Chesterbrook vs. Churchill

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Class composition info is available on the school websites for you to evaluate according to your own measure of diversity. Churchill is great. Chesterbrook probably too. Longfellow is the AAP middle school, so if your DC could be in Longfellow no matter where they went to elementary school. Langley is simply a better high school, overall (look at college admission stats) - but McLean ranks higher on many charts, who knows why.

College admission stats can be misleading. Many of those kids who got into the selective colleges probably have he advantage as legacy admittance (e.g. their parents went to that college also). Not surprising since the areas that feed into Langley are wealthy and less than 1% of the kids qualify for free or reduced lunch. Also, there is no lower income housing nor are there many or any townhomes or apartments.

[Anonymous]

Do Both these schools have a local Level IV? Or does just Churchill?

[Anonymous]

Churchill is an AAP center and Chesterbrook is a local level IV school.

[Anonymous]

OH MY I guess I can search the forum for this. I have a lot to learn about the difference between AAP and Local Level IV. I was thinking they were one in the same. Oh the learning I have...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Class composition info is available on the school websites for you to evaluate according to your own measure of diversity. Churchill is great. Chesterbrook probably too. Longfellow is the AAP middle school, so if your DC could be in Longfellow no matter where they went to elementary school. Langley is simply a better high school, overall (look at college admission stats) - but McLean ranks higher on many charts, who knows why.

Langley consistently has higher SAT scores than McLean. I don't know if Langley students fare better with college admissions. With the greater wealth, it's more likely that more Langley students end up at expensive private colleges.

As to whether it's "better," who knows. Some parents and students complain about the social environment at Langley. It really depends on what you want. I think McLean ranks higher on some "charts" because some ranking systems reward schools where minority and low-income students perform comparatively well on standardized tests. Because Langley is not very diverse, it can get dinged on that component.

We almost bought a house within walking distance of Churchill Road (and Cooper), but ended up in the McLean HS district instead. When I read some of the stories about Langley, I sometimes feel like we dodged a bullet, but I expect if we'd gone with the house near Churchill we'd be happy there, too.

So this is yet another school-related thread where I'd suggest that finding the home that you like is more important than worrying about minor differences among good schools.

[Anonymous]

What's the difference with the center and the local level IV program. does it matter?

[Anonymous]

Please do a search on this. There are many postings on this even one this week.

[Anonymous]

Given that we have an option to buy a home in either school, which would you choose. Would like input from parents who have kids at chesterbrook or churchill. My child is currently in a gifted program elsewhere. Chesterbrook parents that have chosen to stay, why did you make that decision? Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, we have 3 kids at Chesterbrook and love it. One difference between a center and a LLIV is that center classess only include kids who test into the AAP program. At Chesterbrook's LLIV, the LLIV classes include LLIV kids (~24-28 grade), and non-LLIV kids can test into a LLIV class based on ability and space (non LLIV kids can take 3/4 of the AAP classes - not all of them unless they test into AAP). This appealed to us as while we have 1 kid in AAP, I don't think my 2nd grader will test in, and for my K kid it is too early to tell. So if the 2nd grader or K do not test in, but still excel in math, they can be included in the AAP math. Not so at Churchill. Chesterbrook is also a smaller school than Churchill. But as other posters have noted, both are good schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So if the 2nd grader or K do not test in, but still excel in math, they can be included in the AAP math.

Advanced math is now offered at all FCPS elementary schools for kids that excel at math. There is no longer a need to be in a LLIV AAP class for advanced math.

[Anonymous]

Hi! Just saw this. Is there any diversity at Chesterbrook or Churchill? Also, what happens if we move to the Haycock school district next year. Will my child be in the AAP program at that school?

[Anonymous]

Bump!

[Anonymous]

Curious as to what grades are in the mobile units at Churhill and how many units there are? I know just about every elementary school has them so this is just a standard curiosity. Also does any one know if there is a limit to how many mobile units or modulars are allowed on a elementary school property?

[Anonymous]

Churchill Road has a modular unit that houses all of the second and third grade classrooms, plus bathrooms and one or two smaller rooms (perhaps for SN children?)