SCES French Immersion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only preference you get is if a sibling already attends the program.

Sibling preference is now phased out. The last class that inherited it will move on to 6th next year. There might have been one class following that conferred an extra entry into the lottery, but that also will be gone soon if that was the case.

If a sibling doesn't get in, the family can submit a COSA to have them attend the Academy (English) program at the same school (provided there's room), but it won't place them in French Immersion.

There is still a preference, just not a guarantee.

[Anonymous]

Actually I didn’t realize it, but there is a preference both for sibling attending the immersion program and for socioeconomic status. It sounds like MCPS also can give a preference for living within the school boundary but does not for SCES.

See question 3 here:

https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/1ZRncI_Lxda9eshN52Ulq11Vw9pN7lZh4ZaXG5DvVSqk/mobilebasic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So do you apply after your kid has already started Kindergarten or the year before? My understanding is you enter lottery as you're enrolling in your zoned kindergarten and then the lotto is drawn just before they'd actually start?

You apply during the spring semester before Kindergarten (deadline is usually in February - check the MCPS website). You have to enroll kid in local school first primarily to get kid assigned an MCPS Student ID number which you need for the immersion interest form. Results are usually in April for the first round but they do utilize the waitlist since families inevitably change their minds. There are roughly 54 spots (two classes of 27).

Exactly. For my now first grader, I enrolled him at our neighborhood school, got his ID number. Submitted the immersion interest form. And waited. He was not invited, but had a low (single digit) number. We were invited for a spot I think in early May or June. Families have 30 days to accept/decline a spot so it was roughly 35 days after that. At SCES, they normally end up going to around 25-30 from the wait list. From the wait list, you have I think one week to accept/decline, so when the wait list starts moving, it’s faster.

What are the odds for 1st grade at SCES, do you know? Waitlisted single digit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So do you apply after your kid has already started Kindergarten or the year before? My understanding is you enter lottery as you're enrolling in your zoned kindergarten and then the lotto is drawn just before they'd actually start?

You apply during the spring semester before Kindergarten (deadline is usually in February - check the MCPS website). You have to enroll kid in local school first primarily to get kid assigned an MCPS Student ID number which you need for the immersion interest form. Results are usually in April for the first round but they do utilize the waitlist since families inevitably change their minds. There are roughly 54 spots (two classes of 27).

Exactly. For my now first grader, I enrolled him at our neighborhood school, got his ID number. Submitted the immersion interest form. And waited. He was not invited, but had a low (single digit) number. We were invited for a spot I think in early May or June. Families have 30 days to accept/decline a spot so it was roughly 35 days after that. At SCES, they normally end up going to around 25-30 from the wait list. From the wait list, you have I think one week to accept/decline, so when the wait list starts moving, it’s faster.

What are the odds for 1st grade at SCES, do you know? Waitlisted single digit.

I've heard that they always add two spots, so #1 and #2 always get in because the K ratio is different than the 1st Grade ratio. After that it's a crapshoot. Anecdotally, the pre-covid list seemed to go to #3 or #4 every year, then it was higher during virtual learning, and I'm assuming back to normal now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So do you apply after your kid has already started Kindergarten or the year before? My understanding is you enter lottery as you're enrolling in your zoned kindergarten and then the lotto is drawn just before they'd actually start?

You apply during the spring semester before Kindergarten (deadline is usually in February - check the MCPS website). You have to enroll kid in local school first primarily to get kid assigned an MCPS Student ID number which you need for the immersion interest form. Results are usually in April for the first round but they do utilize the waitlist since families inevitably change their minds. There are roughly 54 spots (two classes of 27).

Exactly. For my now first grader, I enrolled him at our neighborhood school, got his ID number. Submitted the immersion interest form. And waited. He was not invited, but had a low (single digit) number. We were invited for a spot I think in early May or June. Families have 30 days to accept/decline a spot so it was roughly 35 days after that. At SCES, they normally end up going to around 25-30 from the wait list. From the wait list, you have I think one week to accept/decline, so when the wait list starts moving, it’s faster.

I think that's right. The Kindergarten max is supposedly 26 and for grades 1-3, 28. For what it's worth, my DC's 1st grade immersion class at SCES had 27 though. Also, I recall that between K and 1 there were a couple of kids who left, either because the families moved or they decided immersion wasn't for them.


