Basis PCS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BC Calc is also optional.

I am not sure that this is true for the students that start in 5th grade. Without excessive excelleration, they should be able to make Calc BC by 11th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BC Calc is also optional.

I am not sure that this is true for the students that start in 5th grade. Without excessive excelleration, they should be able to make Calc BC by 11th grade.

I think the requirement is Calculus AB maybe not even AP. The good news is that Sean Aiken said to us that if that was all you have left as a requirement to complete senior year you can do the whole senior project thing - you just cannot do it in Iceland (there was a video of a kid in Iceland).

The other good news is that math is the only subject you can fail and still be promoted - you still have to take the class over again, however - be it 6/7, 7/8, Pre-algebra, Algebra I, Algebra II with Geometry, Precalculus, or AP Calc AB or (I assume if you take and fail BC, you have to do it over again).

But there are a lot of different pathways here - there is doing Pre-Algebra or going straight from 7/8 to Algebra I, and even after that there is a 2 year PreCalculus option. I have been asking around, and most kids who take AP Calculus BC go straight to it - they do not take AP Calculus AB. So I think the AB course is there for two reasons:

1) for the kids who start 5th in Algebra I, to basically give them two years to get it (60% of the BC exam is AB material over again) because Tom Davison (the math teacher who was here when BASIS DC started said that BASIS schools regularly produce 9th and 10th graders whose average is close to 5 on the BC exam

2) to provide kids who are not that great in math a softer kinder Calculus course - that was how my question started - what if you find math really difficult and only get to Calculus senior year, would that prevent a student from doing the Capstone courses and Senior Project? And the answer was no, but you would have to stay in the city to take Calculus (you might be able to take it in Arizona though, interesting possibility....)

The real issue is that even when kids start in 5th grade, sometimes the math instruction they have gotten has been so poor that if you put them in 7/8 (which is according to BASIS where kids should start out) they will be lost. Hence 6/7 - it is not the fault of the kids, it is the fault of the DCPS from whence they came. But I think it is better to meet them where they are and gradually move them up than having them repeat 7/8. Tom was absolutely shocked the first year by how many kids did not know basic basic basic math. And if you don't know it, you are never really going to be able to succeed because you won't even know if your answers are off by a huge order of magnitude, for example.

If you took all the courses and failed none of them, starting with 6/7, including Pre-Algebra and two years of PreCalculus you would hit Calc AB senior year, not BC by 11th. By contrast, if you start in 7/8, push all the way through even with two years of Precalculus you are hitting BC by 11th. But I think the early acceleration is designed for truly math oriented kids (or kids who are good at it and just want it out of the way) because then they can move on to college courses - which is now the gold standard for advanced math kids, that they do differential equations or multivariable calculus or whatever courses while still in high school.

Back in my day we just packed those kids off to college early. But many of the private schools have this option, I don't know about public schools in DC. Our big advantage is skipping (or incorporating) Geometry into Algebra II. Why waste a year on it. But if you leave, you will have to take Geometry, even if you took the AP Calc exam and scored highly because it is a requirement for graduation at Wilson, at least. Oh and same at Walls, and World History possibly at both. Makes no sense to me, but the second HOS went to Walls and Wilson and argued and begged and no dice. But that was the kind of guy he was - standing up for the 9th graders who had made the decision to leave.

[Anonymous]

I think it is reprehensible that a school, who's model is predicated upon 40% attrition between 8 & 9th grades, refuses to do more to get their former students the credit they deserve. Sean Aiken said he was committed to making it happen, then he was promoted. The promotion was supposed to give him the time to build allies, and advocate for change, which did not happen. Cameron Louis did nothing to further the cause. Every HOS has said they would advocate for their students, wherever they chose to go to high school. Sadly, it just isn't true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it is reprehensible that a school, who's model is predicated upon 40% attrition between 8 & 9th grades, refuses to do more to get their former students the credit they deserve. Sean Aiken said he was committed to making it happen, then he was promoted. The promotion was supposed to give him the time to build allies, and advocate for change, which did not happen. Cameron Louis did nothing to further the cause. Every HOS has said they would advocate for their students, wherever they chose to go to high school. Sadly, it just isn't true.

Excuse me but Sean Aiken fought like hell. He fought, he begged, and he got our charter changed so that 9th grade kids who wanted to return in the future after a few weeks at Walls, could (at the time there were three and they could not) in the future be able to.

He was around long enough to do that.

Of course after a year of Cameron Louis no one wanted to return ever, anyway.

I agree Cameron Louis did nothing to make anyone feel like he or BASIS gave a shit whether students stayed or left. So many of us left.

These two HOS are two entirely different creatures, and to even put their names in the same sentence to me is blasphemous.

The first cared about the BASIS organization, had been a teacher, a college counselor, a HOS, and was willing to learn.
The second despite his youth was completely unteachable and lacked the humility to learn. He assumed "being BASIS" even if he WAS BASIS that year because the Boosters totally fucked up, was enough. Even Sean saw it.

