Middle schools and the lottery

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are one of those. Matched for Basis, zoned into Hardy. The dilemma is that DS is (extremely) talented in math but is not thrilled about the whole package at Basis. As scientist parents who grew up with separate science classes and comprehensive exams, Basis is compelling. However, the homework mill reputation of Basis gives us pause.

FWIW the homework load has been reduced significantly over the last 2 years. It is also much lighter in 5th grade.

However, the work takes different kids longer to complete than others -- if your child has attention or executive function challenges, they will need more time to complete it. The homework is generally checked for accuracy, not just completion and the teachers use the information to see where students need more instruction.

My suggestion is to have your child do a shadow day, and for you to tour and put this question directly to the school leaders. Also, if you know any BASIS parents, reach out to them directly. I don't think any of us will sugarcoat the strengths or the weaknesses.

- 5 year BASIS parent

NP here. Unfortunately, all the Basis shadow days are full and the school isn't offering any more. (I didn't have my child do shadow days before the results came out because I didn't want him to get his hopes up.) In past years, have their been opportunities for matched kids to visit the school when other kids are there outside of the formal shadow day process? The only open house is in the evening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op: Thank you for starting this thread. Hopefully we can cluster our middle school questions here. The other lottery threads are dominated by elementary school discussions.

Regarding BASIS, can someone clarify whether they’re accepting few total kids for 5th this year? I’m trying to assess whether we should expect similar waitlist movement to last year.

A couple of months ago they said they would offer 110 spaces for 5th in the inital round (compared to ~130 for 2018-19) Their overall ceiling is 640. However, if the number of 8th graders that re-enroll is lower than they expected, they will add more seats to 5th

BASIS students who consider leaving for other high schools are usually trying for SWW, Banneker or a private. Or they are IB for Wilson and enroll there. So the situation is not clear until May.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are one of those. Matched for Basis, zoned into Hardy. The dilemma is that DS is (extremely) talented in math but is not thrilled about the whole package at Basis. As scientist parents who grew up with separate science classes and comprehensive exams, Basis is compelling. However, the homework mill reputation of Basis gives us pause.

FWIW the homework load has been reduced significantly over the last 2 years. It is also much lighter in 5th grade.

However, the work takes different kids longer to complete than others -- if your child has attention or executive function challenges, they will need more time to complete it. The homework is generally checked for accuracy, not just completion and the teachers use the information to see where students need more instruction.

My suggestion is to have your child do a shadow day, and for you to tour and put this question directly to the school leaders. Also, if you know any BASIS parents, reach out to them directly. I don't think any of us will sugarcoat the strengths or the weaknesses.

- 5 year BASIS parent

NP here. Unfortunately, all the Basis shadow days are full and the school isn't offering any more. (I didn't have my child do shadow days before the results came out because I didn't want him to get his hopes up.) In past years, have their been opportunities for matched kids to visit the school when other kids are there outside of the formal shadow day process? The only open house is in the evening.

+1. Just tried to schedule a shadow day but was informed that it was full.

Thinking long term -- any Basis parent here know what the college admits were for the class of 2019?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op: Thank you for starting this thread. Hopefully we can cluster our middle school questions here. The other lottery threads are dominated by elementary school discussions.

Regarding BASIS, can someone clarify whether they’re accepting few total kids for 5th this year? I’m trying to assess whether we should expect similar waitlist movement to last year.

A couple of months ago they said they would offer 110 spaces for 5th in the inital round (compared to ~130 for 2018-19) Their overall ceiling is 640. However, if the number of 8th graders that re-enroll is lower than they expected, they will add more seats to 5th

BASIS students who consider leaving for other high schools are usually trying for SWW, Banneker or a private. Or they are IB for Wilson and enroll there. So the situation is not clear until May.

Thank you! This suggests there may be less waitlist movement this year than prior years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are one of those. Matched for Basis, zoned into Hardy. The dilemma is that DS is (extremely) talented in math but is not thrilled about the whole package at Basis. As scientist parents who grew up with separate science classes and comprehensive exams, Basis is compelling. However, the homework mill reputation of Basis gives us pause.

FWIW the homework load has been reduced significantly over the last 2 years. It is also much lighter in 5th grade.

However, the work takes different kids longer to complete than others -- if your child has attention or executive function challenges, they will need more time to complete it. The homework is generally checked for accuracy, not just completion and the teachers use the information to see where students need more instruction.

My suggestion is to have your child do a shadow day, and for you to tour and put this question directly to the school leaders. Also, if you know any BASIS parents, reach out to them directly. I don't think any of us will sugarcoat the strengths or the weaknesses.

- 5 year BASIS parent

NP here. Unfortunately, all the Basis shadow days are full and the school isn't offering any more. (I didn't have my child do shadow days before the results came out because I didn't want him to get his hopes up.) In past years, have their been opportunities for matched kids to visit the school when other kids are there outside of the formal shadow day process? The only open house is in the evening.

