Parent Essay critical of DCI

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have read up about it extensively. I think it’s a great diploma for top students.

My high school offered AP classes of which I took many, got college credit, and got a full 4 year academic scholarship for college.

I would take the IB diploma over just taking AP courses any day. It’s going to take time but if DCI can successfully implement a good IB curriculum from middle to high school, that is a major accomplishment to offer students in DC.

If you didn't earn the IB Diploma, or your children haven't, you don't know all that much. IBD is a GT program through and through.

Tough to implement in a school system without formal GT offerings and much academic tracking before HS unless parents supplement extensively and consistently through the years, particularly on the language immersion and writing fronts.

I’m the PP poster and I was in G & T and having read it do understand, and why unlike some people here, realize it’s for the top students as my comment above.

It won’t be possible to implement school wide a rigorous program when you can’t travk and have to take all students but at least DCI can start in middle school to build it and build some rigor classes to then have HL IB classes. Also yes, you must not only be proficient but strong in your foreign language and have strong writing skills. That is why I said above that I like the IB diploma much better than just taking AP classes here and there.

I would bet that there are kids out there who can get the diploma where school is easy and parents supplement extensively.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's pretty easy to predict who is going to achieve an IB diploma, particularly in the first few years; it will a subset of last year's 10th-grade students who got a 4+ on PARCC (48% on ELA; 33% on Math). If you drill into the demographic subgroups, the vast number of students who were proficient or advanced were Asian or white.

I think this is why the DCI administration would not answer the question at the PCSB meeting about how many would achieve an IB diploma, and how many underserved students were in that group (he kept saying -- "I don't have the exact number right here and I don't want to speculate.' The Board member who asked the question was the same person who grilled Latin about why at-risk, disadvantaged and minority students were lagging.

DCI is going to be scrutinized by how well a wide cross-section of students do at achieving an IB diploma and/or scoring well on IB exams, and how well it delivers on its fundamental promise of IB for all. Not IB for gifted and talented, or high SES students. They have these students, with few new ones coming into the mix for 7 years.

DCPS spends one of the highest dollar per student in the country and in 5 years they have barely gone up in their PARCC scores and almost 3/4ths of the students are below grade level. You have got to be joking if you expect DCI to be awarding these kids IB diploma. It’s like saying why isn’t everyone graduating with honors in DCPS.

The IB curriculum is offered to all and the kids not at the top will be getting the career certification or program degree. It’s obvious from question above that the PCSB doesn’t understand the IB diploma either, especially since the senior class just started.

DCI should have the goal of showing improvement in competency in at risk kids in middle and high school which would be more than what DCPS is doing at these schools EOTP.

[Anonymous]

Listen.

Turn to page 53 of The First rule of Punk. 5 lines down you’ll see that the negative space between text is the Illuminati triangle.

When you string all of the uncapitalized words within the titles of the books, you’ll see EXACTLY what I mean.

Will we, as the finest parents in all of Greater DC, stand for this?

As they say, if you stand for nothing you’ll fall prey to the sinful nature of graphic novels.

Thank you so much to this brave parent for shaming these good for nothing lazy educators!!! Several of whom have tattoos!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's pretty easy to predict who is going to achieve an IB diploma, particularly in the first few years; it will a subset of last year's 10th-grade students who got a 4+ on PARCC (48% on ELA; 33% on Math). If you drill into the demographic subgroups, the vast number of students who were proficient or advanced were Asian or white.

I think this is why the DCI administration would not answer the question at the PCSB meeting about how many would achieve an IB diploma, and how many underserved students were in that group (he kept saying -- "I don't have the exact number right here and I don't want to speculate.' The Board member who asked the question was the same person who grilled Latin about why at-risk, disadvantaged and minority students were lagging.

DCI is going to be scrutinized by how well a wide cross-section of students do at achieving an IB diploma and/or scoring well on IB exams, and how well it delivers on its fundamental promise of IB for all. Not IB for gifted and talented, or high SES students. They have these students, with few new ones coming into the mix for 7 years.

DCPS spends one of the highest dollar per student in the country and in 5 years they have barely gone up in their PARCC scores and almost 3/4ths of the students are below grade level. You have got to be joking if you expect DCI to be awarding these kids IB diploma. It’s like saying why isn’t everyone graduating with honors in DCPS.

The IB curriculum is offered to all and the kids not at the top will be getting the career certification or program degree. It’s obvious from question above that the PCSB doesn’t understand the IB diploma either, especially since the senior class just started.

