BASIS DCPCSB to open two PK3-5 campuses

[Anonymous]

Also, aftercare is a silent study hall from 4-5pm? For four year olds? really? (According to the application submitted and on the DCPCSB website)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what is the likelihood that there will actually be a Basis K-4 next year? When does the charter school board need to sign off to make it happen? Can the Basis elementary go into the lottery system (opening up soon) even if it's not approved? Or can they get applicants later on a first-come, first-served basis (poor choice of word, I know)?

And will sibling preference be in play between the elementary-middle-high school? Do people think that will make it pretty hard to get into if the child you're trying to lottery in isn't a sibling?

Assuming that 1) they get approved to open in fall 2017 and 2) they retained everyone from 4th to 5th, there would still be places for about 30 students from outside BASIS Primary at Basis Middle.

But that would not necessarily be the case if/when they opened their desired 2nd primary campus in a few years.

But those are big if's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, aftercare is a silent study hall from 4-5pm? For four year olds? really? (According to the application submitted and on the DCPCSB website)

5 yos - starts at K, not PK. But yeah.

But it will probably get approved since people only complained on DCUM and didn't raise any issues at the DCPCSB hearing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what is the likelihood that there will actually be a Basis K-4 next year? When does the charter school board need to sign off to make it happen? Can the Basis elementary go into the lottery system (opening up soon) even if it's not approved? Or can they get applicants later on a first-come, first-served basis (poor choice of word, I know)?

And will sibling preference be in play between the elementary-middle-high school? Do people think that will make it pretty hard to get into if the child you're trying to lottery in isn't a sibling?

Re sibling preference, if you look at the maps of where students at different charters come from a large number of BASIS' current students are IB for strong DCPS elementary schools (eg Maury and Brent). I'm not convinced that those parents are going to pull their younger siblings out of those schools and enroll them in a BASIS K-4. http://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/Choosing%20Quality%20Report_0.pdf

In fact, this expansion could be the best thing to happen to SH and Jefferson in a while as it will make it harder/less likely that those kids peel off at 5th. There are only so many seats open at Washington Latin and BASIS isn't going to be as appealing if you have to start in elementary to get into the middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what is the likelihood that there will actually be a Basis K-4 next year? When does the charter school board need to sign off to make it happen? Can the Basis elementary go into the lottery system (opening up soon) even if it's not approved? Or can they get applicants later on a first-come, first-served basis (poor choice of word, I know)?

And will sibling preference be in play between the elementary-middle-high school? Do people think that will make it pretty hard to get into if the child you're trying to lottery in isn't a sibling?

Re sibling preference, if you look at the maps of where students at different charters come from a large number of BASIS' current students are IB for strong DCPS elementary schools (eg Maury and Brent). I'm not convinced that those parents are going to pull their younger siblings out of those schools and enroll them in a BASIS K-4. http://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/Choosing%20Quality%20Report_0.pdf

In fact, this expansion could be the best thing to happen to SH and Jefferson in a while as it will make it harder/less likely that those kids peel off at 5th. There are only so many seats open at Washington Latin and BASIS isn't going to be as appealing if you have to start in elementary to get into the middle school.

This is my thinking/hope as well...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what is the likelihood that there will actually be a Basis K-4 next year? When does the charter school board need to sign off to make it happen? Can the Basis elementary go into the lottery system (opening up soon) even if it's not approved? Or can they get applicants later on a first-come, first-served basis (poor choice of word, I know)?

And will sibling preference be in play between the elementary-middle-high school? Do people think that will make it pretty hard to get into if the child you're trying to lottery in isn't a sibling?

Re sibling preference, if you look at the maps of where students at different charters come from a large number of BASIS' current students are IB for strong DCPS elementary schools (eg Maury and Brent). I'm not convinced that those parents are going to pull their younger siblings out of those schools and enroll them in a BASIS K-4. http://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/Choosing%20Quality%20Report_0.pdf

In fact, this expansion could be the best thing to happen to SH and Jefferson in a while as it will make it harder/less likely that those kids peel off at 5th. There are only so many seats open at Washington Latin and BASIS isn't going to be as appealing if you have to start in elementary to get into the middle school.

