Dual language middle school
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Anonymous
| My child has been in a Spanish dual language program since pre k but now as we prepare for middle school it doesn’t seem like that many options. The only school I really hear given as best choice is DCI however it is so far. Is there any talks of them getting a bus from eastern market like other schools? What is everyone take on the few other dual language middle schools? I would hate to abandon language immersion. |
Anonymous
Jefferson will have a dual language track within I think 2 years. |
Anonymous
Good news-DCPS just announced last week that they will be adding a new dual language Spanish strand program at Jefferson. Next school year will be a dedicated planning year. Jefferson already offers a Spanish humanities class to 6th graders coming in from dual language programs (because Chisholm is a feeder). Phase 1 of the program will be SY27-28, where there will be an additional core class taught in Spanish, and then there are plans for a Phase 2 and 3. |
Anonymous
| Which schools will have feeder rights to Jefferson? |
Anonymous
| Lottery for MacFarland or CHEC problem solved but the bigger question is do you want to send your child there. |
Anonymous
Brent, Chisholm, Van Ness, Amidon-Bowen. |
Anonymous
But Chisholm is the DL school. So would the DL program only serve those students? |
Anonymous
Primarily for now. I don’t know if there will be plans to give other schools a preference for lottery. But the strand program will be two classes, and maybe eventually 3 or more, so the DL kids will also be in classes with the other kids (the schedule is 8 total classes currently). Van Ness has Spanish as a special from pk3-5th, so while not DL, maybe it would provide those students with a more advanced option at some point during MS. I believe that all 6th graders currently take Spanish at Jefferson currently (with the Chisholm kids taking a more advanced option), which is different than the other Hill MSs. |
Anonymous
DCI is the only charter/public school in the city with serious language programming and an IB diploma in high school. But you won’t get in the Spanish track since you are not in a feeder. The only other serious option is private which is WIS. |
Anonymous
Oyster is a much better middle school language option. DCI middle is language light in comparison. If you are in 3rd-4th you can probably get a spot at a DCI feeder since most people don’t want to start DL in upper elementary. You can also try for Oyster if your kid can pass the proficiency test. The Jefferson program seems promising and if you live on the hill I would consider it. I don’t think DCI is worth the commute (I have kids there). |
Anonymous
Honestly, what's the big deal when Jefferson isn't attracting a good cohort of UMC in-boundary families, no matter what goes on there. Same story for the last 6 or 7 years. Jefferson was drawing in more high SES families pre-Covid than now, double in fact. We know Brent families who sent older sibs to Jefferson while their younger sibs go to Stuart Hobson. The reality is that the new language Spanish strand program at Jefferson is really unlikely to appeal to very many UMC families. A few people will go for it, mostly Chisholm grads, that's it. Once Phase 2&3 materialize, in-boundary UMC Brent, Van Ness and Amidon and Chisholm families will still mob BASIS, the Latins, DCI, privates and suburban middle schools. We should only get so excited about this, um, marvelous new option. If DCPS was remotely serious about serving UMC immersion families, they'd set up the kind of arrangement you see in MoCo with middle school programs feeding Richard Montgomery's competitive IB Diploma program (application high school). They're not and they won't. |
Anonymous
| My first choice would be Adams (Oyster’s middle school). |
Anonymous
| Jefferson is Chisholm’s assigned feeder middle school. There is not any nearby middle school option right now for Chisholm students to maintain and continue their elementary school Spanish learning — so something is needed. Chisholm is a weird boundary because I think most (maybe even all) of it is a lot closer to EH and SH than to Jefferson. So adding a Spanish immersion program at Jefferson should attract more students there. |
Anonymous
My understanding is one mother managed to get a new bus installed for DCI this year. In order to meet the quota she had to think outside the box and route it to several neighborhoods. You might want to get connected with that mom about how she did it or even if there's a way to extend it. |
Anonymous
I have a kid at DCI middle. No the language model is not light. I am assuming your kid is in the lower language level tracks then. If so, then yes limited course options. They are not going to put a kid in many classes in the language if they are not even proficient yet. My kid is in the highest track and so has lots of classes in the language. DCI has 6, yes six, levels of language classes and they test the kids every year with STAMP to know where they are and to place them. Kids in the highest track not only has language classes but also other subject like social studies actually taught in the language. Electives can also be in the language if you are in the higher track. Also exchange programs late middle are optiins if you are in the higher track. Lots of kids with native speaking families in this track also. Also if you are in the highest track, you can take a 2nd language starting as early as 7th and work towards an IB bilingual diploma. I can’t comment on Oyster since I don’t have a kid there, but since you seem to know, you can let us know how extensive is the offerings in languages.and courses are there. Also I agree with another poster that doubtful the Jefferson program will be successful when you have so little students coming in with proficiency in the language. Also majority of kids are not even on grade level in ELA, so I don’t see how they will be able to master a 2nd language. |