Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was sold on BASIS filling the gap until my eldest switched to a parochial high school. He wasn't nearly as used to giving presentations, or working in groups, or diving deep into topics, or doing research, or reading at least one book a week as most of his classmates. Hint: none of those methods of learning feature heavily in BASIS' AP prep focused curriculum. He also wasn't used to having to play a sport, every day. The other students who'd come out of BASIS at his school were in the same boat. He adjusted, but it took him all of freshman year.

Be careful what you believe about a BASIS education, folks. In our experience, the narrowness of the curriculum and weak facilities create as many gaps as they fill. Denying this only works so well. BASIS trains kids to do well on tests. Not much more.

I have no doubt that private schools offer a much better and more attentive and challenging curriculum.

But I have to say this -- we have a 6th grade BASIS student, and last year he gave a presentation, completed a research paper with varied sources, and worked in groups. They only read 3 books for school (but he reads a book every couple days at home).

Not sure if the curriculum has changed since OPs son was there (I know BASIS added a lot more writing recently bc they saw the need) or if there is simply MORE presentation/research etc at his new school. But it's not true that there is none at BASIS.

[Anonymous]

The point is a valid one. I agree, a BASIS education isn't bad, but it's not great either. The crux of the problem isn't that BASIS is a public school. The issues at BASIS are that the curriculum isn't much more than test prep, the building is lousy and teachers aren't paid or treated well enough for the faculty to be stable (like the Latins').

We don't have great public schools in DC. We could, but don't. There are no GT programs in District schools, not test-in programs below 9th grade. Absurd.

[Anonymous]

The gap exists and it's not being filled very well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was sold on BASIS filling the gap until my eldest switched to a parochial high school. He wasn't nearly as used to giving presentations, or working in groups, or diving deep into topics, or doing research, or reading at least one book a week as most of his classmates. Hint: none of those methods of learning feature heavily in BASIS' AP prep focused curriculum. He also wasn't used to having to play a sport, every day. The other students who'd come out of BASIS at his school were in the same boat. He adjusted, but it took him all of freshman year.

Be careful what you believe about a BASIS education, folks. In our experience, the narrowness of the curriculum and weak facilities create as many gaps as they fill. Denying this only works so well. BASIS trains kids to do well on tests. Not much more.

Yes, there is no doubt in my mind that private/parochial school offers more than BASIS. It would be weird if it didn't.

Yes - It’s also an open secret that (1) some folks use Basis as a springboard to private high schools (and sometimes middle); (2) private schools respect the Basis rigor vs other public schools; and (3) see an opportunity to “round out” Basis-prepared students. But yes - a $40K/yr school should have various premiums over Basis.

Wait, what? Private schools are not pining for a chance to "round out" students from any one school FFS. You think they're sitting there saying "this poor disadvantaged child has been denied arts and language education, and we can make the world a better place by admitting them"?

If anything, BASIS kids get in *despite* the things BASIS has chosen not to offer.

Yeah - this is decidedly not true. I don’t want to out myself. But I know for a hard fact that a solid record at BasisDC has is a definite plus for public school applicants. Those schools know what Basis is (and isn’t) and doing well there helps to remove some of the doubt faced by kids coming from public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was sold on BASIS filling the gap until my eldest switched to a parochial high school. He wasn't nearly as used to giving presentations, or working in groups, or diving deep into topics, or doing research, or reading at least one book a week as most of his classmates. Hint: none of those methods of learning feature heavily in BASIS' AP prep focused curriculum. He also wasn't used to having to play a sport, every day. The other students who'd come out of BASIS at his school were in the same boat. He adjusted, but it took him all of freshman year.

Be careful what you believe about a BASIS education, folks. In our experience, the narrowness of the curriculum and weak facilities create as many gaps as they fill. Denying this only works so well. BASIS trains kids to do well on tests. Not much more.

Yes, there is no doubt in my mind that private/parochial school offers more than BASIS. It would be weird if it didn't.

Yes - It’s also an open secret that (1) some folks use Basis as a springboard to private high schools (and sometimes middle); (2) private schools respect the Basis rigor vs other public schools; and (3) see an opportunity to “round out” Basis-prepared students. But yes - a $40K/yr school should have various premiums over Basis.

