Higher-level Spanish Credit - how to get when not offered at high school

[Anonymous]

Kid just started 9th grade at a DCPS which does not offer Spanish beyond Spanish 2. Kid has already taken Heritage Spanish in middle school and was planning to take a different language in HS, but was switched out of that class once counselor noticed that kid had already fulfilled the DCPS language requirement.

Now that kid is no longer getting language as a class at school, we are trying to figure out a way to continue Spanish instruction, preferably for credit and eventually in order to take the AP test. Can anyone with a similar experience offer advice? We want to make sure kid gets 3-4 years of language in HS.

It looks like dual enrollment won’t be possible until 11th grade.

TIA

[Anonymous]

Weekend heritage language programs, here’s one friends use. https://www.escuelaargentina.org/about-us

[Anonymous]

They can take AP Spanish test without taking the class if that is of interest. They can ask their counselor to sign them up or sign them up at a different DCPS for the test.

[Anonymous]

PP again, pre-pandemic kids could take a class not offered at their school at a different DCPS HS. MS kids whose school didn’t offer Geometry could go to a nearby HS and take it for instance. I would ask about that as a possibility.

[Anonymous]

Are you serious? Have you heard of community college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you serious? Have you heard of community college?

Hi, this is OP and I am serious (or at least I thought I was). I looked at dual enrollment options on the DCPS website for world language and they don’t start until 11th grade. Even then the only levels higher than Spanish 3 are at Georgetown in person. If you have advice about which community college options could work with my kid’s situation, I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

OP again - thanks for the suggestions - I will look into them and appreciate any more advice!

[Anonymous]

Search Concordia Language Villages summer camp for HS credit for grade 8+. This is a serious 4-week full immersion camps in Northern Minnesota, going since the 1960s. Small group classes for teens are taught on half a dozen levels for Spanish, meaning real challenge for all campers. We did it for another language and it was a serious thing. Cell phone locked away for the entire month, effectively no English inputs.

We use Vista Zoom language tutors to supplement weekend heritage classes in MoCo.

You can indeed sign up for AP Spanish via the college board web site as early as Feb for May exam, $200 at any area private or public taking outside students (most do).

You can also sign up for Cambridge International Spanish exams at British International schools in the US and abroad. Search Cambridge International. Their language exams are much more comprehensive than AP, emphasize speaking and writing more, and are given for various levels, GCSE (10th grade standards), AS-Level (11th grade) A-Level (grade 12-13). Elite US colleges know Cambridge well because many foreigner applicants take them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kid just started 9th grade at a DCPS which does not offer Spanish beyond Spanish 2. Kid has already taken Heritage Spanish in middle school and was planning to take a different language in HS, but was switched out of that class once counselor noticed that kid had already fulfilled the DCPS language requirement.

Now that kid is no longer getting language as a class at school, we are trying to figure out a way to continue Spanish instruction, preferably for credit and eventually in order to take the AP test. Can anyone with a similar experience offer advice? We want to make sure kid gets 3-4 years of language in HS.

It looks like dual enrollment won’t be possible until 11th grade.

TIA

This is crazy. Why isn’t Spanish offered beyond Spanish 2 in high school?

And WTF, your kid has a right to take another language. I would be kissed if they had kicked my kid out of a class he chose just because he already took another language. I would go talk to admin and get your kid back in the non-Spanish language class

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid just started 9th grade at a DCPS which does not offer Spanish beyond Spanish 2. Kid has already taken Heritage Spanish in middle school and was planning to take a different language in HS, but was switched out of that class once counselor noticed that kid had already fulfilled the DCPS language requirement.

Now that kid is no longer getting language as a class at school, we are trying to figure out a way to continue Spanish instruction, preferably for credit and eventually in order to take the AP test. Can anyone with a similar experience offer advice? We want to make sure kid gets 3-4 years of language in HS.

It looks like dual enrollment won’t be possible until 11th grade.

TIA

This is crazy. Why isn’t Spanish offered beyond Spanish 2 in high school?

And WTF, your kid has a right to take another language. I would be kissed if they had kicked my kid out of a class he chose just because he already took another language. I would go talk to admin and get your kid back in the non-Spanish language class

Typo pissed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kid just started 9th grade at a DCPS which does not offer Spanish beyond Spanish 2. Kid has already taken Heritage Spanish in middle school and was planning to take a different language in HS, but was switched out of that class once counselor noticed that kid had already fulfilled the DCPS language requirement.

Now that kid is no longer getting language as a class at school, we are trying to figure out a way to continue Spanish instruction, preferably for credit and eventually in order to take the AP test. Can anyone with a similar experience offer advice? We want to make sure kid gets 3-4 years of language in HS.

It looks like dual enrollment won’t be possible until 11th grade.

TIA

This is crazy. Why isn’t Spanish offered beyond Spanish 2 in high school?

And WTF, your kid has a right to take another language. I would be kissed if they had kicked my kid out of a class he chose just because he already took another language. I would go talk to admin and get your kid back in the non-Spanish language class

Typo pissed

Seriously, what DCPS HS doesnt go beyond Spanish 2???

[Anonymous]

This isn't happening in DC. What DC HS doesn't offer at least 4 years of Spanish?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This isn't happening in DC. What DC HS doesn't offer at least 4 years of Spanish?

I’m guessing a poorly performing title 1 school. Many kids are not even proficient in English, let alone try to learn another language at an advance level.