Who gave the precomp talk? The original plan was for Cameron to give it. Sean ultimately decided Cameron was not up to it. But yes, that shows how much BASIS as an entity cared about us - to promote the great HOS we had instead of just paying him more money to stay in place and make BASIS DC a success (which he surely could have), stick us with an incompetent untested arrogant ass, and tell those of us who protested (and there were many) that he was "teachable." My vote is still out on Eyerman. Actions speak a lot stronger than words and so far I have seen very little of this unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

However, and I note it well, he has not put a foot wrong so far, where Cameron by this time was already deep in 8La.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:However, and I note it well, he has not put a foot wrong so far, where Cameron by this time was already deep in 8La.

Yes but BasisEd sure put their two feet in the wrong place, because now Sean is just across the river preparing to run a private school when I would wager had they offered to pay him more to stay in DC he would not have taken the promotion that burned him out and would still be with us and so would a lot more kids, and those that weren't might be getting credit - but both at Walls and Wilson you have to take Geometry. But taking AP World History over again if you got a 5 on the AP? Insanity.

And losing over half of LEAP last year plus tons of others, having many who remained from LEAP not taking AP Chem (teacher sent out a desperate email before the start of the year), and no LEAP section at all this year, would not have happened if Sean had stayed. Basis usually does know how to prepare kids for AP exams - even in DC we are doing pretty darn well as Sean (who, again, gave the talk last year about our local AP performance) explained.

My one complaint is that the AP CS course, while full of kids who can teach themselves, is full of kids who will have to teach themselves. NOT a good choice of a teacher. Oh well. These kids are smart and they will get it. And the required APs are really not fair to those who aren't well rounded. But that has to do with the high school curriculum at BASIS in all its schools, not BASIS DC in particular. But it is something parents should consider before they continue on to the high school.

I think Eyerman was a good choice, but he is no Sean Aiken. Doesn't have the charisma, the positive energy, etc....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:However, and I note it well, he has not put a foot wrong so far, where Cameron by this time was already deep in 8La.

Yes but BasisEd sure put their two feet in the wrong place, because now Sean is just across the river preparing to run a private school when I would wager had they offered to pay him more to stay in DC he would not have taken the promotion that burned him out and would still be with us and so would a lot more kids, and those that weren't might be getting credit - but both at Walls and Wilson you have to take Geometry. But taking AP World History over again if you got a 5 on the AP? Insanity.

And losing over half of LEAP last year plus tons of others, having many who remained from LEAP not taking AP Chem (teacher sent out a desperate email before the start of the year), and no LEAP section at all this year, would not have happened if Sean had stayed. Basis usually does know how to prepare kids for AP exams - even in DC we are doing pretty darn well as Sean (who, again, gave the talk last year about our local AP performance) explained.

My one complaint is that the AP CS course, while full of kids who can teach themselves, is full of kids who will have to teach themselves. NOT a good choice of a teacher. Oh well. These kids are smart and they will get it. And the required APs are really not fair to those who aren't well rounded. But that has to do with the high school curriculum at BASIS in all its schools, not BASIS DC in particular. But it is something parents should consider before they continue on to the high school.

I think Eyerman was a good choice, but he is no Sean Aiken. Doesn't have the charisma, the positive energy, etc....

This was largely due to scheduling more than anything else. As for the LEAP section not being present, there were too few kids left over to have that section.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:However, and I note it well, he has not put a foot wrong so far, where Cameron by this time was already deep in 8La.

Yes but BasisEd sure put their two feet in the wrong place, because now Sean is just across the river preparing to run a private school when I would wager had they offered to pay him more to stay in DC he would not have taken the promotion that burned him out and would still be with us and so would a lot more kids, and those that weren't might be getting credit - but both at Walls and Wilson you have to take Geometry. But taking AP World History over again if you got a 5 on the AP? Insanity.

And losing over half of LEAP last year plus tons of others, having many who remained from LEAP not taking AP Chem (teacher sent out a desperate email before the start of the year), and no LEAP section at all this year, would not have happened if Sean had stayed. Basis usually does know how to prepare kids for AP exams - even in DC we are doing pretty darn well as Sean (who, again, gave the talk last year about our local AP performance) explained.

My one complaint is that the AP CS course, while full of kids who can teach themselves, is full of kids who will have to teach themselves. NOT a good choice of a teacher. Oh well. These kids are smart and they will get it. And the required APs are really not fair to those who aren't well rounded. But that has to do with the high school curriculum at BASIS in all its schools, not BASIS DC in particular. But it is something parents should consider before they continue on to the high school.

I think Eyerman was a good choice, but he is no Sean Aiken. Doesn't have the charisma, the positive energy, etc....

This was largely due to scheduling more than anything else. As for the LEAP section not being present, there were too few kids left over to have that section.

No dear the question is why there is no LEAP section in the 8th grade not the 9th grade (agreed too many of them left after 8th grade - is that typical of BASIS schools?), and why you would make kids who had been in LEAP Chem in 8th then have to show up at 7:45 to take AP Chem. These are the real questions.

Once we really start departing from the BASIS model you have to keep your eyes wide open, especially if you are (as we were) impressed by 5th and 6th grade.

