Bilingual PCS & Neighbourhood Schools: Lottery Chances?

[Anonymous]

My husband and I are looking to buy soon. We have a toddler who will be starting PK3 next year and we're making our decision based largely on her school options, and a Spanish-English bilingual school is our top priority. The neighborhoods with bilingual schools (MtP, Woodley, Shaw, Petworth, etc) etc are very pricey when compared to other neighborhoods like Brightwood, Takoma, etc. We're trying to decide whether to start looking in the 'burbs (Kensington & Takoma Park in MD both have IB bilingual schools), or whether to stay in the District but maybe take our chances with the OOB/PCS lottery in DCPS for her bilingual schooling. I know living IB is the only way to guarantee getting into one of the bilingual programs, but I'm curious if the chances of lotterying into one are good anyway...

She's in a bilingual environment now so even skipping PK and starting in K would be fine if that changes anything (although ideally we'd love to take advantage of DC's PK3 & 4 as we plan on more kids in the near future--this is part of our financial consideration of DC vs 'burbs too...).

Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Play the lottery and then decide on where to live if this route is an option.

[Anonymous]

There is no guarantee of PK3 spots anywhere, even if you live in bounds for a bilingual DCPS, so know that if you're making a decision to buy based on your in-boundary school. So, if you want pk3 anywhere you'll have to add OOB DCPS to your list as well as charters.

[Anonymous]

It is tremendously unlikely for PK3 unless you live in boundary for one, and even then you may not get in. It may happen for Pk4 and definitely could for K. I think it's about 50/50 you get a spot somewhere by October of Kindergarten.

Part of the problem is some of the Spanish schools may not be desirable to you. Look into MV 8th St and Stokes East End because that is your most likely option for PK3. How do you feel about it? What about Shining Stars and Bethune? Cleveland, Houston, and Tyler you would likely get in for PK4 if not PK3 by moving into the boundary, but do you actually want to attend?

[Anonymous]

OP here--thanks for the info about PK3! Didn't realize that is so hard to lottery into as well, good to know.

If we take PK3 & PK4 out of the equation and just worry about K & above, does this change the advice?

[Anonymous]

The odds of getting a PK3 spot at a bilingual charter are low. Check out the waitlist data from last year to get a sense.

I also recommend playing the lottery first and then buying, but if you're set on applying with an IB address, I'd buy IB for Powell if you can. From Petworth, you are well-situated to commute to DC Bilingual, LAMB, and even Mundo Verde P St. if you get spots. And if you don't, then you're IB for Powell. (I'm not sure if Powell had space for all of the IB english-dominant or for all spanish-dominant applicants last year, but the waitlist data will tell you.)

[Anonymous]

OP again--our daughter gets equal input in both languages, so we could in theory put her down as Spanish-dominant. Not sure if that changes anything.

Where can we find the waitlist data?

[Anonymous]

Spend some time on this webpage. https://public.tableau.com/profile/aaron2446#!/vizhome/MSDCSeatsandWaitlistOfferData/MSDCPublicDisplay You can see the spaces available at each school for Pk3/Pk4 and K for the last several years. If you live IB for a DCPS school, you must be admitted at K (no lottery applies).

For charters you must obtain a seat via the lottery for all grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again--our daughter gets equal input in both languages, so we could in theory put her down as Spanish-dominant. Not sure if that changes anything.

Where can we find the waitlist data?

Maybe. Kids do fail the test and that would be a disaster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again--our daughter gets equal input in both languages, so we could in theory put her down as Spanish-dominant. Not sure if that changes anything.

Where can we find the waitlist data?

You could put her down as Spanish dominant, but if she gained a seat her spanish skills will be evaluated by someone from the school. They aren't long and just test the receptive and expressive skills (not, obviously reading) but you won't be with her. If the child isn't deemed Spanish-dominant you will forfeit the lottery seat (again, for Pk3 and Pk4 only). Language dominance is only an issue for the DCPS schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spend some time on this webpage. https://public.tableau.com/profile/aaron2446#!/vizhome/MSDCSeatsandWaitlistOfferData/MSDCPublicDisplay You can see the spaces available at each school for Pk3/Pk4 and K for the last several years. If you live IB for a DCPS school, you must be admitted at K (no lottery applies).

For charters you must obtain a seat via the lottery for all grades.

But if the school also offers English-only, there is no right to a seat in the Spanish classroom.

[Anonymous]

there is not good data -
if a bi-lingual education through __(fill in grade)___ is most important to you, I would create a spreadsheet that pulls data from the schools you are interested in.
Gather data for total enrollment for PreK3, PreK4, K
Size of Waitlist
I would also capture PARCC scores as by school so you can have a metric of quality of education (we can argue if PARCC does this - but capture it for a subgrouping to see how the schools stack up to one another)

People on DCUM will tell you PARCC doesn't matter - but it is an indicator. For example - everyone loved CMI - until the smoke cleared and the smoke and mirror story did not work anymore - and people called them out for not having an educational model that actually educates the student body.

[Anonymous]

DCPS data is here: http://enrolldcps.dc.gov/node/61

DCPCS data is here: https://www.dcpcsb.org/evaluating/waitlist-data

If you're not sure she's Spanish-dominant, I wouldn't bet on her passing the screening. People trying to bend the rules here is a sore subject. Just going to an immersion daycare or having a Spanish-speaking nanny is not sufficient.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCPS data is here: http://enrolldcps.dc.gov/node/61

DCPCS data is here: https://www.dcpcsb.org/evaluating/waitlist-data

If you're not sure she's Spanish-dominant, I wouldn't bet on her passing the screening. People trying to bend the rules here is a sore subject. Just going to an immersion daycare or having a Spanish-speaking nanny is not sufficient.

OP again. I totally understand and think it's frustrating when people bend rules like this. Our daughter hears both languages at home and goes to an immersion daycare. The fact that one side of her family is Spanish-speaking is the main reason we want her to have bilingual schooling. Just wanting to make it clear that I'm not trying to game the system--she really does get equal exposure to both, even outside of daycare. She doesn't have a "dominant" language per se.

Thanks for the links!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCPS data is here: http://enrolldcps.dc.gov/node/61

DCPCS data is here: https://www.dcpcsb.org/evaluating/waitlist-data

If you're not sure she's Spanish-dominant, I wouldn't bet on her passing the screening. People trying to bend the rules here is a sore subject. Just going to an immersion daycare or having a Spanish-speaking nanny is not sufficient.

OP again. I totally understand and think it's frustrating when people bend rules like this. Our daughter hears both languages at home and goes to an immersion daycare. The fact that one side of her family is Spanish-speaking is the main reason we want her to have bilingual schooling. Just wanting to make it clear that I'm not trying to game the system--she really does get equal exposure to both, even outside of daycare. She doesn't have a "dominant" language per se.

Thanks for the links!

Ok. But you gotta understand, there is a lot riding on her willingness to speak Spanish during the test. If she is really a 50/50 kid, then 50/50 chance you lose your spot.