Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks, this is helpful. We will take a serious look at BCC. The reality for us is that we can’t afford Westland so it would be Silver Creek-BCC vs Deal-JR. To be honest, Deal seems better - very impressed. But I suspect folks would say prioritize the high school.

I would seriously rethink BCC. It has not been as good an environment as it used to be. I have friends who have those in JR and say they like it. I think it depends on the group your kid rolls with (at both!)and I would very much look into speaking with current parents friends of friends etc that have kids at deal and JR. silver creek has a lot of behavior problems. A lot! You also have the option of high school magnet programs in DC if at deal, like walls etc. Six years ago I would have said BCC, not anymore. There are still high achieving students there obviously but the overall atmosphere and feeling of the environment can be really bad there now. Lots of drinking culture issues. Serious issues with lock downs etc. avoid if possible. I would not move to attend.

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks, this is helpful. We will take a serious look at BCC. The reality for us is that we can’t afford Westland so it would be Silver Creek-BCC vs Deal-JR. To be honest, Deal seems better - very impressed. But I suspect folks would say prioritize the high school.

We were in feeder for Deal-JR in DC and now are at Silver Creek-B-CC here in MCPS. Much happier with MCPS for MS and HS. (I would stay in DCPS for ES, especially if your PTA pays for extra teachers. That's not allowed here.) We know people who switched from Deal in 6th to SCMS in 7th and say Silver Creek is much better.

Silver Creek is probably not as strong as Deal but we liked it. It is smaller than Deal and many other middle schools in the area. It also felt (now granted my kids had one year lost to pandemic, so may not be typical) more chill and inclusive than Westland. We went to an Open House at Westland and I knew right away it wasn’t for us, the parents stressed ME out. The parent community was also nice.

OP here - thanks, this is helpful. We will take a serious look at BCC. The reality for us is that we can’t afford Westland so it would be Silver Creek-BCC vs Deal-JR. To be honest, Deal seems better - very impressed. But I suspect folks would say prioritize the high school.

Anonymous wrote:None of this is known, but your child can still do the full IB diploma at BCC or à la carte IB classes without being in the program, which will consist of the IB diploma plus pre-IB classes that don’t exist yet for kids at BCC.

Used to exist, don't exist now but will again. Part of the idiocy of trying to force everyone not in a magnet into the same ELA class ("Honors(-for-all)" English 9) instead of finding adequate supports for underrepresented groups to let their high flyers take off.

^^ oops that should read AS RM stidents not admitted to the countywide program so now

B-CC stidents would be able to join the IBDP in 11th grade as RMIB students do now, even if they don’t get a spot through the regional program. They would miss out on pre-IB courses.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:None of this is known, but your child can still do the full IB diploma at BCC or à la carte IB classes without being in the program, which will consist of the IB diploma plus pre-IB classes that don’t exist yet for kids at BCC.

Actually, the IB diploma rates are high for BCC, so it is known.

She asked what the criteria will be. Right now there is no criteria. So actually it is not known.

Anonymous wrote:None of this is known, but your child can still do the full IB diploma at BCC or à la carte IB classes without being in the program, which will consist of the IB diploma plus pre-IB classes that don’t exist yet for kids at BCC.

Actually, the IB diploma rates are high for BCC, so it is known.

None of this is known, but your child can still do the full IB diploma at BCC or à la carte IB classes without being in the program, which will consist of the IB diploma plus pre-IB classes that don’t exist yet for kids at BCC.

Go for BCC. Better school all around and the IB, should your student be admitted, has excellent outcomes.

BCC even without IB is better than JR. However, if it means a longer commute for you, perhaps not worth it...

If we're to believe Taylor, there will be an "abundance" of seats available so you shouldn't have to worry. That being said, I wouldn't trust Taylor if I were you. He's known to lie.

None of it is known. There are guesses and rumors but nothing official.

Weighing a move for high school - BCC vs Jackson Reed in DC. Is there a sense yet of criteria that will be used to determine who gets into BCC IB under the new six region plan? If you live in boundary does that change your chances or the criteria? Any sense of how difficult it will be to get in? Not sure that any of this is remotely known at the moment but trying to explore options to the extent possible.