International Baccalaureate at Eastern?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While providing the few with the opportunity to earn an IB diploma is great, DCPS cannot get a majority of their students at grade level in Reading in high school.

Perhaps the funding will be better spent on literacy in English rather than pushing their resources to the very few who can get an IB diploma. Will love to know how many out of the 6 kids who tried for an IB diploma actually got one and also how much money Eastern spent to get the IB World school designation.

Is it your position that DCPS should not offer IB to their students? Are you also one of the many posters that argue that DCPS need to offer more specialty programs to compete against charters?

If DCPS wants to offer IB, they should have some mechanism to deliver the program to students who can actually benefit from it not to a group of kids where the majority need remediation in English.

If DCPS thinks having an IB high school like Eastern will attract students who want IB from charters like DCI, they are dreaming.

The IB at Eastern sounds like a big budget suck and a waste of money.

Hm, you still did not answer the questions. So DCPS should not offer IB in any of their comprehensive schools. It's your stance that specialty programs are for the charters. And DCPS should stick with the basics. And the students in DCPS who want something beyond the basics are just SOL. You sound like a shrill for more charters at the expense of the improvement of DCPS.

Signed,

A mom who pulled her kid from a DCI feeder school because mom was teaching all the requisite basics for future academic success at home. And BTW, DCI has yet to receive its IB certification, or a graduating class. Therefore, you don't know how successful or how many students will actually graduate with an IB diploma, if and when the school receives its certification.

They should offer it at a comprehensive high school that has a sizable cohort of kids who can actually benefit from the program. It does not sound like Eastern will have even ten kids earning an IB diploma in a graduating class anytime soon. Does such a comprehensive high school exist in DC?

Generally, a program should be offered when there is demand for it to make it cost effective instead of providing a program and then waiting to see if anyone signs up for it. Maybe instead of offering IB, Eastern would have been better off providing more AP courses. DCPS seems to do everything backwards.

As for DCI, it seems to have a large cohort of kids who come from the PYP and MYP with the language background to feed into an IB diploma program.

The only feeder school to DCI that is PYP or MYP is YY. That's one out of five schools. And so far, YY has lost approximately 1/3 of its population from PK4 through 5th grade. I personally am aware that twelve kids that were in the third grade will not be in attendance in the fifth grade. And although I have no clue how many will continue into DCI after completion of YY 5th grade, several parents have articulated interest in private, Basis, and Brookland MS. That does not bode well for your assumption that it's a large cohort of PYP and MYP former students.

It is my understanding that Eastern offers both AP and IB. DCPS need to start somewhere with IB. It makes since that it would be Eastern since Browne and Jefferson (both MYP) eventually feeds into Eastern. If Cap Hill parents continue to shun Eastern, hopefully it will become a great alternative to academically strong kids who want more than what Banneker offers.

YY lost 1/3 of its population in pK4 to 5th grade?!? Really.

DCI only opened last year so it's not surprising that YY lost 1/3? (lost 100% of 6 graders) of it's population before DCI.

DCI is two years of age. However, it is the first year that all the schools are on the same campus.. You are correct with the 1/3 , and the school replaced those losses up to the second grade. The kids who left last year in the third grade, and the kids leaving this year in the fourth grade were and are well aware of the existence of DCI. That did not stop their parents from pulling them. I would like to think and hope that DCI will be a good school in the future. That will not stop the parents who choose elsewhere after the completion of the sixth grade. But stop hyping it as if it is the best IB school in the city. It's not IB yet. And the above answer was in response to PP stating the strength of kids matriculating from MYP schools. Only one of five of the combined schools is MYP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're at YY and can tell you no one has ever mentioned Eastern HS as an alternative to DCI. Eastern does not offer Mandarin.

We will not be continuing to DCI but are only looking at private schools that offer advanced Mandarin.

