Baltimore has 6 schools where not a single student passes a proficiency exam

[WVPATX]

And they spend $16,000 per year per student. BTW, I have sent all my daughters (5) to private school and only one of them cost more than $16K per year.

Competition is desperately needed to improve inner city schools.



Yikes: These Six Baltimore Schools Don’t Have A Single Student Proficient In State Testing

Matt Vespa
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Posted: May 29, 2017 8:00 AM
is out of control, averaging one murder per day. In April, the city surpassed 100 homicides and its on track to having the highest homicide rate in the country. On top of this, the city has six schools, five high schools and one middle school, where not a single student is proficient in math and English. On the grading scale for these state tests, a four or five score is considered proficient, while three and under is not. Some parents are rightfully outrage, noting that this isn’t necessarily a student issue, but one that lands squarely on the teachers (via Fox Baltimore):

Project Baltimore found Frederick Douglass is not alone. Four other city high schools and one middle school also have zero students proficient.
The schools are:

Booker T. Washington Middle School

Frederick Douglass High School

Achievement Academy at Harbor City

New Era Academy

Excel Academy at Francis M. Wood High

New Hope Academy

High school students are tested by the state in math and English. Their scores place them in one of five categories – a four or five is considered proficient and one through three are not. At Frederick Douglass, 185 students took the state math test last year and 89 percent fell into the lowest level. Just one student approached expectations and scored a three.

Fox Baltimore added that city schools spend $16,000 per student every year, the fourth highest in the country. Yet, it's not all doom and gloom. The news network featured Fredrick Douglasssenior Navon Warren, who is expected to graduate high school and head of to college.

 

[MountaineerWV]

Well, well, well....here's something interesting:

Booker T. Washington Middle School (public school; has 96% free/reduced lunch students)

Frederick Douglass High School

Achievement Academy at Harbor City (This is an alternative school; enrollment includes high risk dropouts, behavior problems, etc.)

New Era Academy (CHARTER SCHOOL; ran by Replications, Inc.)

Excel Academy at Francis M. Wood High (This is an alternative school; enrollment includes high risk dropouts, behavior problems, etc.)

New Hope Academy (This is an alternative education school; takes students with IEP's or behavior risks)


So, of the above list, ONLY TWO are an actual "public school" in the traditional sense of things. The others are alternative schools with specific charters and one is a charter school.

 

[TarHeelEer]

Well, well, well....here's something interesting:

Booker T. Washington Middle School (public school; has 96% free/reduced lunch students)

Frederick Douglass High School

Achievement Academy at Harbor City (This is an alternative school; enrollment includes high risk dropouts, behavior problems, etc.)

New Era Academy (CHARTER SCHOOL; ran by Replications, Inc.)

Excel Academy at Francis M. Wood High (This is an alternative school; enrollment includes high risk dropouts, behavior problems, etc.)

New Hope Academy (This is an alternative education school; takes students with IEP's or behavior risks)


So, of the above list, ONLY TWO are an actual "public school" in the traditional sense of things. The others are alternative schools with specific charters and one is a charter school.

Impossible. Charter schools don't take at risk kids.

 

[American Fabius]

Well, well, well....here's something interesting:

Booker T. Washington Middle School (public school; has 96% free/reduced lunch students)

Frederick Douglass High School

Achievement Academy at Harbor City (This is an alternative school; enrollment includes high risk dropouts, behavior problems, etc.)

New Era Academy (CHARTER SCHOOL; ran by Replications, Inc.)

Excel Academy at Francis M. Wood High (This is an alternative school; enrollment includes high risk dropouts, behavior problems, etc.)

New Hope Academy (This is an alternative education school; takes students with IEP's or behavior risks)


So, of the above list, ONLY TWO are an actual "public school" in the traditional sense of things. The others are alternative schools with specific charters and one is a charter school.

Don't piss on pat's giddy glee parade.

 

[WVPATX]

Well, well, well....here's something interesting:

Booker T. Washington Middle School (public school; has 96% free/reduced lunch students)

Frederick Douglass High School

Achievement Academy at Harbor City (This is an alternative school; enrollment includes high risk dropouts, behavior problems, etc.)

New Era Academy (CHARTER SCHOOL; ran by Replications, Inc.)

Excel Academy at Francis M. Wood High (This is an alternative school; enrollment includes high risk dropouts, behavior problems, etc.)

New Hope Academy (This is an alternative education school; takes students with IEP's or behavior risks)


So, of the above list, ONLY TWO are an actual "public school" in the traditional sense of things. The others are alternative schools with specific charters and one is a charter school.

