Entering Oyster as Spanish-dominant -- Spanish proficiency test?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is brutal and gives the impression there is a culture of bullying towards OOB non-Latino families. I hope the school will address this. Great families will be turned away.

I think you are probably right. We have a low WL number, and it's made me think twice about what we'd do if we got in. Which I'm sure is actually the intention of some of these posters.

Don't accept your spot if you get in. I've heard that it's a terrible school! However, I'll go if my daughter gets in just to see for myself

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If anyone is making choices about their child's education based on what they have read on DCUM (written by people who may or may not have hidden agendas), then they're going to miss out on a lot of great opportunities. There isn't a single coveted school in DC that hasn't been the subject of heated debate on DCUM. If this thread has turned you off; I agree that Oyster isn't the school for you. However, there are parents who have actually researched Oyster, toured the school, and spoken with current parents. They are just behind you on the waiting list, and they will be thrilled to take your spot.

Great point. Why is there so much hate on DCUM? We all want a good education for our kids. Why isn't there more mutual support?

[Anonymous]

Agree completely. Some people let being anonymous allow them to go unhinged.

Does the kid really need to dream in Spanish to pass the test?

[Anonymous]

And we DO welcome families of all income levels, not just in words but in very concrete material ways. Our PTA-run aftercare has a sliding scale, so the richer families help pay for the working families that make 5 figures. We are all in this together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here - just wanted to add that the reason we did not take the spot at Oyster is because we have heard from friends that Oyster is not a very challenging school for kids who are already Spanish speaking. They have said that the classes in Spanish are dumbed down so that the kids who don't speak Spanish can understand them - and therefore if you already speak the language,you won't learn much in that half of the curriculum. I'm not sure if this is true or not - but if so, the administration does need to be rigorous about trying to bring up or keep up the level of Spanish spoken at the school (or else Spanish dominant kids won't always want to attend).

Where did you go instead?

LAMB. We liked the individual and differentiated approach to learning inherent in the Montessori method.

Weirdly enough we were in the same boat. The difference was that I visited the school and was not impressed at all. Seems like a great place for some, but the place didn't work for my kid. It worked out because we ended up selling our house (we were inbounds) and sent our kids to LAMB which is a better fit for our kids. I did also hear the same story about the "dumbed down spanish curriculum", but that was from a former neighbor who put her kids in a private school.

[Anonymous]

Why don't they differentiate the language?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here - just wanted to add that the reason we did not take the spot at Oyster is because we have heard from friends that Oyster is not a very challenging school for kids who are already Spanish speaking. They have said that the classes in Spanish are dumbed down so that the kids who don't speak Spanish can understand them - and therefore if you already speak the language,you won't learn much in that half of the curriculum. I'm not sure if this is true or not - but if so, the administration does need to be rigorous about trying to bring up or keep up the level of Spanish spoken at the school (or else Spanish dominant kids won't always want to attend).

Where did you go instead?

LAMB. We liked the individual and differentiated approach to learning inherent in the Montessori method.

Weirdly enough we were in the same boat. The difference was that I visited the school and was not impressed at all. Seems like a great place for some, but the place didn't work for my kid. It worked out because we ended up selling our house (we were inbounds) and sent our kids to LAMB which is a better fit for our kids. I did also hear the same story about the "dumbed down spanish curriculum", but that was from a former neighbor who put her kids in a private school.

OK, here's some data that seems to debunk that "dumbed down curriculum" idea. Remember that math is taught in Spanish at O-A.

Results from the 2013-14 DC CAS Math scores, among white students to better compare apples with apples:

- Deal: 74% are Proficient
- Oyster- Adams: 76% are Proficient

So, not only is math instruction IN SPANISH pretty good...but results seem even better than Deal's...when tested in ENGLISH.

I didn't find comparable data for LAMB in the DCPS website.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here - just wanted to add that the reason we did not take the spot at Oyster is because we have heard from friends that Oyster is not a very challenging school for kids who are already Spanish speaking. They have said that the classes in Spanish are dumbed down so that the kids who don't speak Spanish can understand them - and therefore if you already speak the language,you won't learn much in that half of the curriculum. I'm not sure if this is true or not - but if so, the administration does need to be rigorous about trying to bring up or keep up the level of Spanish spoken at the school (or else Spanish dominant kids won't always want to attend).

Where did you go instead?

LAMB. We liked the individual and differentiated approach to learning inherent in the Montessori method.

Weirdly enough we were in the same boat. The difference was that I visited the school and was not impressed at all. Seems like a great place for some, but the place didn't work for my kid. It worked out because we ended up selling our house (we were inbounds) and sent our kids to LAMB which is a better fit for our kids. I did also hear the same story about the "dumbed down spanish curriculum", but that was from a former neighbor who put her kids in a private school.

As I said before, sounds like a great school, just not for us.

There is a super long wait-list, so I wouldn't worry what my crazy former neighbor thinks.

OK, here's some data that seems to debunk that "dumbed down curriculum" idea. Remember that math is taught in Spanish at O-A.

Results from the 2013-14 DC CAS Math scores, among white students to better compare apples with apples:

- Deal: 74% are Proficient
- Oyster- Adams: 76% are Proficient

So, not only is math instruction IN SPANISH pretty good...but results seem even better than Deal's...when tested in ENGLISH.

I didn't find comparable data for LAMB in the DCPS website.

[Anonymous]

PP here. I can't seem to find my comment from earlier. I think oyster is a great school, but I didn't think it would be a good fit for my children. Lamb seems to be a better fit so far. I was not trying to disparage oyster, but I do wonder who is spreading the rumors that the curriculum isn't good. In my case it was a neighbor who sent her kids to private.

