BASIS: PCSB staff recommends conditional continuance due to SWD

[Anonymous]

The materials for tonight's meeting is here. BASIS isn't looking too good when it comes to attracting and retaining students with disabilities, middle school re-enrollment, and some of the academic performance metrics of certain subgroups. SPED/IDEA compliance is also an issue.

Is anyone even slightly surprised by this?

https://www.livebinders.com/b/2891815

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The materials for tonight's meeting is here. BASIS isn't looking too good when it comes to attracting and retaining students with disabilities, middle school re-enrollment, and some of the academic performance metrics of certain subgroups. SPED/IDEA compliance is also an issue.

Is anyone even slightly surprised by this?

https://www.livebinders.com/b/2891815

Au contraire. These are really impressive results for a school that is only a decade old. Maybe PCSB should be looking to replicate these results with other charters?

“BASIS DC PCS earned high ratings on the PMF throughout the review period. In SY 2018 –19, the LEA’s high school program earned a 97.7% on the PMF; this is the highest score any school has achieved since DC PCSB began producing the PMF. That same year, the LEA’s middle school program had the highest proficiency rates in English language arts among all PK – 8 DC public charter schools.”

“The QSR [Qualitative Site Review] team observed strong evidence that BASIS DC PCS’s academic program is achieving its mission. Teachers provided academically rigorous instruction to middle and high school students. In all classes, students worked on sophisticated and challenging content. ... In the instruction domain, observers noted high-quality instruction and academically rigorous content across subjects and grade levels. Teachers engaged students in challenging work in a variety of ways, asking them to complete complex math problems, work as groups to analyze historical events, and discuss characters in a high-quality, complex text.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The materials for tonight's meeting is here. BASIS isn't looking too good when it comes to attracting and retaining students with disabilities, middle school re-enrollment, and some of the academic performance metrics of certain subgroups. SPED/IDEA compliance is also an issue.

Is anyone even slightly surprised by this?

https://www.livebinders.com/b/2891815

Au contraire. These are really impressive results for a school that is only a decade old. Maybe PCSB should be looking to replicate these results with other charters?

“BASIS DC PCS earned high ratings on the PMF throughout the review period. In SY 2018 –19, the LEA’s high school program earned a 97.7% on the PMF; this is the highest score any school has achieved since DC PCSB began producing the PMF. That same year, the LEA’s middle school program had the highest proficiency rates in English language arts among all PK – 8 DC public charter schools.”

“The QSR [Qualitative Site Review] team observed strong evidence that BASIS DC PCS’s academic program is achieving its mission. Teachers provided academically rigorous instruction to middle and high school students. In all classes, students worked on sophisticated and challenging content. ... In the instruction domain, observers noted high-quality instruction and academically rigorous content across subjects and grade levels. Teachers engaged students in challenging work in a variety of ways, asking them to complete complex math problems, work as groups to analyze historical events, and discuss characters in a high-quality, complex text.”

You're missing the point, dear. That "success" comes from having far fewer students with special needs and disabilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The materials for tonight's meeting is here. BASIS isn't looking too good when it comes to attracting and retaining students with disabilities, middle school re-enrollment, and some of the academic performance metrics of certain subgroups. SPED/IDEA compliance is also an issue.

Is anyone even slightly surprised by this?

https://www.livebinders.com/b/2891815

Au contraire. These are really impressive results for a school that is only a decade old. Maybe PCSB should be looking to replicate these results with other charters?

“BASIS DC PCS earned high ratings on the PMF throughout the review period. In SY 2018 –19, the LEA’s high school program earned a 97.7% on the PMF; this is the highest score any school has achieved since DC PCSB began producing the PMF. That same year, the LEA’s middle school program had the highest proficiency rates in English language arts among all PK – 8 DC public charter schools.”

“The QSR [Qualitative Site Review] team observed strong evidence that BASIS DC PCS’s academic program is achieving its mission. Teachers provided academically rigorous instruction to middle and high school students. In all classes, students worked on sophisticated and challenging content. ... In the instruction domain, observers noted high-quality instruction and academically rigorous content across subjects and grade levels. Teachers engaged students in challenging work in a variety of ways, asking them to complete complex math problems, work as groups to analyze historical events, and discuss characters in a high-quality, complex text.”

You're missing the point, dear. That "success" comes from having far fewer students with special needs and disabilities.

No, hon, you are missing the point.

One in four DC adults struggles with basic reading, and one in three adults in DC cannot do basic math. The D.C. illiteracy rate about 20 percent higher than the national average.

Let's fix our broken educational system in DC.