Your defense is that only 2 are traditional public schools? They are all public schools, right? Bad education is bad education. I don't care if it is an alternative school or that it takes high risk kids among other kids. ZERO kids can pass a proficiency exam! Do you want to look at other inner city schools and see how well they do? Take a look at DC public schools. They are the highest cost schools in the nation.

http://wtop.com/dc/2015/07/study-d-c-ranks-near-bottom-u-s-school-systems/

You can stick you head in the sand and claim no changes are necessary, but that doesn't change the facts. Why did the Obama's send their kids to private school?

 

[WVPATX]

Impossible. Charter schools don't take at risk kids.

They are all public schools, not Charter Schools run independently of the public school system.

 

[MountaineerWV]

They are all public schools, not Charter Schools run independently of the public school system.

Nice try. ONE of these is a charter school. Look them up. Replications, INC runs the school with an agreement made with the public school system in Baltimore. It IS a charter school, and it DID fail!

Also, have you ever thought about what an alternative school is? It is basically a prison for the public school system. It is where those individuals who commit violent or flagrant acts in the public school system. So, no matter WHAT you say, these individual students have no care for receiving an education thus they will not do well on the tests. That's a fact. If you think you can reach these type of kids better, then volunteer your time and make a difference.

 

[MountaineerWV]

Impossible. Charter schools don't take at risk kids.

One of them was a charter school. And two were regular, or traditional, public schools. And the others were "alternative" schools for high risk students (those who commit violent or flagrant acts in public schools).......

If you are going to talk about "failing schools", at least do it right.

 

[mneilmont]

Impossible. Charter schools don't take at risk kids.

First place to start would be to change the names of Achievement Academy and Excel Academy. The positive thinking thing is probably not working.

The use of the Alternative school is not to hide a group of kids. Some kids do not function in the regular classroom sitting. The alternative is to give them a surrounding in which they can function better. Unfortunately, a lot of the use of alternative is to remove special needs and troubled students from regular classroom just to "match" kids of like kind. Now, you have to match teachers with "like interests".

This is obviously not what is being practiced or the better students should be grouped with better teachers. These should function pretty well. Then the other kids would be placed in a better match of troubled students and teachers more able to cope and some of these students should function better when they are removed from regular classroom. Or are they just complicating the education system when everybody become psychologists when predicting who will function better in different settings? Feds say you are not allowed to group kids?

 

[MountaineerWV]

First place to start would be to change the names of Achievement Academy and Excel Academy. The positive thinking thing is probably not working.

The use of the Alternative school is not to hide a group of kids. Some kids do not function in the regular classroom sitting. The alternative is to give them a surrounding in which they can function better. Unfortunately, a lot of the use of alternative is to remove special needs and troubled students from regular classroom just to "match" kids of like kind. Now, you have to match teachers with "like interests".

This is obviously not what is being practiced or the better students should be grouped with better teachers. These should function pretty well. Then the other kids would be placed in a better match of troubled students and teachers more able to cope and some of these students should function better when they are removed from regular classroom. Or are they just complicating the education system when everybody become psychologists when predicting who will function better in different settings? Feds say you are not allowed to group kids?

Do you have ANY clue what "alternative education" is in the public school systems? It's basically a reformatory school for those students who commit MULTIPLE punishable offensive (fighting, drugs, alcohol, etc.), and instead of expelling them, they send them to this type of school. You can call it a "dumping ground" all you want, but these kids make punishable choices in school and make the regular school setting unsafe.

 

[WVPATX]

Nice try. ONE of these is a charter school. Look them up. Replications, INC runs the school with an agreement made with the public school system in Baltimore. It IS a charter school, and it DID fail!

Also, have you ever thought about what an alternative school is? It is basically a prison for the public school system. It is where those individuals who commit violent or flagrant acts in the public school system. So, no matter WHAT you say, these individual students have no care for receiving an education thus they will not do well on the tests. That's a fact. If you think you can reach these type of kids better, then volunteer your time and make a difference.

It is run by Republica but still funded and controlled by the Baltimore Public School System. It is not privately owned or privately controlled.

Is every student in these schools an "at risk" student? New Era serves kids in grades 6-12. A kid in 6th grade can't be taught and can't pass a rather simple proficiency exam? Achievement Academy tested kids in grades 3-12. A third grader can't pass a proficiency exam? All the 8 year olds are bad kids that can't be taught, don't want to learn? What about the DC schools? No comment?

We have alternative schools in my home town in Texas and they are extraordinarily high achievement schools.

