Basis 8th grade to Walls-vent

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The thing about PARCC is kids have no skin in the game. The only people who are affected by PARCC scores are teachers who teach those grade levels/courses and the school profile. If DCPS wanted to get an actual measure of student readiness in math and reading then they’d make scoring a 3 on parcc a requirement for graduation. I guarantee PARCC scores would increase citywide in HS. But of course DCPS won’t actually make the test worth anything so instead kids focus on AP tests or coursework that affects their grades. How hard would you all try on a test that means nothing? Versus how hard would you try on a test that had some incentive (money, getting into grad school, etc.?

But a Walls student wouldn't need to try at all to get a 4 on the PARCC! It's testing stuff they already know well. You're not supposed to study. Just show up and take a test.

+1. I think PARCC reflects the poor teaching at Walls more than anything else. What kind community have you built that would have 1/3 of the students not care about a test that would show the quality of the school and its teaching?

Have you ever met a teenager?

Especially ones who are studious enough to get into Walls, I'm guessing think a lot think PARCC is a joke and want to just get it over with while putting in minimum effort. If it doesn't affect GPA or college for them personally, why bother?

Probably because many DC kids aren't planning to go to college? Why would they take a PSAT or SAT?

What kind of kids are you raising? If it doesn’t affect them personally, they’re going to put in zero effort?

What kind of stupid city foists PARCC/CAPE on kids when plenty of states go with PSAT 8/9, PSAT or the SAT as their state standardized test for high school. Congress allow that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:The thing about PARCC is kids have no skin in the game. The only people who are affected by PARCC scores are teachers who teach those grade levels/courses and the school profile. If DCPS wanted to get an actual measure of student readiness in math and reading then they’d make scoring a 3 on parcc a requirement for graduation. I guarantee PARCC scores would increase citywide in HS. But of course DCPS won’t actually make the test worth anything so instead kids focus on AP tests or coursework that affects their grades. How hard would you all try on a test that means nothing? Versus how hard would you try on a test that had some incentive (money, getting into grad school, etc.?

But a Walls student wouldn't need to try at all to get a 4 on the PARCC! It's testing stuff they already know well. You're not supposed to study. Just show up and take a test.

+1. I think PARCC reflects the poor teaching at Walls more than anything else. What kind community have you built that would have 1/3 of the students not care about a test that would show the quality of the school and its teaching?

Have you ever met a teenager?

Especially ones who are studious enough to get into Walls, I'm guessing think a lot think PARCC is a joke and want to just get it over with while putting in minimum effort. If it doesn't affect GPA or college for them personally, why bother?

What kind of kids are you raising? If it doesn’t affect them personally, they’re going to put in zero effort?

What kind of stupid city foists PARCC/CAPE on kids when plenty of states go with PSAT 8/9, PSAT or the SAT as their state standardized test for high school. Congress allow that!

Probably because many DC kids aren't planning to go to college? Why would they take a PSAT or SAT?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not interested in Basis because I don’t like the math acceleration they have. I’m a HS teacher and in my opinion, very few kids are developmentally ready for precalculus in 8th grade. I don’t see the point of rushing through the K-12 curriculum just to accelerate kids.
I 100% agree that DCPS, in general, does not challenge kids enough. But Basis is sort of the other extreme. Going slower and deeper with math and other subjects usually works better than pure acceleration. I’m sure some kids do well with the Basis model but it is not ideal for most kids

+1. It is not ideal for most kids. But it ideal for some. For my kid and his friends, it works just fine. He's not stressing, nor are any of this friends, because this speed is the right speed for them.

This is why I hope more parents research BASIS before the lottery and not list it if they don't think it will be a good fit. That will leave more spots open for those kids that will fit it well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not interested in Basis because I don’t like the math acceleration they have. I’m a HS teacher and in my opinion, very few kids are developmentally ready for precalculus in 8th grade. I don’t see the point of rushing through the K-12 curriculum just to accelerate kids.
I 100% agree that DCPS, in general, does not challenge kids enough. But Basis is sort of the other extreme. Going slower and deeper with math and other subjects usually works better than pure acceleration. I’m sure some kids do well with the Basis model but it is not ideal for most kids

BASIS has changed - it now is the case that only a few 8th graders are in precalculus.

Whether you think all 9th graders should be in precalculus is perhaps a different story. I'm not sure that's appropriate either.

Their math sequence really makes no sense to me. They cover Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and geometry over two years and then spend two years on calculus (AB sophomore year and BC junior year). And then have kids take a math seminar senior year. I don't understand why they don't slow down Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and geometry and then 'speed up' calculus by letting those who can take BC without having to take AB while others take both AB and BC.