Wait, what? Private schools are not pining for a chance to "round out" students from any one school FFS. You think they're sitting there saying "this poor disadvantaged child has been denied arts and language education, and we can make the world a better place by admitting them"?

If anything, BASIS kids get in *despite* the things BASIS has chosen not to offer.

Yeah - this is decidedly not true. I don’t want to out myself. But I know for a hard fact that a solid record at BasisDC has is a definite plus for public school applicants. Those schools know what Basis is (and isn’t) and doing well there helps to remove some of the doubt faced by kids coming from public school.

Well yes, because any credible demonstration of academic ability and capacity is a positive thing. It's just weird to think private schools see "opportunity to round out" as a good thing, rather than a deficiency. They're not sitting there like "Yay, this kid's never taken art class, this is our chance to round someone out!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was sold on BASIS filling the gap until my eldest switched to a parochial high school. He wasn't nearly as used to giving presentations, or working in groups, or diving deep into topics, or doing research, or reading at least one book a week as most of his classmates. Hint: none of those methods of learning feature heavily in BASIS' AP prep focused curriculum. He also wasn't used to having to play a sport, every day. The other students who'd come out of BASIS at his school were in the same boat. He adjusted, but it took him all of freshman year.

Be careful what you believe about a BASIS education, folks. In our experience, the narrowness of the curriculum and weak facilities create as many gaps as they fill. Denying this only works so well. BASIS trains kids to do well on tests. Not much more.

Yes, there is no doubt in my mind that private/parochial school offers more than BASIS. It would be weird if it didn't.

Yes - It’s also an open secret that (1) some folks use Basis as a springboard to private high schools (and sometimes middle); (2) private schools respect the Basis rigor vs other public schools; and (3) see an opportunity to “round out” Basis-prepared students. But yes - a $40K/yr school should have various premiums over Basis.

Wait, what? Private schools are not pining for a chance to "round out" students from any one school FFS. You think they're sitting there saying "this poor disadvantaged child has been denied arts and language education, and we can make the world a better place by admitting them"?

If anything, BASIS kids get in *despite* the things BASIS has chosen not to offer.

Yeah - this is decidedly not true. I don’t want to out myself. But I know for a hard fact that a solid record at BasisDC has is a definite plus for public school applicants. Those schools know what Basis is (and isn’t) and doing well there helps to remove some of the doubt faced by kids coming from public school.

Well yes, because any credible demonstration of academic ability and capacity is a positive thing. It's just weird to think private schools see "opportunity to round out" as a good thing, rather than a deficiency. They're not sitting there like "Yay, this kid's never taken art class, this is our chance to round someone out!"

Actually, I think this slightly misses the nuance. No one is suggesting private schools celebrate a kid’s narrowness. Of course they’re not sitting around saying, “Yay, this kid’s never taken art!”

But what I am suggesting is that the so-called “narrowness” of BASIS isn’t necessarily a fatal flaw — and in fact, for private schools evaluating public and charter applicants, it’s often seen as a credible, reliable signal of cognitive ability and academic work ethic.

In a city where transcripts and grading standards vary widely, BASIS offers private schools something reassuring: clear evidence that a student can handle rigorous work. That alone sets a floor. From there, schools do often ask, “What could we do for this kid? How might he thrive here?” It’s not entirely altruistic — it’s part of the broader “What can this kid bring to our community?” lens.

In other words, a strong BASIS record signals: high academic ceiling, clear structure tolerance, potential to grow beyond current limits.

From there, “rounding out” isn’t compensating for deficiency — it’s value-added. Especially when schools feel they’re getting someone with a strong foundation who hasn’t yet had all the elite private bells and whistles. That’s actually attractive.

So yes — academic sharpness is never a bad thing. And narrowness, when it reflects focus or rigor, isn’t always seen as a weakness. It’s often just unrealized breadth. And many schools like being the place where that breadth can finally bloom — at least in the case of some portion of the study body.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The point is a valid one. I agree, a BASIS education isn't bad, but it's not great either. The crux of the problem isn't that BASIS is a public school. The issues at BASIS are that the curriculum isn't much more than test prep, the building is lousy and teachers aren't paid or treated well enough for the faculty to be stable (like the Latins').

