Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:You also probably need to do some research to learn why DC decided to open its doors to charter schools in the first place -- it's because DCPS was failing the community in the 1990s.

we're not talking about the wisdom of charter schools, we're talking about the wisdom of BASIS.

BASIS is the #1 middle school in the city and has an incredible college-success rate. No one in the city is seriously thinking about closing this school; it will never happen. It's time to drop your DCUM campaign, "secondhand knowledge" poster.

136 kids start in 5th grade at BASIS, and 63 enroll as seniors. I didn't go to BASIS and do the vaunted math program, but that's 46 percent. Winnowing out the 54 percent who don't meet the high standards and then saying "look at how successful our curriculum is, 90+ percent of the kids we graduate meet the standards!" isn't good educational strategy.

If that REALLY is the strategy you think works, let's send all the DCPS students who don't make CAPE standards to Alexandria, tally up the scores and the college acceptance rates for the kids who remain and call the whole thing a success! Or not, because that's insane!

Lots of schools have high attrition rates. It's not that unusual. People leave for all kinds of reasons. At our school (not BASIS), about two thirds of the kids don't graduate because they leave beforehand.

Which schools? Looking over the enrollment numbers I didn’t see any with those kinds of numbers.

Basis is unusual in that it doesn’t replace kids who leave… of course doing that would tarnish those scores.

Not really. Many bilingual schools have higher attrition rates and they don't back fill. BASIS also doesn't weed kids out like it used to. You seem to be searching for (increasingly tendentious) reasons to trash BASIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually think BASIS should just be an application school. Some kind of entrance exam and if you pass it, you can lottery for it. But then require them to backfill when kids leave. Then they can keep their standards but it functions as a real option for kids prepared for academic rigor who want that kind of school.

Really the only issue I have with it is that they don't backfill. I don't have a problem with a school with that approach and with strict requirements for advancing. It's not what I want for my kids but I get some people do. DC needs more good options for MS and above. That means a school that doesn't backfill is a drag on the system because they are releasing students when there are already so few spots at rigorous schools, but there are absolutely kids past 5th grade who could succeed at BASIS if given the chance.

This! 💯

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:It's always so interesting how these BASIS threads go. Every thread brings out a cohort of posters who cannot stop themselves from maligning the school. Some people have legit complaints based on actual experiences and facts (and you can tell who they are) but many have no idea what they're talking about and simply accuse others of being boosters when they get called out. Of all the problems this city has with education, it's unbelievable how much energy people seem to spend dumping on this school.

Honestly, I know two different families whose kids (three in total) didn't make it through (one did) and they were so hurt by the whole thing... they went in as happy, curious pro-school kids, and came out anxious and hating school. For the kids who work, it works and they're happy, but statistically it doesn't work for most kids... and for taxpayer dollars to go and support that kind of record, just to line the pockets of investors... yeah it really pisses me off.

Does DCPS have problems? yeah! big time! is Basis the answer? only for a small number of those who try it!

Basis parent: It's worked reasonably well for my kids, but I'm not going to claim it's the greatest thing since sliced bread; we are all familiar with the downsides. But the number of graduates is roughly half of the number of 5th grade entrants, and some of those go to the suburbs or private school, so I don't think it's true that "statistically it doesn't work for most kids."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually think BASIS should just be an application school. Some kind of entrance exam and if you pass it, you can lottery for it. But then require them to backfill when kids leave. Then they can keep their standards but it functions as a real option for kids prepared for academic rigor who want that kind of school.

Really the only issue I have with it is that they don't backfill. I don't have a problem with a school with that approach and with strict requirements for advancing. It's not what I want for my kids but I get some people do. DC needs more good options for MS and above. That means a school that doesn't backfill is a drag on the system because they are releasing students when there are already so few spots at rigorous schools, but there are absolutely kids past 5th grade who could succeed at BASIS if given the chance.

DC code 38–1802.06 - criteria for admission to charter schools cannot include measures of achievement or aptitude. This idea would require a change to the law.

With respect to backfilling, if BASIS were to backfill they'd have to have smaller 5th grade classes to accommodate backfilled classes in higher grades due to space constraints. Unclear to me whether or not that would actually be a preferred approach.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:BasisDC seems like an excellent option for advanced kids in middle school on way to a more well-rounded experience in a private high school. And in practice, that seems like a common path.

I wish prospective families would ask specific questions about cost of sports and ECs, field trips, dances, contributions to teacher bonus pool. I think most parents assume no/little costs because of their own MS/HS experience and their elementary school experience. If BASIS sees that these things are important to prospective parents, they're more likely to hear it.

They are deaf when it comes to current families raising it. Because they don't backfill, they have no reason to listen to current parents. Prospective parents have the leverage. And if you're like us, you have an inkling but you don't realize that you are expected to pay for everything! $80 for a field trip to SkyZone

At the prospective family day last year the new head of school outright lied about the sports offerings at BASIS in response to parent questions. My jaw dropped. As a current parent with a new 5th grader, I knew it wasn’t true. It was shocking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually think BASIS should just be an application school. Some kind of entrance exam and if you pass it, you can lottery for it. But then require them to backfill when kids leave. Then they can keep their standards but it functions as a real option for kids prepared for academic rigor who want that kind of school.

