Oyster Adams versus DCI

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a DCI parent with a child in middle school. My kid's PARCC scores for last year were 5s (and were 4s in elementary) so I feel like my kid is learning. The IB diploma program is, by all accounts, very difficult and many students opt not to take it (they can do a career track diploma program). I think it was very hard for kids in the pandemic (and their teachers) so I think the results over the next few years will be very telling. But unlike WIS, DCI has a very diverse set of kids from all backgrounds so it isn't fair to compare them to one another.

It isn't fair to keep the top kids at DCI back either. It's not uncommon for strong students to be bored in the program. Kids hardly get any home work in middle school, even in 7th and 8th grades. Ambition is not DCI's strong suit. Happy talk is. It's not uncommon for families of top students on the French and Chinese tracks to supplement on weekends (in heritage programs with actual native speakers). Some DCI parents pay for pricey summer immersion camps because the language instruction isn't that great outside Spanish. Families of the best students often don't stay for HS. The results over the next few years will be entirely predictable, vs. very telling. DCI's average IB points will climb into the low 30s over time. Meanwhile, the best suburban programs post average scores in the high 30s, even the low 40s.

Oh it's the Yu Ying troll now at DCI!!! 1. No kid is ever bored in the IB program. It's hard as hell and very intense. You are so wrong about the supplemental instruction--no one does that at DCI. Can't you just crawl back under your rock in the suburbs and leave DC schools alone????

Yep, it’s the Yu Ying troll. So obvious and so bitter that she trolls the DCI threads and can’t move on. It’s rather sad.

No school in the DMV or country is posting IB averages in the high 30’s and low 40’s BTW. None. A very small percentage of students at the school might get those scores but overwhelming majority do not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The top kids are not held back. The students who don't want to pursue the IB diploma program take the career track.

How can you argue that the top kids aren't held back at DCI when, apparently, none of the seniors has earned an IBD score in the high 30s or 40s?

DCI students aren't encouraged to double up on AP exams by counselors. This sucks because it's normal for American IBD students to take that path. What this means is that DCI students generally aren't earning high AP scores either.

You don't think that there are DCI students who could earn top scores on IBD?

Whenever anybody posts about the problem of few or no native speakers in the most advanced DCI language classes, another poster shouts troll! How is this constructive when the problem is depressing DCI's Diploma exam language scores?

No question that scores would be even lower if a bunch of UMC parents weren't paying for immersion experiences outside the program. We know DCI families who pay for 2-week Concordia Language Village camps which cost $2,600. Families have even started teaming up to drive kids out to MN for the sessions.

You actually are naive enough to think that kids doing sumner immersion programs are not prevalent at all IB schools?? Seriously? If you are not a native speaking family, this is how you support your kids to being fluent. BTW the IB language exams are much more difficult than AP exams.

As to native speakers, there are tons of Spanish families so of course the Spanish track are the strongest. Chinese and French there aren’t many but that’s common enough knowledge. Those families are not aiming for fluency.

[Anonymous]

There certainly aren't tons of native Spanish speakers taking the Higher Level IBD Spanish class at DCI. In fact, there are hardly any. It's not easy for low SES kids to make it that far academically, and many of the native Spanish speakers in the program are low SES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There certainly aren't tons of native Spanish speakers taking the Higher Level IBD Spanish class at DCI. In fact, there are hardly any. It's not easy for low SES kids to make it that far academically, and many of the native Spanish speakers in the program are low SES.

We are in a feeder to DCI and above is not our experience at all. Lots of UMC families with at least 1 native speaking parent.

DCI just graduated only its 3rd class. Maybe back then, there was not many UMC Spanish families or maybe not as much buy in since it was so new. I don’t know.

But I do know that there is much more buy in now and the cohorts coming up from our school are strong academically and not low SES. I suspect it’s the same from the other Spanish immersion feeders. Many more UMC families staying in DC as compared to 5-7 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Things just aren't that rosy. Many of the UMC families in the DCI feeders continue to peel off for BASIS, Latin, privates, the burbs and schools outside the DC area. This happens in the Deal feeders, at Deal and JR, but not to nearly the same extent. DCI just doesn't knock it out of the park academically. The middle school still doesn't track for any core subject but math. Your kid winds up taking 8th grade ELA, science and social studies with many kids who work years behind grade level. Teacher turnover is too high, with some of the best educators bailing for much better paid jobs with DCPS and in the burbs. The DCI high school still doesn't offer a wide range of Diploma classes, particularly at the higher level and in the sciences, and there seems to be almost no momentum to change that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There certainly aren't tons of native Spanish speakers taking the Higher Level IBD Spanish class at DCI. In fact, there are hardly any. It's not easy for low SES kids to make it that far academically, and many of the native Spanish speakers in the program are low SES.

