DCI or Deal

[Anonymous]

Did you earn the IB Diploma? I did, at one of the first public schools in the country offering it, back in the mid 80s. The strength of the IBD is the inter-disciplinary orientation of the program, with the Theory of Knowledge class, Creativity Action Service requirement and Extended Essay. A student who plans to pursue IB studies piecemeal is much better off doing AP vis a vis college admissions. DCI admins have been peddling goofy notions about how the IB works to parents with little familiarity with it.

[Anonymous]

Anyone know if Deal has advanced Spanish classes for those coming in from Bancroft or just for those that are beyond Spanish 1?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know if Deal has advanced Spanish classes for those coming in from Bancroft or just for those that are beyond Spanish 1?

They do. Fluent kids are placed in what they call Humanities classes.

[Anonymous]

There has been A LOT of turnover in middle school administration at DCI. Teacher turnover is also high, which means the school is still trying to teach teachers about what IB even is. The quality of teachers is really hit or miss. There are some great teachers, but also some really terrible ones. It may be a smaller school than Deal, but it certainly doesn’t feel small. The building is huge and the hallways become chaotic during transitions and free time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There has been A LOT of turnover in middle school administration at DCI. Teacher turnover is also high, which means the school is still trying to teach teachers about what IB even is. The quality of teachers is really hit or miss. There are some great teachers, but also some really terrible ones. It may be a smaller school than Deal, but it certainly doesn’t feel small. The building is huge and the hallways become chaotic during transitions and free time.

Minus the line about administration turnover you could say the Exact same thing about Deal.

[Anonymous]

As a Deal teacher I’ve had 8 administrators in less than 10 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a Deal teacher I’ve had 8 administrators in less than 10 years.

Really, I don't believe so if you're referring to Principals.

[Anonymous]

DCI Middle School never had a separate middle school principal until this year. So only one has left. Get a grip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you earn the IB Diploma? I did, at one of the first public schools in the country offering it, back in the mid 80s. The strength of the IBD is the inter-disciplinary orientation of the program, with the Theory of Knowledge class, Creativity Action Service requirement and Extended Essay. A student who plans to pursue IB studies piecemeal is much better off doing AP vis a vis college admissions. DCI admins have been peddling goofy notions about how the IB works to parents with little familiarity with it.

Duh. That wasn't my point. NObody at DCI approaches this piecemeal. EVERYONE gets the rich curriculum you described above. BUT not all of them will earn the full IB diploma, because you have to PASS a certain number and configuration of course tests to get it. But most will earn a certificate in one or several classes (meaning passing the IB test for those classes). Which will earn them college credit, typically. Your point about the AP is exactly that: it is piecemeal. It does not add up to a meaningful whole like the IB curriculum does. And DCI offers the MYP program as well. Research shows that kids who participate fully in the MYP in grades 6-10 (sorry Deal kids) are more likely to earn the IB diploma.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a Deal teacher I’ve had 8 administrators in less than 10 years.

Really, I don't believe so if you're referring to Principals.

Vice principals

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you earn the IB Diploma? I did, at one of the first public schools in the country offering it, back in the mid 80s. The strength of the IBD is the inter-disciplinary orientation of the program, with the Theory of Knowledge class, Creativity Action Service requirement and Extended Essay. A student who plans to pursue IB studies piecemeal is much better off doing AP vis a vis college admissions. DCI admins have been peddling goofy notions about how the IB works to parents with little familiarity with it.

Duh. That wasn't my point. NObody at DCI approaches this piecemeal. EVERYONE gets the rich curriculum you described above. BUT not all of them will earn the full IB diploma, because you have to PASS a certain number and configuration of course tests to get it. But most will earn a certificate in one or several classes (meaning passing the IB test for those classes). Which will earn them college credit, typically. Your point about the AP is exactly that: it is piecemeal. It does not add up to a meaningful whole like the IB curriculum does. And DCI offers the MYP program as well. Research shows that kids who participate fully in the MYP in grades 6-10 (sorry Deal kids) are more likely to earn the IB diploma.

Deal kids who want to continue with the 4th and 5th year parts of MYP can do so at Banneker, and then also pursue the full IB there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did you earn the IB Diploma? I did, at one of the first public schools in the country offering it, back in the mid 80s. The strength of the IBD is the inter-disciplinary orientation of the program, with the Theory of Knowledge class, Creativity Action Service requirement and Extended Essay. A student who plans to pursue IB studies piecemeal is much better off doing AP vis a vis college admissions. DCI admins have been peddling goofy notions about how the IB works to parents with little familiarity with it.

Duh. That wasn't my point. NObody at DCI approaches this piecemeal. EVERYONE gets the rich curriculum you described above. BUT not all of them will earn the full IB diploma, because you have to PASS a certain number and configuration of course tests to get it. But most will earn a certificate in one or several classes (meaning passing the IB test for those classes). Which will earn them college credit, typically. Your point about the AP is exactly that: it is piecemeal. It does not add up to a meaningful whole like the IB curriculum does. And DCI offers the MYP program as well. Research shows that kids who participate fully in the MYP in grades 6-10 (sorry Deal kids) are more likely to earn the IB diploma.

Deal kids who want to continue with the 4th and 5th year parts of MYP can do so at Banneker, and then also pursue the full IB there.

Oh please, pray tell what percentage of Deal kids have gone to Banneker in the past...... and don’t expect any in the future either.

DCPS made it perfectly clear that the expansion of Banneker, by relocating to Shaw, was to serve at risk kids - that means no kids from ward 3 if you can’t read in between the lines. It was so important that they could care less about creating a potentially viable neighborhood middle school for Shaw residents.

If you don’t know by now what DCPS’s top priority is and where the billions of dollars for school renovations went and are going, you really have not been paying attention.

[Anonymous]

No. Expansion of Banneker is to take pressure off Wilson and Walls. No mention of at risk kids - in fact there are poor kids at Banneker (it is Title 1) but it has a lower percentage of at-risk students than Wilson.

But I didn’t realize that only the white kids at Deal are seeking a rigorous high school curriculum.

If you refuse to even consider Banneker, which has a far better track record than DCI (with zero track record and rookie teachers) ... your kid is missing out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. Expansion of Banneker is to take pressure off Wilson and Walls. No mention of at risk kids - in fact there are poor kids at Banneker (it is Title 1) but it has a lower percentage of at-risk students than Wilson.

But I didn’t realize that only the white kids at Deal are seeking a rigorous high school curriculum.

If you refuse to even consider Banneker, which has a far better track record than DCI (with zero track record and rookie teachers) ... your kid is missing out.

You know what the PP meant and it’s poor and at risk kids. The council that voted for Banneker says that it’s 99% majority black and the expansion will serve more black kids in the city meaning poor and at risk kids.

You and the city can spin it however you want but we all know it’s not to alleviate Wilson and Walls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. Expansion of Banneker is to take pressure off Wilson and Walls. No mention of at risk kids - in fact there are poor kids at Banneker (it is Title 1) but it has a lower percentage of at-risk students than Wilson.

But I didn’t realize that only the white kids at Deal are seeking a rigorous high school curriculum.

If you refuse to even consider Banneker, which has a far better track record than DCI (with zero track record and rookie teachers) ... your kid is missing out.

Well if it’s truly to alleviate Wilson, then why not give those 300 extra seats or so with the Banneker expansion preference to kids coming from Deal