SCES French Immersion

[Anonymous]

I know it’s a lottery but are there any factors that increase your chances such as particular zip codes, francophone home, French immersion preschool, etc? Or is it literally random drawing across all of moCo to get a spot? How many years before kindergarten can you apply? First kid, no older sib in MCPS

[Anonymous]

No, it’s a pure lottery

[Anonymous]

No. It’s random. You have to enroll your kid in your in boundary school. Then you enter the lottery when it opens. That’s it. There’s nothing else. We are there, we’re a Francophone, speak French at home family. We are in the minority. I would say that of the 26 kids in DC’s class, maybe 5 come from French speaking households.

[Anonymous]

The only preference you get is if a sibling already attends the program.

[Anonymous]

We came from out of state (French Immersion school) and entered the lottery. There was an opening in my child's
grade and my child was given an exam (verbal and written) to make sure my kid was up to speed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We came from out of state (French Immersion school) and entered the lottery. There was an opening in my child's
grade and my child was given an exam (verbal and written) to make sure my kid was up to speed.

Yes, if you come in after 1st grade (where there sometimes are lottery spots with no testing) you can test in IF there are available slots.

[Anonymous]

Another voice saying: random. We live in the zone for the school. Waitlist #30. Fortunately it was for K in 2020-2021–so they made it to us on that list.

Every time I think about it, I am reminded how absurd it is that such an incredible educational opportunity is distributed via a lotto instead of being universally available.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only preference you get is if a sibling already attends the program.

Sibling preference is now phased out. The last class that inherited it will move on to 6th next year. There might have been one class following that conferred an extra entry into the lottery, but that also will be gone soon if that was the case.

If a sibling doesn't get in, the family can submit a COSA to have them attend the Academy (English) program at the same school (provided there's room), but it won't place them in French Immersion.

[Anonymous]

I do think many mcps teachers get in. Also you can apply again for first grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do think [b]many mcps teachers get in. [/]Also you can apply again for first grade.

They apply just as everyone else does.

~MCPS teacher/parent

[Anonymous]

So do you apply after your kid has already started Kindergarten or the year before? My understanding is you enter lottery as you're enrolling in your zoned kindergarten and then the lotto is drawn just before they'd actually start?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another voice saying: random. We live in the zone for the school. Waitlist #30. Fortunately it was for K in 2020-2021–so they made it to us on that list.

Every time I think about it, I am reminded how absurd it is that such an incredible educational opportunity is distributed via a lotto instead of being universally available.

i know it's frustrating that there's no guarantee for immersion, but i don't think there is a huge supply of certified french teachers. there seems to be a huge number of people wanting to come to this country, so that's a potential teacher pool. it definitely makes learning language a lot easier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So do you apply after your kid has already started Kindergarten or the year before? My understanding is you enter lottery as you're enrolling in your zoned kindergarten and then the lotto is drawn just before they'd actually start?

You apply during the spring semester before Kindergarten (deadline is usually in February - check the MCPS website). You have to enroll kid in local school first primarily to get kid assigned an MCPS Student ID number which you need for the immersion interest form. Results are usually in April for the first round but they do utilize the waitlist since families inevitably change their minds. There are roughly 54 spots (two classes of 27).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So do you apply after your kid has already started Kindergarten or the year before? My understanding is you enter lottery as you're enrolling in your zoned kindergarten and then the lotto is drawn just before they'd actually start?

You apply during the spring semester before Kindergarten (deadline is usually in February - check the MCPS website). You have to enroll kid in local school first primarily to get kid assigned an MCPS Student ID number which you need for the immersion interest form. Results are usually in April for the first round but they do utilize the waitlist since families inevitably change their minds. There are roughly 54 spots (two classes of 27).

Exactly. For my now first grader, I enrolled him at our neighborhood school, got his ID number. Submitted the immersion interest form. And waited. He was not invited, but had a low (single digit) number. We were invited for a spot I think in early May or June. Families have 30 days to accept/decline a spot so it was roughly 35 days after that. At SCES, they normally end up going to around 25-30 from the wait list. From the wait list, you have I think one week to accept/decline, so when the wait list starts moving, it’s faster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another voice saying: random. We live in the zone for the school. Waitlist #30. Fortunately it was for K in 2020-2021–so they made it to us on that list.

Every time I think about it, I am reminded how absurd it is that such an incredible educational opportunity is distributed via a lotto instead of being universally available.

i know it's frustrating that there's no guarantee for immersion, but i don't think there is a huge supply of certified french teachers. there seems to be a huge number of people wanting to come to this country, so that's a potential teacher pool. it definitely makes learning language a lot easier.

Yes, this is an issue, and when a teacher is out unexpectedly it's challenging for them to find MCPS-certified French-speaking subs. More than once my child has had an English-speaking sub and the day involves a lot of worksheets.