We are in a feeder to DCI and above is not our experience at all. Lots of UMC families with at least 1 native speaking parent.

DCI just graduated only its 3rd class. Maybe back then, there was not many UMC Spanish families or maybe not as much buy in since it was so new. I don’t know.

But I do know that there is much more buy in now and the cohorts coming up from our school are strong academically and not low SES. I suspect it’s the same from the other Spanish immersion feeders. Many more UMC families staying in DC as compared to 5-7 years ago.

A generalization but true that low SES Spanish families (ESL) congregate in DCPS bilingual schools with the majority being title 1. The middle and UMC Spanish families (who are fluent in English) congregate in the Spanish charters.

Oyster is the only exception to this due to high real estate prices. Their data are similar to charters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There certainly aren't tons of native Spanish speakers taking the Higher Level IBD Spanish class at DCI. In fact, there are hardly any. It's not easy for low SES kids to make it that far academically, and many of the native Spanish speakers in the program are low SES.

We are in a feeder to DCI and above is not our experience at all. Lots of UMC families with at least 1 native speaking parent.

DCI just graduated only its 3rd class. Maybe back then, there was not many UMC Spanish families or maybe not as much buy in since it was so new. I don’t know.

But I do know that there is much more buy in now and the cohorts coming up from our school are strong academically and not low SES. I suspect it’s the same from the other Spanish immersion feeders. Many more UMC families staying in DC as compared to 5-7 years ago.

A generalization but true that low SES Spanish families (ESL) congregate in DCPS bilingual schools with the majority being title 1. The middle and UMC Spanish families (who are fluent in English) congregate in the Spanish charters.

Oyster is the only exception to this due to high real estate prices. Their data are similar to charters.

And Marie Reed and Bancroft. And even if you are correct, which you’re not, those numbers are going to shift with the equitable access preference in the lottery. You live in the city. You can’t avoid the poors forever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There certainly aren't tons of native Spanish speakers taking the Higher Level IBD Spanish class at DCI. In fact, there are hardly any. It's not easy for low SES kids to make it that far academically, and many of the native Spanish speakers in the program are low SES.

We are in a feeder to DCI and above is not our experience at all. Lots of UMC families with at least 1 native speaking parent.

DCI just graduated only its 3rd class. Maybe back then, there was not many UMC Spanish families or maybe not as much buy in since it was so new. I don’t know.

But I do know that there is much more buy in now and the cohorts coming up from our school are strong academically and not low SES. I suspect it’s the same from the other Spanish immersion feeders. Many more UMC families staying in DC as compared to 5-7 years ago.

A generalization but true that low SES Spanish families (ESL) congregate in DCPS bilingual schools with the majority being title 1. The middle and UMC Spanish families (who are fluent in English) congregate in the Spanish charters.

Oyster is the only exception to this due to high real estate prices. Their data are similar to charters.

And Marie Reed and Bancroft. And even if you are correct, which you’re not, those numbers are going to shift with the equitable access preference in the lottery. You live in the city. You can’t avoid the poors forever.

PP above here. It’s obvious you have not looked at the data because you are incorrect about Marie Reed and Bancroft. Overwhelming majority like 85-99% are ESL.

Also no, a small at risk preference is not going to do anything to make a dent in the stats when you have at risk percentages in the single digits.

The problem is not middle and upper middle class families avoiding the poors. I grew up on FARMS. The problem is the sh*tshow at DCPS with all its dysfunction from central offices, behavioral issues, no tracking with G & T, and where it’s a race to the bottom and all they care about is the bottom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There certainly aren't tons of native Spanish speakers taking the Higher Level IBD Spanish class at DCI. In fact, there are hardly any. It's not easy for low SES kids to make it that far academically, and many of the native Spanish speakers in the program are low SES.

