Can anyone explain DCI's sibling preference?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had my older and a DCI feeder, but not my younger kid. Older one got into DCI immediately. Two years later, we had sibling preference in the lottery, and DC2 was waitlisted but with a low number (#6, I think). The younger kid was accepted in early May off the waitlist. For what its worth, the younger kid was in the Spanish track and spoke the language.

I think as time goes on your situation will become more unusual.

+1 with most of the feeders expanding this will not be the norm.

I agree. In addition, there will likely be no spots left for non-feeder kids even in French or Chinese, because it will go to the Spanish feeder kids who did not get into the Spanish track. They could easily learn a 3rd language, and it would be much easier to pick up vs. a monolingual child.

I'm not sure that's true. The DCI website says this:

https://dcinternationalschool.org/about-us/faqs/
Must students from the member schools continue in the same language from their elementary school?
Yes. The purpose of the member school feeder pattern is for students to continue their language immersion journey towards adult bilingualism and biliteracy. Students are encouraged to add additional languages through language specials. Students who come to DCI without a language study background will have to commit to a language track to pursue throughout their time at DCI.

DP, but I think what PP was saying is that a family would put their current language with feeder preference first, but list other languages without feeder preference lower on their lottery list. I feel like if you had a poor enough lottery draw that you didn't get a feeder slot, you'd also get shut out of the non-preference French or Chinese slots. We're in a Spanish school and DD has no problems with it since she's spoken it since birth. We'd have no qualms with her starting a third language in sixth (may be a cool opportunity actually!), but I know many families that are either concerned about their child's ability in their current language OR the child really doesn't like immersion and would refuse starting over in a third language.

Feeder preference trumps any sibling preference. So a family could list their feeder preference first for example spanish, the list French and Chinese 2nd and 3rd in lottery.

If there are not enough spots and family above doesn’t get Spanish, I’m assuming feeder preference in general still app,it’s and they would be higher on list for French and Chinese than someone who did not come from any feeder schools.

Sibling preference from non-feeder schools would be below this.

[Anonymous]

/\ i don’t think that’s a correct assumption. You only get feeder preference for one of the seats your feeder school was allocated, for that specific language track (for Stokes). You don’t get one of those seats, you’re in the general pool like every other lottery applicant.

IF this starts happening in any significant quantity, it’s going to really water down the quality of the French and Chinese programs. I’d be paying attention to that if I was a Stokes French or YY parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:/\ i don’t think that’s a correct assumption. You only get feeder preference for one of the seats your feeder school was allocated, for that specific language track (for Stokes). You don’t get one of those seats, you’re in the general pool like every other lottery applicant.

IF this starts happening in any significant quantity, it’s going to really water down the quality of the French and Chinese programs. I’d be paying attention to that if I was a Stokes French or YY parent.

You are also making an assumption with above.

No, it will not water down the French and Chinese program anymore than it does now. All the kids from the feeder with French and Chinese would get their spots. What is left over would potentially go to any Spanish kids from the feeder.

I would argue it would be a benefit to the French and Chinese program since these kids are already bilingual. Studies show they will pick up the new language much faster than a monolingual kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:/\ i don’t think that’s a correct assumption. You only get feeder preference for one of the seats your feeder school was allocated, for that specific language track (for Stokes). You don’t get one of those seats, you’re in the general pool like every other lottery applicant.

IF this starts happening in any significant quantity, it’s going to really water down the quality of the French and Chinese programs. I’d be paying attention to that if I was a Stokes French or YY parent.

You are also making an assumption with above.

No, it will not water down the French and Chinese program anymore than it does now. All the kids from the feeder with French and Chinese would get their spots. What is left over would potentially go to any Spanish kids from the feeder.

I would argue it would be a benefit to the French and Chinese program since these kids are already bilingual. Studies show they will pick up the new language much faster than a monolingual kid.

Order of priority

Language feeder
General feeder
Sibling preference

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:/\ i don’t think that’s a correct assumption. You only get feeder preference for one of the seats your feeder school was allocated, for that specific language track (for Stokes). You don’t get one of those seats, you’re in the general pool like every other lottery applicant.