DCI should have the goal of showing improvement in competency in at risk kids in middle and high school which would be more than what DCPS is doing at these schools EOTP.

Perhaps. But that isn’t what DCI got a charter to do; they got a charter promising IB exams with passing grades for students headed to college and IB career diplomas and tech certifications for those who were not interested in attending a 4-year college. IB for all.

As for comparing DCI to DCPS (east or west of the park), charters are supposed to be about innovation to do better. If DCI becomes yet another school that delivers good results to high SES kids, and below DCPS results for everyone else, they will have badly failed.

Obviously the jury is still out and there is time. But the 10-year review isn’t that far off.

[Anonymous]

People are missing the real story here:the article author’s kid described the books on the list as “basic”. Um hello, last I heard, using “basic” in 2019 is basically like using the word “lit” unironically. How embarrassing for that family, really says a lot when you think about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People are missing the real story here:the article author’s kid described the books on the list as “basic”. Um hello, last I heard, using “basic” in 2019 is basically like using the word “lit” unironically. How embarrassing for that family, really says a lot when you think about it.

+1 I hear the kids at GDS are still using lit and basic. Maybe even “litty AF”. Maybe the author’s kid belongs there after all...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Listen.

Turn to page 53 of The First rule of Punk. 5 lines down you’ll see that the negative space between text is the Illuminati triangle.

When you string all of the uncapitalized words within the titles of the books, you’ll see EXACTLY what I mean.

Will we, as the finest parents in all of Greater DC, stand for this?

As they say, if you stand for nothing you’ll fall prey to the sinful nature of graphic novels.

Thank you so much to this brave parent for shaming these good for nothing lazy educators!!! Several of whom have tattoos!

As a member of the Illuminati, I find this suggestion offensive to say the least. We would never associate ourselves with such boneheaded, performative activism/outrage as displayed by the author of this poorly written article.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's pretty easy to predict who is going to achieve an IB diploma, particularly in the first few years; it will a subset of last year's 10th-grade students who got a 4+ on PARCC (48% on ELA; 33% on Math). If you drill into the demographic subgroups, the vast number of students who were proficient or advanced were Asian or white.

I think this is why the DCI administration would not answer the question at the PCSB meeting about how many would achieve an IB diploma, and how many underserved students were in that group (he kept saying -- "I don't have the exact number right here and I don't want to speculate.' The Board member who asked the question was the same person who grilled Latin about why at-risk, disadvantaged and minority students were lagging.

DCI is going to be scrutinized by how well a wide cross-section of students do at achieving an IB diploma and/or scoring well on IB exams, and how well it delivers on its fundamental promise of IB for all. Not IB for gifted and talented, or high SES students. They have these students, with few new ones coming into the mix for 7 years.

DCPS spends one of the highest dollar per student in the country and in 5 years they have barely gone up in their PARCC scores and almost 3/4ths of the students are below grade level. You have got to be joking if you expect DCI to be awarding these kids IB diploma. It’s like saying why isn’t everyone graduating with honors in DCPS.

The IB curriculum is offered to all and the kids not at the top will be getting the career certification or program degree. It’s obvious from question above that the PCSB doesn’t understand the IB diploma either, especially since the senior class just started.

DCI should have the goal of showing improvement in competency in at risk kids in middle and high school which would be more than what DCPS is doing at these schools EOTP.

Perhaps. But that isn’t what DCI got a charter to do; they got a charter promising IB exams with passing grades for students headed to college and IB career diplomas and tech certifications for those who were not interested in attending a 4-year college. IB for all.

As for comparing DCI to DCPS (east or west of the park), charters are supposed to be about innovation to do better. If DCI becomes yet another school that delivers good results to high SES kids, and below DCPS results for everyone else, they will have badly failed.

Obviously the jury is still out and there is time. But the 10-year review isn’t that far off.

Have you looked at PARCC scores at all for DCPS middle and high schools EOTP?? You can’t get any lower, seriously. Single digits in some schools. The only way is up. Don’t be a hypocrite with double standards, DCPS middle and high school fails kids miserably. Compare it to the progress DCPS has made and it’s not too hard to be better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are missing the real story here:the article author’s kid described the books on the list as “basic”. Um hello, last I heard, using “basic” in 2019 is basically like using the word “lit” unironically. How embarrassing for that family, really says a lot when you think about it.

