Rank your top Spanish immersion programs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oyster. The class curriculum there especially at the elementary level is highly challenging for students. And it's amazing how the children are learning two languages at once. Stretching their minds. The teachers there are really, really good too. They love teaching and it shows. They challenge the students and truly rise to the occasion (they should be paid more). Our daughter is receiving an outstanding foundation there. We are very glad we are in the school.

That said, we know all the other schools have amazing teachers and curriculum too. It's a matter of where you think you and your child will do best.

Will you stay in Oyster for middle school? Why or why not?

TIA!!

Oyster-Adams parent, but not PP, here. There was a point when many families were gung ho to stay at Adams. A few who started in pre-K or around the 2007 combination of Oyster and Adams can be found in 7-8th now. But this was before the explosion of charter middle school options and specialized language charter schools.

A PP gave more detail, but basically there are many families who already speak two or more languages before they even start Oyster. It's not exactly amazing what they do, but it is generally well executed. Math in PK-3 is generally OK and is done in Spanish. But there is no elementary science teacher, or even much of a science focus, in Oyster building.

The specials are OK. I've seen better. Art is now in English and PE is in Spanish. Music used to be all in Spanish but the part-time, PTO paid music teacher teaches songs mostly in English now. The librarian has been there for 20 years and has really good, but gringo-accented Spanish. And doesn't seem to have any interest in e-books.

The upper school, grades 4-8, have full-time, DCPS-staffed science and specials teachers. But lots of people are unhappy with the quality of math and Spanish language instruction in the upper grades. The logistics are a nightmare and the wealthy condo neighbors are often unhappy.

There's a lot of uncertainty with boundary and feeder changes, building options nearby, DCPS hurdles with hiring and retaining Spanish teachers, and a small middle school in an elementary building.

It's not uncommon for parents of all backgrounds and languages to "start shopping" in 2nd or 3rd grade before kids go to the Adams building. Even within the same family, some kids do really well at O-A, but some don't. A significant number of students from well-educated, Spanish-dominant parents tend to leave quietly before 6th. They are sometimes replaced by students from the other DCPS dual-immersion Spanish-English schools. But not always. So the middle school grades are really small. Meanwhile, none of the other elementary dual-immersion DCPS schools feed into Adams.

Long answer to a short question. Most folks are taking it year by year.

So, are many of the IB kids leaving OA by 4th grade, to avoid the upper school? I hadn't really understood the structure before. Why is it touted as so great if most people leave after 3rd or 4th grade, or at least don't stay until 8th? It is like people use it for the very early years and move on to avoid Adams?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, are many of the IB kids leaving OA by 4th grade, to avoid the upper school? I hadn't really understood the structure before. Why is it touted as so great if most people leave after 3rd or 4th grade, or at least don't stay until 8th? It is like people use it for the very early years and move on to avoid Adams?

PP here. I should clarify that it's more like parents are deciding year by year and student by student for 4th and beyond. Not all children do well in dual-immersion, even from the same family. Moving buildings a mile away in 4th grade just pulls forward the question of "is this the right school for my child through middle school".

Additionally, there are more bilingual options for elementary these days. Many children do well in the LAMB model of Montessori. Others do well in the science/environment/hands-on approach of Mundo Verde. And whatever DC Bilingual is doing somehow got them up to Tier 1 status.

In DCPS, the only dual-immersion middle school option is Adams. Supposedly Lincoln middle school at CHEC has a dual immersion track in addition to English only. None of the DCPS high schools have a dual-immersion track. Although SWW has access to intensive college level Spanish via GW.

Whatever DCI plans to offer, it is unlikely there will be preference for native-level speakers unless the charter law is changed. That leaves DCPS to create high school Spanish options to complement Adams and CHEC/Lincoln. A high school dual immersion program would be difficult to say the least at a neighborhood school. But that doesn't mean there couldn't be a high quality, test-in dual immersion program East of the Park at SWW, Banneker, or (based on location) Cardozo.

Supposedly the office of bilingual education is looking more at connecting the DCPS bilingual elementary schools and creating secondary dual-immersion options. They won't get there without parents pushing for it.

Anyone know how we go about getting secondary and primary Spanish immersion?

[Anonymous]

First you need a location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, are many of the IB kids leaving OA by 4th grade, to avoid the upper school? I hadn't really understood the structure before. Why is it touted as so great if most people leave after 3rd or 4th grade, or at least don't stay until 8th? It is like people use it for the very early years and move on to avoid Adams?