We are in a feeder to DCI and above is not our experience at all. Lots of UMC families with at least 1 native speaking parent.

DCI just graduated only its 3rd class. Maybe back then, there was not many UMC Spanish families or maybe not as much buy in since it was so new. I don’t know.

But I do know that there is much more buy in now and the cohorts coming up from our school are strong academically and not low SES. I suspect it’s the same from the other Spanish immersion feeders. Many more UMC families staying in DC as compared to 5-7 years ago.

A generalization but true that low SES Spanish families (ESL) congregate in DCPS bilingual schools with the majority being title 1. The middle and UMC Spanish families (who are fluent in English) congregate in the Spanish charters.

Oyster is the only exception to this due to high real estate prices. Their data are similar to charters.

And Marie Reed and Bancroft. And even if you are correct, which you’re not, those numbers are going to shift with the equitable access preference in the lottery. You live in the city. You can’t avoid the poors forever.

PP above here. It’s obvious you have not looked at the data because you are incorrect about Marie Reed and Bancroft. Overwhelming majority like 85-99% are ESL.

Also no, a small at risk preference is not going to do anything to make a dent in the stats when you have at risk percentages in the single digits.

The problem is not middle and upper middle class families avoiding the poors. I grew up on FARMS. The problem is the sh*tshow at DCPS with all its dysfunction from central offices, behavioral issues, no tracking with G & T, and where it’s a race to the bottom and all they care about is the bottom.

Typo 85-90% above

[Anonymous]

Former DCI parent here. We moved to MOCO for other reasons when my child was starting 8th grade. In our experience, middle school was not challenging at dci as well as my kid's new school. Now she is in high school and is finally having to do some homework. She is not highly intelligent, maybe above average. There seems to be a wider variety of course options here for both electives and academic subjects. Younger child actually gets some differentiation in math and reading here, which our dci feeder school did not offer.

I realize you aren't asking about moco, OP but I remember feeling like we only had one option when we lived in dc. After moving, my perspective completely changed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wilson is much better than DCI high school. They’d already have had 8-11 years of immersion, no need to prioritize immersion in high school over academics.

Are you serious? Immersion (partial) must be prioritized in HS or kids are denied the higher level lit courses. Never mind the fact that DCI is an IB World School and Jackson Reed (it's not Wilson anymore) is....well, not much.

Sure, IB for all. I’d rather have real AP than mediocre IB light. Go on the MCPS forum. If you’re not working your butt off at IB, it’s not being done right.

You can take AP tests as a sophomore if you’re in the IB program.

[Anonymous]

A kid who prepares independently can take AP tests any year at any test center/school that permits them to register for a particular AP, thanks to lobbying of the College Board by homeschool parents in the 1990s. My oldest took several APs that his DC public school didn’t even know about. He scored 4s and 5s. He took Music Theory, Art-Drawing and Spanish none of which were offered at his DC school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Former DCI parent here. We moved to MOCO for other reasons when my child was starting 8th grade. In our experience, middle school was not challenging at dci as well as my kid's new school. Now she is in high school and is finally having to do some homework. She is not highly intelligent, maybe above average. There seems to be a wider variety of course options here for both electives and academic subjects. Younger child actually gets some differentiation in math and reading here, which our dci feeder school did not offer.

I realize you aren't asking about moco, OP but I remember feeling like we only had one option when we lived in dc. After moving, my perspective completely changed.

Exactly, great post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Things just aren't that rosy. Many of the UMC families in the DCI feeders continue to peel off for BASIS, Latin, privates, the burbs and schools outside the DC area. This happens in the Deal feeders, at Deal and JR, but not to nearly the same extent. DCI just doesn't knock it out of the park academically. The middle school still doesn't track for any core subject but math. Your kid winds up taking 8th grade ELA, science and social studies with many kids who work years behind grade level. Teacher turnover is too high, with some of the best educators bailing for much better paid jobs with DCPS and in the burbs. The DCI high school still doesn't offer a wide range of Diploma classes, particularly at the higher level and in the sciences, and there seems to be almost no momentum to change that.

+100.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wilson is much better than DCI high school. They’d already have had 8-11 years of immersion, no need to prioritize immersion in high school over academics.

Based on what?

Kind of everything?