The point is that DCI middle school English isn't even taught at grade level, other than where there's an exceptionally good teacher (the 7th grade teacher who fit the bill suddenly quit a few weeks ago). There are too many kids who work behind grade level in English classes for that to be true. It's not unusual for families hire English tutors.

Anonymous wrote:Not quite true. Hardy and Stuart Hobson offer honors English. Deal has the demographics to offer more challenge than DCI in homogeneous class groupings. BASIS effectively offers honors everything because they don't socially promote. Inspired Teaching has small classes featuring intense differentiation. The Latins also offer small classes. The lack of academic tracking in DCI's middle school is a real problem for the brightest and hardest-working kids, period.

Stuart Hobson honors was really just grade level English. And I heard they took that away since COVID. Hardy and Deal is really just grade level, same with IT and Latin.

The reality is there is no advanced ELA, it’s in name only. It’s all grade level and that is what is happening at DCI. If you actually think there is an advanced ELA class being taught, you are delusional,!

Basis might be the exception.

Not quite true. Hardy and Stuart Hobson offer honors English. Deal has the demographics to offer more challenge than DCI in homogeneous class groupings. BASIS effectively offers honors everything because they don't socially promote. Inspired Teaching has small classes featuring intense differentiation. The Latins also offer small classes. The lack of academic tracking in DCI's middle school is a real problem for the brightest and hardest-working kids, period.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both schools are for people without better options. They are quite different, so you really have to figure out what's best for your particular kid.

We are at a feeder. We have options (can afford any private, can move WOTP, move to burbs) and we are choosing to go the DCI route. We are far from being the only family in this situation at our school.

Very easy to say now, while your kid is in elementary school. Wait until they're not challenged in science, English and social studies classes in 8th grade, sitting alongside a bunch of kids who work several grade levels behind them. Hint: teachers tend to focus on helping those kids prep for PARCC.

What DCPS or charter middle school do you think is different in DC that tracks kids in these subjects? Answer none.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both schools are for people without better options. They are quite different, so you really have to figure out what's best for your particular kid.

We are at a feeder. We have options (can afford any private, can move WOTP, move to burbs) and we are choosing to go the DCI route. We are far from being the only family in this situation at our school.

Very easy to say now, while your kid is in elementary school. Wait until they're not challenged in science, English and social studies classes in 8th grade, sitting alongside a bunch of kids who work several grade levels behind them. Hint: teachers tend to focus on helping those kids prep for PARCC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We toured Latin 4th St and DCI. Latins facilities are old and subpar. There is not much extracurriculars for the 5th and 6th graders and forget about sports. You can’t really do sports till high school and not a lot.

My point is that 4th St was so lacking compared to DCI. Cooper is likely much, much worst.

Not true on the sports front there is a good out of MS sports - some start in 6 - all start in 7th

Also availability for clubs and theater as early as 5th

And it’s 2nd street - maybe you toured a different school??

I’m the PP. Yes, it was Latin. That was typo error.

I specifically asked the high school student who gave us the tour who has been thru it. No sports at all in 5th, think 1 or 2 open in 6th, and even if sports are open in 7th, she said that many kids don’t get it. Basically you don’t really do sports till high school and as I said not many options. DCI has a ton more sports, open to middle school kids, and the school has sports director and end of year reception for all the sports teams so that should tell you something.

As to clubs, you are being misleading. There are not many “clubs” at all in 5th, 6th. Look at the schedule at DCI, you have at least 12 plus clubs minimum offered all the time to anyone.

Since I have two kids at Latin who are in clubs every day at lunch it’s possible I may know more than you about this subject….and depending on the age of the HS their experience probably was different then how it works now - schools evolve

On sports you are right there are tryouts and cuts - unfortunately that is what you have to do for the popular ones - there are always no cut sports each season.