IF this starts happening in any significant quantity, it’s going to really water down the quality of the French and Chinese programs. I’d be paying attention to that if I was a Stokes French or YY parent.

You are also making an assumption with above.

No, it will not water down the French and Chinese program anymore than it does now. All the kids from the feeder with French and Chinese would get their spots. [/b] What is left over would potentially go to any Spanish kids from the feeder. [b]

I would argue it would be a benefit to the French and Chinese program since these kids are already bilingual. Studies show they will pick up the new language much faster than a monolingual kid.

No that’s not how it will work. If a feeder kid does not get a preference spot, they aren’t ahead of any other kid who didn’t go to a feeder school. They don’t get other leftover feeder seats. Unfortunately there is a ton of confusion and misinformation about how the various preferences will work at DCI once the expansion grades start turning the guarantee into a preference. It would be great if DCI or MSDC did a full info session or FAQ on these various scenarios. A lot of us are asking the same questions and getting different answers.

[Anonymous]

I would also be worried that if no one can explain it clearly and consistently, it may be programmed wrong in the MSDC computer.

[Anonymous]

Once there are not enough seats, why wouldn’t DCI give preference to the feeder kids over siblings from non-feeders?

The whole purpose of the creation of the school was to give these kids a pathway to middle and high school from the feeders.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone at DCI know if they will expand?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Once there are not enough seats, why wouldn’t DCI give preference to the feeder kids over siblings from non-feeders?

The whole purpose of the creation of the school was to give these kids a pathway to middle and high school from the feeders.

It was part of the deal they made to obtain DCI's charter and have the right to any feeder preference at all. The PCSB likes older children to have some school choice too, and there are plenty of Spanish-language non-feeder schools and other language schools in the broader area, so it's wrong to assume the new kids won't have language skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone at DCI know if they will expand?

People sometimes say they are trying, but I never see any real evidence of it. And after the rough time Latin has had getting a building I wouldn't hold your breath.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once there are not enough seats, why wouldn’t DCI give preference to the feeder kids over siblings from non-feeders?

The whole purpose of the creation of the school was to give these kids a pathway to middle and high school from the feeders.

It was part of the deal they made to obtain DCI's charter and have the right to any feeder preference at all. The PCSB likes older children to have some school choice too, and there are plenty of Spanish-language non-feeder schools and other language schools in the broader area, so it's wrong to assume the new kids won't have language skills.

+1. There are plenty of native Spanish speakers and kids coming out of bilingual DCPS schools that would have as much interest and ability to start a new language in middle school. Particularly French as another Romance language. Feeder schools’ interests aren’t the only interests the city has in determining enrollment policies for public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Once there are not enough seats, why wouldn’t DCI give preference to the feeder kids over siblings from non-feeders?

The whole purpose of the creation of the school was to give these kids a pathway to middle and high school from the feeders.

It was part of the deal they made to obtain DCI's charter and have the right to any feeder preference at all. The PCSB likes older children to have some school choice too, and there are plenty of Spanish-language non-feeder schools and other language schools in the broader area, so it's wrong to assume the new kids won't have language skills.

+1. There are plenty of native Spanish speakers and kids coming out of bilingual DCPS schools that would have as much interest and ability to start a new language in middle school. Particularly French as another Romance language. Feeder schools’ interests aren’t the only interests the city has in determining enrollment policies for public schools.

Sure but DC deny charters giving language preference in the lottery , unlike DCPS schools which has language dominant, so why would DCI not look after their own?

Above is fair enough argument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone at DCI know if they will expand?

People sometimes say they are trying, but I never see any real evidence of it. And after the rough time Latin has had getting a building I wouldn't hold your breath.

They are already approved with the numbers. They were smart to request more seats than they needed. So easy to expand.

The biggest obstacle is finding the space/building. If they do, they could easily divide up 1 campus for middle school and other for high school.

[Anonymous]

Look the bottom line is real soon DCI won’t have any seats for kids except from feeders unless they expand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Look the bottom line is real soon DCI won’t have any seats for kids except from feeders unless they expand.

Again, not if feeder kids who don’t get a preference seat go into the regular lottery pool. Then you’ll have a mix of Spanish feeder and non-feeder kids competing for the leftover Chinese and (maybe?) French seats.