+1. Just tried to schedule a shadow day but was informed that it was full.

Thinking long term -- any Basis parent here know what the college admits were for the class of 2019?

The final list isn't out yet as the last of the big universities sent out acceptances yesterday.

The end of the thread below has some of the acceptances at more well-known schools as of a couple of weeks ago. It's been a good year - this is really bright and hardworking group of seniors.

New selective school 2019 admits (since that thread) are Duke and Carleton College.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/90/723510.page#14713634

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are one of those. Matched for Basis, zoned into Hardy. The dilemma is that DS is (extremely) talented in math but is not thrilled about the whole package at Basis. As scientist parents who grew up with separate science classes and comprehensive exams, Basis is compelling. However, the homework mill reputation of Basis gives us pause.

I would reach out to the principal at Hardy and take a look at the program, they have made some great strides. DD is in a similar boat - very advanced in math, we did a tour and shadow day of Hardy to see what it would be like, and there were some good options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were matched with Basis and waitlisted for our first choice Latin. I am not sure if we will enroll.

I'm curious if you think the replication will play into choice. Basically with a Latin replication for 20-21, they will be doing the lottery for an entire 5th and 6th grade class. Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are one of those. Matched for Basis, zoned into Hardy. The dilemma is that DS is (extremely) talented in math but is not thrilled about the whole package at Basis. As scientist parents who grew up with separate science classes and comprehensive exams, Basis is compelling. However, the homework mill reputation of Basis gives us pause.

I would reach out to the principal at Hardy and take a look at the program, they have made some great strides. DD is in a similar boat - very advanced in math, we did a tour and shadow day of Hardy to see what it would be like, and there were some good options.

Thanks. We liked what we saw at Hardy and did have a conversation about the math options. We are fine with Hardy but are still considering Basis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does the Basis list move so much? Where do those kids go after declining a Basis spot?

If everyone is telling me that Basis is more math and Latin is more humanities, how do the two schools maintain those specializations if the prospective students don't really get a chance to pick between them?

Why is Hardy nowhere on the thread if up until a year ago it was mostly OOB? I get that this year 6th great was almost all IB, but why doesn't anyone try to get in? With all the fear about McFarland, is noone on this forum trying to get into Hardy?

BASIS list moved b/c they have no idea how many 8th graders are going to re-enroll. Once they get a sense of what the 9th grade class is going to look like, they take kids off the waitlist to fill to the enrollment cap.

[Anonymous]

Hardy had the fastest growth of IB enrollment in all of DCPS. I can't share the "complete but we don't want to share them yet" numbers yet, but it is true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hardy had the fastest growth of IB enrollment in all of DCPS. I can't share the "complete but we don't want to share them yet" numbers yet, but it is true.

That happens when you move feeder school patterns. All of the students who were at Eaton and used to feed Deal now feed Hardy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hardy had the fastest growth of IB enrollment in all of DCPS. I can't share the "complete but we don't want to share them yet" numbers yet, but it is true.

That happens when you move feeder school patterns. All of the students who were at Eaton and used to feed Deal now feed Hardy.

So the Eaton rerouting kickstarted the change of heart of the families from all the other feeders? I also heard that parents were very optimistic about the new principal. I saw him speak once and I found his enthusiasm and energy contagious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hardy had the fastest growth of IB enrollment in all of DCPS. I can't share the "complete but we don't want to share them yet" numbers yet, but it is true.

That happens when you move feeder school patterns. All of the students who were at Eaton and used to feed Deal now feed Hardy.

So the Eaton rerouting kickstarted the change of heart of the families from all the other feeders? I also heard that parents were very optimistic about the new principal. I saw him speak once and I found his enthusiasm and energy contagious.

No, those numbers were already trending up. But you added a potential additional 75 feeder kids to take up the previous OOB spots the second you switched Eaton to hardy. That’s more than half the size of the entire hardy 6th grade. I can’t recall precisely, but at back to school night at Eaton I swear the principal said between 55-60 Eaton students went on to hardy for 6th grade. Which would be about half the 6th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hardy had the fastest growth of IB enrollment in all of DCPS. I can't share the "complete but we don't want to share them yet" numbers yet, but it is true.

That happens when you move feeder school patterns. All of the students who were at Eaton and used to feed Deal now feed Hardy.

So the Eaton rerouting kickstarted the change of heart of the families from all the other feeders? I also heard that parents were very optimistic about the new principal. I saw him speak once and I found his enthusiasm and energy contagious.

Yes. In this case, the DME's decision to force the issue during the boundary review (despite the hue and cry) and shift Eaton to Hardy was positive.

It has helped Hardy's reputation and IB percentages while alleviating a bit of the crowding at Deal (without adding to the number of students headed to Wilson).

[Anonymous]

Anyone have a sense of how quickly SH’s inbound population is growing?