Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find threads like this very frustrating because there ARE middle schools in DC which offer the range of experiences people claim to be looking for when criticizing BASIS. The only thing they are lacking is a large cohort of high performing students. If you hate BASIS, send your kid to SH or E-H! They have good facilities, good extracurriculars, etc, etc. I think charter schools played a critical role in getting parents to stay in DC, but I also think that now there's no question that there are a bunch of DCPS middle schools who would thrive if charter schools ceased to exist.

I think a lot of BASIS parents would be fine with one or both of those schools, but they either aren't zoned for them or are worried about their high school options.

+1. We are zoned for SH and like the school but are stressed about HS. BASIS isn't for us but we do intend to lottery for both Latins. I think a lot of our cohort intends to go to SH though -- we will be fine there. But it does kick the can on HS for us and that's why getting into Latin would be a relief, not because I'm thrilled about leaving our IB schools and trucking across town for a charter. I get why people consider BASIS for this reason.

I will also say that while I'm encouraged by SH's recent move towards tracking in math, it still doesn't feel like a *great* fit for a highly academic kid. My oldest is really academics focused, loves school, and wants to be going deeper in all subjects. I really do feel like DCPS just kind of gives up on kids like this in large part -- the assumption is that we will figure out how to provide her the enrichment she needs, and maybe we'll get lucky with a spot in Walls or Bannaker, but that's about it. I think it's too bad and may ultimately lead us to leave the district (either go private or move). She's a great kid and deserves more than it feels like is on offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well, we have a high performing (99th percentile on CAPE) kid, we did choose BASIS, and we are very grateful bc he had a chance to learn a ton and has a lot of smart peers. Our other option was DCPS and there is no doubt in my mind that he learned more math, science and history at BASIS middle than he would have in a DCPS middle school. Yes, they take a lot of tests to assess their learning. But I think that's a good thing. It's an old school, structured, handwritten way of learning.

High school will be its own decision. But if you have a STEMy, high achieving kid, imo you are crazy not to consider BASIS.

No you aren't. My STEMy high achieving kid had a hard time socially at BASIS and disliked the school. Some of his STEMy middle school teachers were awful, right out of grad school with weak teaching and classroom management skills. He has his 20s to act like an adult, madly cramming for tests. BASIS' lackluster electives, ECs and facilities weren't for us. We pulled him out, sent him to a parochial school we could afford with somewhat less rigorous STEM and a whole lot more happiness. Don't believe the hype, parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find threads like this very frustrating because there ARE middle schools in DC which offer the range of experiences people claim to be looking for when criticizing BASIS. The only thing they are lacking is a large cohort of high performing students. If you hate BASIS, send your kid to SH or E-H! They have good facilities, good extracurriculars, etc, etc. I think charter schools played a critical role in getting parents to stay in DC, but I also think that now there's no question that there are a bunch of DCPS middle schools who would thrive if charter schools ceased to exist.

DCPS doesnt care about high performing students, especially if they're white.

Ignoring them seems to be the city's plan for closing the achievement gap

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well, we have a high performing (99th percentile on CAPE) kid, we did choose BASIS, and we are very grateful bc he had a chance to learn a ton and has a lot of smart peers. Our other option was DCPS and there is no doubt in my mind that he learned more math, science and history at BASIS middle than he would have in a DCPS middle school. Yes, they take a lot of tests to assess their learning. But I think that's a good thing. It's an old school, structured, handwritten way of learning.

High school will be its own decision. But if you have a STEMy, high achieving kid, imo you are crazy not to consider BASIS.

No you aren't. My STEMy high achieving kid had a hard time socially at BASIS and disliked the school. Some of his STEMy middle school teachers were awful, right out of grad school with weak teaching and classroom management skills. He has his 20s to act like an adult, madly cramming for tests. BASIS' lackluster electives, ECs and facilities weren't for us. We pulled him out, sent him to a parochial school we could afford with somewhat less rigorous STEM and a whole lot more happiness. Don't believe the hype, parents.

So we should ignore Basis’ demonstrated results because your kid washed out of the school and is now struggling at some no-name Catholic school?

No thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well, we have a high performing (99th percentile on CAPE) kid, we did choose BASIS, and we are very grateful bc he had a chance to learn a ton and has a lot of smart peers. Our other option was DCPS and there is no doubt in my mind that he learned more math, science and history at BASIS middle than he would have in a DCPS middle school. Yes, they take a lot of tests to assess their learning. But I think that's a good thing. It's an old school, structured, handwritten way of learning.