We're at BASIS but it was with the assumption that we'd leave for HS but that plan didn't pan out.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:We can blame DCPS AND expect Basis to open its doors to students who can do the work. Do you think the kids who peel off for the competitive privates at ninth grade couldn’t handle Basis? Or the 4.0 kids who go on to SWW and then to top colleges? Why was SWW able to have an admissions test for so many years but Basis couldn’t?

So you want your rising 9th grader to go to BASIS? Or are you mad your BASIS (or not) rising 9th grader didn’t get into Walls?

Those kids with 4.0s you speak of going to SWW or privates could have gone to BASIS in 5th grade. For the most part BASIS went through a significant portion of their waitlist at that time. Then they could have stayed for HS. Problem solved.

Someone will know the reason why BASIS can’t have a tests. I think it has something to do with how its charter was approved.

This is always the Basis argument: You’re jealous. No, but I see where this city lacks good opportunities for smart kids, opportunities in the form of unfilled seats at Basis. Anyone can see that. Even people at Basis.

What about those 8th graders who are 4.0s now? Or three or four or five years from now? I guess they have to be lucky when they are fifth graders because, in practice, Basis closes their doors and leaves seats empty beyond sixth or seventh grade (when only Basis siblings can magically be Basis-ready).

Kids coming out of Basis have gotten a great education and are ready to do great things. Too bad some people there can’t bring themselves to share more of that opportunity.

But they do share that opportunity. The number of 5th grade seats is adjusted to reflect attrition in other grades. More kids leaving for 9th = more 5th grade seats and vice versa. That building can only hold 650ish kids. Can’t have a large 5th grade and also large HS classes.

I find it interesting that BASIS is bashed for all sorts of things and now that “selective” high schools are harder to get into people start bashing the school for not accepting more kids.

+1. If more people stay for HS, they will start offering fewer seats in 5th grade -- the way that each Latin only offers 90 seats currently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone is telling you that the issue is not that BASIS doesn't think ANY kid who doesn't go to BASIS is prepared, but rather that they are not allowed to have any processes for using academic record or test scores to select just the kids who are prepared. It is actually illegal for charters to do this.

And DCPS could put BASIS out of business in a second if they wanted. DCPS has more resources and is allowed to do selective admissions. The lack of opportunities for smart kids in DC is the fault of DCPS, not BASIS.

100%!!! BASIS is not a gifted program. It's just its own program. Many gifted students would not succeed at BASIS because BASIS is designed to fit only a certain kind of student. That's it. It's not BASIS' fault for not being a gifted program or not being designed to fit every kind of student. It is the fault of DCPS for not providing programming for gifted kids.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:If 4.0 BASIS kids aren’t even being considered for Walls, I’m not sure Walls is as great of a school as people make it seem. It’s a flawed admissions process when it doesn’t account for what it takes to get all As at BASIS, including in class subjects other middle schoolers haven’t even yet taken. It wouldn’t surprise me if the BASIS students who end up at Walls for high school are some of the most prepared students that school has.

As a parent of a former BASIS kid who switched to Walls (mainly for social reasons) I just want to tell any disappointed BASIS parents that IMO academics are much stronger at BASIS than they are at Walls (so far). My guess is that because BASIS has a relatively uniform curriculum that must be taught across the network, this keeps the academics/material learned at a high level. Many (not all!) Walls/DCPS teachers just seem to phone it in/do whatever they want (in some cases not much!) with no oversight. (I am still generally happy with switch given kid's overall happiness, but do lament the loss of rigor - which is somewhat made up for by the fact that the Walls cohort is almost uniformly diligent and high performing)

This has long been the case. And probably has not been helped with the removal of the Walls test.

The teaching ability/curriculum (or lack thereof) at Walls has nothing to do with the removal of the Walls test. And as far as I can tell, the cohort admitted post-test seems very motivated/high performing.

Really because I heard almost 1/3rd of the kids are not even getting 4 on PARCC

67% 4+ makes SWW the highest performing HS in the city for 4+ math. So your statement is true but there are no other high school students doing better.

Getting a 4 simply means that you have met expectations. How does a selective academic high school in DC have 33% of its student body not even meeting expectations in math? How did these students make the grade cut off?

Teacher here (not at Walls)- you do realize that this test has absolutely no impact on hs student grades or course placement right. Students have no reason to try hard on these tests. We do our best to motivate them but sometimes I’m amazed that more than half the students try hard enough to show their true knowledge. My 9th graders will take CAPE (former PARCC) across 7 days for a total of about 12 hours of pointless testing. Every year I see a number of capable students who I need to repeatedly wake up or who I see hit submit 20 minutes into a 80 minute testing session. I’m not saying this explains schools with single digit 4+ but don’t assume that all 33% of those non-4’s at walls represent students who can’t do the math.

