tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post5097251548328013858..comments2024-02-28T22:24:07.299-08:00Comments on Community Forum for HCC (APP) in Seattle Schools: Open threadAndrew Siegelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06830585083467140758noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-91407793138199020802014-02-28T22:48:16.227-08:002014-02-28T22:48:16.227-08:00I have a Spectrum eligible 5th grader who did not ...I have a Spectrum eligible 5th grader who did not receive an automatic Spectrum assignment for 6th and I'm trying to sort it out. Enrollment says to just submit a school choice form and it will be "automatic" but I guess I'm not so sure.<br /><br />@fifth grade parent - advanced learning states they will have caught up all the paperwork by the time enrollment is processing the forms. so your student's spectrum status will be updated in the system by then. <br /><br />hope this helps. <br /><br />been there done that Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-66210702150895097002014-02-28T20:18:18.945-08:002014-02-28T20:18:18.945-08:00Hi - I know Spectrum seats are not guaranteed for ...Hi - I know Spectrum seats are not guaranteed for all Spectrum eligible kids in elementary, but the enrollment office has repeated told me Spectrum seats are in fact guaranteed in middle school. I suppose that makes sense since all middle schools have a Spectrum program (right?), but can anybody confirm this? I have a Spectrum eligible 5th grader who did not receive an automatic Spectrum assignment for 6th and I'm trying to sort it out. Enrollment says to just submit a school choice form and it will be "automatic" but I guess I'm not so sure.<br /><br />Thank you in advance - 5th Grade ParentAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-46511139971802388022014-02-27T21:20:54.360-08:002014-02-27T21:20:54.360-08:00Well, we just toured Lincoln today and I'll sa...Well, we just toured Lincoln today and I'll say two things: 1) the teachers we talked with seemed truly inspired. I could imagine our kid absolutely salivating over many of the special projects we heard about. 2) We saw many, many students talking excitedly to each other about what they were learning.<br /><br />Still not sure whether we'll make the switch next year, but our impression was a good one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-82466663127306414122014-02-27T10:24:36.778-08:002014-02-27T10:24:36.778-08:00Posted this on the other thread but that thread se...Posted this on the other thread but that thread seems to be dead now so I'm reposting here. I apologize if that's not Kosher.<br /><br />What's HIMS going to be like next year, best guess? If you had to list the top 3 reasons to send a 7th grader there, what would they be? And the top 3 reasons to not send said 7th grade-to-be student, what would they be?<br /><br />My thoughts are that our current middle school is working fine, with some good and some lousy teachers, my kid might benefit from friends who like to discuss the obscure things she does, it preserves the options of Garfield and Ingraham, and because of the split kids might be more open to making new friends than they otherwise would.<br /><br />She's fine where she is but isn't socially invested. She's extremely bright and not terribly challenged, even in Algebra, although she's not particularly intense nor competitive, and doesn't want to be a super achiever. She just wants to be interested and not bored, and I think she'd enjoy some kids who like to ponder the nature of consciousness and deconstruct Sherlock episodes and think math is really fun.<br /><br />She wants to learn the cello. She's accomplished at piano.<br /><br />Any thoughts?<br /><br />asdf<br /><br />Thanks for the insightAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-7304949175546572592014-02-27T10:21:19.924-08:002014-02-27T10:21:19.924-08:00Last year my daughter scored a 75 in reading and 0...Last year my daughter scored a 75 in reading and 0 (not enough questions answered to score) in math. So I asked for them to take a look at her answer sheet. There had been a scanning error, and her actual scores were 99 and 98, and she qualified for APP.<br /><br />Just sayin'Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-14163402790004950532014-02-27T09:20:35.025-08:002014-02-27T09:20:35.025-08:00From the Whittier Elementary PTA newsletter comes ...From the Whittier Elementary PTA newsletter comes a posting from current 5th grade GenEd teacher, Julia Ward. It announces that she has accepted the position of lead science teacher at JAMS for 2014-15, and reads, "I am beyond excited about the opportunity to build a new science program."juicygoofyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05735795370601846385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-51573946802312382032014-02-27T08:29:39.032-08:002014-02-27T08:29:39.032-08:00Shannon, same question. Also, what are you implyin...Shannon, same question. Also, what are you implying? They are making scoring mistakes?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-21302567829369682522014-02-26T23:16:35.149-08:002014-02-26T23:16:35.149-08:00Shannon, confused by your post. Why is a current ...Shannon, confused by your post. Why is a current second grader at Lincoln taking it again?