schools in arlington va?? (Jefferson, Williamsburg: transfer, best school, income)

[alcidesvigo99]

what are schools there like?....which one is the best(elementary, middle, high school)? I've heard a lot about arlington science focus school. is it really the best elementary out there?
Thanks for your help.
a mom trying to find the best school for her kiddos.

[claremarie]

The schools are great. When people ask for the "best" school, they usually mean the one with the highest test scores. Yorktown is generally regarded as the "best" of the three regular high schools, but H.B. Woodlawn, which is an "alternative" school for high-achieving students in grades 6-12, has some of the highest test scores in the area. It's kind of a "hippie" school, and is not a good fit for all students. And not all students who apply are accepted, so you can't count on getting your kids in there.
The "best" elementary schools are those located in the most affluent areas -- Taylor, Jamestown, Nottingham. Some people like the Science Focus school, or the Traditional School. There are some schools in South Arlington with higher concentrations of low-income, minority, and ESL kids, which translates into lower test scores, but they are not "bad" schools. They are just not the sort of schools that people seek out when househunting.

[irvine]

The North Arlington elementary schools that feed into Swanson/Williamsburg and then into Washington-Lee/Yorktown for high school are the ones most sought after in Arlington. The schools in South Arlington are also good and many have solid middle class support, but they have lower test scores due to the largely low-income/non-native population.

The Key/Taylor/Science Focus/Jamestown elementary school cluster allows for flexible transfer options among the schools, and they feed into the North Arlington secondary schools I mentioned above. Every elementary school in North Arlington has scores well above the national and state averages.

Thomas Jefferson (TJ) in South Arlington has had a bad rep as a junior high since integration in the 60s, but with solid middle class support it will begin offering the rigorous International Baccalaureate (middle years) classes next year.

Drew elementary in South Arlington is still montessori, I think. Arlington Traditional is a school with lottery based admissions and adheres to a more traditional pedagogy.

Washington-Lee and Yorktown have been ranked among the nation's best high schools since the 1950s, and they have high expectations and strong community support. But don't overlook Wakefield in South Arlington, which offers a nationally recognized AP curriculum.

In terms of athletics, W-L and Yorktown traditionally have very strong rowing programs, and "crew" is the largest varsity sport at both schools. W-L's team goes back to 1949 and is the oldest in the area. W-L is also famous for its baseball program, which has won more district titles than any other area school. Yorktown for the past 20 years has dominated in football and has successful, established lacrosse and ice hockey programs. Wakefield is strongest in basketball--its team made it to the state championship the year before last. Of the three high schools, W-L and Yorktown have the strongest music programs (band/orchestra/madrigals), which rank among the best in the state.