New to DCI at middle school?

[Anonymous]

PP must have been referring to DCI middle school, which does enroll about 1,000 students. https://dcpcsb.org/district-columbia-international-middle-school

Where are you getting the data that as many Ward 1 students enroll as Ward 5 and 6?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP must have been referring to DCI middle school, which does enroll about 1,000 students. https://dcpcsb.org/district-columbia-international-middle-school

Where are you getting the data that as many Ward 1 students enroll as Ward 5 and 6?

Wow. Thanks for the data. It’s helpful that it’s broken down specifically to the middle school.

63% ELA and 42% in math of students who are on or above grade level is heads and shoulders higher than our IB middle school and similar to Washington Latin. Those numbers are impressive for a middle school that is relatively new. 95% re-enrollment does not support that many kids leave the middle school like some DCUM posters say.

Happy to see the school is doing well and will be interesting to see the trajectory and numbers in the next few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stating the obvious here, but if you've got a spot waiting for you at DCI, you can try the program and bail for the DCPS if you're not satisfied but not the other way around.

You have places to turn for opinions based on experience in a sense if you do more research because around half of the high SES families coming up through the DCI feeders reject the school, either for 5th grade or for 9th grade, while the other half embrace it. DCI families aren't all that hard to find if you live in SE or NE; ask around in your neighborhood.

If you reside outside the Deal and Hardy Districts, the great majority of high SES families have been rejecting your in-boundary DCPS middle school for many years. Sounds like DCI is the safer bet, much safer.

We chose DCI over Deal and felt very fortunate to get a spot. Deal is going downhill considerably so that is something to consider if Deal is your IB school. DCI may not be perfect but it's far better. Like the PP said, you always have the option of going to DCI then going back to your IB school if DCI is not for you but you can't move out of your IB for DCI if it doesn't work out. You are also unlikely to get another spot at DCI until 9th grade and maybe not even then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stating the obvious here, but if you've got a spot waiting for you at DCI, you can try the program and bail for the DCPS if you're not satisfied but not the other way around.

You have places to turn for opinions based on experience in a sense if you do more research because around half of the high SES families coming up through the DCI feeders reject the school, either for 5th grade or for 9th grade, while the other half embrace it. DCI families aren't all that hard to find if you live in SE or NE; ask around in your neighborhood.

If you reside outside the Deal and Hardy Districts, the great majority of high SES families have been rejecting your in-boundary DCPS middle school for many years. Sounds like DCI is the safer bet, much safer.

We chose DCI over Deal and felt very fortunate to get a spot. Deal is going downhill considerably so that is something to consider if Deal is your IB school. DCI may not be perfect but it's far better. Like the PP said, you always have the option of going to DCI then going back to your IB school if DCI is not for you but you can't move out of your IB for DCI if it doesn't work out. You are also unlikely to get another spot at DCI until 9th grade and maybe not even then.

I have heard of a number of families in the immersion feeder schools who live in the Deal boundaries choosing DCI over Deal. Same analysis. You can always go back to your IB but won’t get another shot at DCI. They all seem happy at DCI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP must have been referring to DCI middle school, which does enroll about 1,000 students. https://dcpcsb.org/district-columbia-international-middle-school

Where are you getting the data that as many Ward 1 students enroll as Ward 5 and 6?

Wow. Thanks for the data. It’s helpful that it’s broken down specifically to the middle school.

63% ELA and 42% in math of students who are on or above grade level is heads and shoulders higher than our IB middle school and similar to Washington Latin. Those numbers are impressive for a middle school that is relatively new. 95% re-enrollment does not support that many kids leave the middle school like some DCUM posters say.

Happy to see the school is doing well and will be interesting to see the trajectory and numbers in the next few years.

DCI has almost double the percentage of at risk kids than Latin, so I would say they are doing a much better job than Latin in achieving similar PARCC scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP must have been referring to DCI middle school, which does enroll about 1,000 students. https://dcpcsb.org/district-columbia-international-middle-school

Where are you getting the data that as many Ward 1 students enroll as Ward 5 and 6?

Wow. Thanks for the data. It’s helpful that it’s broken down specifically to the middle school.

63% ELA and 42% in math of students who are on or above grade level is heads and shoulders higher than our IB middle school and similar to Washington Latin. Those numbers are impressive for a middle school that is relatively new. 95% re-enrollment does not support that many kids leave the middle school like some DCUM posters say.

Happy to see the school is doing well and will be interesting to see the trajectory and numbers in the next few years.