PP here. I should clarify that it's more like parents are deciding year by year and student by student for 4th and beyond. Not all children do well in dual-immersion, even from the same family. Moving buildings a mile away in 4th grade just pulls forward the question of "is this the right school for my child through middle school".

Additionally, there are more bilingual options for elementary these days. Many children do well in the LAMB model of Montessori. Others do well in the science/environment/hands-on approach of Mundo Verde. And whatever DC Bilingual is doing somehow got them up to Tier 1 status.

In DCPS, the only dual-immersion middle school option is Adams. Supposedly Lincoln middle school at CHEC has a dual immersion track in addition to English only. None of the DCPS high schools have a dual-immersion track. Although SWW has access to intensive college level Spanish via GW.

Whatever DCI plans to offer, it is unlikely there will be preference for native-level speakers unless the charter law is changed. That leaves DCPS to create high school Spanish options to complement Adams and CHEC/Lincoln. A high school dual immersion program would be difficult to say the least at a neighborhood school. But that doesn't mean there couldn't be a high quality, test-in dual immersion program East of the Park at SWW, Banneker, or (based on location) Cardozo.

Supposedly the office of bilingual education is looking more at connecting the DCPS bilingual elementary schools and creating secondary dual-immersion options. They won't get there without parents pushing for it.

Anyone know how we go about getting secondary and primary Spanish immersion?

CHEC is definitely dual language. It's not a track--it's the only option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First you need a location.

MacFarland would be a great location for a spanish bilingual school. My neighbor said Powell parents spoke of this. Maybe it can continue on to Roosevelt and make the school more attractive

[Anonymous]

DC already have a bilingual 6-12 grade school. It is called CHEC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC already have a bilingual 6-12 grade school. It is called CHEC.

If they created a magnet component, like the IB program at RM in MoCo, then CHEC could attract more of the higher SES families seeking a more challenging bilingual secondary school. The DCI feeders will go to DCI, but a test in program at CHEC wound be great, especially given it's fairly central location and many native speakers in the area.

[Anonymous]

It's my understanding that CHEC offers a number of AP tests, I don't know whether there are classes to teach the students to pass them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC already have a bilingual 6-12 grade school. It is called CHEC.

This is what I thought too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC already have a bilingual 6-12 grade school. It is called CHEC.

DC couldn't be more backwards. The middle school and high school for CH is bilingual, but the elementary (Tubman) is not. Meanwhile, you have a lot of dual language elementaries in the surrounding area that don't have a bilingual middle/high school option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC already have a bilingual 6-12 grade school. It is called CHEC.

DC couldn't be more backwards. The middle school and high school for CH is bilingual, but the elementary (Tubman) is not. Meanwhile, you have a lot of dual language elementaries in the surrounding area that don't have a bilingual middle/high school option.

But have peopke tried to get in out if boundary from the Spanish elementary schools? Do all the kids from OA prefer Wilson for general academics I guess?

[Anonymous]

No one from my DCPS would even consider CHEC. We have talked (the active parents) about junior high/high and when CHEC was mentioned no one considered it as an option. Even when the bilingual office tried to talk it up at one of our meeting.

So..you can make it the feeder school, but that does not mean that parents would stay in that track and send their kids to CHEC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one from my DCPS would even consider CHEC. We have talked (the active parents) about junior high/high and when CHEC was mentioned no one considered it as an option. Even when the bilingual office tried to talk it up at one of our meeting.

So..you can make it the feeder school, but that does not mean that parents would stay in that track and send their kids to CHEC.

Which DCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one from my DCPS would even consider CHEC. We have talked (the active parents) about junior high/high and when CHEC was mentioned no one considered it as an option. Even when the bilingual office tried to talk it up at one of our meeting.

So..you can make it the feeder school, but that does not mean that parents would stay in that track and send their kids to CHEC.

Which DCPS?

Bancroft I'd bet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one from my DCPS would even consider CHEC. We have talked (the active parents) about junior high/high and when CHEC was mentioned no one considered it as an option. Even when the bilingual office tried to talk it up at one of our meeting.

So..you can make it the feeder school, but that does not mean that parents would stay in that track and send their kids to CHEC.

Which DCPS?

Bancroft I'd bet.

Powell (not pp)