High school will be its own decision. But if you have a STEMy, high achieving kid, imo you are crazy not to consider BASIS.

No you aren't. My STEMy high achieving kid had a hard time socially at BASIS and disliked the school. Some of his STEMy middle school teachers were awful, right out of grad school with weak teaching and classroom management skills. He has his 20s to act like an adult, madly cramming for tests. BASIS' lackluster electives, ECs and facilities weren't for us. We pulled him out, sent him to a parochial school we could afford with somewhat less rigorous STEM and a whole lot more happiness. Don't believe the hype, parents.

So we should ignore Basis’ demonstrated results because your kid washed out of the school and is now struggling at some no-name Catholic school?

No thanks.

DP but this kind of response is so weird to me. I don't have a kid at BASIS but the PP's experience sounds very relevant to me. It also doesn't sound like their kid "washed out" but that he was miserable. As the parent of a very high scoring kid who has had a couple rough years at school due specifically to inexperienced or disengaged teachers, this is precisely why I worry about BASIS.

My kid does well in school in large part because they enjoy learning and have an innate curiosity and drive to understand. Teaching is critical for a kid like this, especially because doing well on tests does not appear to be a major problem for them. Being in a classroom with a teacher who is checked out, bad at classroom control, or doesn't know how to engage students who are eager to be engaged is going to hold a student like this back, no matter how rigorous the testing standards are the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well, we have a high performing (99th percentile on CAPE) kid, we did choose BASIS, and we are very grateful bc he had a chance to learn a ton and has a lot of smart peers. Our other option was DCPS and there is no doubt in my mind that he learned more math, science and history at BASIS middle than he would have in a DCPS middle school. Yes, they take a lot of tests to assess their learning. But I think that's a good thing. It's an old school, structured, handwritten way of learning.

High school will be its own decision. But if you have a STEMy, high achieving kid, imo you are crazy not to consider BASIS.

No you aren't. My STEMy high achieving kid had a hard time socially at BASIS and disliked the school. Some of his STEMy middle school teachers were awful, right out of grad school with weak teaching and classroom management skills. He has his 20s to act like an adult, madly cramming for tests. BASIS' lackluster electives, ECs and facilities weren't for us. We pulled him out, sent him to a parochial school we could afford with somewhat less rigorous STEM and a whole lot more happiness. Don't believe the hype, parents.

So we should ignore Basis’ demonstrated results because your kid washed out of the school and is now struggling at some no-name Catholic school?

No thanks.

DP but this kind of response is so weird to me. I don't have a kid at BASIS but the PP's experience sounds very relevant to me. It also doesn't sound like their kid "washed out" but that he was miserable. As the parent of a very high scoring kid who has had a couple rough years at school due specifically to inexperienced or disengaged teachers, this is precisely why I worry about BASIS.

My kid does well in school in large part because they enjoy learning and have an innate curiosity and drive to understand. Teaching is critical for a kid like this, especially because doing well on tests does not appear to be a major problem for them. Being in a classroom with a teacher who is checked out, bad at classroom control, or doesn't know how to engage students who are eager to be engaged is going to hold a student like this back, no matter how rigorous the testing standards are the school.

You really need to get into the school for an open house, and talk to parents of current students in real life.

I was stunned by how happy the kids looked and how engaging the teachers were after reading about BASIS on the forum, and i'm very very glad we used our own judgement. We have had a couple young teachers "wash out" but the good teachers are better than any that my kid had in DCPS elementary. the bolded is not true as a rule at BASIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well, we have a high performing (99th percentile on CAPE) kid, we did choose BASIS, and we are very grateful bc he had a chance to learn a ton and has a lot of smart peers. Our other option was DCPS and there is no doubt in my mind that he learned more math, science and history at BASIS middle than he would have in a DCPS middle school. Yes, they take a lot of tests to assess their learning. But I think that's a good thing. It's an old school, structured, handwritten way of learning.

High school will be its own decision. But if you have a STEMy, high achieving kid, imo you are crazy not to consider BASIS.

No you aren't. My STEMy high achieving kid had a hard time socially at BASIS and disliked the school. Some of his STEMy middle school teachers were awful, right out of grad school with weak teaching and classroom management skills. He has his 20s to act like an adult, madly cramming for tests. BASIS' lackluster electives, ECs and facilities weren't for us. We pulled him out, sent him to a parochial school we could afford with somewhat less rigorous STEM and a whole lot more happiness. Don't believe the hype, parents.