Noone posted what you wrote PP. Please stay up. The responses are to other posters stating that DCI is the only IB game in town, and should remain that way. You did confirm that several parents from YY are onside ring options beyond DCI, thus diluting the pool of kids who have experience with the IB curriculum.

[Anonymous]

If DCPS wants to offer IB, they should have some mechanism to deliver the program to students who can actually benefit from it not to a group of kids where the majority need remediation in English.

If DCPS thinks having an IB high school like Eastern will attract students who want IB from charters like DCI, they are dreaming.

The IB at Eastern sounds like a big budget suck and a waste of money.

DCPS already does this at Deal. I would love it if my kid could go on to a HS that was also IB but not going to consider Eastern after he has attended 2 of the top performing elementary and middle schools in DCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're at YY and can tell you no one has ever mentioned Eastern HS as an alternative to DCI. Eastern does not offer Mandarin.

We will not be continuing to DCI but are only looking at private schools that offer advanced Mandarin.

This poster. Wanted to add that we will be moving out of the area. If you want your kid to continue in Mandarin like us who have invested 7yrs in a Mandarin immersion school, there aren't any alternatives to DCI unless you move.

Hm, the conversation was about IB and the cost analysis. It was not about immersion. A PP posted DCI was a school with a large cohort of kids with precious IB experience. It is not, as YY is the only school that offers elementary IB.

BTW, when you say move out of the area, are you talking about DC proper, or the DC metro area?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're at YY and can tell you no one has ever mentioned Eastern HS as an alternative to DCI. Eastern does not offer Mandarin.

We will not be continuing to DCI but are only looking at private schools that offer advanced Mandarin.

This poster. Wanted to add that we will be moving out of the area. If you want your kid to continue in Mandarin like us who have invested 7yrs in a Mandarin immersion school, there aren't any alternatives to DCI unless you move.

Hm, the conversation was about IB and the cost analysis. It was not about immersion. A PP posted DCI was a school with a large cohort of kids with precious IB experience. It is not, as YY is the only school that offers elementary IB.

BTW, when you say move out of the area, are you talking about DC proper, or the DC metro area?

Out of the DC metro area. We also want algebra by 7th grade and advanced Mandarin and Latin in middle school as well as strong emphasis on written composition in English. We love YY but DCI as pp have pointed out has no track record. Not something we will risk for anything higher than elementary school. Admittedly, we don't particularly care about IB and PYP but care about immersion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If DCPS wants to offer IB, they should have some mechanism to deliver the program to students who can actually benefit from it not to a group of kids where the majority need remediation in English.

If DCPS thinks having an IB high school like Eastern will attract students who want IB from charters like DCI, they are dreaming.

The IB at Eastern sounds like a big budget suck and a waste of money.

DCPS already does this at Deal. I would love it if my kid could go on to a HS that was also IB but not going to consider Eastern after he has attended 2 of the top performing elementary and middle schools in DCPS.

Yeah, putting IB at Eastern hs is like putting a STEM program at Dunbar. DCPS seems to think that "if they build it, they will come" and I'm not just talking about the hundred's of millions spent on the underutilized brand spanking new facilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If DCPS wants to offer IB, they should have some mechanism to deliver the program to students who can actually benefit from it not to a group of kids where the majority need remediation in English.

If DCPS thinks having an IB high school like Eastern will attract students who want IB from charters like DCI, they are dreaming.

The IB at Eastern sounds like a big budget suck and a waste of money.

DCPS already does this at Deal. I would love it if my kid could go on to a HS that was also IB but not going to consider Eastern after he has attended 2 of the top performing elementary and middle schools in DCPS.

Why not Banneker?

[Anonymous]

It is a fact that in Fairfax, the public high schools with IB are the low-performing schools with the lowest SES students. The majority higher SES schools are AP. Draw any conclusion you wish from that fact.

[Anonymous]

Why am I not surprised that ever-dysfunctional DCPS is wasting IB costs on just a few students? What a shameful waste of resources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If DCPS wants to offer IB, they should have some mechanism to deliver the program to students who can actually benefit from it not to a group of kids where the majority need remediation in English.