 

[WVPATX]

One of them was a charter school. And two were regular, or traditional, public schools. And the others were "alternative" schools for high risk students (those who commit violent or flagrant acts in public schools).......

If you are going to talk about "failing schools", at least do it right.

It is a school run by Republica but still part of the public school system. It is controlled by the public school system. It is not privately owner or privately operated.

 

[MountaineerWV]

It is run by Republica but still funded and controlled by the Baltimore Public School System. It is not privately owned or privately controlled.

Is every student in these schools an "at risk" student? New Era serves kids in grades 6-12. A kid in 6th grade can't be taught and can't pass a rather simple proficiency exam? Achievement Academy tested kids in grades 3-12. A third grader can't pass a proficiency exam? All the 8 year olds are bad kids that can't be taught, don't want to learn? What about the DC schools? No comment?

We have alternative schools in my home town in Texas and they are extraordinarily high achievement schools.

In the true "alternative" schools I highlighted above, you don't go to these UNLESS you commit an act (or acts) that are determined to make the regular public setting as "unsafe for other students". So, to answer your question, yes........a third grader can't pass a proficiency exam. If a third grader decides to commit a violent act, I'm pretty sure they don't care about math or reading.

You are using the term "alternative" schools differently when referencing your "extraordinary high achievements". I guarantee you, those schools are NOT taking the students who commit acts and making them proficient. I'm calling BS on that......

 

[WVPATX]

In the true "alternative" schools I highlighted above, you don't go to these UNLESS you commit an act (or acts) that are determined to make the regular public setting as "unsafe for other students". So, to answer your question, yes........a third grader can't pass a proficiency exam. If a third grader decides to commit a violent act, I'm pretty sure they don't care about math or reading.

You are using the term "alternative" schools differently when referencing your "extraordinary high achievements". I guarantee you, those schools are NOT taking the students who commit acts and making them proficient. I'm calling BS on that......

There are all kinds of alternative schools. And out of hundreds of students at these schools, none can pass a simple proficiency exam? ZERO? Yet, when I look at the school websites, many are graduating. And what about the non-alternative schools? ZERO can pass the exam? ZERO?

 

[MountaineerWV]

There are all kinds of alternative schools. And out of hundreds of students at these schools, none can pass a simple proficiency exam? ZERO? Yet, when I look at the school websites, many are graduating. And what about the non-alternative schools? ZERO can pass the exam? ZERO?

OK, let me ask you this question:

If a student has NO INTENTIONS of EVER going to college, why would they try on a standardized exam? What would it matter to them to be labeled proficient? Or, if these exams are not tied to a student's potential of graduating, why would they try? If all that matters is the grade they make in the classroom, when it comes to the test, what motivations do these students have in trying?

 

[WVPATX]

OK, let me ask you this question:

If a student has NO INTENTIONS of EVER going to college, why would they try on a standardized exam? What would it matter to them to be labeled proficient? Or, if these exams are not tied to a student's potential of graduating, why would they try? If all that matters is the grade they make in the classroom, when it comes to the test, what motivations do these students have in trying?

It is the school's job to motivate them to the greatest extent possible. Obviously, parents or lack thereof play a big role as well. But a school simply fails when not one student can pass a simple proficiency exam. How are they graduating? And what about the two other public schools? Presumably they are not all "bad kids."

What about the DC schools? Some of the worst in the country and we spend more per pupil than any district in the country. This is called FAILURE. Obama did not want school competition, but he sure as heck sent his kids to private school. Too bad that poor black mother does not have the choice Obama had.

 

[MountaineerWV]

It is the school's job to motivate them to the greatest extent possible. Obviously, parents or lack thereof play a big role as well. But a school simply fails when not one student can pass a simple proficiency exam. How are they graduating? And what about the two other public schools? Presumably they are not all "bad kids."

What about the DC schools? Some of the worst in the country and we spend more per pupil than any district in the country. This is called FAILURE. Obama did not want school competition, but he sure as heck sent his kids to private school. Too bad that poor black mother does not have the choice Obama had.

Can't you make the same argument for prisons? They are supposed to teach the criminal why their behavior was wrong, and how to correct it with all the counseling, education, etc. provided by taxpayer dollars. Yet, how many return back to their criminal behavior? My point being, people can push the blame on teachers or administrators all they want, the fact is that some people just cannot be motivated to do anything.

