BASIS attrition after middle school- why?

[Anonymous]

Please be kind — to me and to each other – it’s my first time writing here, and I have read some flaming posts.

My DD is a new fifth grader at BASIS. So far, so good; nothing is perfect yet she’s learning a lot. BUT:

1. Already, many of her classmates say they are not planning to stay for high school.

2. The extreme attrition after seventh or eighth grade is clear.

What are the characteristics of students that stay versus leave – is it kids leaving for private school? Is it kids who are less academic and want more breathing room? Is it kids who are more academic and want more specialization? Is it a question of: you leave if you can but you stay if you’re stuck? And is it even worth my asking this question if I can’t afford private school (I can’t)? Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

Why don’t you give yourself a minute and enjoy 5th grade if your child is enjoying it? If you get to know families in your grade, you will soon realize why some people leave, while others stay. It’s for all kinds of reasons.

Ultimately, you need to make the best decision for your child, but you won’t know what that is if you spend your time worrying about what everyone else is doing instead of paying attention to your own kid’s experience. Your child will change a lot between 5th and 8th grades. Pay attention to that, and you will know what is the best decision to make when the time comes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you give yourself a minute and enjoy 5th grade if your child is enjoying it? If you get to know families in your grade, you will soon realize why some people leave, while others stay. It’s for all kinds of reasons.

Ultimately, you need to make the best decision for your child, but you won’t know what that is if you spend your time worrying about what everyone else is doing instead of paying attention to your own kid’s experience. Your child will change a lot between 5th and 8th grades. Pay attention to that, and you will know what is the best decision to make when the time comes.

How patronizing; well done!

[Anonymous]

Other schools offer equally appealing academics (in the eyes of the child or family) and also offer more arts, activities, and sports.

If a sibling is not a good fit for BASIS they may lottery or apply to private for both kids trying to increase their chances elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please be kind — to me and to each other – it’s my first time writing here, and I have read some flaming posts.

My DD is a new fifth grader at BASIS. So far, so good; nothing is perfect yet she’s learning a lot. BUT:

1. Already, many of her classmates say they are not planning to stay for high school.

2. The extreme attrition after seventh or eighth grade is clear.

What are the characteristics of students that stay versus leave – is it kids leaving for private school? Is it kids who are less academic and want more breathing room? Is it kids who are more academic and want more specialization? Is it a question of: you leave if you can but you stay if you’re stuck? And is it even worth my asking this question if I can’t afford private school (I can’t)? Thanks in advance!

In general, there are many more acceptable high schools than middle schools and more people can afford private just for HS. Lots of people head to BASIS in 5th because it’s where they lottery into even though they’re under no illusions it’s the perfect fit. It’s that simple.

[Anonymous]

Because their kid is a sibling at a private high school so they feel confident of being admitted.

[Anonymous]

You can get a sense a little from the data on this:

https://edscape.dc.gov/node/1640846

A kid who leaves after 8th grade for SWW could be leaving for any number of reasons. They could have always intended to leave for high school. They could be strong academically and want something BASIS doesn't offer. Same with students leaving for Ellington.

But kids leaving during middle school probably did not have that as their initial intention. And if they're leaving for an academically much weaker school, probably BASIS was too intense academically. If you can handle the academics at BASIS, you're not transferring during middle school to go someplace where you're going to have to retake classes.

[Anonymous]

For families that I know it’s been many of the reasons listed above. Over the years something else I’ve heard is that the hs is too small. Some kids want to expand socially or feel like they want to be in a bigger school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please be kind — to me and to each other – it’s my first time writing here, and I have read some flaming posts.

My DD is a new fifth grader at BASIS. So far, so good; nothing is perfect yet she’s learning a lot. BUT:

1. Already, many of her classmates say they are not planning to stay for high school.

2. The extreme attrition after seventh or eighth grade is clear.

What are the characteristics of students that stay versus leave – is it kids leaving for private school? Is it kids who are less academic and want more breathing room? Is it kids who are more academic and want more specialization? Is it a question of: you leave if you can but you stay if you’re stuck? And is it even worth my asking this question if I can’t afford private school (I can’t)? Thanks in advance!

The kids / parents I know that left wanted the "high school" experience. They wanted sports teams, a wide variety of ECs, etc.

There are number of Basis-to-Walls and private school kids. Have known a couple that were in-bound for JR and switched for the performing arts programs at JR (these are the ones I know that made this switch).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you give yourself a minute and enjoy 5th grade if your child is enjoying it? If you get to know families in your grade, you will soon realize why some people leave, while others stay. It’s for all kinds of reasons.

Ultimately, you need to make the best decision for your child, but you won’t know what that is if you spend your time worrying about what everyone else is doing instead of paying attention to your own kid’s experience. Your child will change a lot between 5th and 8th grades. Pay attention to that, and you will know what is the best decision to make when the time comes.

Good advice.

[Anonymous]

That's the thing about charter schools, this vaunted school "choice" has a cost. If your kid isn't succeeding they will be encouraged to leave. That way test scores stay up and kids who need expensive supports are someone else's problem. We didn't lottery into Basis but a few of my kid's classmates did. None lasted more than two years... and they came from precisely the sort of families that schools like Basis were supposedly created to help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's the thing about charter schools, this vaunted school "choice" has a cost. If your kid isn't succeeding they will be encouraged to leave. That way test scores stay up and kids who need expensive supports are someone else's problem. We didn't lottery into Basis but a few of my kid's classmates did. None lasted more than two years... and they came from precisely the sort of families that schools like Basis were supposedly created to help.

BASIS is the only school in DC that has this kind of attrition pattern. It's not about charter schools, it's about BASIS. And there are also public schools with accelerated curricula who encourage students to leave if they can't handle it (just not in DC), but because they're allowed to screen their students via grades and test scores, it doesn't happen as often as it does at BASIS.

[Anonymous]

BASIS is a good fit for a certain kind of student. It has nothing to do with how smart the kid is, how talented, etc. It just has to do with fit.

Many parents either don't know that their kid won't fit, or are so desperate to get their kid out of DCPS that they take a spot at BASIS hoping that their kid will somehow muddle through until they can get a lottery spot somewhere else. This is too bad because this keeps out some kids who would actually fit really well at BASIS, but get shut out in the lottery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That's the thing about charter schools, this vaunted school "choice" has a cost. If your kid isn't succeeding they will be encouraged to leave. That way test scores stay up and kids who need expensive supports are someone else's problem. We didn't lottery into Basis but a few of my kid's classmates did. None lasted more than two years... and they came from precisely the sort of families that schools like Basis were supposedly created to help.

In your opinion, what sort of families are those?

[Anonymous]

Because BASIS isn't actually that great. High teacher turnover, inexperienced teachers, few sports and activities, and way too much time devoted to testing rather than learning. 5th and 6th are big shuffle years in the system, 7th and 8h aren't, and by 9th when people have other options, a lot of families have figured out that BASIS is a school they are happy to exit.