Schools in Fairfax County/Arlington (Tuckahoe, McLean: credit, how much, transfer)

[gtownorbust]

Hi all,

I have two children who likely will be moving mid-year to public schools in NOVA (Grades 7 and 10). They will be coming from private school in NJ (class size about 16). They are both bright students. I'm wondering how much of an adjustment it will be for them to be switching school environments. I'm a little nervous as I've never moved with kids and they've been in the same private school since early elementary. I did have an older child in public school, so I'm not totally unaware of difference, but I'm new to the DC area. If anyone with experience has advice, suggestions, that would be great. Thanks!

[claremarie]

We moved, though not mid-year, with a child in 10th grade. Not all schools have the same math sequence. My son ended up never taking geometry, which was offered in 10th grade in his old school and 9th grade in his new school. He taught himself enough to take the PSAT and SAT tests, and though the college he will be attending this fall "required" geometry, no one in admissions picked up on the lack of a geometry credit on his transcripts. Obviously, this is not ideal. You might check the curriculum in both potential new school systems, and then work with his current school on solutions if there may be difficulties in transferring. Also, if your 10th grader will be taking any AP courses this school year, you will need to make sure that he will be able to continue them in his new school. There should be fewer issues with the 7th grader, unless he is taking accelerated math or language courses that most 7th graders in public schools aren't taking yet.

[gtownorbust]

Originally Posted by claremarie

We moved, though not mid-year, with a child in 10th grade. Not all schools have the same math sequence. My son ended up never taking geometry, which was offered in 10th grade in his old school and 9th grade in his new school. He taught himself enough to take the PSAT and SAT tests, and though the college he will be attending this fall "required" geometry, no one in admissions picked up on the lack of a geometry credit on his transcripts. Obviously, this is not ideal. You might check the curriculum in both potential new school systems, and then work with his current school on solutions if there may be difficulties in transferring. Also, if your 10th grader will be taking any AP courses this school year, you will need to make sure that he will be able to continue them in his new school. There should be fewer issues with the 7th grader, unless he is taking accelerated math or language courses that most 7th graders in public schools aren't taking yet.

Thank you. I figured the 10th grader might be more the issue, at least in terms of curriculum. I will definitely check this out. My 10th grader has already taken both Algebra 1 and 2 and Geometry, so I think the next course for him is Precalculus Honors. I have no idea how the schools down there will handle this, but I'll certainly try to find out. Thanks again.

[gtownorbust]

Am bumping this thread in hopes of getting a few more responses.

How big are average classes in the FCPS high schools?

What's the distinction between IB and AP -- is there one?

Are curriculum decisions all made at the county level, or are there significant differences with this from school to school?

What, if any, would the differences be between a top high school in FCPS and say, Yorktown in Arlington?

I have looked at the FCPS website and the website for Arlington. I'm looking for more firsthand "real" experience from parents or teacher familiar with the schools, especially the high schools.

Thanks.

[claremarie]

We no longer live in the DC area, but spent more than two decades in northern Virginia -- first in North Arlington (Tuckahoe/Williamsburg/Yorktown) and then in McLean (Chesterbrook/Longfellow/McLean). IMO there are far more similarities than differences among school pyramids in these communities. Both North Arlington and the McLean/Great Falls/Vienna areas are filled with high-achieving professional parents who demand top schools and expect their children to excel. Yorktown probably has a few more lower-income students than the comparable Fairfax schools, but it's a marginal difference rather than a major one. Fairfax is a much bigger district, and some parents feel that they have less influence on school decisions than in a smaller system like Arlington. For example, in response to research regarding teen sleep needs, Arlington shifted school start times so that elementary schools start earlier than the high schools. Fairfax has consistently claimed that transportation issues make that move impossible. Arlington is more compact, so students will spend less time on the school bus. Fairfax operates special GT centers for highly gifted students. Arlington middle schools begin in 6th grade; Fairfax 6th graders are in elementary school. And so on. Most likely, your kids will do well at Yorktown, McLean, Madison, or Marshall, so you can safely base your housing decision on commute/budget/housing style factors rather than school issues.

[gtownorbust]

Thank you so much ClareMarie. This information is very helpful.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by claremarie

For example, in response to research regarding teen sleep needs, Arlington shifted school start times so that elementary schools start earlier than the high schools.

Very interesting how we didn't seem to have these "sleep needs" as teens before the era of the internet. They should probably go whole hog now and hold high school and college classes from 8pm to 3am.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by gtownorbust

How big are average classes in the FCPS high schools?

Depends on the class, but I generally see around 25-30 students. You can get away with packing in more kids in honors classes, less in remedial classes.

What's the distinction between IB and AP -- is there one?

AP is Advanced Placement. Students take a test at the end of the year to evaluate what they've learned, and the score determines if/how much college credit their chosen university will give them for the class. You can take 1 or 10 or 20 AP classes--there is no formula. If a student is great at English but struggles in math, they can take AP English Literature and never take AP Calculus.

IB is International Baccalaureate. It is a more holistic program, where students take a courseload of IB classes in addition to extra requirements to earn the IB diploma. IB requires a research paper, a philosophy class, and community service hours. Students also take a second foreign language, I believe. It is a 2 year course load, starting junior year.

Are curriculum decisions all made at the county level, or are there significant differences with this from school to school?

The standards are set by the state. The pacing guides (when schools should hit each standard) are created by the county. Individual teams of teachers determine how they will teach each standard during the appropriate time line.

Differences should be minimal. There is a fair amount of activity between schools during the year (I had 3 new students transfer within the county last spring, out of 120ish), so it allows students to move without being lost.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

IB is International Baccalaureate. It is a more holistic program, where students take a courseload of IB classes in addition to extra requirements to earn the IB diploma. IB requires a research paper, a philosophy class, and community service hours. Students also take a second foreign language, I believe. It is a 2 year course load, starting junior year.

In Fairfax, students can take individual IB courses even if they don't intend to get a full IB diploma. Students pursuing an IB diploma are required to study a foreign language (which is referred to as the "second language" in the IB materials). They are not required to study two foreign languages.

[CaliTerp07]

Originally Posted by JEB77

In Fairfax, students can take individual IB courses even if they don't intend to get a full IB diploma. Students pursuing an IB diploma are required to study a foreign language (which is referred to as the "second language" in the IB materials). They are not required to study two foreign languages.

Ooh, that's good to know. My high school had both AP and IB, and the IB was an "all or nothing" commitment. Glad it isn't the case here.

Is the foreign language requirement anything beyond what Virginia requires? I know California required 2 years to graduate (3 to enter any state university), so the only difference was the difficulty of the language classes.