DCI vs Latin Cooper

[Anonymous]

Fair point that Latin Cooper and DCI are far too young to be great schools. But they're off to good starts with the modest budgets they have to work within.

[Anonymous]

BASIS DC has only been around a decade or so.

It is the top ranked public MS in DC and top ranked non-selective public HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A snot, sure, but the inconvenient truth is PP
above isn't wrong.

Oui, d’accord.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re the only one who can answer that question, PP. Sounds like DCI might be good enough for you in the big picture. Suburban teachers get paid a lot more and are better trained overall. But teacher quality may not be a big enough draw to move for.

Sincerely asking, no snark. Why do you think that teachers are higher quality in the suburbs. Trying to understand.

We looked at some suburban houses inbounds for the “best” moco/virginia schools which would be big financial mistakes. We are willing to pay for the best for our kids even if we take a retirement hit. But I don’t know why these suburban schools are so much better allegedly than DCI. I get that there are more opportunities like orchestra or maybe better facilities. But is that so much better than having your kids take half their course load in a foreign language, take another language in middle school, have advanced math, and have lots of study abroad opportunities? This is a sincere request for information, not me trying to be a jerk in any capacity. Am I worried having my kid take the metro/bus to school? Yes. Would it be easier to have fantastic college counselors at school and not make the effort to find and pay for our own? Absolutely.

When we looked at the schools, it seemed like there were reduced opportunities for accelerated language classes. Our kids take the MAP and score 95%+ across the board. I understand this is the same test they take in moco. Would love any and all thoughts.

- Genuinely looking for information.

I think there are a lot of us in the same boat, and potentially more and more with each cohort. We're planning to stay. I don't think there's a clear cut case either way. Aside from academics, I worry about the public transportation that you mention and DC crime. I think it can take a mental toll. Yet I see how confident the kids become navigating DC on buses and Metro and their independence. My friends in the burbs talk about driving driving driving all the time. Plus at the high pressure schools that are all focused on college admissions that end up being hard to get even with "perfect" scores and extra curriculars, there are mental health implications there, too.

[Anonymous]

Is the OP even still here? Do you still have questions or have you made up your mind?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BASIS DC has only been around a decade or so.

It is the top ranked public MS in DC and top ranked non-selective public HS.

Sort of, the BASIS franchise has been around for almost 40 years while DCI and Latins are local, stand-alone programs. That's like saying that a DC McDonalds that opened a decade back has become a top burger place, wow!

Yes, but BASIS is also a school that loses more than half of its students along the way, on purpose, with hopeless facilities and weak ECs. DCI retains a very high % of its students and offers good facilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS DC has only been around a decade or so.

It is the top ranked public MS in DC and top ranked non-selective public HS.

Sort of, the BASIS franchise has been around for almost 40 years while DCI and Latins are local, stand-alone programs. That's like saying that a DC McDonalds that opened a decade back has become a top burger place, wow!

Yes, but BASIS is also a school that loses more than half of its students along the way, on purpose, with hopeless facilities and weak ECs. DCI retains a very high % of its students and offers good facilities.

DCI, for a program so young and school small compared to huge school systems like MCPS or FCPS, DCI is off to a great start. I doubt the IB programs in the burbs 3 or 4 years out when they started was so strong.

This is the differentiating factor that will grow if DCI continues on its upward trajectory is such high retention rates of its top performers and great facilities and EC’s vs Basis. The IB diploma is basically a school within a school at DCI.

We have a high performing kid and looked at Basis. Not a great fit for a socially outgoing, energetic boy and we are tired of driving to activities. Being able to stay at school to do sports and ECs is going to be a huge quality of life changer. I also really
like the more comprehensive IB program and rigorous writing requirement. Then throw in continuing the language which is a huge bonus.

Sure we could move to the burbs but they don’t offer a comprehensive language immersion track from K-12 and the high school IB program are just stand alone, difficult to get into, and many don’t.. Also these schools have teacher retention issues like everywhere else. Don’t believe people who say they don’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because DC charters work on shoestring budgets compared to DCPS schools and suburban schools. Charters don't the same per capita funding DCPS gets, and have to renovate their own buildings, which often sinks them into serious debt. An IB Diploma like DCI's can only be so good without first-rate teachers and a good cohort of advanced students. If you're looking for a top suburban IBD program you look at BCC in Bethesda, W-L in Arlington and several in Fairfax or hope your kid can test into Richard Montgomery in MoCo in 8th grade. Those programs have been around since the 90s and DCI has only had, what, four graduating classes.

Here is the extensive research I did for high schools looking at the ones you mentioned. I looked at more but I figured I would only paste in the ones you mentioned.

I looked at Langley HS in Fairfax and they don’t offer the IB diploma. They have way more variety of languages but little advanced language classes. For example, the highest spanish class they had was spanish 5 honors and AP spanish language. As an 8th grader one of my kids is always in spanish 5. What is he supposed to do after spanish 5? I guess take the AP class in 9th grade? Only one literature class and no art, music, conversation, history or social studies taught in spanish. She is either taking those classes now or did in 6&7.