So we should ignore Basis’ demonstrated results because your kid washed out of the school and is now struggling at some no-name Catholic school?

No thanks.

DP but this kind of response is so weird to me. I don't have a kid at BASIS but the PP's experience sounds very relevant to me. It also doesn't sound like their kid "washed out" but that he was miserable. As the parent of a very high scoring kid who has had a couple rough years at school due specifically to inexperienced or disengaged teachers, this is precisely why I worry about BASIS.

My kid does well in school in large part because they enjoy learning and have an innate curiosity and drive to understand. Teaching is critical for a kid like this, especially because doing well on tests does not appear to be a major problem for them. Being in a classroom with a teacher who is checked out, bad at classroom control, or doesn't know how to engage students who are eager to be engaged is going to hold a student like this back, no matter how rigorous the testing standards are the school.

You really need to get into the school for an open house, and talk to parents of current students in real life.

I was stunned by how happy the kids looked and how engaging the teachers were after reading about BASIS on the forum, and i'm very very glad we used our own judgement. We have had a couple young teachers "wash out" but the good teachers are better than any that my kid had in DCPS elementary. the bolded is not true as a rule at BASIS.

+1

We never seriously considered BASIS. But the people I’ve met IRL with kids at BASIS are perfectly normal about it, nothing like the BASIS boosters on here.

Though to be fair the same is true of a bunch of DCPS schools. This forum seems to promote a distorted, unduly negative view of just about every school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well, we have a high performing (99th percentile on CAPE) kid, we did choose BASIS, and we are very grateful bc he had a chance to learn a ton and has a lot of smart peers. Our other option was DCPS and there is no doubt in my mind that he learned more math, science and history at BASIS middle than he would have in a DCPS middle school. Yes, they take a lot of tests to assess their learning. But I think that's a good thing. It's an old school, structured, handwritten way of learning.

High school will be its own decision. But if you have a STEMy, high achieving kid, imo you are crazy not to consider BASIS.

No you aren't. My STEMy high achieving kid had a hard time socially at BASIS and disliked the school. Some of his STEMy middle school teachers were awful, right out of grad school with weak teaching and classroom management skills. He has his 20s to act like an adult, madly cramming for tests. BASIS' lackluster electives, ECs and facilities weren't for us. We pulled him out, sent him to a parochial school we could afford with somewhat less rigorous STEM and a whole lot more happiness. Don't believe the hype, parents.

So we should ignore Basis’ demonstrated results because your kid washed out of the school and is now struggling at some no-name Catholic school?

No thanks.

DP but this kind of response is so weird to me. I don't have a kid at BASIS but the PP's experience sounds very relevant to me. It also doesn't sound like their kid "washed out" but that he was miserable. As the parent of a very high scoring kid who has had a couple rough years at school due specifically to inexperienced or disengaged teachers, this is precisely why I worry about BASIS.

My kid does well in school in large part because they enjoy learning and have an innate curiosity and drive to understand. Teaching is critical for a kid like this, especially because doing well on tests does not appear to be a major problem for them. Being in a classroom with a teacher who is checked out, bad at classroom control, or doesn't know how to engage students who are eager to be engaged is going to hold a student like this back, no matter how rigorous the testing standards are the school.

You really need to get into the school for an open house, and talk to parents of current students in real life.

I was stunned by how happy the kids looked and how engaging the teachers were after reading about BASIS on the forum, and i'm very very glad we used our own judgement. We have had a couple young teachers "wash out" but the good teachers are better than any that my kid had in DCPS elementary. the bolded is not true as a rule at BASIS.

+1

We never seriously considered BASIS. But the people I’ve met IRL with kids at BASIS are perfectly normal about it, nothing like the BASIS boosters on here.

Though to be fair the same is true of a bunch of DCPS schools. This forum seems to promote a distorted, unduly negative view of just about every school.

Yes - I know several very happy Basis families and another who had an awful experience and seethes at mention of the name. I believe all of them.

[Anonymous]

thats sort of the internet and the quest for the best readily available option. sometimes the same people who are pretty normal in day-to-day real life post hyper competitive stuff or only partly seriously, or state views online they would not dare share in person with people making other choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:thats sort of the internet and the quest for the best readily available option. sometimes the same people who are pretty normal in day-to-day real life post hyper competitive stuff or only partly seriously, or state views online they would not dare share in person with people making other choices.

