Powell or Bancroft

[Anonymous]

Which has the better program? Because of the high percentage of Farms at Powell are non-Farm students able to progress without any drawbacks? Love the diversity of Bancroft, but with the new families moving in hopefully Powell could be the same.

[Anonymous]

For what grades? I don't know if one really has a choice now - especially for the PS/PK program. If trends continue, only IB/OOB with sibling children will get a spot at Bancroft and I suspect that that will happen with Powell (or that just a very small number of OOB children will get in). I think that both schools have potential and momentum.

[Anonymous]

People have been saying that about Bancroft for years! Up till 2nd its fine, then Parents get anxious and often leave.

[Anonymous]

I'm inboundary for Bancroft, however we didn't get in through the lottery for PS3. We have a mediocre number at Powell on the waitlist. I work in Silver Spring so the drive to Powell wouldn't be bad. Just trying to see if we do get in a Powell should we stay or just wait until K for Bancroft.

[Anonymous]

A lot can happen in two years. Both in terms of schools and your child and what their needs will be.

[Anonymous]

We are inbounds for Powell and visited both before getting a Powell lottery spot. Our preschooler starts at Powell this month. Our Powell visit showed kids really engaged in learning. They just seemed so absorbed. The principal spoke with us about plans and the staff we spoke with all seemed on board. They are on their way to new facilities, growing and the neighborhood seems to be cluing in that they've got something good going on.

At Bancroft the visit seemed different. A sprawling campus, and the principal seemed to make it seem like some things were in flux, like language. The classrooms seemed OK, but looser, with less Spanish in use as well. Teachers didn't seem as uniformly committed to the method there.

We felt pretty good about Powell on the test scores too, especially compared to Bancroft. If a school that has higher FARM and ELL numbers does as well as the school with the supersized waitlist, they must really do something good. It seemed a lot like Bancroft but without the hype.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are inbounds for Powell and visited both before getting a Powell lottery spot. Our preschooler starts at Powell this month. Our Powell visit showed kids really engaged in learning. They just seemed so absorbed. The principal spoke with us about plans and the staff we spoke with all seemed on board. They are on their way to new facilities, growing and the neighborhood seems to be cluing in that they've got something good going on.

At Bancroft the visit seemed different. A sprawling campus, and the principal seemed to make it seem like some things were in flux, like language. The classrooms seemed OK, but looser, with less Spanish in use as well. Teachers didn't seem as uniformly committed to the method there.

We felt pretty good about Powell on the test scores too, especially compared to Bancroft. If a school that has higher FARM and ELL numbers does as well as the school with the supersized waitlist, they must really do something good. It seemed a lot like Bancroft but without the hype.

Bancroft has a new Principal this year which is the former Assistant Principal who is of Hispanic decent. Hopefully she will turn things around although it hasn't been bad in the past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are inbounds for Powell and visited both before getting a Powell lottery spot. Our preschooler starts at Powell this month. Our Powell visit showed kids really engaged in learning. They just seemed so absorbed. The principal spoke with us about plans and the staff we spoke with all seemed on board. They are on their way to new facilities, growing and the neighborhood seems to be cluing in that they've got something good going on.

At Bancroft the visit seemed different. A sprawling campus, and the principal seemed to make it seem like some things were in flux, like language. The classrooms seemed OK, but looser, with less Spanish in use as well. Teachers didn't seem as uniformly committed to the method there.

We felt pretty good about Powell on the test scores too, especially compared to Bancroft. If a school that has higher FARM and ELL numbers does as well as the school with the supersized waitlist, they must really do something good. It seemed a lot like Bancroft but without the hype.

Thanks for the feedback it sounds promising.

[Anonymous]

I don't want to be negative about Powell--I've heard good things about it. But I think the biggest difference is that from what I know/read, middle class families are not staying at Powell past K. At Bancroft, a handful of middle class families have been staying through 5th for the last few years. Believe me, this makes a huge difference to your social interactions and your child's experience at the school. Your child's best friend, like or not, is probably going to be from an English speaking, educated family.

As for test scores, read what you will into them, but one difference between Powell and Bancroft is that (as far as I know) Bancroft has had bilingual instruction for all kids through 5th for many years, while at Powell and most of the other dual language DCPS schools (except Oyster), the program either stops after the lower grades or only some classes are bilingual. I think some schools are moving to all-bilingual all the way through, but they're not there yet. I've been told that this will affect test scores. Kids spending only half their class time on English instruction won't score as well on a test in English. However, I've also been told that the kids eventually catch up, and that you can see this in Bancroft's grade by grade test scores--the scores rise from 3rd grade to 5th.

The new principal at Bancroft isn't Hispanic, but she's bilingual, which our previous principal was not. Many Bancroft parents think having a bilingual principal at our bilingual school is important.

OP, you may get off the Bancroft waitlist (it can move into early October). If you don't get it, take the spot at Powell and see how it goes, then you can always move to Bancroft for K--seems like it should be pretty seamless for your child since the schools are similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't want to be negative about Powell--I've heard good things about it. But I think the biggest difference is that from what I know/read, middle class families are not staying at Powell past K. At Bancroft, a handful of middle class families have been staying through 5th for the last few years. Believe me, this makes a huge difference to your social interactions and your child's experience at the school. Your child's best friend, like or not, is probably going to be from an English speaking, educated family.

As for test scores, read what you will into them, but one difference between Powell and Bancroft is that (as far as I know) Bancroft has had bilingual instruction for all kids through 5th for many years, while at Powell and most of the other dual language DCPS schools (except Oyster), the program either stops after the lower grades or only some classes are bilingual. I think some schools are moving to all-bilingual all the way through, but they're not there yet. I've been told that this will affect test scores. Kids spending only half their class time on English instruction won't score as well on a test in English. However, I've also been told that the kids eventually catch up, and that you can see this in Bancroft's grade by grade test scores--the scores rise from 3rd grade to 5th.

The new principal at Bancroft isn't Hispanic, but she's bilingual, which our previous principal was not. Many Bancroft parents think having a bilingual principal at our bilingual school is important.

OP, you may get off the Bancroft waitlist (it can move into early October). If you don't get it, take the spot at Powell and see how it goes, then you can always move to Bancroft for K--seems like it should be pretty seamless for your child since the schools are similar.

That's my fear people aren't staying. Would really love LAMB or MV but as we all know those are impossible to get in. If however we do get in at Powell we will stick with them until K and go with Bancroft. Bilingualism is important to us as our child is biracial.

[Anonymous]

Bump

[Anonymous]

Has Powell mailed out their packets which includes which teacher your child has, school supply list etc?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has Powell mailed out their packets which includes which teacher your child has, school supply list etc?

We have our packet. We know who our son's teacher will be.

[Anonymous]

Powell was Kaya first stop today. The article also points out the changes in the neighborhood.


http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2013/08/26/back-to-school-with-mayor-gray-and-chancellor-henderson/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Powell was Kaya first stop today. The article also points out the changes in the neighborhood.


http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2013/08/26/back-to-school-with-mayor-gray-and-chancellor-henderson/

Who cares?