying that poverty is no excuse for low expectations. Keep reading…
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How one DC charter school is “changing everything” to give kids knowledge
For decades, elementary schools have focused on building skills at the expense of instilling knowledge. One DC charter school network, Center City, is in the forefront of a movement to reverse that approach. Most elementary schools in the US teach reading by focusing on skills like “finding the main idea” or “making predictions.” Especially in high-poverty… Keep reading…