What the data don't report is the big drop off in the feeder school populations between 4th and 5th grades, and the big drop off between 8th and 9th grades. Many families are leaving the feeder pattern early, which means they're effectively leaving the middle school and/or the high school by shunning these programs. Look at YuYing, with 4 fourth grade classes but only 2 fifth grade classes. The reality is that half the families at the most gentrified feeder won't touch DCI. Once these families are in the DCI middle school, where are they going to go if they're not thrilled but can't afford private? Move from DC to the burbs? As PPs keeping pointing out, DCI is OK, not more.

[Anonymous]

DCI socially promotes and doesn't offer advanced math and science.

BASIS doesn't socially promote and does offer advanced math and science.

Washington Latin is predominantly white and high SES.

DCI isn't predominantly white and high SES, not yet anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP must have been referring to DCI middle school, which does enroll about 1,000 students. https://dcpcsb.org/district-columbia-international-middle-school

Where are you getting the data that as many Ward 1 students enroll as Ward 5 and 6?

Wow. Thanks for the data. It’s helpful that it’s broken down specifically to the middle school.

63% ELA and 42% in math of students who are on or above grade level is heads and shoulders higher than our IB middle school and similar to Washington Latin. Those numbers are impressive for a middle school that is relatively new. 95% re-enrollment does not support that many kids leave the middle school like some DCUM posters say.

Happy to see the school is doing well and will be interesting to see the trajectory and numbers in the next few years.

What the data don't report is the big drop off in the feeder school populations between 4th and 5th grades, and the big drop off between 8th and 9th grades. Many families are leaving the feeder pattern early, which means they're effectively leaving the middle school and/or the high school by shunning these programs. Look at YuYing, with 4 fourth grade classes but only 2 fifth grade classes. The reality is that half the families at the most gentrified feeder won't touch DCI. Once these families are in the DCI middle school, where are they going to go if they're not thrilled but can't afford private? Move from DC to the burbs? As PPs keeping pointing out, DCI is OK, not more.

No one said DCI is spectacular. People are saying DCI is a much better option than their neighborhood IB which is a fact.

I suggest you talk to the families in Capitol Hill and in the Deal/Wilson feeders. Same pattern in big drop off by 5th. It’s definitely not unique to YY. For ETOP, some parents are choosing Latin, Basis, private or moving to the burbs.

For WOTP, privates, burbs, small percentage DCI.

The big drop off doesn’t happen at our immersion feeder and lots of upper SES families are choosing DCI. Many more will continue to do so and make it work.

Some families are not interested in Basis or Latin and want a more well rounded experience for their kids. Some parents don’t want a small middle/high school experience with llimited electives, extracurriculars, etc. One size does not fit all.

Also look at the stats, DCI has about 19% at risk. That’s far from a school that is majority low SES. Families in the middle school who don’t like DCI have options but are choosing to stay.

Lastly, we are an upper SES families. We can afford to move WOTP for Deal, go private, or move to burbs for middle and high school. We are not interested and plan on giving DCI a try. We know many families at our school with similar profiles who are choosing to try out DCI. So your narrative is incorrect. There are upper SES families in the middle school who have options to move to burbs, go private, etc…. They chose not and make DCI work for them and supplement if needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP must have been referring to DCI middle school, which does enroll about 1,000 students. https://dcpcsb.org/district-columbia-international-middle-school

Where are you getting the data that as many Ward 1 students enroll as Ward 5 and 6?

Wow. Thanks for the data. It’s helpful that it’s broken down specifically to the middle school.

63% ELA and 42% in math of students who are on or above grade level is heads and shoulders higher than our IB middle school and similar to Washington Latin. Those numbers are impressive for a middle school that is relatively new. 95% re-enrollment does not support that many kids leave the middle school like some DCUM posters say.

Happy to see the school is doing well and will be interesting to see the trajectory and numbers in the next few years.

What the data don't report is the big drop off in the feeder school populations between 4th and 5th grades, and the big drop off between 8th and 9th grades. Many families are leaving the feeder pattern early, which means they're effectively leaving the middle school and/or the high school by shunning these programs. Look at YuYing, with 4 fourth grade classes but only 2 fifth grade classes. The reality is that half the families at the most gentrified feeder won't touch DCI. Once these families are in the DCI middle school, where are they going to go if they're not thrilled but can't afford private? Move from DC to the burbs? As PPs keeping pointing out, DCI is OK, not more.

No one said DCI is spectacular. People are saying DCI is a much better option than their neighborhood IB which is a fact.

I suggest you talk to the families in Capitol Hill and in the Deal/Wilson feeders. Same pattern in big drop off by 5th. It’s definitely not unique to YY. For ETOP, some parents are choosing Latin, Basis, private or moving to the burbs.