Also would like to point out that there is a long waitlist so the naysayers are obviously outnumbered. Glad to see so much support!

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I can't seem to find my comment from earlier. I think oyster is a great school, but I didn't think it would be a good fit for my children. Lamb seems to be a better fit so far. I was not trying to disparage oyster, but I do wonder who is spreading the rumors that the curriculum isn't good. In my case it was a neighbor who sent her kids to private.

Also would like to point out that there is a long waitlist so the naysayers are obviously outnumbered. Glad to see so much support!

Your earlier comment is just higher on the page at 04/06/2015 09:10.

[Anonymous]

Oh sorry.

[Anonymous]

Does the kid really need to dream in Spanish to pass the test?

No, that's not necessary. All students (mono-english, mono-spanish, bilingual, trilingual, dominant, etc) learn to dream in Spanish during nap time in PreK and K while the teacher plays the CD recordings of Sra Saavedra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here - just wanted to add that the reason we did not take the spot at Oyster is because we have heard from friends that Oyster is not a very challenging school for kids who are already Spanish speaking. They have said that the classes in Spanish are dumbed down so that the kids who don't speak Spanish can understand them - and therefore if you already speak the language,you won't learn much in that half of the curriculum. I'm not sure if this is true or not - but if so, the administration does need to be rigorous about trying to bring up or keep up the level of Spanish spoken at the school (or else Spanish dominant kids won't always want to attend).

Where did you go instead?

LAMB. We liked the individual and differentiated approach to learning inherent in the Montessori method.

Weirdly enough we were in the same boat. The difference was that I visited the school and was not impressed at all. Seems like a great place for some, but the place didn't work for my kid. It worked out because we ended up selling our house (we were inbounds) and sent our kids to LAMB which is a better fit for our kids. I did also hear the same story about the "dumbed down spanish curriculum", but that was from a former neighbor who put her kids in a private school.

As I said before, sounds like a great school, just not for us.

There is a super long wait-list, so I wouldn't worry what my crazy former neighbor thinks.

OK, here's some data that seems to debunk that "dumbed down curriculum" idea. Remember that math is taught in Spanish at O-A.

Results from the 2013-14 DC CAS Math scores, among white students to better compare apples with apples:

- Deal: 74% are Proficient
- Oyster- Adams: 76% are Proficient

So, not only is math instruction IN SPANISH pretty good...but results seem even better than Deal's...when tested in ENGLISH.

I didn't find comparable data for LAMB in the DCPS website.

The LAMB data is available via the DCPCSB website. http://www.dcpcsb.org/ninth-year-row-charter-school-dc-cas-scores-exceed-state-average

For 2013-14

Math 73.2% Proficient

At LAMB math is taught in both languages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here - just wanted to add that the reason we did not take the spot at Oyster is because we have heard from friends that Oyster is not a very challenging school for kids who are already Spanish speaking. They have said that the classes in Spanish are dumbed down so that the kids who don't speak Spanish can understand them - and therefore if you already speak the language,you won't learn much in that half of the curriculum. I'm not sure if this is true or not - but if so, the administration does need to be rigorous about trying to bring up or keep up the level of Spanish spoken at the school (or else Spanish dominant kids won't always want to attend).

Where did you go instead?

LAMB. We liked the individual and differentiated approach to learning inherent in the Montessori method.

Weirdly enough we were in the same boat. The difference was that I visited the school and was not impressed at all. Seems like a great place for some, but the place didn't work for my kid. It worked out because we ended up selling our house (we were inbounds) and sent our kids to LAMB which is a better fit for our kids. I did also hear the same story about the "dumbed down spanish curriculum", but that was from a former neighbor who put her kids in a private school.

As I said before, sounds like a great school, just not for us.

There is a super long wait-list, so I wouldn't worry what my crazy former neighbor thinks.

OK, here's some data that seems to debunk that "dumbed down curriculum" idea. Remember that math is taught in Spanish at O-A.

Results from the 2013-14 DC CAS Math scores, among white students to better compare apples with apples:

- Deal: 74% are Proficient
- Oyster- Adams: 76% are Proficient

So, not only is math instruction IN SPANISH pretty good...but results seem even better than Deal's...when tested in ENGLISH.

I didn't find comparable data for LAMB in the DCPS website.

The LAMB data is available via the DCPCSB website. http://www.dcpcsb.org/ninth-year-row-charter-school-dc-cas-scores-exceed-state-average

For 2013-14

Math 73.2% Proficient

At LAMB math is taught in both languages.

Math is only taught in Spanish at Oyster, yet they had the highest scores. I guess that helps to shed the light on the lie that the Spanish curriculum is "dumbed down."

[Anonymous]

OK, here's some data that seems to debunk that "dumbed down curriculum" idea. Remember that math is taught in Spanish at O-A.

Results from the 2013-14 DC CAS Math scores, among white students to better compare apples with apples:

- Deal: 74% are Proficient
- Oyster- Adams: 76% are Proficient

So, not only is math instruction IN SPANISH pretty good...but results seem even better than Deal's...when tested in ENGLISH.

Sorry, but your comparison is not valid. First, the OA scores most likely group together elementary and MS students.

Second, you are leaving out those scoring advanced (advanced is better than proficient).

So, Deal's is 88% proficient or advanced in math over all students, and 97% for whites.

For Oyster Adams, it is 80% proficient or advanced in math over all students, and 93% for whites (again, here the score just for MS students is not available)

I assume that the scores reported by the charter schools include proficient + advanced, so LAMB's 76% is a bit lower than Oyster's reported 80%.