Almost certainly wistful thinking. Yes, more Maury and Brent families will stay in their in-boundary schools for 5th once most BASIS MS spots are pinned down by BASIS K-5th families. But Jefferson's 6th grade proficiency pass rate for both ELA and math is in the teens, folks, making it really unlikely that a cohort of high SES families on the Hill will embrace it in under a decade. Unless DCPS creates a full complement of on and above-grade classes in advance at Jefferson and Eliot-Hine (really unlikely), I see parents moving to the burbs before using these middle schools if they lack lottery luck. Some will rent out their homes for MS and HS to rent in the burbs, then return to the Hill as empty nesters. Also, the Maury, Brent, SWS etc. families are more likely to head for Washington Latin's planned second campus across the river than to a DCPS. You already hear a lot of talk about all this in Brent and Maury lower grades circles. Brent, Maury and SWS don't feed into SH, and SH's WLs get longer every year.

[Anonymous]

I would say that this is a hackneyed subject except that a Basis K-4 certainly changes existing dynamics. Although I have heard talk about Washington Latin creating a second campus, there don't seem to be any concrete proposals to do so in the next few years. I think there are Brent families who will give Jefferson a chance before taking the only remaining escape valve of moving away. And if the pioneers have good experiences, others will follow. Jefferson's model of tailoring educational plans to individual students could work until there are sufficient numbers to justify advanced classes. I see no reason to assume there aren't on-grade-level classes now. I guess we'll all see what the lottery and enrollment season bring!

[Anonymous]

Right, hackneyed subject. It's no secret that none of the other feeder schools--Van Ness, Tyler, Amidon--will be sending a cohort of strong students to Jefferson for many years to come, if ever. Brent is teaching 6th and 7th grade math to a good many 5th graders these days, while Jefferson is teaching remedial math to the majority of its students. Also, Jefferson's a tough school, with most of the kids from SW projects.

It took Cluster parents many years of lobbying before a new principal finally introduced on-grade level class ("honors classes") at SH several years ago. DCPS isn't accustomed to rapid change, and doesn't seem to want to move in that direction. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

The reality is that DCPC moves at breakneck speed compared to DCPS.

BASIS will have two K-5th schools up and running, offering a challenging curriculum to all comes, while DCPS continues to fuss about offering any grade-level classes in any particular middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Inclusiveness means they serve all students.

When they started there were both more poor students and more students with disabilities. Both populations have dwindled.

Same thing has happened at Wash Latin's middle school. In response its Board is currently planning a second campus to be located EOTR.

Basis on the other hand stated in its application and at the hearing that they were only looking at possible locations in Wards 1-6.

See the difference?

Of course the populations have dwindled steadily in what amounts to a liberal arts GT program in a public school system without any before high school. Almost any well-educated parent who's lived in this city for a decade or more could have seen that one coming.

BASIS can't end multi-generational poverty in DC or anywhere else, but it can help dozens of poor DC kids reach for the stars, mainly by providing them a peer group that's predominantly high SES. I'm thrilled that BASIS is only looking at locations outside Wards 7 and 8. I wouldn't have gone to a great college, on a Pell grant, if most of my high school classmates hadn't been from upper middle-class families, unlike my own. No way, no how. I hear this a lot from colleagues and friends.

Come on, Latin's board isn't PLANNING to open a second campus EOTR; its members are merely talking about opening a second campus somewhere.

The difference is that BASIS isn't afraid to differentiate" (read track) aggressively, at least for science and math. Latin is.

This

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what is the likelihood that there will actually be a Basis K-4 next year? When does the charter school board need to sign off to make it happen? Can the Basis elementary go into the lottery system (opening up soon) even if it's not approved? Or can they get applicants later on a first-come, first-served basis (poor choice of word, I know)?

And will sibling preference be in play between the elementary-middle-high school? Do people think that will make it pretty hard to get into if the child you're trying to lottery in isn't a sibling?

Re sibling preference, if you look at the maps of where students at different charters come from a large number of BASIS' current students are IB for strong DCPS elementary schools (eg Maury and Brent). I'm not convinced that those parents are going to pull their younger siblings out of those schools and enroll them in a BASIS K-4. http://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/Choosing%20Quality%20Report_0.pdf

In fact, this expansion could be the best thing to happen to SH and Jefferson in a while as it will make it harder/less likely that those kids peel off at 5th. There are only so many seats open at Washington Latin and BASIS isn't going to be as appealing if you have to start in elementary to get into the middle school.