The reality is both DCI and Latin are good schools and offer great programs for MS kids and in this city that should be celebrated

I think the school might want to make a note of this and stop having HS students give tours because the posted above is correct - MS students absolutely are involved in all sorts of clubs, during the school day, and they are all student led and from what I hear very fun. And my daughter has been playing MS sports since 6th grade, and is now in 8th, and can't wait to play in HS next year. I do think HS students sometimes forget what it was like when they were in MS or they themselves had a different experience so the tour is sometimes a bit off, but the school might want to start having 8th graders give those tours instead to help keep this misinformation from becoming an issue.

Anonymous wrote:Both schools are for people without better options. They are quite different, so you really have to figure out what's best for your particular kid.

We are at a feeder. We have options (can afford any private, can move WOTP, move to burbs) and we are choosing to go the DCI route. We are far from being the only family in this situation at our school.

We chose to keep our children at DCI over Walls and privates. Never looked back and are so grateful to DCI for an amazing experience!

Both schools are for people without better options. They are quite different, so you really have to figure out what's best for your particular kid.

Well as you can see on here OP, nobody cares about cooper but a lot of people care and are triggered by DCI.

Have you actually toured cooper? Have you asked about the class variety and offerings?

There is just no way I can send my kid to that prison like facility and with very limited offerings in terms of courses and extracurriculars. I would take my chances on DCI because I know cooper is a no go. Also language is pretty important to us.

I don’t think the answer is to ask DCUM. Look at your kid and what environment do you think he will thrive, ask his opinion, make 2 columns with a list of pros and cons. What is your plan if your kid doesn’t like cooper? What is your plan if you don’t get into DCI?

Lastly, if you don’t take cooper this year, you can always play the lottery again next year for another chance at cooper along with DCI. But if you take cooper this year, you will have no chance at DCI in the future.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What? One kid from DCI gets into Yale a couple of years ago and you say, "Theyé sending kids to Yale"?

A kid from Eastern High School was accepted to Columbia two years ago.

I guess we need to say, "Wow. Eastern must be great--they are sending kids to the Ivy League!"

Multiple kids attending Ivy League Schools from DC, including 2 at yale now and a couple considering it this year, fwiw.
But it's not just Yale and Ivy League. DCI admissions were amazing for 2021, 2022 and the current class.

Lol. Feel free to back up your unsupported claims.

Here are the college admissions for the DCI Class of 2020, which are not amazing.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NceF-na61kHbsBs4AwpNHsLofgPLwdBzvzB9jN3Yf4M/edit#gid=0

There are good schools on there. But that is a really diverse list.

Let's see. DCI went from zero Ivy League admissions in 2020 to "amazing," "multiple" Ivy League admissions each of the next three years.

Yeah, right. Let's see the lists.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What? One kid from DCI gets into Yale a couple of years ago and you say, "Theyé sending kids to Yale"?

A kid from Eastern High School was accepted to Columbia two years ago.

I guess we need to say, "Wow. Eastern must be great--they are sending kids to the Ivy League!"

Multiple kids attending Ivy League Schools from DC, including 2 at yale now and a couple considering it this year, fwiw.
But it's not just Yale and Ivy League. DCI admissions were amazing for 2021, 2022 and the current class.

Lol. Feel free to back up your unsupported claims.

Here are the college admissions for the DCI Class of 2020, which are not amazing.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NceF-na61kHbsBs4AwpNHsLofgPLwdBzvzB9jN3Yf4M/edit#gid=0

The magical thinking about language learning among many DC immersion parents who don't speak target languages at home is what I find perplexing.

It's a drag that DCI hasn't been publishing IBD language exam scores. When you ask what recent scores look like admins mention "privacy concerns." If you want published data on IBD test scores, you need to talk to admins at WIS or suburban programs. Argh.

I grew up in a Spanish-speaking household and studied IB Spanish in IB World Schools from 6th-12th grades (in HL IBD Spanish for the last 2 yrs). Even so, if I remember correctly, I didn't knock it out of the park on my IBD Spanish exam.

No chance that any reality checks are in order from any DCI feeder or DCI parents?

I find it amazing how some people on here are so insecure that they have to put other schools down or a child’s accomplishments.

Standards are not low at the feeder if the kid scored 94% on a standardized test against kids across the country taking it.