Charter schools isn't the answer. Privatization isn't the answer. What is the answer? Bringing good, high-paying jobs to poverty stricken areas. When kids see that a good education would lead to a good paying job, they will take that route. For decades, rural WV kids knew they'd end up like their fathers, a coal miner. Education was never a priority. Same with the urban, inner city areas where there was nothing but crime. Culture is the root problem of low test scores. I'm a firm believer in that. A charter school won't change that. Jobs will.....

 

[WVPATX]

Can't you make the same argument for prisons? They are supposed to teach the criminal why their behavior was wrong, and how to correct it with all the counseling, education, etc. provided by taxpayer dollars. Yet, how many return back to their criminal behavior? My point being, people can push the blame on teachers or administrators all they want, the fact is that some people just cannot be motivated to do anything.

Charter schools isn't the answer. Privatization isn't the answer. What is the answer? Bringing good, high-paying jobs to poverty stricken areas. When kids see that a good education would lead to a good paying job, they will take that route. For decades, rural WV kids knew they'd end up like their fathers, a coal miner. Education was never a priority. Same with the urban, inner city areas where there was nothing but crime. Culture is the root problem of low test scores. I'm a firm believer in that. A charter school won't change that. Jobs will.....

Good jobs is one answer but only part. They need a good education. Single parent families are part of the problem that no one will talk about except a few brave souls. The biggest things most libs cite is funding. But we spend more money already that any other country except one with such poor results. We need to get at the root causes of the problem. Education competition is absolutely part of the solution. We are a capitalist society. We know that monopolies are neither efficient nor effective. Why trap a parent into a failing school for her child? Obama has a choice. Why not the poor inner city mother that wants her kids to succeed? Competition makes everyone better which is beyond dispute.

In my hometown, we have public school choice. If a parent doesn't want to sent their child to the "local" school, they can pay a nominal fee and send them to another school in the district of their choice. State funding follows the student. It forces the public schools to compete.

 

[MountaineerWV]

State funding follows the student. It forces the public schools to compete.

I'm going to change your quote just a bit: "State funding follows the student. It forces public schools to CHEAT".


This is more likely.

 

[WVPATX]

I'm going to change your quote just a bit: "State funding follows the student. It forces public schools to CHEAT".


This is more likely.

Why would you assume that? The parents visit the schools, look at the rankings for the schools, not just based on test scores but on parents comments and PTA input. We also likely look at teacher evaluations. In High school, it is made it a bit easier because you can look at merit scholar information, college matriculation, and other important statistics.

My town has 300,000 residents. And you would be shocked at how much knowledge is available on each school and how much the parents know.

 

[MountaineerWV]

Why would you assume that? The parents visit the schools, look at the rankings for the schools, not just based on test scores but on parents comments and PTA input. We also likely look at teacher evaluations. In High school, it is made it a bit easier because you can look at merit scholar information, college matriculation, and other important statistics.

My town has 300,000 residents. And you would be shocked at how much knowledge is available on each school and how much the parents know.

For the reasons you stated, that's why I say that. When you are competing, you will cut corners and do things to make your school look more inviting to potential "customers". Plus, it's ridiculous to compare schools based on different evaluation systems. For example, regular public school takes a standardized state test....while charter school would not have to take that test.

 

[WVPATX]

For the reasons you stated, that's why I say that. When you are competing, you will cut corners and do things to make your school look more inviting to potential "customers". Plus, it's ridiculous to compare schools based on different evaluation systems. For example, regular public school takes a standardized state test....while charter school would not have to take that test.

I am talking about the public schools, not charter schools. When you give parents choice, the schools work harder, that is a fact. There are far too many sources of information that simply do not permit schools to "" cut corners." You are talking about teachers, teaching for the proficiency test. However there are so many other sources of information that determines the quality of a school that are available to the parents. I mentioned several in my last post. And having served on the foundation board in my community, the parents know the good schools.

 

[mneilmont]

For the reasons you stated, that's why I say that. When you are competing, you will cut corners and do things to make your school look more inviting to potential "customers". Plus, it's ridiculous to compare schools based on different evaluation systems. For example, regular public school takes a standardized state test....while charter school would not have to take that test.

If you don't mind, which school systems are you referring to? I would question some of your facts. Standardized State Test is universal within the state. The grades at which the tests are given are statewide for all schools within the state. The test given to qualify a student for graduation is universal within the state. That is the only way you can compare students and curriculum.

Think about the ***** the school systems within the state if one section of the state took an easier test than other sections. The legislators would raise hell in both sections because one the one taking easier test will appear to perform better. Momma and papa in the section that gives inferior test and results will falsley indicate opposite. Parents are going to demand equality in level of preparation. College entrance grades will actually give opposite results from expectations. Red flag will be raised.