What are the odds for 1st grade at SCES, do you know? Waitlisted single digit.

I've heard that they always add two spots, so #1 and #2 always get in because the K ratio is different than the 1st Grade ratio. After that it's a crapshoot. Anecdotally, the pre-covid list seemed to go to #3 or #4 every year, then it was higher during virtual learning, and I'm assuming back to normal now.

[Anonymous]

Wouldn’t the first two spots get offers out the gate, with the waitlist starting after that?

[Anonymous]

No, the waitlist starts after the slots are filled. If those two automatic invites, decline, then the waitlisted students are subsequently invited.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So do you apply after your kid has already started Kindergarten or the year before? My understanding is you enter lottery as you're enrolling in your zoned kindergarten and then the lotto is drawn just before they'd actually start?

You apply during the spring semester before Kindergarten (deadline is usually in February - check the MCPS website). You have to enroll kid in local school first primarily to get kid assigned an MCPS Student ID number which you need for the immersion interest form. Results are usually in April for the first round but they do utilize the waitlist since families inevitably change their minds. There are roughly 54 spots (two classes of 27).

Exactly. For my now first grader, I enrolled him at our neighborhood school, got his ID number. Submitted the immersion interest form. And waited. He was not invited, but had a low (single digit) number. We were invited for a spot I think in early May or June. Families have 30 days to accept/decline a spot so it was roughly 35 days after that. At SCES, they normally end up going to around 25-30 from the wait list. From the wait list, you have I think one week to accept/decline, so when the wait list starts moving, it’s faster.

What are the odds for 1st grade at SCES, do you know? Waitlisted single digit.

Did your DC ever get in?

I know the odds aren’t great for first but having re-entered the lottery this year I’m curious for any data on just how bad, if the wait list moves at all, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another voice saying: random. We live in the zone for the school. Waitlist #30. Fortunately it was for K in 2020-2021–so they made it to us on that list.

Every time I think about it, I am reminded how absurd it is that such an incredible educational opportunity is distributed via a lotto instead of being universally available.

It's only absurd if you think it's easy to hire qualified teachers for these programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another voice saying: random. We live in the zone for the school. Waitlist #30. Fortunately it was for K in 2020-2021–so they made it to us on that list.

Every time I think about it, I am reminded how absurd it is that such an incredible educational opportunity is distributed via a lotto instead of being universally available.

It's only absurd if you think it's easy to hire qualified teachers for these programs.

Imagine if MCPS decided to invest in developing a bench instead of in some of the nonsense it pays for now!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another voice saying: random. We live in the zone for the school. Waitlist #30. Fortunately it was for K in 2020-2021–so they made it to us on that list.

Every time I think about it, I am reminded how absurd it is that such an incredible educational opportunity is distributed via a lotto instead of being universally available.

It's only absurd if you think it's easy to hire qualified teachers for these programs.

Imagine if MCPS decided to invest in developing a bench instead of in some of the nonsense it pays for now!

"Developing a bench" implies you already have adequate starters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, it’s a pure lottery

This isn't true. Read the fine print. Mcps writes a very vague but clear message that it is NOT a pure lottery.

They consider zip, FARMS, parent at home speak/heritage, gender, siblings of course and other things that aren't revealed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, it’s a pure lottery

This isn't true. Read the fine print. Mcps writes a very vague but clear message that it is NOT a pure lottery.

They consider zip, FARMS, parent at home speak/heritage, gender, siblings of course and other things that aren't revealed.

They certainly admit to considering zip (some schools, anyway), socioeconomic status, and siblings, but what makes you think they consider household language or gender?

[Anonymous]

The purpose of these immersion schools is to teach the immersion language to students who DON’T already know it. There is absolutely no preference for kids who already speak it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another voice saying: random. We live in the zone for the school. Waitlist #30. Fortunately it was for K in 2020-2021–so they made it to us on that list.

Every time I think about it, I am reminded how absurd it is that such an incredible educational opportunity is distributed via a lotto instead of being universally available.

It's only absurd if you think it's easy to hire qualified teachers for these programs.

Imagine if MCPS decided to invest in developing a bench instead of in some of the nonsense it pays for now!

"Developing a bench" implies you already have adequate starters.

Our kid is in this program; the teachers have been excellent.