Plus one of the days is the day before spring break. Not sure that helps with focus.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Are there any former BASIS kids who made the switch to Walls and came to regret it?

I don't know any who regretted it. But to a person, they all said BASIS was more rigorous.

Well, I guess that's the consolation prize then.

How do college acceptances differ?

Anyone have the links for the BASIS college acceptance Instagram pages? I haven't been able to find them.

@bdc2024

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not interested in Basis because I don’t like the math acceleration they have. I’m a HS teacher and in my opinion, very few kids are developmentally ready for precalculus in 8th grade. I don’t see the point of rushing through the K-12 curriculum just to accelerate kids.
I 100% agree that DCPS, in general, does not challenge kids enough. But Basis is sort of the other extreme. Going slower and deeper with math and other subjects usually works better than pure acceleration. I’m sure some kids do well with the Basis model but it is not ideal for most kids

BASIS has changed - it now is the case that only a few 8th graders are in precalculus.

Whether you think all 9th graders should be in precalculus is perhaps a different story. I'm not sure that's appropriate either.

Their math sequence really makes no sense to me. They cover Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and geometry over two years and then spend two years on calculus (AB sophomore year and BC junior year). And then have kids take a math seminar senior year. I don't understand why they don't slow down Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and geometry and then 'speed up' calculus by letting those who can take BC without having to take AB while others take both AB and BC.

We're at BASIS but it was with the assumption that we'd leave for HS but that plan didn't pan out.

Also, don't assume that most BASIS kids are excelling in math; a lot of them do struggle despite some truly great math teachers at BASIS. By the time the kids need to take SAT/ACT/etc. their math instruction is so advanced that they mess up on the "more basic" math these tests target. The admin constantly talks about the need to organize math revision camps before major tests to improve math test scores. Acceleration works but only to an extent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not interested in Basis because I don’t like the math acceleration they have. I’m a HS teacher and in my opinion, very few kids are developmentally ready for precalculus in 8th grade. I don’t see the point of rushing through the K-12 curriculum just to accelerate kids.
I 100% agree that DCPS, in general, does not challenge kids enough. But Basis is sort of the other extreme. Going slower and deeper with math and other subjects usually works better than pure acceleration. I’m sure some kids do well with the Basis model but it is not ideal for most kids

BASIS has changed - it now is the case that only a few 8th graders are in precalculus.

Whether you think all 9th graders should be in precalculus is perhaps a different story. I'm not sure that's appropriate either.

Their math sequence really makes no sense to me. They cover Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and geometry over two years and then spend two years on calculus (AB sophomore year and BC junior year). And then have kids take a math seminar senior year. I don't understand why they don't slow down Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and geometry and then 'speed up' calculus by letting those who can take BC without having to take AB while others take both AB and BC.

We're at BASIS but it was with the assumption that we'd leave for HS but that plan didn't pan out.

I feel the same way about the current 8th graders being asked to take the AP US Gov exam in early May. They are just not developmentally ready for AP exams in 8th grade and the College Board will not even give them credit for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not interested in Basis because I don’t like the math acceleration they have. I’m a HS teacher and in my opinion, very few kids are developmentally ready for precalculus in 8th grade. I don’t see the point of rushing through the K-12 curriculum just to accelerate kids.
I 100% agree that DCPS, in general, does not challenge kids enough. But Basis is sort of the other extreme. Going slower and deeper with math and other subjects usually works better than pure acceleration. I’m sure some kids do well with the Basis model but it is not ideal for most kids

BASIS has changed - it now is the case that only a few 8th graders are in precalculus.

Whether you think all 9th graders should be in precalculus is perhaps a different story. I'm not sure that's appropriate either.

Their math sequence really makes no sense to me. They cover Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and geometry over two years and then spend two years on calculus (AB sophomore year and BC junior year). And then have kids take a math seminar senior year. I don't understand why they don't slow down Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and geometry and then 'speed up' calculus by letting those who can take BC without having to take AB while others take both AB and BC.

We're at BASIS but it was with the assumption that we'd leave for HS but that plan didn't pan out.

Also, don't assume that most BASIS kids are excelling in math; a lot of them do struggle despite some truly great math teachers at BASIS. By the time the kids need to take SAT/ACT/etc. their math instruction is so advanced that they mess up on the "more basic" math these tests target. The admin constantly talks about the need to organize math revision camps before major tests to improve math test scores. Acceleration works but only to an extent.

