Homework load in 5th and 6th grades at basis dc?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Have you reached out to the school to discuss? Are you staying for 7th?

Ummm... there's no reaching out to Basis to complain about their homework or their testing schedule. That's their M.O. That's their educational model. They believe their approach leads to successful kids (and according to US News ratings, it does). If your kid is unhappy or stressed or you don't like seeing your straight-A, hard-working kid get Cs, then you leave. The environment there also just BREEDS grade competition. We've tried all year to give her a variety of stress coping skills (not to mention some perspective on how much a grade in 6th grade matters) but there's something about the constant, weekly testing that just keeps the kids competing with each other. It's like an academic Olympic try-out. As explained in a number of parent/teacher events, the local franchise of Basis has definitely made changes to the way they run 5th grade here (as opposed to their other locations) because they now understand that there's a really big educational gap between DCPS elementary schools and where Basis wants the kids to be. So 5th grade is their transition year. And, like I said, my kid really enjoyed 5th grade. She liked the challenge and the increased responsibility and the classwork. But now, in 6th, the training wheels are off and Basis has a proven "winning" formula that they believe in. You either get on the bus and go for the ride or you get off.

Yes, if she somehow got into Latin she would definitely leave. But she's been trying since 5th to get in there and it's never happened for us. Other options explored but aren't good fits for other reasons. It's really too bad that there aren't more non-private options that are for hard-working, smart kids who like being challenged in our area. It seems to be that there's got to be a difference between THIS and .... an educational experience that is one step up from babysitting.

Thanks for elaborating.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Have you reached out to the school to discuss? Are you staying for 7th?

Ummm... there's no reaching out to Basis to complain about their homework or their testing schedule. That's their M.O. That's their educational model. They believe their approach leads to successful kids (and according to US News ratings, it does). If your kid is unhappy or stressed or you don't like seeing your straight-A, hard-working kid get Cs, then you leave. The environment there also just BREEDS grade competition. We've tried all year to give her a variety of stress coping skills (not to mention some perspective on how much a grade in 6th grade matters) but there's something about the constant, weekly testing that just keeps the kids competing with each other. It's like an academic Olympic try-out. As explained in a number of parent/teacher events, the local franchise of Basis has definitely made changes to the way they run 5th grade here (as opposed to their other locations) because they now understand that there's a really big educational gap between DCPS elementary schools and where Basis wants the kids to be. So 5th grade is their transition year. And, like I said, my kid really enjoyed 5th grade. She liked the challenge and the increased responsibility and the classwork. But now, in 6th, the training wheels are off and Basis has a proven "winning" formula that they believe in. You either get on the bus and go for the ride or you get off.

Yes, if she somehow got into Latin she would definitely leave. But she's been trying since 5th to get in there and it's never happened for us. Other options explored but aren't good fits for other reasons. It's really too bad that there aren't more non-private options that are for hard-working, smart kids who like being challenged in our area. It seems to be that there's got to be a difference between THIS and .... an educational experience that is one step up from babysitting.

NP. Insightful posts, mom. Thanks a lot for them. I don't understand the need for so much pressure and stress for such young kids at BASIS. I had a chilled out middle school experience in a just-OK public school in a small town, giving me plenty of time to explore hobbies and read for pleasure. I went on to earn several Ivy League degrees, enjoying the learning enormously. My children are still in elementary school, but there doesn't seem to be much of a middle ground in public middle school experiences in this city. We have friends with children at Hardy and Stuart Hobson who talk about how they "half home school" their kids. They tutor the kids themselves, hire tutors and send the kids to academic enrichment camps. The arrangement seems to be a lot of work for these families.

[Anonymous]

If BASIS becomes an unhappy experience for a kid, is there no school counselor to help? Do counselors only help kids with IEPs or what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If BASIS becomes an unhappy experience for a kid, is there no school counselor to help? Do counselors only help kids with IEPs or what?

There are resources for students. The staff in the Dean of Students office (~3) are first line of support for kids (and parents). If a child is overwhelmed with organization, they will do things like set up checkins and checkouts to help them develop a system to paper and work management, for example. The school psychologist mostly works with students with IEPs but is available to other students as well.

Every teacher holds student hours at least 1x per week after school and also by appointment. Kids can also take advantage of peer tutoring from older students or volunteers from Georgetown. Kids struggling academically are discussed and tracked closely by the grade level team and teachers brainstorm how to help them.

If a kid isn’t on track after these kind of interventions, they will begin an evaluation for learning issues.

Some of this is newer - last 2 or so years.

-Parent of 8th grader who needed much of the above

[Anonymous]

NP. OK, that all sounds good. More evidence that the current HOS has made positive changes. Do you think that she likely to stay on, at least for next year?

My question is BASIS generally a happy place for middle school students who aren't math gifted or super organized? The program sounds brutal, without much respect for the individual (e.g. quirky kids whose families who can and will supplement a lot at home, mainly for fun).

I think of a friend removed her kid for a private school abroad after several years at BASIS. He was a high flier there from the get go, particularly for math. She says he's a lot happier at his new school, and better behaved, with playing fields for sports, fresh air during the day, a modern languages program where he can study a language he's been learning since a young age at an appropriately advanced level. BASIS forced him to choose between studying a new language, or taking the language he knows at a basic level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP. OK, that all sounds good. More evidence that the current HOS has made positive changes. Do you think that she likely to stay on, at least for next year?

My question is BASIS generally a happy place for middle school students who aren't math gifted or super organized? The program sounds brutal, without much respect for the individual (e.g. quirky kids whose families who can and will supplement a lot at home, mainly for fun).