Stop making sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well, we have a high performing (99th percentile on CAPE) kid, we did choose BASIS, and we are very grateful bc he had a chance to learn a ton and has a lot of smart peers. Our other option was DCPS and there is no doubt in my mind that he learned more math, science and history at BASIS middle than he would have in a DCPS middle school. Yes, they take a lot of tests to assess their learning. But I think that's a good thing. It's an old school, structured, handwritten way of learning.

High school will be its own decision. But if you have a STEMy, high achieving kid, imo you are crazy not to consider BASIS.

No you aren't. My STEMy high achieving kid had a hard time socially at BASIS and disliked the school. Some of his STEMy middle school teachers were awful, right out of grad school with weak teaching and classroom management skills. He has his 20s to act like an adult, madly cramming for tests. BASIS' lackluster electives, ECs and facilities weren't for us. We pulled him out, sent him to a parochial school we could afford with somewhat less rigorous STEM and a whole lot more happiness. Don't believe the hype, parents.

So we should ignore Basis’ demonstrated results because your kid washed out of the school and is now struggling at some no-name Catholic school?

No thanks.

Not the parent you're responding to but hold on, PP. I have questions for you.

What is the basis for your assertion that said kid "washed out?" of BASIS? No chance that the kid aced the curriculum? For that matter, what evidence do you have that the kid struggled academically, and continues to do so? Sounds like the kid just didn't like the school, didn't make good friends there. What constitutes a no-name Catholic middle school in the DMV? St. Peter? St. Patrick's? Our Lady of Victory? Blessed Sacrament? Those schools have been running for a century or more.

BASIS' demonstrated results, meaning what and compared to what? High retention rates although they lose 1/3-1/2 of every 5th grade cohort by 12th grade?

[Anonymous]

Don't bother. It goes without saying that certain BASIS parents can't resist denigrating any student who leaves.

Hint: they're jealous of those who can afford to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't bother. It goes without saying that certain BASIS parents can't resist denigrating any student who leaves.

Hint: they're jealous of those who can afford to.

No, they’re not.

They are just laughing at you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Well, we have a high performing (99th percentile on CAPE) kid, we did choose BASIS, and we are very grateful bc he had a chance to learn a ton and has a lot of smart peers. Our other option was DCPS and there is no doubt in my mind that he learned more math, science and history at BASIS middle than he would have in a DCPS middle school. Yes, they take a lot of tests to assess their learning. But I think that's a good thing. It's an old school, structured, handwritten way of learning.

High school will be its own decision. But if you have a STEMy, high achieving kid, imo you are crazy not to consider BASIS.

No you aren't. My STEMy high achieving kid had a hard time socially at BASIS and disliked the school. Some of his STEMy middle school teachers were awful, right out of grad school with weak teaching and classroom management skills. He has his 20s to act like an adult, madly cramming for tests. BASIS' lackluster electives, ECs and facilities weren't for us. We pulled him out, sent him to a parochial school we could afford with somewhat less rigorous STEM and a whole lot more happiness. Don't believe the hype, parents.

So we should ignore Basis’ demonstrated results because your kid washed out of the school and is now struggling at some no-name Catholic school?

No thanks.

DP but this kind of response is so weird to me. I don't have a kid at BASIS but the PP's experience sounds very relevant to me. It also doesn't sound like their kid "washed out" but that he was miserable. As the parent of a very high scoring kid who has had a couple rough years at school due specifically to inexperienced or disengaged teachers, this is precisely why I worry about BASIS.

My kid does well in school in large part because they enjoy learning and have an innate curiosity and drive to understand. Teaching is critical for a kid like this, especially because doing well on tests does not appear to be a major problem for them. Being in a classroom with a teacher who is checked out, bad at classroom control, or doesn't know how to engage students who are eager to be engaged is going to hold a student like this back, no matter how rigorous the testing standards are the school.

You really need to get into the school for an open house, and talk to parents of current students in real life.

I was stunned by how happy the kids looked and how engaging the teachers were after reading about BASIS on the forum, and i'm very very glad we used our own judgement. We have had a couple young teachers "wash out" but the good teachers are better than any that my kid had in DCPS elementary. the bolded is not true as a rule at BASIS.

Same here.

Glad we choose Basis for our academically motivated children.

[Anonymous]

The one thing that charters have over DCPS is that they CAN, if they can find good replacements, remove teachers who aren't a good fit. Now, that may not happen as quickly or as smoothly as we may like, but you don't end up with entrenched checked out teachers.

BASIS has some churn, but they have also discovered some true gems.