We don't have great public schools in DC. We could, but don't. There are no GT programs in District schools, not test-in programs below 9th grade. Absurd.

There are no test-in programs in high school, either, unless Eastern IB or other within-school programs just aren't publicizing it, and even then you would have to get into the school first.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The point is a valid one. I agree, a BASIS education isn't bad, but it's not great either. The crux of the problem isn't that BASIS is a public school. The issues at BASIS are that the curriculum isn't much more than test prep, the building is lousy and teachers aren't paid or treated well enough for the faculty to be stable (like the Latins').

We don't have great public schools in DC. We could, but don't. There are no GT programs in District schools, not test-in programs below 9th grade. Absurd.

There are no test-in programs in high school, either, unless Eastern IB or other within-school programs just aren't publicizing it, and even then you would have to get into the school first.

The program at Eastern is called EPIC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was sold on BASIS filling the gap until my eldest switched to a parochial high school. He wasn't nearly as used to giving presentations, or working in groups, or diving deep into topics, or doing research, or reading at least one book a week as most of his classmates. Hint: none of those methods of learning feature heavily in BASIS' AP prep focused curriculum. He also wasn't used to having to play a sport, every day. The other students who'd come out of BASIS at his school were in the same boat. He adjusted, but it took him all of freshman year.

Be careful what you believe about a BASIS education, folks. In our experience, the narrowness of the curriculum and weak facilities create as many gaps as they fill. Denying this only works so well. BASIS trains kids to do well on tests. Not much more.

Yes, there is no doubt in my mind that private/parochial school offers more than BASIS. It would be weird if it didn't.

Yes - It’s also an open secret that (1) some folks use Basis as a springboard to private high schools (and sometimes middle); (2) private schools respect the Basis rigor vs other public schools; and (3) see an opportunity to “round out” Basis-prepared students. But yes - a $40K/yr school should have various premiums over Basis.

Wait, what? Private schools are not pining for a chance to "round out" students from any one school FFS. You think they're sitting there saying "this poor disadvantaged child has been denied arts and language education, and we can make the world a better place by admitting them"?

If anything, BASIS kids get in *despite* the things BASIS has chosen not to offer.

Yeah - this is decidedly not true. I don’t want to out myself. But I know for a hard fact that a solid record at BasisDC has is a definite plus for public school applicants. Those schools know what Basis is (and isn’t) and doing well there helps to remove some of the doubt faced by kids coming from public school.

Well yes, because any credible demonstration of academic ability and capacity is a positive thing. It's just weird to think private schools see "opportunity to round out" as a good thing, rather than a deficiency. They're not sitting there like "Yay, this kid's never taken art class, this is our chance to round someone out!"

Actually, I think this slightly misses the nuance. No one is suggesting private schools celebrate a kid’s narrowness. Of course they’re not sitting around saying, “Yay, this kid’s never taken art!”

But what I am suggesting is that the so-called “narrowness” of BASIS isn’t necessarily a fatal flaw — and in fact, for private schools evaluating public and charter applicants, it’s often seen as a credible, reliable signal of cognitive ability and academic work ethic.

In a city where transcripts and grading standards vary widely, BASIS offers private schools something reassuring: clear evidence that a student can handle rigorous work. That alone sets a floor. From there, schools do often ask, “What could we do for this kid? How might he thrive here?” It’s not entirely altruistic — it’s part of the broader “What can this kid bring to our community?” lens.

In other words, a strong BASIS record signals: high academic ceiling, clear structure tolerance, potential to grow beyond current limits.

From there, “rounding out” isn’t compensating for deficiency — it’s value-added. Especially when schools feel they’re getting someone with a strong foundation who hasn’t yet had all the elite private bells and whistles. That’s actually attractive.

So yes — academic sharpness is never a bad thing. And narrowness, when it reflects focus or rigor, isn’t always seen as a weakness. It’s often just unrealized breadth. And many schools like being the place where that breadth can finally bloom — at least in the case of some portion of the study body.

