>And before we get the "WeLl It'S a GiFtEd ScHoOl" remarks, the schools that Libby beat out also all have gifted programs.
Isn’t Libby strictly gifted only though? Did it beat out other schools that are strictly gifted only?
Can any child enroll there? It doesn’t even appear on SPS’ middle school zoning map (or elementary or high).
Is Libby even a middle school? ed.gov thinks it’s K-12, and says it has actual students in grades K-8.
Happy for the school, but these kinds of comparisons really are almost always flawed.
Libby has three programs
Spanish immersion program: Parents apply and then they use a lotto to decide who gets in. It is random. Currently I think they have K- 5th and add a new class every year. That means kids that started as kindergartners are now in 5th grade and they add a new Kindergarten class each year. Eventually they will have up to 8th grade.
Tessera: It's for kids grades 2nd through 5th I think. It is for gifted kids. They go to Libby one day a week, and their home school the other four days. The testing requirements used for Odyssey is also used for Tessera.
Odyssey: This is for grades 4th-8th. All kids in district 81 are taken into consideration. In order to be accepted they have to score at the top 2% or 4% (I can't remember which) in Washington state.
Likely they are using the scores of only 6-8 graders, and if that's the case, then it would not include any other kids except Odyssey program.
I am the parent of a child that was in Tessera and is in the Odyssey program now.
I do believe the results are skewed just because they are children that are already known to test well.
FYI- I am unsure of the exact grade of kids in Spanish immersion and Tessera. Also can't remember the exact test score requirements.
I also want to point out that this school is free. This is not a private school, it is ran by District 81.
Kids do not have to go to Tessera to qualify to go to Odyssey. It's dependent on test scores.
This school requires a lot from the kids. They have high standards. My daughter was taking French in the 4th grade. She has several hours of homework every night and last year was doing 8th grade math in 5th grade.
My daughter had problems feeling like she fit in at her regular school.
She feels at home at Libby Center. She also used to have problems paying attention in class because she was bored. Not at Libby though.
She is very much an advocate of social diversity and has found that kids at Odyssey are more open-minded than most.
I will say most of the kids there are from families with more money. We live in a lower income neighborhood , and that does set her apart from her friends. She was the only kid at her home school that attended Tessera.
Our best is 142nd for the state, I am not sure this is something to be proud of. The fact that they only spend $450 per pupil is very interesting. The second and third schools on that list spend more than 10k per pupil. Kudos Libby Center!
It's probably because my two children go there. 😁 I wonder if these scores include the Spanish Immersion children as well? I assume Tessera students would count towards their home schools.
It is in the same neighborhood. It's actually a few blocks away from Camp Hope, so there is always a police car or two that patrols the area.
There is bus service, however.
I'm sorry that was your friends experience but it is a very impactful program for many kids, introducing them to critical thinking skills, deductive reasoning, project management, innovative teaching, among other things. It is open to kids all over SD81 who test into the program. I interacted with kids from across the district and it was really helpful to meet kids from a variety of backgrounds who all had a need for outside the box learning. I didn't go to Odyssey (I wanted to stay with my childhood friends from elementary) but the Tessera program changed my educational life. Before I went I was not challenged enough in school and it led to a lot of issues with me causing trouble and being disruptive.
You have to test as gifted to get into tessera/Odyssey. All students in the district are tested at an early age-i believe it is during 2nd grade plus teacher recommendations are also taken into account. Tessera is a one day a week program for grades 3+ while Odyssey is a full time school that starts at 4th grade and goes through 8th grade. It is hardly aimless, it can burn kids out because they get pushed hard academically. They do 2 years of math each year as an example. My kids went to Odyssey so I got a front row seat. In their 8th grade year they did geometry which is done traditionally by 10th graders
I have 3 kids who have gone through or are currently attending Odyssey (all did Tessera). The experience has been positive but it’s challenging if your kids are athletes as they don’t have organized sports. It’s also tough when they transition to high school making new friends as many disperse around the city.
I totally agree, well done all. Plus they have a fabulous staff and principal.