I think of a friend removed her kid for a private school abroad after several years at BASIS. He was a high flier there from the get go, particularly for math. She says he's a lot happier at his new school, and better behaved, with playing fields for sports, fresh air during the day, a modern languages program where he can study a language he's been learning since a young age at an appropriately advanced level. BASIS forced him to choose between studying a new language, or taking the language he knows at a basic level.

It really depends on the kid and whether they make good friends at school or not. It's MS, and that matters a ton. I know kids who are thriving there, and ones who have not and left (most found someplace else that worked better, and a couple regretted the decision to leave). Not all who are thriving are math whiz kids, or supplement (my kid was on a much slower math track than most of his classmates). My other kid loves their art and history classes but not so much the science. The foreign language issues haven't changed from what you describe above.

What is much improved is the extracurriculars -- now at least 2 interscholastic teams for boys and girls (or combined b/g teams) in each of the 3 seasons, school plays and musicals, dance team, etc.

And yes, I believe the HOS is staying put for at least a couple more years although I haven't asked her. Her spouse has a career in DC and they bought a home in DC a little over a year ago.

[Anonymous]

The homework load is why we’re still on the fence about enrolling for the upcoming year. DC would also be one of the younger students in 5th grade, which probably doesn’t help with an accelerated curriculum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My girl is nearing the end of 6th grade. She's done 5th and 6th at Basis. It was a big leap from 4th to 5th since she went from a "practically no homework" situation to homework every night and lots of subjects and different teachers. My child seems pretty smart and engaged and can focus and she made the transition very well. Basis provides a lot of help in 5th grade for the transition and with organizational skills. Homework or "studying" Monday through Thursday, sometimes a little on Sunday, but from what I remember it was mostly 30 minutes to 60 at the most. My kid loved finally being a little challenged. Sixth grade, however, has been a big difference for us. She's an unhappy stress-ball. She does still do some kind of activity that is non school related most nights (baby sitting; sports; music or something; etc.) but she's so stressed out trying to balance a little bit of fun or activity vs. doing well in school. There's at least 60-90 min every night, but often more like 2 or 3 hours. And that's with her being diligent in doing homework during the day when they have the opportunity to do it during their version of "study hall" etc. Thursday nights are the hardest, where she is studying for multiple tests a night. She starts as soon as she gets home and I have to pry her away from it at 9:30 or so and she's crying with the stress. You don't do a homework and your grade drops a lot. One blown test and your grade drops a lot. It's a lot of pressure. A lot of stress. For us, at least, 5th was great but 6th sucks. 6th grade is also a tough time, esp. for girls. So many things about your body and mind that are changing. I would rip one of my own arms off to get her into Latin instead of another year of this.

This sounds absolutely horrible and unnecessary. This is NOT needed in order to succeed in high school, college or life.

I hope it gets better for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The homework load is why we’re still on the fence about enrolling for the upcoming year. DC would also be one of the younger students in 5th grade, which probably doesn’t help with an accelerated curriculum.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The homework load is why we’re still on the fence about enrolling for the upcoming year. DC would also be one of the younger students in 5th grade, which probably doesn’t help with an accelerated curriculum.

+1

This is how I feel. Its such an important time for development and with the longer school day, the longer commute to and from school plus the longer homework...I just think its too much for my 5th grader.

[Anonymous]

My 5th grader is at BASIS and usually has completed homework at school. If not, it usually takes DC 15-30 minutes. Rarely has homework on the weekends or during breaks. Still plays travel sport with little stress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 5th grader is at BASIS and usually has completed homework at school. If not, it usually takes DC 15-30 minutes. Rarely has homework on the weekends or during breaks. Still plays travel sport with little stress.

That's nice, but poster above tell us that homework requirements rise considerably in 6th grade. She described how her 6th grader often does 2-3 hours of HW nightly, and is often crying over homework by 9:30 pm.

Come on, sixth graders are just 12 year olds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 5th grader is at BASIS and usually has completed homework at school. If not, it usually takes DC 15-30 minutes. Rarely has homework on the weekends or during breaks. Still plays travel sport with little stress.

That's nice, but poster above tell us that homework requirements rise considerably in 6th grade. She described how her 6th grader often does 2-3 hours of HW nightly, and is often crying over homework by 9:30 pm.

Come on, sixth graders are just 12 year olds.

Someone resurrected a two-year-old thread. The person you’re quoting was there under a different principal. I’ve heard things have improved but would welcome hearing from a current parent.

[Anonymous]

Current parent bit of a high schooler

There is a concerted effort to reduce homework for middle schoolers now. But the content (except English) is accelerated. Your child would be covering a lot of 9th and 10th grade material in 7th and 8th.

Many kids thrive on it. Some don’t (including my younger kid who left before high school). My younger kid has found that much of the work at their new school is review for them (9th and 10th).

I think it depends on your kid, and also your choices. would we have chosen BASIS if we could afford private or weee IB for Deal? Probably not. But my older kid has been accepted at their first choice college, with a significant merit scholarship, and is well prepared. That was my kid’s goal and priority, from a young age, and BASIS helped make it happen.

[Anonymous]

Wonderful, BASIS made it happen. I'm left wondering at what cost. I'm thinking of my introverted sibling, the one who struggled with depression and anxiety throughout college (Ivy League school), after a high-pressure high school experience.

If a kid isn't very happy for years on end growing up, though short of depressed, is that the best we can do for our UMC children?

When I visited BASIS recently, the building seemed worse than I expected. I found myself asking, where's the library? The stage. The basketball court on the roof that you see in some urban schools without green space. The windows in the cafeteria. The colors on most of the walls. The space alone seems designed to test the enthusiasm of even the brightest sparks. Maybe the HW load alone is manageable. But add the bad building and maybe not.