+1 I hear the kids at GDS are still using lit and basic. Maybe even “litty AF”. Maybe the author’s kid belongs there after all...

LOL! Let’s put them there and see how doing the minimum will fail them out......

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The expectation at any new IB school is that the first few classes will have a pretty small group of students passing the IB exam.

In a way it doesn’t matter because the results come out after college acceptances. Once a class or two of kids go all the way through DCI will probably tweak its program as they will know what the students struggled with in the exam.

Your info on IB testing is seriously dated. For the last decade, IB students have been able to take up to 4 of their 6 subject exams in May of junior year, with the results available for college applications in the fall. It does matter if the college bound in IBD programs are on track to earn the full diploma or not. Moreover strong American IB students commonly double up on the AP exams that overlap with their IB subject exam to have more standardized test results to submit with college applications, This is standard practice in established IBD programs.

Unfortunately, DCI's admins don't seem to have a clue about any of this. The school has never even employed a college counselor.

It's amazing that there's so much misinformation on the board! The college counselor has been full-time since the oldest students started 10th grade. (https://dcinternationalschool.org/teacher/shannon-jeffries/) And for the previous poster, students can't take 4 out of 6 subject exams in May of their junior year -- that's nonsense. For those who want accurate information, dive in here: https://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/understanding-ib-assessment/

Thanks for setting the record straight. That didn't sound right to me either, although my experience with the IB diploma tests dates back to 1996.

The nonsense is from you, PP. High-powered IBD schools routinely allow student to take exams junior year all around the world and have for some time. My nephew, who's attends a top 10 liberal arts college, took several IBD subject exams junior from his test-in IBD school in FL. He took the remaining three exams in the spring of senior year. The school-within-a-school IBD program he attended has a pass rate of close to 90%. DCI admins just don't the tricks. Geneva IB doesn't get in the way of experience IBD coordinators who make these asks.

Get a grip OK. His school is not new and trying to implement an IB curriculum in middle and high school. Talk to us your nephews whatever school standard in 10 years or so.

To the poster with the nephew, why don’t you please share the name of the school, public or private, how old is it, percentage of students who are at risk or below grade level, etc... Pointless to be on your high horse when you are not comparing apples to apples. Feel free to share......

New poster. You seem to have missed the point entirely. The story of the nephew was to point out that some IB diploma subject tests can be taken junior year. This sequencing givs American IB diploma students more standardized test scores to submit with college applications. Apparently, this can happen with a school's IB diploma coordinator asserts himself/herself with Geneva. No idea where the fruit comparisons come into play. You sound jealous of parents in programs with IB coordinators and college counselors who know really their stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Listen.

Turn to page 53 of The First rule of Punk. 5 lines down you’ll see that the negative space between text is the Illuminati triangle.

When you string all of the uncapitalized words within the titles of the books, you’ll see EXACTLY what I mean.

Will we, as the finest parents in all of Greater DC, stand for this?

As they say, if you stand for nothing you’ll fall prey to the sinful nature of graphic novels.

Thank you so much to this brave parent for shaming these good for nothing lazy educators!!! Several of whom have tattoos!

I truly appreciate that someone else pointed this out! I’ve been harboring suspicions that DCI is a haven for the Illuminati for literal years. Look closely at the faculty’s tattoos and you’ll notice all kinds of symbolism. If you’ve ever read Dan Brown’s seminal work “The DaVinci Code” or seen National Treasure 1 & 2, then you know what I’m talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People are missing the real story here:the article author’s kid described the books on the list as “basic”. Um hello, last I heard, using “basic” in 2019 is basically like using the word “lit” unironically. How embarrassing for that family, really says a lot when you think about it.

+1 I hear the kids at GDS are still using lit and basic. Maybe even “litty AF”. Maybe the author’s kid belongs there after all...

LOL! Let’s put them there and see how doing the minimum will fail them out......

Feel bad for the kids tbh. It’s not their fault their mom has no understanding of literacy education. But it probably is her fault that her children have such a ‘basic’ vocabulary with which to express themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The expectation at any new IB school is that the first few classes will have a pretty small group of students passing the IB exam.

In a way it doesn’t matter because the results come out after college acceptances. Once a class or two of kids go all the way through DCI will probably tweak its program as they will know what the students struggled with in the exam.

