Posts tagged Charter Schools
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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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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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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…
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Can DCPS stem the middle school exodus?
Students have been leaving DC Public Schools in droves after the elementary grades because of a dearth of appealing middle school options. A series of graphs from DC’s Office of Revenue Analysis shows what’s been happening and suggests that things could change in the future. Keep reading…
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New data could help poor kids gain access to nearby charters
A new report showing where students at each DC charter school live could breathe new life into an old idea: changing the law to allow charters to give an admissions preference to neighborhood residents. The new data could help officials pinpoint situations where a neighborhood preference would help rather than harm low-income students. In the past, some have objected that… Keep reading…
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A new charter school for foster kids aims to provide stability
Monument Academy, an innovative charter boarding school designed to serve children in foster care, opens in DC in August. The school will try to provide the stable family environment kids in the foster system often lack. The school will open with 40 fifth-graders, divided into two classes. It will add one grade a year through eighth grade and eventually serve 160 students, with… Keep reading…
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DC schools may be too quick to expel and suspend students
School leaders in DC generally agree that suspensions and expulsions should be used as a last resort when disciplining students. Still, many schools are too quick to invoke those measures, according to a recent report. During the 2012-13 school year, 13% of DC students—about 10,000—were suspended at least once. African-American students were almost six times… Keep reading…
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What DC’s two most sought-after schools have in common
A recent post analyzed the waitlist numbers for DC’s traditional public schools and charter schools. Jessica Wodatch, executive director and one of the founders of Two Rivers Public Charter School, sent us this response. I agree with Natalie Wexler that “school waitlist data can tell us what families want.” But Wexler didn’t point out what the two… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Reform needed
Similar but differen-T; The safety dance; Goodbye and good luck; New consensus on I-66; Standing still; Driving the disconnect; All AP all the time; And…. Keep reading…