Why apply to one of the DCI feeder schools...
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Anonymous
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What about students at the DCPS dual-language schools? Can they lottery in at 9th grade?
What about those with home-language or test-verifiable proficiency in one of the DCI target language programs? Can they get in? I'm thinking of this because DC is at a DCPS bilingual program and we speak Spanish at home; I have no doubt DC would take to a school like this with ease, and Walter Reed is close to home. Is there anything wrong with trying to go that route? |
Anonymous
The DCI will offer the International Baccalaureate program, which many feel is among the most rigorous courses of study around. However, it certainly does not appeal to everyone. Learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Baccalaureate |
Anonymous
My child is at one of the DCI feeder schools-- he is learning math, science, literacy (in both languages). For our family, immersion goes beyond learning another language, i.e., speaking Spanish, French, Chinese, etc. It is about being truly bi-literate in two languages. I expect my child to be able to read, write, do math in both languages. So far, my child has demonstrated that ability (we not only consider the school's grades/assessments but also use standardized workbooks/assessments at home to measure progress); however, if DC starts to fall behind, we will reevaluate. |
Anonymous
The lottery will be open to all. It will be up to the parents to get additional help in a target language if they lottery for DCI and there child has no past experience. My DC is currently at Powell Dual Language School and we are hoping to lottery for DCI for 6th grade. Charters aren't allowed to test-in applicants. I don't see why a parent would lottery is heir child doesn't have any past language experience. They will be doing their child a disservice. |
Anonymous
| It would be a disservice, but I think many people will do it anyway. The school needs to be prepared to address this. |
Anonymous
Here's what I'm missing from your post: how did you arrive at the conclusion that DCI is NOT planning for basic math, science and reading to be on par with the world? Do you really think that you can draw conclusions about what is and isn't being prioritized in the planning for DCI simply from news articles and DCUM? Fluency in 2 languages (incl English) and proficiency in a 3rd, plus an IB degree, are what distinguishes DCI from other area middle and high school options. So THOSE are what everyone talks about. Why talk about focusing on excellent academics when that is a goal of umpteen DC schools (including private)? Do you seriously think all this work is being done to set up a world class school but the basic core subjects are an afterthought or an add on?? What is your source for your statement "DCI has not pushed any plans for instruction in other aspects of the school"? |
Anonymous
Where is it stated that there will be a lottery? I thought the whole point of feeder schools was to have enough students to sustain the middle and high school, knowing there will be attrition. How do you lottery in at 6th or 9th grade and still graduate fluently bilingual and with an IB degree if you can't test for language proficiency and you haven't been at an IB school before? |
Anonymous
I'm the PP, actually ignore the IB part of this question, I just figured out why that isn't a concern. But what about the rest? If you can't test for language proficiency, what does a 6th or 9th grader do at a school focused on graduating fluent students if you aren't already close to bilingual when you get in? |
Anonymous
| BASIS is dealing with this whole "everything must be a lottery because it's public and fairness is more important than anything else" problem. DCI is going to have to manage non-immersed students unless it is so fully overenrolled from the feeder schools that there will be a waitlist with feeder school students on it. Parents will find any port in the storm and DCI will be attractive and shiny and new. Good luck. |
Anonymous
This. DCI has plans to be the first of its kind in the nation- a top notch world class IB program complemented by a language academy. A lot of people who contemplated moving on from DC will be staying put based upon our aspirations and hopes for DCI. |
Anonymous
From the DC PCSB website: ..."There are currently no dual language immersion public high schools in the District of Columbia, Pearson said. He also noted that DCI would be open to new applicants, who would not need language proficiency to gain admission. " "Each school would enter into management contracts with DCI and would continue to operate independently although managed cooperatively in one location in which expenses would be shared based on the per pupil funding allocation of enrolled students. Each student attending DCI would be enrolled in one of the four component schools of DCI, and that school would be accountable for that student’s results. However this enrollment status would be largely transparent to these students, as they would attend mostly the same classes on the same facility and would identify as a student of DCI rather than of the component school in which they enrolled." |
Anonymous
| I think there will also be different diplomas available, of which the IB diploma is one. Perhaps the other diplomas will have less rigorous language criteria. |
Anonymous
NP. If you look at their preliminary charter, they state there will be lotteries to fill any open spaces for grades 6, 7, 8, and 9th. I suspect that most will not graduate with an IB degree especially in the early years when DCI may take more students from the lottery than from it's feeder schools. Just b/c someone goes to an IB school does not mean they will graduate with an IB degree. Also, if you look at the feeders especially YY, their current class sizes in 3, 4, 5th grades are much much smaller than their lower grades. MV does not yet have a third grade or higher. So when DCI first opens, there will be many more spaces open to new students if DCI chooses to make those spaces available which they may or may not do. DCI probably won't achieve full capacity from it's feeders until 4-5 yrs from now. |
Anonymous
Meant full capacity for 6th grade... |
Anonymous
I attended the meetings. There will be no need for a child who enters through the lottery to be bilingual. The school will offer 101, 102 and 201 Language classes in French, Spanish and Mandarin. That way, if a child who is from one of the Spanish Immersion classes whiches to pick up a third language can elect to take Mandarin or French. Also, remember that Stokes admit students as late as the fifth grade and some of those childrenmay not be bi-lingual/bi-literate. YY has two tracks beginning in the third grade; therefore all their students will not be fully proficeint in Mandarin. The school will offer content based subjects such as literature, history, etc in Mandarin, Spanish and French for those students who want to continue and become more proficient in the language learned in their respective feeder schools. Other classes such as math and science will be taught in English so that the students from the varying schools can mingle. The school is following the IB program, so students can elect to work for the IB diploma or simply the certificate. The school hours are from 8:30 am to 4:15pm. There will be no early release days as are currently provided in some of the lower schools. All kids are required to take visual and media art, and something else. I forget. The bottom line is that if your kid is not proficient in one of the three languages, it will be okay. There are thousands of IB graduates around the world who did not pick up a second language until middle or high school and succeeded. |