You guys are sugarcoating the "strong foundation" BASIS supposedly provides in a big way. From where I sit, the crux of the problem isn't about students missing out on elite private bells and whistles or "unrealized breadth" or any other high-falutin concepts. In our experience, BASIS' focus on relentlessly testing students comes at the expense of promoting joy of learning to the point that the place doesn't function as a school as much as a test prep center where mostly inexperienced teachers prep students to ace exams.

There aren't a lot of BASIS middle school parents worrying about what their student can "bring to the community" at a private high school, because there aren't a lot of BASIS UMC parents who can afford private high schools, mainly due to the high cost of housing in the District. Fact is most middle school students at BASIS who leave the program do so for other public schools, in the DMV or out.

We made it to the BASIS hs but left for another in the MD burbs. We thought our eldest was a rock star because he'd done so well at BASIS for 5 years. But he proved deeply average on the fast track at his new school across the board, for math, English, foreign language, extra curriculars, you name it. The teaching was so much better at the new school, along with the choice of APs, electives and extra curriculars, that there was no comparison to BASIS. We went from a school teaching one AP physics class to a school teaching all four, from a school offering no language classes past AP to a school offering many etc. The new school was much more fun and far more enriching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The point is a valid one. I agree, a BASIS education isn't bad, but it's not great either. The crux of the problem isn't that BASIS is a public school. The issues at BASIS are that the curriculum isn't much more than test prep, the building is lousy and teachers aren't paid or treated well enough for the faculty to be stable (like the Latins').

We don't have great public schools in DC. We could, but don't. There are no GT programs in District schools, not test-in programs below 9th grade. Absurd.

There are no test-in programs in high school, either, unless Eastern IB or other within-school programs just aren't publicizing it, and even then you would have to get into the school first.

The program at Eastern is called EPIC.

And it's test-in? As in, you take a standardized test and the results determine admission? Do they say that somewhere? Can you see if you test in before you decide to go to Eastern?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The point is a valid one. I agree, a BASIS education isn't bad, but it's not great either. The crux of the problem isn't that BASIS is a public school. The issues at BASIS are that the curriculum isn't much more than test prep, the building is lousy and teachers aren't paid or treated well enough for the faculty to be stable (like the Latins').

We don't have great public schools in DC. We could, but don't. There are no GT programs in District schools, not test-in programs below 9th grade. Absurd.

There are no test-in programs in high school, either, unless Eastern IB or other within-school programs just aren't publicizing it, and even then you would have to get into the school first.

The program at Eastern is called EPIC.

And it's test-in? As in, you take a standardized test and the results determine admission? Do they say that somewhere? Can you see if you test in before you decide to go to Eastern?

https://www.easternhighschooldcps.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=456727&type=d

It's grades, PARCC (CAPE) scores, some other reading test, and essay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was sold on BASIS filling the gap until my eldest switched to a parochial high school. He wasn't nearly as used to giving presentations, or working in groups, or diving deep into topics, or doing research, or reading at least one book a week as most of his classmates. Hint: none of those methods of learning feature heavily in BASIS' AP prep focused curriculum. He also wasn't used to having to play a sport, every day. The other students who'd come out of BASIS at his school were in the same boat. He adjusted, but it took him all of freshman year.

Be careful what you believe about a BASIS education, folks. In our experience, the narrowness of the curriculum and weak facilities create as many gaps as they fill. Denying this only works so well. BASIS trains kids to do well on tests. Not much more.

Yes, there is no doubt in my mind that private/parochial school offers more than BASIS. It would be weird if it didn't.

Yes - It’s also an open secret that (1) some folks use Basis as a springboard to private high schools (and sometimes middle); (2) private schools respect the Basis rigor vs other public schools; and (3) see an opportunity to “round out” Basis-prepared students. But yes - a $40K/yr school should have various premiums over Basis.

Wait, what? Private schools are not pining for a chance to "round out" students from any one school FFS. You think they're sitting there saying "this poor disadvantaged child has been denied arts and language education, and we can make the world a better place by admitting them"?

If anything, BASIS kids get in *despite* the things BASIS has chosen not to offer.

Yeah - this is decidedly not true. I don’t want to out myself. But I know for a hard fact that a solid record at BasisDC has is a definite plus for public school applicants. Those schools know what Basis is (and isn’t) and doing well there helps to remove some of the doubt faced by kids coming from public school.