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-88688016396690389152014-02-26T23:09:14.442-08:002014-02-26T23:09:14.442-08:00My friend and I both had our kids tested for AL in...My friend and I both had our kids tested for AL in October and as of today (26th Feb) neither of us have heard a thing. Last year, her son tested into APP easily, this year he did not even get called back for the second round of testing. A friend whose kid is in 2nd grade at Lincoln, and routinely scores 98th percentile MAPs was scored 33rd percentile. The AL office said she might have had a bad day.<br /><br />I am getting the sense that AL screwed up something significant and are doing damage control. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-36038577291189162282014-02-26T22:21:52.787-08:002014-02-26T22:21:52.787-08:00Just a slight correction to the post above: Jane A...Just a slight correction to the post above: Jane Addams K-8 is moving and changing its name next year, but it is not moving into the Pinehurst K-8 building. Jane Addams K-8 will spend the next 2 years in the John Marshall building, then in fall 2016 moves into a new building that will be constructed on the current Pinehurst K-8 site.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-39603418159904780282014-02-26T20:34:21.768-08:002014-02-26T20:34:21.768-08:00I think that there is some confusion about Jane Ad...I think that there is some confusion about Jane Addams middle school and Jane Addams K-8. The school that is currently housed in the K-8 building is moving next year to the building that currently houses Pinehurst and the school will be changing its name. The Jane Addams building will be occupied by a completely new middle school that has nothing to do with the existing school. The new school will house general ed and Spectrum students from the north and north-northeast. It will also house all of the APP middle school students living in the Eckstein and Jane Addams reference areas. So, if your student attends Lincoln, about a third of the class will be moving on to Jane Addams. If your student attends the K-8, very few of those students will be moving to Jane Addams.pmnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-47777846942037493372014-02-26T20:27:51.606-08:002014-02-26T20:27:51.606-08:00I have a 4th grader who is new this year, so I am ...I have a 4th grader who is new this year, so I am worried about that too! I hear it would be about half his class. Can't say for sure it would be who he chose for friends, but it is a lot of kids, especially in this grade.<br /><br />I bet you'll know more once you tour, whether the class make up seems different enough that it's worth the split and transition, whether the 5th grade teachers seem like teachers you want for him, whether the academic level seems appropriate, etc. It's tough, I know.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-27183733220213969322014-02-26T20:11:58.646-08:002014-02-26T20:11:58.646-08:00Thanks so much for the thoughts. I wonder how many...Thanks so much for the thoughts. I wonder how many current Lincoln APP kids live in the NE and will go to middle school at JAMS? If he went to Lincoln and had to transition twice, it would be a lot easier if there were some other kids doing the same. <br /><br />-Confused NE MomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-55283246552142161872014-02-26T20:03:38.625-08:002014-02-26T20:03:38.625-08:00I would just tour and see. It's my impression ...I would just tour and see. It's my impression that at least in previous years the spectrum population at Jane Addams at that grade (now 4th) has not been very robust, and they are clustering, so likely it will be the same classroom make up you have now. I think it's a lovely school many people like, but I sort of doubt the experience day to day will be very different for your current 4th grader, though it would be a shift away from the bully which might help enough on its own. I have split kids, 2 at Lincoln, one somewhere else, with no plans to change. Most people do.<br /><br />It seems to me girls generally have a harder time switching after about 3rd grade, but I don't hear as much about boys. Probably worth asking, though of course the biggest factor is your individual child. Would many friends he made next year at the k-8 switch with him to JaMS? Or would he be starting over two years in a row?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-54915232727149550232014-02-26T19:32:34.423-08:002014-02-26T19:32:34.423-08:00I am so confused about what to do. We have both ki...I am so confused about what to do. We have both kids in an ALO school, but one qualifies for Spectrum (1st grader), the other APP (4th grader). We tour Lincoln tomorrow, but I'm unsure about splitting them up, and also unsure about putting my APP kid in Lincoln if he's just going to switch to JAMS next year. Sooo...would love some feedback on this plan:<br /><br />Both go to Jane Addams in the fall for Spectrum (2nd and 5th), and my APP kid moves into APP the following year for 6th. <br /><br />Am I missing some fatal flaw in this plan? My younger child is not as academically inclined, but my APP kid is being bullied and is very unhappy at our neighborhood ALO school. That's my one hesitation in putting him in Spectrum, as I feel the separate cohort might be best for him. Would it be weird to have him at Lincoln for just one year? Would he find friends? He's very social, but he's also just very different from his current peers.<br /><br />I (sincerely) welcome all feedback!<br /><br />-Confused NE MomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-84710347660589844982014-02-26T17:19:54.406-08:002014-02-26T17:19:54.406-08:00Thanks Lynn. That at least explains the delay.Thanks Lynn. That at least explains the delay.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-78615164012221873642014-02-26T15:54:07.953-08:002014-02-26T15:54:07.953-08:00Dumbfounded,