That will benefit everyone, including students with special needs and disabilities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The materials for tonight's meeting is here. BASIS isn't looking too good when it comes to attracting and retaining students with disabilities, middle school re-enrollment, and some of the academic performance metrics of certain subgroups. SPED/IDEA compliance is also an issue.

Is anyone even slightly surprised by this?

https://www.livebinders.com/b/2891815

Au contraire. These are really impressive results for a school that is only a decade old. Maybe PCSB should be looking to replicate these results with other charters?

“BASIS DC PCS earned high ratings on the PMF throughout the review period. In SY 2018 –19, the LEA’s high school program earned a 97.7% on the PMF; this is the highest score any school has achieved since DC PCSB began producing the PMF. That same year, the LEA’s middle school program had the highest proficiency rates in English language arts among all PK – 8 DC public charter schools.”

“The QSR [Qualitative Site Review] team observed strong evidence that BASIS DC PCS’s academic program is achieving its mission. Teachers provided academically rigorous instruction to middle and high school students. In all classes, students worked on sophisticated and challenging content. ... In the instruction domain, observers noted high-quality instruction and academically rigorous content across subjects and grade levels. Teachers engaged students in challenging work in a variety of ways, asking them to complete complex math problems, work as groups to analyze historical events, and discuss characters in a high-quality, complex text.”

You're missing the point, dear. That "success" comes from having far fewer students with special needs and disabilities.

No, hon, you are missing the point.

One in four DC adults struggles with basic reading, and one in three adults in DC cannot do basic math. The D.C. illiteracy rate about 20 percent higher than the national average.

Let's fix our broken educational system in DC.

That will benefit everyone, including students with special needs and disabilities.

I'm not quite grasping why those things make it okay that BASIS serves far fewer students with disabilities.

Also the middle school retention is below sector average. Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The materials for tonight's meeting is here. BASIS isn't looking too good when it comes to attracting and retaining students with disabilities, middle school re-enrollment, and some of the academic performance metrics of certain subgroups. SPED/IDEA compliance is also an issue.

Is anyone even slightly surprised by this?

https://www.livebinders.com/b/2891815

Au contraire. These are really impressive results for a school that is only a decade old. Maybe PCSB should be looking to replicate these results with other charters?

“BASIS DC PCS earned high ratings on the PMF throughout the review period. In SY 2018 –19, the LEA’s high school program earned a 97.7% on the PMF; this is the highest score any school has achieved since DC PCSB began producing the PMF. That same year, the LEA’s middle school program had the highest proficiency rates in English language arts among all PK – 8 DC public charter schools.”

“The QSR [Qualitative Site Review] team observed strong evidence that BASIS DC PCS’s academic program is achieving its mission. Teachers provided academically rigorous instruction to middle and high school students. In all classes, students worked on sophisticated and challenging content. ... In the instruction domain, observers noted high-quality instruction and academically rigorous content across subjects and grade levels. Teachers engaged students in challenging work in a variety of ways, asking them to complete complex math problems, work as groups to analyze historical events, and discuss characters in a high-quality, complex text.”

You're missing the point, dear. That "success" comes from having far fewer students with special needs and disabilities.

No, hon, you are missing the point.

One in four DC adults struggles with basic reading, and one in three adults in DC cannot do basic math. The D.C. illiteracy rate about 20 percent higher than the national average.

Let's fix our broken educational system in DC.

That will benefit everyone, including students with special needs and disabilities.

Fixing the broken educational system means not calling schools successful when actually they're failing and avoiding students with disabilities.

[Anonymous]

Have you seen the other middle schools in DC? If the PCSB even remotely hints that BASIS is anything other than obviously one of the best handful of options in DC anyway you slice it, it is pure posturing. Should they do better with SPED and IEP compliance? Absolutely. Would it actually help kids with IEPs to shut it down? Obviously not. And it would hurt a lot of other kids who are doing great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you seen the other middle schools in DC? If the PCSB even remotely hints that BASIS is anything other than obviously one of the best handful of options in DC anyway you slice it, it is pure posturing. Should they do better with SPED and IEP compliance? Absolutely. Would it actually help kids with IEPs to shut it down? Obviously not. And it would hurt a lot of other kids who are doing great.

There is no move to shut down BASIS FFS. The proposal is a conditional continuance where they have to do better and report annually.

[Anonymous]

My impression from outside is that BASIS is harder and does not adapt itself down to “meet students where they are.”

Obviously that is good for some students who are already hard workers or smart or have parent assistance. Some students can be brought up or catch up. Others cannot. And those who have disabilities that basically don’t really allow them to catch up without slowing down the whole ship are not brought along, and as a result they either fail or leave or both.