Sounds like they are excelling in math but need more prep in dumbed-down math and test-taking skills for standardized tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not interested in Basis because I don’t like the math acceleration they have. I’m a HS teacher and in my opinion, very few kids are developmentally ready for precalculus in 8th grade. I don’t see the point of rushing through the K-12 curriculum just to accelerate kids.
I 100% agree that DCPS, in general, does not challenge kids enough. But Basis is sort of the other extreme. Going slower and deeper with math and other subjects usually works better than pure acceleration. I’m sure some kids do well with the Basis model but it is not ideal for most kids

BASIS has changed - it now is the case that only a few 8th graders are in precalculus.

Whether you think all 9th graders should be in precalculus is perhaps a different story. I'm not sure that's appropriate either.

Their math sequence really makes no sense to me. They cover Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and geometry over two years and then spend two years on calculus (AB sophomore year and BC junior year). And then have kids take a math seminar senior year. I don't understand why they don't slow down Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and geometry and then 'speed up' calculus by letting those who can take BC without having to take AB while others take both AB and BC.

We're at BASIS but it was with the assumption that we'd leave for HS but that plan didn't pan out.

Also, don't assume that most BASIS kids are excelling in math; a lot of them do struggle despite some truly great math teachers at BASIS. By the time the kids need to take SAT/ACT/etc. their math instruction is so advanced that they mess up on the "more basic" math these tests target. The admin constantly talks about the need to organize math revision camps before major tests to improve math test scores. Acceleration works but only to an extent.

Sounds like they are excelling in math but need more prep in dumbed-down math and test-taking skills for standardized tests.

Your response does not make sense. If you have a strong math foundation, you should not need test taking skills for the math portion of the SAT. Yes, you need to do practice tests to gain speed and familiarity but you should not need test taking tricks. And basic math is way more useful than advanced math. How many people use calculus after college? Very few at the end of the day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not interested in Basis because I don’t like the math acceleration they have. I’m a HS teacher and in my opinion, very few kids are developmentally ready for precalculus in 8th grade. I don’t see the point of rushing through the K-12 curriculum just to accelerate kids.
I 100% agree that DCPS, in general, does not challenge kids enough. But Basis is sort of the other extreme. Going slower and deeper with math and other subjects usually works better than pure acceleration. I’m sure some kids do well with the Basis model but it is not ideal for most kids

BASIS has changed - it now is the case that only a few 8th graders are in precalculus.

Whether you think all 9th graders should be in precalculus is perhaps a different story. I'm not sure that's appropriate either.

Their math sequence really makes no sense to me. They cover Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and geometry over two years and then spend two years on calculus (AB sophomore year and BC junior year). And then have kids take a math seminar senior year. I don't understand why they don't slow down Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and geometry and then 'speed up' calculus by letting those who can take BC without having to take AB while others take both AB and BC.

We're at BASIS but it was with the assumption that we'd leave for HS but that plan didn't pan out.

I feel the same way about the current 8th graders being asked to take the AP US Gov exam in early May. They are just not developmentally ready for AP exams in 8th grade and the College Board will not even give them credit for it.

100% this. I don’t want my 8th grader taking AP exams. What scores are these 8th graders getting on AP gov?
Why put so much unnecessary pressure on kids who are not yet in HS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not interested in Basis because I don’t like the math acceleration they have. I’m a HS teacher and in my opinion, very few kids are developmentally ready for precalculus in 8th grade. I don’t see the point of rushing through the K-12 curriculum just to accelerate kids.
I 100% agree that DCPS, in general, does not challenge kids enough. But Basis is sort of the other extreme. Going slower and deeper with math and other subjects usually works better than pure acceleration. I’m sure some kids do well with the Basis model but it is not ideal for most kids

BASIS has changed - it now is the case that only a few 8th graders are in precalculus.

Whether you think all 9th graders should be in precalculus is perhaps a different story. I'm not sure that's appropriate either.

Their math sequence really makes no sense to me. They cover Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and geometry over two years and then spend two years on calculus (AB sophomore year and BC junior year). And then have kids take a math seminar senior year. I don't understand why they don't slow down Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and geometry and then 'speed up' calculus by letting those who can take BC without having to take AB while others take both AB and BC.

We're at BASIS but it was with the assumption that we'd leave for HS but that plan didn't pan out.

I don’t think all 9th graders should be in precalculus. Again, I’m sure a few can handle it just fine but for most kids it doesn’t make sense.

[Anonymous]

It's not meant to be for most kids. It's one charter school. The whole curriculum is public -- it's not a secret. And every other school in DC provides less-accelerated options for kids for whom this is not appropriate.

It's good that there is one school that does this. It would be better if it were a DCPS school that were able to actually do selective admissions and therefore also admit students in high school, but DCPS doesn't want to.