The meeting minutes I posted above a...Dumbfounded,<br /><br />The meeting minutes I posted above at 10:36 last night indicate that the company that publishes the test also scores it for us. Apparently the test booklets are fed into a scanner here - and Riverside Publishing was not able to receive or process the data. Something like that anyway.<br />Lynnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-76860100065054465832014-02-26T15:34:02.980-08:002014-02-26T15:34:02.980-08:00For what my kid tells me, the entire test was fill...For what my kid tells me, the entire test was filling in bubbles. So what needs to be manually scored in order to get Cogat results out the door in a timely fashion?<br /><br />--dumbfounded.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-86011610136336862902014-02-26T14:10:10.452-08:002014-02-26T14:10:10.452-08:00Can anybody give updates on the Spectrum program a...Can anybody give updates on the Spectrum program at Hawthorne Elementary? Perspectives? <br /><br />readerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-55196516857216186372014-02-25T23:25:48.798-08:002014-02-25T23:25:48.798-08:00Jessie,
Our son moved from a gened elementary scho...Jessie,<br />Our son moved from a gened elementary school to APP at HIMS this year. I was nervous about the transition, but it has all gone really well. He has made all A's, is happy, and homework isn't nearly as high as we'd been led to belive. Most nights he has about 20-30 minutes and the most I've seen him do is an hour. He is pretty motivated and organized, but in no way a perfectionist. Now I sometimes wonder if APP is all that advanced, to be honest. However, he is happy to go to school and has said that he really likes how it's ok to be a nerd at HIMS (and that there are even a wide array of types of nerds!).<br /><br />He missed the MAP score cut-off to take Alg 1 by a point and I was relieved not to have to make that decision at the time. However, if he had acored 1 point higher and I could make that decision based on what I know now, I would have put him in alg 1. We likely would have supplemented over the summer - just to be prepared and because he would have enjoyed it (he's pretty much a math hungry kid). He's pretty bored in 8th grade math at HIMS, which is a bummer. It is possible that boredom is not just the curriculum, but the teacher he has. <br />HIMSmomalso<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-41179560117641291162014-02-25T23:25:36.349-08:002014-02-25T23:25:36.349-08:00I'm at a loss on what I should do next to figu...I'm at a loss on what I should do next to figure out what's going on with my kid's AL (missing) info. I've emailed them to confirm that she's in the pipeline. I tried to respect their request to keep emails to a minimum, but after a week and a half with no response I tried again.<br /><br />Now I'm wondering if I should proactively do an appeal test. Or maybe nothing because I can't even get confirmation that they're processing the application. So frustrating.Majehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14946793603263324660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-23169949382884314762014-02-25T22:36:53.842-08:002014-02-25T22:36:53.842-08:00The minutes of the final meeting of the first adva...The minutes of the final meeting of the first advanced learning task force are available <a href="http://www.seattleschools.org/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/1583136/File/Task%20Force%20Notes_2-13-14.v2.pdf?sessionid=c2bcc4eef8baa6d584ca2af3ca5b820a" rel="nofollow">here</a>. It really was all about increasing the diversity of students in advanced learning programs.<br /><br />Recommendations: <br />Keep the current nomination process<br />No mention of any changes to scores required for identification as highly capable<br />No mention of single domain qualification<br />Add a universal screener in the first two weeks of Kindergarten <br />Add another universal screener in second grade<br /><br />What they apparently ignored: the requirement to provide an opportunity to be identified in 9th through 12th grades.<br />Lynnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-86918956247426636462014-02-25T16:41:35.170-08:002014-02-25T16:41:35.170-08:00I'm very curious just how many CogAT tests the...I'm very curious just how many CogAT tests they still have left to score. We haven't received our results and it sounds like there are still a lot of us in this boat. When does open enrollment end, and will we have any results before that??<br /><br />Still waiting in the SouthendAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-89327078779172313582014-02-25T13:31:55.558-08:002014-02-25T13:31:55.558-08:00As a private school student, we also tested in Oct...As a private school student, we also tested in Oct and just got our results, qualifying for APP. Does anyone know if they publish the final numbers of qualifiers, or those who choose to enroll?<br /><br />-not sureAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649338642905686469.post-61298950104358929422014-02-25T13:22:45.529-08:002014-02-25T13:22:45.529-08:00Yes - but I think the parent above is asking why i...Yes - but I think the parent above is asking why it would take four months to score the CogAT and schedule achievement testing.Lynnnoreply@blogger.com