Lycee Rochambeau

Lycee Rochambeau is French International school in the Washington area, in Bethesda

References

External links

* [http://www.rochambeau.org web site]

SCHOOL AND COMMUNITYThe French International School of Washington, D.C., Lycée Rochambeau, was founded in 1955. Presently, with a total enrollment of approximately 1100 students, it is the largest of the nine French schools in the United States. Lycée Rochambeau is a non-denominational, coeducational, day school serving students from pre-kindergarten (age 3, "petite section") through high school and the last year of the French secondary system ("Terminale") on three campuses located just outside the city of Washington, D.C.

The Lycée's secondary school accommodates approximately 390 students on an 11-acre campus in Bethesda, Maryland, 10 miles from downtown Washington, D.C. Approximately forty-nine percent (49%) of students are French nationals, fourteen percent (14%) are U.S. citizens, and thirty-seven percent (37%) come from 55 other nations. Many students’ families are in Washington, D.C. on temporary assignments with embassies and other international organizations. Because of this, there is significant annual turnover in the student population.

ACCREDITATION, AFFILIATIONS AND ACADEMIC CREDENTIALSLycée Rochambeau is accredited by the French National Ministry of Education and approved by the Maryland State Department of Education. The majority of the Lycée’s students meet all Maryland high school curricular requirements and are awarded the U.S. high school diploma at the end of their "Première" year, the year preceding the final year of French secondary education. The final year of study at the Lycée ("Terminale") is devoted to preparing students to pass the French "Baccalauréat" examinations, which alone qualifies students for admission to the French university system, and is acknowledged under European Union law as meeting the requirements to apply for admission into EU universities.

This extra year of study at the Lycée normally follows the awarding of the U.S. high school diploma and is appropriately regarded as post-secondary study in the U.S., although it is an integral part of secondary education in the French system. Because of this, both Canadian and U.S. colleges and universities often grant college credit and/or advanced standing to graduates of French secondary schools on the basis of their performance on the French "Baccalauréat" examinations, just as credit and advanced standing are often given by universities to students for their performance on AP and IB examinations.

Students of any nationality who obtain the "Baccalauréat" diploma are automatically eligible to attend university in France. A U.S. high school graduate without the "Baccalauréat" will typically be required to complete some U.S. college study before being admitted to a French university.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTSTo receive the high school diploma from the State of Maryland, Lycée Rochambeau students must complete a minimum of 21 Carnegie units. Twenty of these units must be in specified areas: 4 units in English 2 units in a third foreign language 4 units in French 3 units in mathematics 4 units in social studies to include 1credit in U.S. History 3 units in science

The French "Baccalauréat" degree is awarded only when a student has completed a fifth year of study and has passed the "Baccalauréat" examinations.

Because the Maryland high school diploma is usually awarded to students before their last year of study at the Lycée, students who have earned the diploma and who plan to attend American colleges have the option of leaving the Lycée without completing the Terminale year and without taking the "Baccalauréat" examinations. More than ninety-five percent (95%) of students at the Lycée, however, choose to stay for the "Terminale" year in order to sit for the "Baccalauréat" examinations.

FRENCH NATIONAL CURRICULUM, FACULTY, LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTIONAll French lycées follow the academic curriculum established by the French National Ministry of Education. Faculty members are certified by the same French ministry. The Lycée’s student-faculty ratio is 10 to 1, with all courses being taught in French except for English language classes, U.S. civilization classes, and history classes, which are all taught entirely in English. English language instruction is offered at four levels with placement depending on a student’s level of proficiency: Group 1 – ESL; Group 2 - standard English; Group 3 – Honors English; and Group 4—OIB English.

COURSE LOADDuring the final three years of secondary education, Lycée students often carry a course load of 37 to 40 hours per week, with a corresponding amount of homework. School hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Given the long school day and heavy academic load, students have little time to pursue activities common to most U.S. high school cultures.

GRADE POINT AVERAGES AND CLASS RANKINGThe Lycée does not calculate GPAs or assign class rank due to the fact that courses in the French system are not quantified with equal credit units as they are in the U.S. Because Lycée courses vary in number of contact hours and difficulty, a student’s performance courses cannot be accurately averaged, nor can a class ranking be accurately determined.

FRENCH BACCALAURÉATDuring the last two years of French secondary education ("Première" and "Terminale"), students choose concentrations in one of the following specialized academic tracks ("Séries du Baccalauréat"): "Série" "L" (Languages, Literature and Humanities) "Série" "ES" (Economics and Social Sciences) "Série" "S" (Mathematics and Sciences)In addition to their concentration courses, all Lycée Rochambeau students are required to enroll in English, a second modern foreign language in addition to English (Spanish, German, Greek, Italian, Polish, Arabic, etc.), history, and philosophy.

"Baccalauréat" examinations are developed at the French national level, with the same examinations being given at "lycées" worldwide at the end of the "Première" and "Terminale" years. Each section of the "Baccalauréat" examinations consists of a series of essays requiring in-depth analysis and a well-reasoned response. The written section of the "Baccalauréat" is scheduled over a two-week period, encompassing 17-32 hours of testing. Students also present two to four oral examinations.Over the past ten years, the success rate on the "Baccalauréat" examination at the Lycée Rochambeau has averaged approximately 96.2%, with over 66% of the students receiving honors, compared with the annual pass rate at 90.95% at other French "lycées" in the U.S.

INTERNATIONAL OPTION OF THE FRENCH BACCALAURÉAT (OIB)Within the context of the "Baccalauréat's" international options (the "option internationale du baccalauréat", or OIB) the Lycée offers the American Option. The Lycée’s OIB American Option, which is taught by French and American faculty, is an optional three-year program that offers students advanced level studies in English language and literature and an integrated curriculum in world history and geography. The OIB is not a separate diploma, but rather an additional specialization within the framework of any of the three "Séries" of the "Baccalauréat". The concept, curriculum, and evaluation standards of the OIB American Option were developed by the French Ministry of Education and the Advanced Placement Division of the College Board. To meet the requirements of the Lycée’s OIB specialization, students must pass rigorous written and oral examinations given in English and evaluated by external examiners provided by the Advanced Placement Division of the College Board.