Your info on IB testing is seriously dated. For the last decade, IB students have been able to take up to 4 of their 6 subject exams in May of junior year, with the results available for college applications in the fall. It does matter if the college bound in IBD programs are on track to earn the full diploma or not. Moreover strong American IB students commonly double up on the AP exams that overlap with their IB subject exam to have more standardized test results to submit with college applications, This is standard practice in established IBD programs.

Unfortunately, DCI's admins don't seem to have a clue about any of this. The school has never even employed a college counselor.

It's amazing that there's so much misinformation on the board! The college counselor has been full-time since the oldest students started 10th grade. (https://dcinternationalschool.org/teacher/shannon-jeffries/) And for the previous poster, students can't take 4 out of 6 subject exams in May of their junior year -- that's nonsense. For those who want accurate information, dive in here: https://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/understanding-ib-assessment/

Thanks for setting the record straight. That didn't sound right to me either, although my experience with the IB diploma tests dates back to 1996.

The nonsense is from you, PP. High-powered IBD schools routinely allow student to take exams junior year all around the world and have for some time. My nephew, who's attends a top 10 liberal arts college, took several IBD subject exams junior from his test-in IBD school in FL. He took the remaining three exams in the spring of senior year. The school-within-a-school IBD program he attended has a pass rate of close to 90%. DCI admins just don't the tricks. Geneva IB doesn't get in the way of experience IBD coordinators who make these asks.

Get a grip OK. His school is not new and trying to implement an IB curriculum in middle and high school. Talk to us your nephews whatever school standard in 10 years or so.

But I’m sure we all want “high-powered” schools for our kids right? And test in as well, so our delightful top 10 liberal arts school nieces and nephews can ensure they remain tip top and perhaps go on to the US Supreme Court!

[Anonymous]

See post above. I don't get why DCI admins haven't been more ambitious about making the IBD curriculum work. They just don't need a decade to figure this out.

You seem to have missed the point entirely. The story of the nephew was to point out that some IB diploma subject tests can be taken junior year. This sequencing givs American IB diploma students more standardized test scores to submit with college applications. Apparently, this can happen with a school's IB diploma coordinator asserts himself/herself with Geneva.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The expectation at any new IB school is that the first few classes will have a pretty small group of students passing the IB exam.

In a way it doesn’t matter because the results come out after college acceptances. Once a class or two of kids go all the way through DCI will probably tweak its program as they will know what the students struggled with in the exam.

Your info on IB testing is seriously dated. For the last decade, IB students have been able to take up to 4 of their 6 subject exams in May of junior year, with the results available for college applications in the fall. It does matter if the college bound in IBD programs are on track to earn the full diploma or not. Moreover strong American IB students commonly double up on the AP exams that overlap with their IB subject exam to have more standardized test results to submit with college applications, This is standard practice in established IBD programs.

Unfortunately, DCI's admins don't seem to have a clue about any of this. The school has never even employed a college counselor.

It's amazing that there's so much misinformation on the board! The college counselor has been full-time since the oldest students started 10th grade. (https://dcinternationalschool.org/teacher/shannon-jeffries/) And for the previous poster, students can't take 4 out of 6 subject exams in May of their junior year -- that's nonsense. For those who want accurate information, dive in here: https://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/assessment-and-exams/understanding-ib-assessment/

Thanks for setting the record straight. That didn't sound right to me either, although my experience with the IB diploma tests dates back to 1996.

The nonsense is from you, PP. High-powered IBD schools routinely allow student to take exams junior year all around the world and have for some time. My nephew, who's attends a top 10 liberal arts college, took several IBD subject exams junior from his test-in IBD school in FL. He took the remaining three exams in the spring of senior year. The school-within-a-school IBD program he attended has a pass rate of close to 90%. DCI admins just don't the tricks. Geneva IB doesn't get in the way of experience IBD coordinators who make these asks.

Get a grip OK. His school is not new and trying to implement an IB curriculum in middle and high school. Talk to us your nephews whatever school standard in 10 years or so.

But I’m sure we all want “high-powered” schools for our kids right? And test in as well, so our delightful top 10 liberal arts school nieces and nephews can ensure they remain tip top and perhaps go on to the US Supreme Court!

LOL! You got that right. High powered and test in is soooo obviously similar to a take all comers.

And DCI admins should apparently know the tricks just like in the circus. Let’s put the 1/3 rd of DCI students below grade level in her nephews IBD school and see what a shit show it would be to wreck their pass rate and have us all laughing.