Well yes, because any credible demonstration of academic ability and capacity is a positive thing. It's just weird to think private schools see "opportunity to round out" as a good thing, rather than a deficiency. They're not sitting there like "Yay, this kid's never taken art class, this is our chance to round someone out!"

There’s definitely a savior mentality at private schools… but it’s at the margin. It’s like “this kid is gifted and without our help will never maximize their potential”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The point is a valid one. I agree, a BASIS education isn't bad, but it's not great either. The crux of the problem isn't that BASIS is a public school. The issues at BASIS are that the curriculum isn't much more than test prep, the building is lousy and teachers aren't paid or treated well enough for the faculty to be stable (like the Latins').

We don't have great public schools in DC. We could, but don't. There are no GT programs in District schools, not test-in programs below 9th grade. Absurd.

There are no test-in programs in high school, either, unless Eastern IB or other within-school programs just aren't publicizing it, and even then you would have to get into the school first.

The program at Eastern is called EPIC.

And it's test-in? As in, you take a standardized test and the results determine admission? Do they say that somewhere? Can you see if you test in before you decide to go to Eastern?

https://www.easternhighschooldcps.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=456727&type=d

It's grades, PARCC (CAPE) scores, some other reading test, and essay.

"We do not exclusively use one data point on
a student. We look for strong grades, a
strong Reading Inventory score, PARCC
scores, positive teacher references, and effort
put into the written response of the
application.".

That is even more opaque than the selective high schools and even less test-in than SWW was pre-COVID, where there were minimum PARCC scores. Also, that it hasn't been updated in years because they're still using the old test name means who knows how they're doing admissions now?

DCPS has no test-in programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was sold on BASIS filling the gap until my eldest switched to a parochial high school. He wasn't nearly as used to giving presentations, or working in groups, or diving deep into topics, or doing research, or reading at least one book a week as most of his classmates. Hint: none of those methods of learning feature heavily in BASIS' AP prep focused curriculum. He also wasn't used to having to play a sport, every day. The other students who'd come out of BASIS at his school were in the same boat. He adjusted, but it took him all of freshman year.

Be careful what you believe about a BASIS education, folks. In our experience, the narrowness of the curriculum and weak facilities create as many gaps as they fill. Denying this only works so well. BASIS trains kids to do well on tests. Not much more.

Yes, there is no doubt in my mind that private/parochial school offers more than BASIS. It would be weird if it didn't.

Yes - It’s also an open secret that (1) some folks use Basis as a springboard to private high schools (and sometimes middle); (2) private schools respect the Basis rigor vs other public schools; and (3) see an opportunity to “round out” Basis-prepared students. But yes - a $40K/yr school should have various premiums over Basis.

Wait, what? Private schools are not pining for a chance to "round out" students from any one school FFS. You think they're sitting there saying "this poor disadvantaged child has been denied arts and language education, and we can make the world a better place by admitting them"?

If anything, BASIS kids get in *despite* the things BASIS has chosen not to offer.

Yeah - this is decidedly not true. I don’t want to out myself. But I know for a hard fact that a solid record at BasisDC has is a definite plus for public school applicants. Those schools know what Basis is (and isn’t) and doing well there helps to remove some of the doubt faced by kids coming from public school.

Well yes, because any credible demonstration of academic ability and capacity is a positive thing. It's just weird to think private schools see "opportunity to round out" as a good thing, rather than a deficiency. They're not sitting there like "Yay, this kid's never taken art class, this is our chance to round someone out!"

There’s definitely a savior mentality at private schools… but it’s at the margin. It’s like “this kid is gifted and without our help will never maximize their potential”

But it's for kids who actually need it! They're not like "This kid is gifted and his parents can afford full pay, but they've weirdly chosen to stifle his creative talents by sending him to BASIS. To the rescue!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was sold on BASIS filling the gap until my eldest switched to a parochial high school. He wasn't nearly as used to giving presentations, or working in groups, or diving deep into topics, or doing research, or reading at least one book a week as most of his classmates. Hint: none of those methods of learning feature heavily in BASIS' AP prep focused curriculum. He also wasn't used to having to play a sport, every day. The other students who'd come out of BASIS at his school were in the same boat. He adjusted, but it took him all of freshman year.