For WOTP, privates, burbs, small percentage DCI.

The big drop off doesn’t happen at our immersion feeder and lots of upper SES families are choosing DCI. Many more will continue to do so and make it work.

Some families are not interested in Basis or Latin and want a more well rounded experience for their kids. Some parents don’t want a small middle/high school experience with llimited electives, extracurriculars, etc. One size does not fit all.

Also look at the stats, DCI has about 19% at risk. That’s far from a school that is majority low SES. Families in the middle school who don’t like DCI have options but are choosing to stay.

Lastly, we are an upper SES families. We can afford to move WOTP for Deal, go private, or move to burbs for middle and high school. We are not interested and plan on giving DCI a try. We know many families at our school with similar profiles who are choosing to try out DCI. So your narrative is incorrect. There are upper SES families in the middle school who have options to move to burbs, go private, etc…. They chose not and make DCI work for them and supplement if needed.

You're out of date, PP. Deal and Hardy have seen big upticks in in-boundary enrollment in the last 5 years. These days, Deal doesn't just enroll majority in-boundary, it enrolls the great majority of 4th graders in its feeders. Hardy is fast catching up. But the Capitol Hill middle schools are far behind and gaining little steam in enrolling their in-boundary populations. DCI has great potential but fritters much of it away because it can because Cap Hil families are desperate for halfway decent middle schools as much as anything else.

[Anonymous]

You "plan to give DCI a try." Great, come talk to us several years in, after you're tired of supplementing.

Last year, we hired tutors for math, language and writing. This year, we won't return.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You "plan to give DCI a try." Great, come talk to us several years in, after you're tired of supplementing.

Last year, we hired tutors for math, language and writing. This year, we won't return.

You are very naive if you don’t think families at Deal and Latin supplement. They do a ton. Talk to families in the burbs. Same thing and supplementing.

[Anonymous]

I've asked several families at DCI middle Spanish track (a couple with ninth graders now) about whether they're needed to supplement and they've mostly looked at me like I have two heads. "Who has time/money/tiger parent insecurity like that?" is generally the tone of the response.

Maybe it's different at the high school or maybe I happen to know more laid back families than people who post here. Overall they seem happy with the school.

[Anonymous]

I hate this sort of post. You have two heads if you want your kid to ace IB Diploma exams at a public school, knowing they're fully capable of doing that without anything like a mental breakdown.

I put nose to the grindstone in HS to score in the high 30s on IB, as did my siblings. DCI academics just weren't going to get us where our somewhat lazy but very capable kid could go. We grew weary of supplementing and trying to light a fire under our student. Thankfully, his new school does that for us. Maybe we are tiger parents, or perhaps we're just hard-working people who enjoy learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate this sort of post. You have two heads if you want your kid to ace IB Diploma exams at a public school, knowing they're fully capable of doing that without anything like a mental breakdown.

I put nose to the grindstone in HS to score in the high 30s on IB, as did my siblings. DCI academics just weren't going to get us where our somewhat lazy but very capable kid could go. We grew weary of supplementing and trying to light a fire under our student. Thankfully, his new school does that for us. Maybe we are tiger parents, or perhaps we're just hard-working people who enjoy learning.

You parents have totally unrealistic expectations and want everything now. Why don’t you tell us the name of your IB school, how long it’s been around, and if it’s a test in. DCI just graduated their 2nd class for Chris sakes.

Show me any school, private or public, who has kids graduating in the high 30’s that is about to graduate this 3rd class this coming year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've asked several families at DCI middle Spanish track (a couple with ninth graders now) about whether they're needed to supplement and they've mostly looked at me like I have two heads. "Who has time/money/tiger parent insecurity like that?" is generally the tone of the response.

Maybe it's different at the high school or maybe I happen to know more laid back families than people who post here. Overall they seem happy with the school.

The YY Chinese parents and the Spanish immersion parents are very different.

Most YY parents could care less if their kid is fluent in Chinese. They are fine with exposure. None of them speak any Chinese at home or have any native speaking friends. Language is not their top priority.

The Spanish immersion parents, many are native speaking or fluent. Others like us, who are neither, are serious about Spanish and supplement. We all went in because language fluency is our too priority. Of course there are Spanish immersion families who are like the YY families who are not serious about languages. But I don’t see many if this group at our school.

So I’m not surprised the YY crowd, there is less but in at DCI. Their kids won’t be able to earn the IB diploma.

I can also bet that many of the unhappy parents here at from the YY crowd