Really the only issue I have with it is that they don't backfill. I don't have a problem with a school with that approach and with strict requirements for advancing. It's not what I want for my kids but I get some people do. DC needs more good options for MS and above. That means a school that doesn't backfill is a drag on the system because they are releasing students when there are already so few spots at rigorous schools, but there are absolutely kids past 5th grade who could succeed at BASIS if given the chance.

A few thoughts:

BASIS usually gives an assessment exam in the summer before school starts called Fast bridge. This test will tell you how your student is doing in reading, math and science. Maybe parents can use this to gauge whether or not to self-select out and give the spot to another kid.

Parents know how their kids did on PARCC in third grade. Maybe if kids get 95+ percentile results, that could serve as an indicator of some kind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think BASIS should just be an application school. Some kind of entrance exam and if you pass it, you can lottery for it. But then require them to backfill when kids leave. Then they can keep their standards but it functions as a real option for kids prepared for academic rigor who want that kind of school.

Really the only issue I have with it is that they don't backfill. I don't have a problem with a school with that approach and with strict requirements for advancing. It's not what I want for my kids but I get some people do. DC needs more good options for MS and above. That means a school that doesn't backfill is a drag on the system because they are releasing students when there are already so few spots at rigorous schools, but there are absolutely kids past 5th grade who could succeed at BASIS if given the chance.

DC code 38–1802.06 - criteria for admission to charter schools cannot include measures of achievement or aptitude. This idea would require a change to the law.

With respect to backfilling, if BASIS were to backfill they'd have to have smaller 5th grade classes to accommodate backfilled classes in higher grades due to space constraints. Unclear to me whether or not that would actually be a preferred approach.

They obviously should change the law, or develop DCPS advanced programming with test-based admission. You can't backfill BASIS as things are now because (in addition to possible space issues mentioned above), while there absolutely are lots of students in DC who could handle BASIS coming in late, there are also lots who can't, and random selection precludes the school from weeding the latter out, and letting them in in the later grades would substantially degrade the experience.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:This may be a stupid question, but do DCPS public middle schools do differentiation/tracking?

Yes. They might not call it exactly that, but they absolutely do. My experience is that they’ll be pretty upfront about how they determine classes/cohorts of kids.

Depends on the school. Recently went to a Q&A session with a DCPS that bragged about not tracking in any subject (except math).

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I’ll summarize Basis and we can end it here.

If you have a high performing kid who wants to grind out middle and high school, Basis will work for you.

If you have a high performing kid who is more well rounded and wants or needs more then that, go elsewhere. It’s not worth the grind with no balance and not much joy.

You know some families and kids love BASIS, right?

That's nice. But why should the rest of us pay for it?

Want fringe curriculum, send your kids to private.

Ha! Having high academic standards is "fringe"? Sweetie, you are the problem here.

Well that's a red herring.

As I've said, I want the highest academic standards for all kids, not a few kids.

Setting up a system that only benefits a fraction of potential students and casting off the rest as "not BASIS material" isn't a viable solution for me. That's not how public schools work--that's how private schools work.

No. That's also how DCPS application high schools work, and how many other charter schools work.

Your "values" are actually internally consistent -- you want a public schools system that only funds neighborhood public schools that everyone can attend, plus private schools that people with means can opt to attend.

There are actually many cities and towns around the country where that is what exists. But, that's not DC (or NYC, or SF, and Philly and New Orleans, etc). Maybe you need to move.

If 70 percent of the kids who enroll at Walls or Duke Ellington wash out before graduation we would not find it acceptable.

It's totally normal for some bilingual schools to lose 70 percent of their kids.

I'd be more concerned about schools where 70 percent of the kids don't meet even the most rudimentary educational standards.

you can be concerned about the schools where 70 percent of the kids don't meet standards AND be concerned about whether BASIS is the best use of taxpayer dollars.

In fact, you could even say they are one and the same concern.

A big difference between BASIS and those 70 percent failure schools is those schools don't have the option of sending the kids who don't cut it somewhere else and just focusing on the kids who do make the grade—and if they did we wouldn't call it a success, we'd call it a shell game.

Attrition is a necessary consequence if they don't allow schools offering advanced programming to filter out students who really shouldn't be there before enrollment.

There are all sorts of educational programs that benefit only "fringe" groups but that of course they should offer -- for example, special education.

Above grade level students deserve adequate from their public schools as much as below grade level and grade level students, and what is "adequate" for them is not the same that it is for the others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BasisDC seems like an excellent option for advanced kids in middle school on way to a more well-rounded experience in a private high school. And in practice, that seems like a common path.