Be careful what you believe about a BASIS education, folks. In our experience, the narrowness of the curriculum and weak facilities create as many gaps as they fill. Denying this only works so well. BASIS trains kids to do well on tests. Not much more.

Yes, there is no doubt in my mind that private/parochial school offers more than BASIS. It would be weird if it didn't.

Yes - It’s also an open secret that (1) some folks use Basis as a springboard to private high schools (and sometimes middle); (2) private schools respect the Basis rigor vs other public schools; and (3) see an opportunity to “round out” Basis-prepared students. But yes - a $40K/yr school should have various premiums over Basis.

Wait, what? Private schools are not pining for a chance to "round out" students from any one school FFS. You think they're sitting there saying "this poor disadvantaged child has been denied arts and language education, and we can make the world a better place by admitting them"?

If anything, BASIS kids get in *despite* the things BASIS has chosen not to offer.

Yeah - this is decidedly not true. I don’t want to out myself. But I know for a hard fact that a solid record at BasisDC has is a definite plus for public school applicants. Those schools know what Basis is (and isn’t) and doing well there helps to remove some of the doubt faced by kids coming from public school.

Well yes, because any credible demonstration of academic ability and capacity is a positive thing. It's just weird to think private schools see "opportunity to round out" as a good thing, rather than a deficiency. They're not sitting there like "Yay, this kid's never taken art class, this is our chance to round someone out!"

Actually, I think this slightly misses the nuance. No one is suggesting private schools celebrate a kid’s narrowness. Of course they’re not sitting around saying, “Yay, this kid’s never taken art!”

But what I am suggesting is that the so-called “narrowness” of BASIS isn’t necessarily a fatal flaw — and in fact, for private schools evaluating public and charter applicants, it’s often seen as a credible, reliable signal of cognitive ability and academic work ethic.

In a city where transcripts and grading standards vary widely, BASIS offers private schools something reassuring: clear evidence that a student can handle rigorous work. That alone sets a floor. From there, schools do often ask, “What could we do for this kid? How might he thrive here?” It’s not entirely altruistic — it’s part of the broader “What can this kid bring to our community?” lens.

In other words, a strong BASIS record signals: high academic ceiling, clear structure tolerance, potential to grow beyond current limits.

From there, “rounding out” isn’t compensating for deficiency — it’s value-added. Especially when schools feel they’re getting someone with a strong foundation who hasn’t yet had all the elite private bells and whistles. That’s actually attractive.

So yes — academic sharpness is never a bad thing. And narrowness, when it reflects focus or rigor, isn’t always seen as a weakness. It’s often just unrealized breadth. And many schools like being the place where that breadth can finally bloom — at least in the case of some portion of the study body.

You guys are sugarcoating the "strong foundation" BASIS supposedly provides in a big way. From where I sit, the crux of the problem isn't about students missing out on elite private bells and whistles or "unrealized breadth" or any other high-falutin concepts. In our experience, BASIS' focus on relentlessly testing students comes at the expense of promoting joy of learning to the point that the place doesn't function as a school as much as a test prep center where mostly inexperienced teachers prep students to ace exams.

There aren't a lot of BASIS middle school parents worrying about what their student can "bring to the community" at a private high school, because there aren't a lot of BASIS UMC parents who can afford private high schools, mainly due to the high cost of housing in the District. Fact is most middle school students at BASIS who leave the program do so for other public schools, in the DMV or out.

We made it to the BASIS hs but left for another in the MD burbs. We thought our eldest was a rock star because he'd done so well at BASIS for 5 years. But he proved deeply average on the fast track at his new school across the board, for math, English, foreign language, extra curriculars, you name it. The teaching was so much better at the new school, along with the choice of APs, electives and extra curriculars, that there was no comparison to BASIS. We went from a school teaching one AP physics class to a school teaching all four, from a school offering no language classes past AP to a school offering many etc. The new school was much more fun and far more enriching.

This is probably the most helpful thread if you have a high performing kid. I have one, and we did not even consider Basis because saw that it was basically a test prep grind and not well a rounded middle school experience. It is also a very rigid and narrow curriculum.