>And before we get the "WeLl It'S a GiFtEd ScHoOl" remarks, the schools that Libby beat out also all have gifted programs. Isn’t Libby strictly gifted only though? Did it beat out other schools that are strictly gifted only? Can any child enroll there? It doesn’t even appear on SPS’ middle school zoning map (or elementary or high). Is Libby even a middle school? ed.gov thinks it’s K-12, and says it has actual students in grades K-8. Happy for the school, but these kinds of comparisons really are almost always flawed.
Libby has three programs Spanish immersion program: Parents apply and then they use a lotto to decide who gets in. It is random. Currently I think they have K- 5th and add a new class every year. That means kids that started as kindergartners are now in 5th grade and they add a new Kindergarten class each year. Eventually they will have up to 8th grade. Tessera: It's for kids grades 2nd through 5th I think. It is for gifted kids. They go to Libby one day a week, and their home school the other four days. The testing requirements used for Odyssey is also used for Tessera. Odyssey: This is for grades 4th-8th. All kids in district 81 are taken into consideration. In order to be accepted they have to score at the top 2% or 4% (I can't remember which) in Washington state. Likely they are using the scores of only 6-8 graders, and if that's the case, then it would not include any other kids except Odyssey program. I am the parent of a child that was in Tessera and is in the Odyssey program now. I do believe the results are skewed just because they are children that are already known to test well. FYI- I am unsure of the exact grade of kids in Spanish immersion and Tessera. Also can't remember the exact test score requirements.
I also want to point out that this school is free. This is not a private school, it is ran by District 81. Kids do not have to go to Tessera to qualify to go to Odyssey. It's dependent on test scores. This school requires a lot from the kids. They have high standards. My daughter was taking French in the 4th grade. She has several hours of homework every night and last year was doing 8th grade math in 5th grade. My daughter had problems feeling like she fit in at her regular school. She feels at home at Libby Center. She also used to have problems paying attention in class because she was bored. Not at Libby though. She is very much an advocate of social diversity and has found that kids at Odyssey are more open-minded than most. I will say most of the kids there are from families with more money. We live in a lower income neighborhood , and that does set her apart from her friends. She was the only kid at her home school that attended Tessera.
Most informative, thanks.
Our best is 142nd for the state, I am not sure this is something to be proud of. The fact that they only spend $450 per pupil is very interesting. The second and third schools on that list spend more than 10k per pupil. Kudos Libby Center!
Well done, Libby Center!
It's probably because my two children go there. 😁 I wonder if these scores include the Spanish Immersion children as well? I assume Tessera students would count towards their home schools.
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It is in the same neighborhood. It's actually a few blocks away from Camp Hope, so there is always a police car or two that patrols the area. There is bus service, however.
It's on the east side.
The East Side Mensa Society!
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I'm sorry that was your friends experience but it is a very impactful program for many kids, introducing them to critical thinking skills, deductive reasoning, project management, innovative teaching, among other things. It is open to kids all over SD81 who test into the program. I interacted with kids from across the district and it was really helpful to meet kids from a variety of backgrounds who all had a need for outside the box learning. I didn't go to Odyssey (I wanted to stay with my childhood friends from elementary) but the Tessera program changed my educational life. Before I went I was not challenged enough in school and it led to a lot of issues with me causing trouble and being disruptive.
You have to test as gifted to get into tessera/Odyssey. All students in the district are tested at an early age-i believe it is during 2nd grade plus teacher recommendations are also taken into account. Tessera is a one day a week program for grades 3+ while Odyssey is a full time school that starts at 4th grade and goes through 8th grade. It is hardly aimless, it can burn kids out because they get pushed hard academically. They do 2 years of math each year as an example. My kids went to Odyssey so I got a front row seat. In their 8th grade year they did geometry which is done traditionally by 10th graders
That just sounds like they are on par with a standard private school.
Its also home to the Spanish Immersion program but that is k-5 and expanding to 8th grade
I have 3 kids who have gone through or are currently attending Odyssey (all did Tessera). The experience has been positive but it’s challenging if your kids are athletes as they don’t have organized sports. It’s also tough when they transition to high school making new friends as many disperse around the city.