I assume that boosters will either agree with the above or dispute it only so they don’t get in trouble or quibble with the details so as to not have to admit it.

On one hand I have respect for a school that will operate along these lines without compromise and on another hand it’s pretty heartless, isn’t it?

But love it or hate it that’s basically BASIS.

Right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My impression from outside is that BASIS is harder and does not adapt itself down to “meet students where they are.”

Obviously that is good for some students who are already hard workers or smart or have parent assistance. Some students can be brought up or catch up. Others cannot. And those who have disabilities that basically don’t really allow them to catch up without slowing down the whole ship are not brought along, and as a result they either fail or leave or both.

I assume that boosters will either agree with the above or dispute it only so they don’t get in trouble or quibble with the details so as to not have to admit it.

On one hand I have respect for a school that will operate along these lines without compromise and on another hand it’s pretty heartless, isn’t it?

But love it or hate it that’s basically BASIS.

Right?

It's just tacky to praise BASIS for it's good test scores when this is a big part of how they achieve it. Good scores on non-SPED, non-at-risk kids is not some impressive pedagogical breakthrough. And BASIS refusing to make changes to retain SWD just means other schools have to take more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My impression from outside is that BASIS is harder and does not adapt itself down to “meet students where they are.”

Obviously that is good for some students who are already hard workers or smart or have parent assistance. Some students can be brought up or catch up. Others cannot. And those who have disabilities that basically don’t really allow them to catch up without slowing down the whole ship are not brought along, and as a result they either fail or leave or both.

I assume that boosters will either agree with the above or dispute it only so they don’t get in trouble or quibble with the details so as to not have to admit it.

On one hand I have respect for a school that will operate along these lines without compromise and on another hand it’s pretty heartless, isn’t it?

But love it or hate it that’s basically BASIS.

Right?

It's just tacky to praise BASIS for it's good test scores when this is a big part of how they achieve it. Good scores on non-SPED, non-at-risk kids is not some impressive pedagogical breakthrough. And BASIS refusing to make changes to retain SWD just means other schools have to take more.

Maybe parents with kids with IEPS choose other schools? That is not the fault of BASIS.

For those that stick with BASIS, the results are clear:

"While the school’s special education enrollment rates are comparatively low, BASIS DC PCS’s students with disabilities outperform their peers across the charter sector in academic growth and proficiency"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The materials for tonight's meeting is here. BASIS isn't looking too good when it comes to attracting and retaining students with disabilities, middle school re-enrollment, and some of the academic performance metrics of certain subgroups. SPED/IDEA compliance is also an issue.

Is anyone even slightly surprised by this?

https://www.livebinders.com/b/2891815

Au contraire. These are really impressive results for a school that is only a decade old. Maybe PCSB should be looking to replicate these results with other charters?

“BASIS DC PCS earned high ratings on the PMF throughout the review period. In SY 2018 –19, the LEA’s high school program earned a 97.7% on the PMF; this is the highest score any school has achieved since DC PCSB began producing the PMF. That same year, the LEA’s middle school program had the highest proficiency rates in English language arts among all PK – 8 DC public charter schools.”

“The QSR [Qualitative Site Review] team observed strong evidence that BASIS DC PCS’s academic program is achieving its mission. Teachers provided academically rigorous instruction to middle and high school students. In all classes, students worked on sophisticated and challenging content. ... In the instruction domain, observers noted high-quality instruction and academically rigorous content across subjects and grade levels. Teachers engaged students in challenging work in a variety of ways, asking them to complete complex math problems, work as groups to analyze historical events, and discuss characters in a high-quality, complex text.”

You're missing the point, dear. That "success" comes from having far fewer students with special needs and disabilities.

No, hon, you are missing the point.

One in four DC adults struggles with basic reading, and one in three adults in DC cannot do basic math. The D.C. illiteracy rate about 20 percent higher than the national average.

Let's fix our broken educational system in DC.

That will benefit everyone, including students with special needs and disabilities.

Fixing the broken educational system means not calling schools successful when actually they're failing and avoiding students with disabilities.

Wrong.

Here is what the report says:

"While the school’s special education enrollment rates are comparatively low, BASIS DC PCS’s students with disabilities outperform their peers across the charter sector in academic growth and proficiency"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The materials for tonight's meeting is here. BASIS isn't looking too good when it comes to attracting and retaining students with disabilities, middle school re-enrollment, and some of the academic performance metrics of certain subgroups. SPED/IDEA compliance is also an issue.