I wish prospective families would ask specific questions about cost of sports and ECs, field trips, dances, contributions to teacher bonus pool. I think most parents assume no/little costs because of their own MS/HS experience and their elementary school experience. If BASIS sees that these things are important to prospective parents, they're more likely to hear it.

They are deaf when it comes to current families raising it. Because they don't backfill, they have no reason to listen to current parents. Prospective parents have the leverage. And if you're like us, you have an inkling but you don't realize that you are expected to pay for everything! $80 for a field trip to SkyZone

At the prospective family day last year the new head of school outright lied about the sports offerings at BASIS in response to parent questions. My jaw dropped. As a current parent with a new 5th grader, I knew it wasn’t true. It was shocking.

They have an Instagram post about sports that is extremely misleading.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This may be a stupid question, but do DCPS public middle schools do differentiation/tracking?

Yes. They might not call it exactly that, but they absolutely do. My experience is that they’ll be pretty upfront about how they determine classes/cohorts of kids.

Depends on the school. Recently went to a Q&A session with a DCPS that bragged about not tracking in any subject (except math).

This is my understanding, too.

This all proves the OPs point. In many other school districts, including th near suburbs in moco and Fairfax county, the school identifies gifted students and then gives them different work.

The fact that DCPS does not do that and in fact totally neglects those students is the problem.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I’ll summarize Basis and we can end it here.

If you have a high performing kid who wants to grind out middle and high school, Basis will work for you.

If you have a high performing kid who is more well rounded and wants or needs more then that, go elsewhere. It’s not worth the grind with no balance and not much joy.

You know some families and kids love BASIS, right?

That's nice. But why should the rest of us pay for it?

Want fringe curriculum, send your kids to private.

Ha! Having high academic standards is "fringe"? Sweetie, you are the problem here.

Well that's a red herring.

As I've said, I want the highest academic standards for all kids, not a few kids.

Setting up a system that only benefits a fraction of potential students and casting off the rest as "not BASIS material" isn't a viable solution for me. That's not how public schools work--that's how private schools work.

No. That's also how DCPS application high schools work, and how many other charter schools work.

Your "values" are actually internally consistent -- you want a public schools system that only funds neighborhood public schools that everyone can attend, plus private schools that people with means can opt to attend.

There are actually many cities and towns around the country where that is what exists. But, that's not DC (or NYC, or SF, and Philly and New Orleans, etc). Maybe you need to move.

If 70 percent of the kids who enroll at Walls or Duke Ellington wash out before graduation we would not find it acceptable.

Dumb.

You realize that Walls rejects about 85% of kids who apply?

Basis is 100% lottery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ll summarize Basis and we can end it here.

If you have a high performing kid who wants to grind out middle and high school, Basis will work for you.

If you have a high performing kid who is more well rounded and wants or needs more then that, go elsewhere. It’s not worth the grind with no balance and not much joy.

You know some families and kids love BASIS, right?

. Trust me, not in the high school. There, families either tolerate the regime fairly well or rather poorly.

You speak for all BASIS high school families?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I actually think BASIS should just be an application school. Some kind of entrance exam and if you pass it, you can lottery for it. But then require them to backfill when kids leave. Then they can keep their standards but it functions as a real option for kids prepared for academic rigor who want that kind of school.

Really the only issue I have with it is that they don't backfill. I don't have a problem with a school with that approach and with strict requirements for advancing. It's not what I want for my kids but I get some people do. DC needs more good options for MS and above. That means a school that doesn't backfill is a drag on the system because they are releasing students when there are already so few spots at rigorous schools, but there are absolutely kids past 5th grade who could succeed at BASIS if given the chance.

Just don’t send your non academically motivated kid there.

Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I actually think BASIS should just be an application school. Some kind of entrance exam and if you pass it, you can lottery for it. But then require them to backfill when kids leave. Then they can keep their standards but it functions as a real option for kids prepared for academic rigor who want that kind of school.

Really the only issue I have with it is that they don't backfill. I don't have a problem with a school with that approach and with strict requirements for advancing. It's not what I want for my kids but I get some people do. DC needs more good options for MS and above. That means a school that doesn't backfill is a drag on the system because they are releasing students when there are already so few spots at rigorous schools, but there are absolutely kids past 5th grade who could succeed at BASIS if given the chance.

DC code 38–1802.06 - criteria for admission to charter schools cannot include measures of achievement or aptitude. This idea would require a change to the law.

With respect to backfilling, if BASIS were to backfill they'd have to have smaller 5th grade classes to accommodate backfilled classes in higher grades due to space constraints. Unclear to me whether or not that would actually be a preferred approach.

PP and we should change the law then, or force BASIS to backfill with general population. Right now they are using their advancement exams as retroactive entrance exams anyway. It's one or the other. The current system creates inefficiency and bad will.

The space thing isn't a reason. When schools succeed, they grow. If BASIS could uod do an entrance exam but had to backfill, trust me, they'd find a way to expand.