Almost certainly wistful thinking. Yes, more Maury and Brent families will stay in their in-boundary schools for 5th once most BASIS MS spots are pinned down by BASIS K-5th families. But Jefferson's 6th grade proficiency pass rate for both ELA and math is in the teens, folks, making it really unlikely that a cohort of high SES families on the Hill will embrace it in under a decade. Unless DCPS creates a full complement of on and above-grade classes in advance at Jefferson and Eliot-Hine (really unlikely), I see parents moving to the burbs before using these middle schools if they lack lottery luck. Some will rent out their homes for MS and HS to rent in the burbs, then return to the Hill as empty nesters. Also, the Maury, Brent, SWS etc. families are more likely to head for Washington Latin's planned second campus across the river than to a DCPS. You already hear a lot of talk about all this in Brent and Maury lower grades circles. Brent, Maury and SWS don't feed into SH, and SH's WLs get longer every year.

Jefferson's overall PARCC pass rates: 17% ELA, 16% math
Stuart Hobson's: 24% ELA, 11% math

It doesn't seem that SH is doing a particularly good job, especially given the number of rich and/or white kids it has. Not a single SH 8th grader was proficient (PARCC 4 or 5) in math last year. The same can't be said of Jefferson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what is the likelihood that there will actually be a Basis K-4 next year? When does the charter school board need to sign off to make it happen? Can the Basis elementary go into the lottery system (opening up soon) even if it's not approved? Or can they get applicants later on a first-come, first-served basis (poor choice of word, I know)?

And will sibling preference be in play between the elementary-middle-high school? Do people think that will make it pretty hard to get into if the child you're trying to lottery in isn't a sibling?

Re sibling preference, if you look at the maps of where students at different charters come from a large number of BASIS' current students are IB for strong DCPS elementary schools (eg Maury and Brent). I'm not convinced that those parents are going to pull their younger siblings out of those schools and enroll them in a BASIS K-4. http://www.dcpcsb.org/sites/default/files/Choosing%20Quality%20Report_0.pdf

In fact, this expansion could be the best thing to happen to SH and Jefferson in a while as it will make it harder/less likely that those kids peel off at 5th. There are only so many seats open at Washington Latin and BASIS isn't going to be as appealing if you have to start in elementary to get into the middle school.

Almost certainly wistful thinking. Yes, more Maury and Brent families will stay in their in-boundary schools for 5th once most BASIS MS spots are pinned down by BASIS K-5th families. But Jefferson's 6th grade proficiency pass rate for both ELA and math is in the teens, folks, making it really unlikely that a cohort of high SES families on the Hill will embrace it in under a decade. Unless DCPS creates a full complement of on and above-grade classes in advance at Jefferson and Eliot-Hine (really unlikely), I see parents moving to the burbs before using these middle schools if they lack lottery luck. Some will rent out their homes for MS and HS to rent in the burbs, then return to the Hill as empty nesters. Also, the Maury, Brent, SWS etc. families are more likely to head for Washington Latin's planned second campus across the river than to a DCPS. You already hear a lot of talk about all this in Brent and Maury lower grades circles. Brent, Maury and SWS don't feed into SH, and SH's WLs get longer every year.

Jefferson's overall PARCC pass rates: 17% ELA, 16% math
Stuart Hobson's: 24% ELA, 11% math

It doesn't seem that SH is doing a particularly good job, especially given the number of rich and/or white kids it has. Not a single SH 8th grader was proficient (PARCC 4 or 5) in math last year. The same can't be said of Jefferson.

We're supposed to take hear that Jefferson's overall PARCC pass rates are in the TEENS? Please. Most high SES families in the SH catchment area have long rejected the school, but at least it's been offering "honors" (on grade level) classes for the last four years. Jefferson doesn't.

[Anonymous]

nobody needs to be happy that Jefferson's PARCC scores are so low, but they can't reasonably say that SH has a larger core of high achievers or does a better job educating their student body.

[Anonymous]

OK, you win, they can't say it.

Where the hell does that get us from the Hill? To privates? To the burbs? To pray for lottery luck at Latin and BASIS when our 4th grade number is up? To schlep our kids across town to one of the new BASIS campuses for years before middle school to keep from driving into the wall, giving up on our thriving by-right elementary schools and ties. Whatever; we are in a middle school cul de sac with no end in sight. City politicians don't care a whit because Hill voters aren't pushing back in an organized way.

[Anonymous]

Um. Send your kid there if you want better test scores for your IB school. Or realize that you don't want to deal with issues of urban poverty and move off the Hill as you threaten. The test scores are a function of who is in the school, not the quality of the school.