Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the more frequent questions we receive from prospective parents. If you don't find the answer you're looking for, please give us a call at 703-533-9711.
Q: Is your program accelerated?
A. Congressional offers an accelerated broad-based education, strengthened by creative teaching techniques and exceptional resources. All students use challenging, above-grade-level texts supplemented by hands-on activities. For example, 1st grade students not only learn about oceanography, they also learn fish biology through dissection. Seventh grade students study Algebra I, and students in 8th grade study Geometry, a high-school-level course. All Middle Schoolers pursue an equally accelerated science curriculum consisting of year-long laboratory courses in earth science, biology, chemistry and physics.
Q. What is your average class size?
A. In grades 1 through 8 we have approximately 18 children in a classroom. There are two sections per grade. Our Preschool (3-year olds) has 16 children in a classroom, Junior Kindergarten (4-year olds) has 18, and Senior Kindergarten (5-year olds) has 19. All classes in Preschool through Senior Kindergarten have a teacher and a teaching assistant.
Children in all grades have specialized teachers for physical education, music, art, and foreign language.
Q. Are your teachers certified?
A. Unlike many independent schools, Congressional requires that all teachers from Early Childhood onward be fully certified in their fields and pursue continuing professional development. In addition, teachers are required to meet national technology standards as part of their certification.
Q. Which foreign languages are available at Congressional?
A. All children in Senior Kindergarten through grade 8 are required to study either French or Spanish. Prior to entering Senior Kindergarten, students make their language choice and they will study this language through 4th grade. At the end of 4th grade, as our students prepare to move up to Middle School (which begins in 5th grade), they may either continue with the same language or switch. Students in 7th grade have the option of studying Latin, a two-year course of study, in lieu of French or Spanish.
Q. Are you required to participate in the Virginia Standard of Learning (SOL) program?
A. No. Congressional's belief in the importance of innovative, dynamic teaching is one reason the school does not participate in the SOL program. Our SOL-independence empowers teachers to introduce new resources and explore challenging new material. Teachers can tailor their teaching to their students.
Congressional's own benchmarks of achievement are fully articulated. For each school, a concise Scope and Sequence outlines goals by grade and subject area. Assessment of student performance includes a teacher's direct observation of a child's understanding. The external indicator we use is Educational Records Bureau (ERB) testing. Our performance on this national test is above the 85th percentile or higher.
Q. Do you have an after school sports program?
A. Congressional offers an extensive after school sports program. We also have Junior Varsity and Varsity teams that play other local schools.
Q. Are student required to wear uniforms?
A. All students in Senior Kindergarten through grade 8 are required to wear uniforms. They are optional for younger children.
Q. Do you offer transportation?
A. Congressional offers door to door transportation to many areas of Northern Virginia. Please contact the transportation office at 703-533-9711, ext. 600, for further information.
Q. Does Congressional offer before- and after-school care?
A. Congressional's Extended Hours Program (EHP) is available in the morning from 7:00-8:00 and in the afternoon from 3:10 to 6:00. We do not provide transportation for children who are in EHP.
Q. What are your hours?
A. School hours are from 8:15 am to 3:10 pm.
Q. What is the tuition? What are the transportation and extended hour fees?
A. Please call 703-533-9711, ext. 307, or e-mail the Admissions Office for further information.
Q. Is your program accredited?
A. Congressional is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Q. Does Congressional offer financial aid?
A. The Congressional Schools of Virginia is committed to accepting and enrolling a well-qualified and diverse student body. To that end, we make every effort to ensure that motivated, talented, well-rounded students have the opportunity to receive an education at Congressional, regardless of cost. Financial aid decisions are made independently from admissions decisions. Financial aid is based solely on demonstrated need as determined by our Financial Aid Committee, which relies on the analysis provided by the School and Student Services for Financial Aid (http://www.nais.org/financialaid/sss), as well as the availability of funds and the number of applicants for financial aid. Financial aid is available beginning with Senior Kindergarten (5-year olds).
We know that financing an independent school education can be a difficult process, and we would like to help in any way we can. For any questions concerning financial aid, tuition or payment plans, please do not hesitate to call our Business Office at 703-533-9711, ext. 308.