If DCPS thinks having an IB high school like Eastern will attract students who want IB from charters like DCI, they are dreaming.

The IB at Eastern sounds like a big budget suck and a waste of money.

DCPS already does this at Deal. I would love it if my kid could go on to a HS that was also IB but not going to consider Eastern after he has attended 2 of the top performing elementary and middle schools in DCPS.

Why not Banneker?

I didn't know Banneker was IB. I will explore further to see how seriously the program is taken at Banneker and whether it would be a good fit for my child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If DCPS wants to offer IB, they should have some mechanism to deliver the program to students who can actually benefit from it not to a group of kids where the majority need remediation in English.

If DCPS thinks having an IB high school like Eastern will attract students who want IB from charters like DCI, they are dreaming.

The IB at Eastern sounds like a big budget suck and a waste of money.

DCPS already does this at Deal. I would love it if my kid could go on to a HS that was also IB but not going to consider Eastern after he has attended 2 of the top performing elementary and middle schools in DCPS.

Yeah, putting IB at Eastern hs is like putting a STEM program at Dunbar. DCPS seems to think that "if they build it, they will come" and I'm not just talking about the hundred's of millions spent on the underutilized brand spanking new facilities.

It's all of a piece. Lots of bells and whistles but the main structure is lacking. IB is another expensive toy that will do nothing for most students at that school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If DCPS wants to offer IB, they should have some mechanism to deliver the program to students who can actually benefit from it not to a group of kids where the majority need remediation in English.

If DCPS thinks having an IB high school like Eastern will attract students who want IB from charters like DCI, they are dreaming.

The IB at Eastern sounds like a big budget suck and a waste of money.

DCPS already does this at Deal. I would love it if my kid could go on to a HS that was also IB but not going to consider Eastern after he has attended 2 of the top performing elementary and middle schools in DCPS.

Yeah, putting IB at Eastern hs is like putting a STEM program at Dunbar. DCPS seems to think that "if they build it, they will come" and I'm not just talking about the hundred's of millions spent on the underutilized brand spanking new facilities.

So you think kids who are not zoned for Wilson deserve nothing beyond the scraps and basic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If DCPS wants to offer IB, they should have some mechanism to deliver the program to students who can actually benefit from it not to a group of kids where the majority need remediation in English.

If DCPS thinks having an IB high school like Eastern will attract students who want IB from charters like DCI, they are dreaming.

The IB at Eastern sounds like a big budget suck and a waste of money.

DCPS already does this at Deal. I would love it if my kid could go on to a HS that was also IB but not going to consider Eastern after he has attended 2 of the top performing elementary and middle schools in DCPS.

Yeah, putting IB at Eastern hs is like putting a STEM program at Dunbar. DCPS seems to think that "if they build it, they will come" and I'm not just talking about the hundred's of millions spent on the underutilized brand spanking new facilities.

It's all of a piece. Lots of bells and whistles but the main structure is lacking. IB is another expensive toy that will do nothing for most students at that school.

What would you suggest differently? And do you participate in your neighborhood education committee to offer suggestion and help?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is a fact that in Fairfax, the public high schools with IB are the low-performing schools with the lowest SES students. The majority higher SES schools are AP. Draw any conclusion you wish from that fact.

Fairfax is very real about the fact that most college-bound students in the area are not particularly interested in receiving an IB diploma? Why not? Because they plan to attend local schools with their friends. Their goal is Tech, UVA or even if out of state, a school in this country!

Their families see no practical reason for an IB diploma so why bother?

It's cute for DC to offer the program, but they should also be more practical and reasonable. How many of their IB graduates will really go to college abroad?

[Anonymous]

Instead of IB, why not a vocational training program that will allow these kids to get jobs in plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, automotive, etc. and earn a good living.

Maybe they can get hired by all the contractors that DCPS is always keeping happy.