McLean HS does not offer the IB diploma. They offer in high school spanish 1-3 for heritage speakers but nothing past Spanish 5 honors. No literature classes and no electives in spanish. French is only offered until French 5, but there is an AP French class.

Richard Montgomery accepts 125 students out of around 1000 applications. You have to be a current resident to even apply. This makes little sense to me. I would much rather enroll my kid in TJ and have access to the Virginia schools. Also not trying to argue but DCI and Richard Montgomery offer the same IB diploma. Theirs is not better because they have allegedly better teachers and for sure a more established program. Finally, I note that Richard Montgomery doesn’t offer other classes like social studies, art, music, etc in spanish/french/mandarin which DCI actually does.

Washington-Liberty also offers an IB diploma but, this is important, does not offer as many math classes as DCI. There is also a career track at WL, which means like dci there will be a higher percentage of non college bound kids. They again do not offer social studies, conversation and other IB subjects like DCI does.

School budgets:
Fairfax Va (Langley and McLean): $19,795
Arlington Va (Washington Liberty): $19,581
Montgomery County (Richard Montgomery): $17,440
Washington DC (DCI): $14,668

[Anonymous]

Just a note that I am well aware you can’t “just enroll into TJ”. That was meant to be sarcastic since it’s also impossible to get a spot in TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because DC charters work on shoestring budgets compared to DCPS schools and suburban schools. Charters don't the same per capita funding DCPS gets, and have to renovate their own buildings, which often sinks them into serious debt. An IB Diploma like DCI's can only be so good without first-rate teachers and a good cohort of advanced students. If you're looking for a top suburban IBD program you look at BCC in Bethesda, W-L in Arlington and several in Fairfax or hope your kid can test into Richard Montgomery in MoCo in 8th grade. Those programs have been around since the 90s and DCI has only had, what, four graduating classes.

Here is the extensive research I did for high schools looking at the ones you mentioned. I looked at more but I figured I would only paste in the ones you mentioned.

I looked at Langley HS in Fairfax and they don’t offer the IB diploma. They have way more variety of languages but little advanced language classes. For example, the highest spanish class they had was spanish 5 honors and AP spanish language. As an 8th grader one of my kids is always in spanish 5. What is he supposed to do after spanish 5? I guess take the AP class in 9th grade? Only one literature class and no art, music, conversation, history or social studies taught in spanish. She is either taking those classes now or did in 6&7.

McLean HS does not offer the IB diploma. They offer in high school spanish 1-3 for heritage speakers but nothing past Spanish 5 honors. No literature classes and no electives in spanish. French is only offered until French 5, but there is an AP French class.

Richard Montgomery accepts 125 students out of around 1000 applications. You have to be a current resident to even apply. This makes little sense to me. I would much rather enroll my kid in TJ and have access to the Virginia schools. Also not trying to argue but DCI and Richard Montgomery offer the same IB diploma. Theirs is not better because they have allegedly better teachers and for sure a more established program. Finally, I note that Richard Montgomery doesn’t offer other classes like social studies, art, music, etc in spanish/french/mandarin which DCI actually does.

Washington-Liberty also offers an IB diploma but, this is important, does not offer as many math classes as DCI. There is also a career track at WL, which means like dci there will be a higher percentage of non college bound kids. They again do not offer social studies, conversation and other IB subjects like DCI does.

School budgets:
Fairfax Va (Langley and McLean): $19,795
Arlington Va (Washington Liberty): $19,581
Montgomery County (Richard Montgomery): $17,440
Washington DC (DCI): $14,668

All great info and points PP and further confirming my statement above how DCI is off to such a strong start.

[Anonymous]

/\ NP responding to the immediate PP. We were faced with a similar decision regarding what to do when your child maxed out on the available language classes early in their school career. My DC always had an interest in learning more languages than just Spanish, so we made the decision that we would let them follow their interests and pick up a second or third language once they completed AP Spanish instead of prioritizing a K-12 Spanish immersion pathway. Could they be better in Spanish? Of course, but they made the choice to go for proficiency in multiple languages rather than maximizing fluency in one. And Spanish is easy. If they want to pick Spanish back up in college, it would be easy for them to pick up where they left off.

Not saying that's the right approach for all kids. But it worked for us and probably instilled a greater love for languages more than just continuing to focus on Spanish would have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because DC charters work on shoestring budgets compared to DCPS schools and suburban schools. Charters don't the same per capita funding DCPS gets, and have to renovate their own buildings, which often sinks them into serious debt. An IB Diploma like DCI's can only be so good without first-rate teachers and a good cohort of advanced students. If you're looking for a top suburban IBD program you look at BCC in Bethesda, W-L in Arlington and several in Fairfax or hope your kid can test into Richard Montgomery in MoCo in 8th grade. Those programs have been around since the 90s and DCI has only had, what, four graduating classes.

