ACPS Dual-language schools

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any insight into the two K-5 dual language programs in ACPS? What is class size like? If you are zoned elsewhere, is it hard to get into for K? How do you apply? DC is extremely interested in learning Spanish, and I'd love to continue to promote that.

[Anonymous]

Hire a spanish tutor and leave Alexandria.

[Anonymous]

Class sizes at the dual language elementary schools are the same as at any other elementary school - i.e., each follows the ACPS rules about no more than X students in a class in elementary. Applying in would be a "programmatic transfer" under ACPS rules. I'm not sure how hard or easy that is - (we are zoned for MVCS dual language so don't have experience with having to transfer in). Love the school and the program. I'm guessing that programmatic transfers are allowed if there is space once zoned kids are accounted for and there is space in the class - in other words they won't add additional classes/teachers to accommodate transfers in, but if they haven't reached capacity with zoned kids they will allow transfers in. At least that seems to be what this pace says https://www.acps.k12.va.us/academics/dual-language-program/how-to-apply

Looks like you have to register for K in your zoned school and then put in the programmatic transfer (Opt -in) request.

Good luck - dual language education is so great!

[Anonymous]

I wish they had foreign language in all the elementary schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish they had foreign language in all the elementary schools.

I wish they did a half way decent job teaching all kids to read and be competent in math. That said...I wish they had a foreign language in the elementary schools too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish they had foreign language in all the elementary schools.

Eh. Foreign language in a lot of elementary schools is just learning or two vocabulary words and doing a coloring sheet. I think Dora the Explorer or Diego is better since it's just exposure at best.

[Anonymous]

MVCS is fabulous! We’ve had two kids go through there. One in particular really loved learning the Spanish and is continuing on that track. The other one tolerated it but I still think it is beneficial. There’s a lot of research that ties the immersion experience to brain development in areas like math and science. It’s a great community – – super diverse and inclusive. They do a fabulous international night and many events throughout the year. The PTA is super involved in the teacher quality is high with strong school leadership. I’ve heard from people still at the school that the district person who does dual immersion has been replaced and is much better so the curriculum continues to improve (we thought it was pretty good!)

[Anonymous]

Class sizes for us at MVCS we’re usually 22-23 in lower grades and 25-26 in upper. According to neighbors class size is still continue to be pretty good for a public school. I think this is controlled by the district like someone above said.

[Anonymous]

At MVCC, reading proficiency for the entire student body is 53% and 19% for ELL students. Math proficiency is 46% for the entire school and 15% for ELL.

At John Adams, reading for the entire student body is 56% and 46% for ELL. Math is 43% overall and 34% for ELL.

Both are significantly under state proficiency levels for both categories but John Adams is the better school based on data.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At MVCC, reading proficiency for the entire student body is 53% and 19% for ELL students. Math proficiency is 46% for the entire school and 15% for ELL.

At John Adams, reading for the entire student body is 56% and 46% for ELL. Math is 43% overall and 34% for ELL.

Both are significantly under state proficiency levels for both categories but John Adams is the better school based on data.

Interesting because MVCC changed over a few years ago and they aren't really an immersion school in the sense they are trying to attract non Spanish speaking students but rather they are teaching in Spanish with the belief that teaching the students who are in the majority of the school population in the language they speak natively would improve their understanding and academic success instead of trying to learn those subjects in English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At MVCC, reading proficiency for the entire student body is 53% and 19% for ELL students. Math proficiency is 46% for the entire school and 15% for ELL.

At John Adams, reading for the entire student body is 56% and 46% for ELL. Math is 43% overall and 34% for ELL.

Both are significantly under state proficiency levels for both categories but John Adams is the better school based on data.

Interesting because MVCC changed over a few years ago and they aren't really an immersion school in the sense they are trying to attract non Spanish speaking students but rather they are teaching in Spanish with the belief that teaching the students who are in the majority of the school population in the language they speak natively would improve their understanding and academic success instead of trying to learn those subjects in English.

What happens when those kids go to middle school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At MVCC, reading proficiency for the entire student body is 53% and 19% for ELL students. Math proficiency is 46% for the entire school and 15% for ELL.

At John Adams, reading for the entire student body is 56% and 46% for ELL. Math is 43% overall and 34% for ELL.

Both are significantly under state proficiency levels for both categories but John Adams is the better school based on data.

Interesting because MVCC changed over a few years ago and they aren't really an immersion school in the sense they are trying to attract non Spanish speaking students but rather they are teaching in Spanish with the belief that teaching the students who are in the majority of the school population in the language they speak natively would improve their understanding and academic success instead of trying to learn those subjects in English.

Ok, that's just not true at all. The program at MVCS has always been a 2-way immersion program. There is a ton of research out there on the model - which requires classes to be balanced 50% native English/50% native Spanish - if you care to look for it. Of course as the years have gone by, teachers and administrators have gone to conferences and adjusted curriculum based on the latest research. Having had multiple kids go through the school at different times, my view is that the program has gotten stronger over the years.

There is also a lot of research that shows that dual language students who are native English speakers may trail their English-only peers early on, they eventually outperform those students. Recognizing that anecdotes are not data, I will say that our experience was completely in line with the research.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At MVCC, reading proficiency for the entire student body is 53% and 19% for ELL students. Math proficiency is 46% for the entire school and 15% for ELL.

At John Adams, reading for the entire student body is 56% and 46% for ELL. Math is 43% overall and 34% for ELL.

Both are significantly under state proficiency levels for both categories but John Adams is the better school based on data.

Have you looked at the data in middle school for the same sample group? We're out of state, but kids in our DLI program score lower in elementary school on ELL and Math but it evens out by middle school. The argument is that they're going to score lower if half of their instruction is in a foreign language, but by middle school the gap closes. We found this to be true for our child (test scores slowly increased over the years and now they're solid).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At MVCC, reading proficiency for the entire student body is 53% and 19% for ELL students. Math proficiency is 46% for the entire school and 15% for ELL.

At John Adams, reading for the entire student body is 56% and 46% for ELL. Math is 43% overall and 34% for ELL.

Both are significantly under state proficiency levels for both categories but John Adams is the better school based on data.

Dig into the data at the VDE website, we controlled for demographics similar to our child and found the percentages at or above proficiency to be very high and on par w/ Brooks, CB, and George Mason. We did this before we enrolled, and we’re glad we stayed in the neighborhood and went to MVCS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At MVCC, reading proficiency for the entire student body is 53% and 19% for ELL students. Math proficiency is 46% for the entire school and 15% for ELL.

At John Adams, reading for the entire student body is 56% and 46% for ELL. Math is 43% overall and 34% for ELL.

Both are significantly under state proficiency levels for both categories but John Adams is the better school based on data.

Dig into the data at the VDE website, we controlled for demographics similar to our child and found the percentages at or above proficiency to be very high and on par w/ Brooks, CB, and George Mason. We did this before we enrolled, and we’re glad we stayed in the neighborhood and went to MVCS.

Reading proficiency

White: 93%
Black: 44%
Hispanic: 31%

Math proficiency

White: 85%
Black: 20%
Hispanic: 25%