Is anyone even slightly surprised by this?

https://www.livebinders.com/b/2891815

Au contraire. These are really impressive results for a school that is only a decade old. Maybe PCSB should be looking to replicate these results with other charters?

“BASIS DC PCS earned high ratings on the PMF throughout the review period. In SY 2018 –19, the LEA’s high school program earned a 97.7% on the PMF; this is the highest score any school has achieved since DC PCSB began producing the PMF. That same year, the LEA’s middle school program had the highest proficiency rates in English language arts among all PK – 8 DC public charter schools.”

“The QSR [Qualitative Site Review] team observed strong evidence that BASIS DC PCS’s academic program is achieving its mission. Teachers provided academically rigorous instruction to middle and high school students. In all classes, students worked on sophisticated and challenging content. ... In the instruction domain, observers noted high-quality instruction and academically rigorous content across subjects and grade levels. Teachers engaged students in challenging work in a variety of ways, asking them to complete complex math problems, work as groups to analyze historical events, and discuss characters in a high-quality, complex text.”

You're missing the point, dear. That "success" comes from having far fewer students with special needs and disabilities.

No, hon, you are missing the point.

One in four DC adults struggles with basic reading, and one in three adults in DC cannot do basic math. The D.C. illiteracy rate about 20 percent higher than the national average.

Let's fix our broken educational system in DC.

That will benefit everyone, including students with special needs and disabilities.

No you’re still missing the point. Many NW schools for example don’t have self contained classrooms and neither does basis.
They also have less low SES students which 100% makes a difference.

When a school has a lot of self contained sped kids, ELL, or at risk students and is successful then I will really praise that school. Basis isn’t even a title 1 school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My impression from outside is that BASIS is harder and does not adapt itself down to “meet students where they are.”

Obviously that is good for some students who are already hard workers or smart or have parent assistance. Some students can be brought up or catch up. Others cannot. And those who have disabilities that basically don’t really allow them to catch up without slowing down the whole ship are not brought along, and as a result they either fail or leave or both.

I assume that boosters will either agree with the above or dispute it only so they don’t get in trouble or quibble with the details so as to not have to admit it.

On one hand I have respect for a school that will operate along these lines without compromise and on another hand it’s pretty heartless, isn’t it?

But love it or hate it that’s basically BASIS.


Right?

Assuming from your post that you don’t have any experience with students with IEPs who are more than capable of the academic work at BASIS.

What do you mean by “brought along”? Do you mean providing the supports a child needs - and the school is legally required to provide?

Ignorance such as yours is what kinds with SNs have to deal with every day, even at schools like BASIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The materials for tonight's meeting is here. BASIS isn't looking too good when it comes to attracting and retaining students with disabilities, middle school re-enrollment, and some of the academic performance metrics of certain subgroups. SPED/IDEA compliance is also an issue.

Is anyone even slightly surprised by this?

https://www.livebinders.com/b/2891815

Au contraire. These are really impressive results for a school that is only a decade old. Maybe PCSB should be looking to replicate these results with other charters?

“BASIS DC PCS earned high ratings on the PMF throughout the review period. In SY 2018 –19, the LEA’s high school program earned a 97.7% on the PMF; this is the highest score any school has achieved since DC PCSB began producing the PMF. That same year, the LEA’s middle school program had the highest proficiency rates in English language arts among all PK – 8 DC public charter schools.”

“The QSR [Qualitative Site Review] team observed strong evidence that BASIS DC PCS’s academic program is achieving its mission. Teachers provided academically rigorous instruction to middle and high school students. In all classes, students worked on sophisticated and challenging content. ... In the instruction domain, observers noted high-quality instruction and academically rigorous content across subjects and grade levels. Teachers engaged students in challenging work in a variety of ways, asking them to complete complex math problems, work as groups to analyze historical events, and discuss characters in a high-quality, complex text.”

You're missing the point, dear. That "success" comes from having far fewer students with special needs and disabilities.

No, hon, you are missing the point.

One in four DC adults struggles with basic reading, and one in three adults in DC cannot do basic math. The D.C. illiteracy rate about 20 percent higher than the national average.

Let's fix our broken educational system in DC.

That will benefit everyone, including students with special needs and disabilities.

Fixing the broken educational system means not calling schools successful when actually they're failing and avoiding students with disabilities.

Wrong.

Here is what the report says:

"While the school’s special education enrollment rates are comparatively low, BASIS DC PCS’s students with disabilities outperform their peers across the charter sector in academic growth and proficiency"

Right, they give the kids failing grades so that they leave before PARCC time. That is why they have so few kids with IEPs, especially Tier 3 and 4. It's disingenuous to act like the subgroups within SPED don't make a difference.