Here is the extensive research I did for high schools looking at the ones you mentioned. I looked at more but I figured I would only paste in the ones you mentioned.

I looked at Langley HS in Fairfax and they don’t offer the IB diploma. They have way more variety of languages but little advanced language classes. For example, the highest spanish class they had was spanish 5 honors and AP spanish language. As an 8th grader one of my kids is always in spanish 5. What is he supposed to do after spanish 5? I guess take the AP class in 9th grade? Only one literature class and no art, music, conversation, history or social studies taught in spanish. She is either taking those classes now or did in 6&7.

McLean HS does not offer the IB diploma. They offer in high school spanish 1-3 for heritage speakers but nothing past Spanish 5 honors. No literature classes and no electives in spanish. French is only offered until French 5, but there is an AP French class.

Richard Montgomery accepts 125 students out of around 1000 applications. You have to be a current resident to even apply. This makes little sense to me. I would much rather enroll my kid in TJ and have access to the Virginia schools. Also not trying to argue but DCI and Richard Montgomery offer the same IB diploma. Theirs is not better because they have allegedly better teachers and for sure a more established program. Finally, I note that Richard Montgomery doesn’t offer other classes like social studies, art, music, etc in spanish/french/mandarin which DCI actually does.

Washington-Liberty also offers an IB diploma but, this is important, does not offer as many math classes as DCI. There is also a career track at WL, which means like dci there will be a higher percentage of non college bound kids. They again do not offer social studies, conversation and other IB subjects like DCI does.

School budgets:
Fairfax Va (Langley and McLean): $19,795
Arlington Va (Washington Liberty): $19,581
Montgomery County (Richard Montgomery): $17,440
Washington DC (DCI): $14,668

I forgot BCC! BCC also offers a great IB program but has zero prerequisites (no need for PreIB classes for example). That is troubling and it also doesn’t offer the history, social studies, conversation and electives in any foreign language like dci does.

Also none of the schools offer independent study of a language not offered at DCI.

I think it is fair to say that while suburban schools have more established programs and have more funding, it is very possible to have a deeper knowledge of languages. Again, my two kids speak, read, write, and understand the target language really really well (easily grade level) (and yes I would know as a native speaker) and at 8th grade are in their second year of a second foreign language. I am sure you can argue about the strength of particular teachers or teacher turnover, but I also think you can complain about that in any school system.

I do think there are way more outside activities at suburban schools but we are fine with the ones at dci and paying for our own (better) private activities.

To me the biggest downside is having to make my kids take the metro/bus to school. I hate it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:/\ NP responding to the immediate PP. We were faced with a similar decision regarding what to do when your child maxed out on the available language classes early in their school career. My DC always had an interest in learning more languages than just Spanish, so we made the decision that we would let them follow their interests and pick up a second or third language once they completed AP Spanish instead of prioritizing a K-12 Spanish immersion pathway. Could they be better in Spanish? Of course, but they made the choice to go for proficiency in multiple languages rather than maximizing fluency in one. And Spanish is easy. If they want to pick Spanish back up in college, it would be easy for them to pick up where they left off.

Not saying that's the right approach for all kids. But it worked for us and probably instilled a greater love for languages more than just continuing to focus on Spanish would have.

But DCI does allow you to take more languages. And with my kids, they would max out of two foreign languages in high school by sophomore year and have to take a fourth foreign language. Being able to sort of speak and write in a bunch of languages isn’t as worthwhile to me because I want my kids to study abroad. I want them to have a true ability to work in that language. I don’t want them to say well I took Spanish AP and AP Chinese. That’s not impressive. Impress me by being able to take history in spanish. That’s really a skill. I don’t know. I’m used to dismissing “good spanish” on applications so could be just me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:/\ NP responding to the immediate PP. We were faced with a similar decision regarding what to do when your child maxed out on the available language classes early in their school career. My DC always had an interest in learning more languages than just Spanish, so we made the decision that we would let them follow their interests and pick up a second or third language once they completed AP Spanish instead of prioritizing a K-12 Spanish immersion pathway. Could they be better in Spanish? Of course, but they made the choice to go for proficiency in multiple languages rather than maximizing fluency in one. And Spanish is easy. If they want to pick Spanish back up in college, it would be easy for them to pick up where they left off.

Not saying that's the right approach for all kids. But it worked for us and probably instilled a greater love for languages more than just continuing to focus on Spanish would have.

You have this option at DCI. You can lock up a 3rd language instead on continuing your current language. A friends kid just chose that this year.

[Anonymous]

Either way, true fluency in all areas of a language or being multi-lingual are possible routes and optiins at DCI.

I would argue the path to true fluency is more defined and mapped, and more easily accomplished at DCI with the course offerings. PP above is correct. Once you have mastered actually learning the language, the focus is not per se on learning spanish. It’s actually learning other subjects exclusively in the language.