And if you have a kid who is basically pure STEM or pure liberal arts you have to remember that in high school they are required to take six APs not of their choosing - unlike Wilson, unlike Latin, unlike any other school I know of, 3 in math/science and 3 in English/US Gov't/foreign language? NOT a good fit for anyone except for a well rounded kid.

And most kids who are really good at one thing are not well rounded.

No skin in the game, no kids there anymore, over and out.

Just warning those of you with unhappy unchallenged 9th graders and those counting on the lower school as paying your dues with high school as the great reward to seriously reevaluate whether it is worth an unhappy teenager taking APs that they know will be factored into their grade that are either required or poorly taught.

Middle school OTOH offers the best education available in my experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:However, and I note it well, he has not put a foot wrong so far, where Cameron by this time was already deep in 8La.

Yes but BasisEd sure put their two feet in the wrong place, because now Sean is just across the river preparing to run a private school when I would wager had they offered to pay him more to stay in DC he would not have taken the promotion that burned him out and would still be with us and so would a lot more kids, and those that weren't might be getting credit - but both at Walls and Wilson you have to take Geometry. But taking AP World History over again if you got a 5 on the AP? Insanity.

And losing over half of LEAP last year plus tons of others, having many who remained from LEAP not taking AP Chem (teacher sent out a desperate email before the start of the year), and no LEAP section at all this year, would not have happened if Sean had stayed. Basis usually does know how to prepare kids for AP exams - even in DC we are doing pretty darn well as Sean (who, again, gave the talk last year about our local AP performance) explained.

My one complaint is that the AP CS course, while full of kids who can teach themselves, is full of kids who will have to teach themselves. NOT a good choice of a teacher. Oh well. These kids are smart and they will get it. And the required APs are really not fair to those who aren't well rounded. But that has to do with the high school curriculum at BASIS in all its schools, not BASIS DC in particular. But it is something parents should consider before they continue on to the high school.

I think Eyerman was a good choice, but he is no Sean Aiken. Doesn't have the charisma, the positive energy, etc....

This was largely due to scheduling more than anything else. As for the LEAP section not being present, there were too few kids left over to have that section.

No dear the question is why there is no LEAP section in the 8th grade not the 9th grade (agreed too many of them left after 8th grade - is that typical of BASIS schools?), and why you would make kids who had been in LEAP Chem in 8th then have to show up at 7:45 to take AP Chem. These are the real questions.

Once we really start departing from the BASIS model you have to keep your eyes wide open, especially if you are (as we were) impressed by 5th and 6th grade.

And if you have a kid who is basically pure STEM or pure liberal arts you have to remember that in high school they are required to take six APs not of their choosing - unlike Wilson, unlike Latin, unlike any other school I know of, 3 in math/science and 3 in English/US Gov't/foreign language? NOT a good fit for anyone except for a well rounded kid.

And most kids who are really good at one thing are not well rounded.

No skin in the game, no kids there anymore, over and out.

Just warning those of you with unhappy unchallenged 9th graders and those counting on the lower school as paying your dues with high school as the great reward to seriously reevaluate whether it is worth an unhappy teenager taking APs that they know will be factored into their grade that are either required or poorly taught.

Middle school OTOH offers the best education available in my experience.

But there are plenty of those kids. The 75th percentile who gets into Harvard have 2490 SATs and 35 ACT scores.

Wonder what scores the top 24% got?

[Anonymous]

2390 SATs. Typo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:However, and I note it well, he has not put a foot wrong so far, where Cameron by this time was already deep in 8La.

Yes but BasisEd sure put their two feet in the wrong place, because now Sean is just across the river preparing to run a private school when I would wager had they offered to pay him more to stay in DC he would not have taken the promotion that burned him out and would still be with us and so would a lot more kids, and those that weren't might be getting credit - but both at Walls and Wilson you have to take Geometry. But taking AP World History over again if you got a 5 on the AP? Insanity.

And losing over half of LEAP last year plus tons of others, having many who remained from LEAP not taking AP Chem (teacher sent out a desperate email before the start of the year), and no LEAP section at all this year, would not have happened if Sean had stayed. Basis usually does know how to prepare kids for AP exams - even in DC we are doing pretty darn well as Sean (who, again, gave the talk last year about our local AP performance) explained.

My one complaint is that the AP CS course, while full of kids who can teach themselves, is full of kids who will have to teach themselves. NOT a good choice of a teacher. Oh well. These kids are smart and they will get it. And the required APs are really not fair to those who aren't well rounded. But that has to do with the high school curriculum at BASIS in all its schools, not BASIS DC in particular. But it is something parents should consider before they continue on to the high school.

I think Eyerman was a good choice, but he is no Sean Aiken. Doesn't have the charisma, the positive energy, etc....

The height of idiocy for Walls or Wilson to want BASIS kids to re-take material they already had just because Walls and Wilson don't have their shit together. You DO NOT have kids who got a 4 or 5 on their AP course retake it. And likewise, they ALREADY HAD Geometry. If nothing else, that's a disincentive to leaving BASIS.

[Anonymous]

Required APs is nothing new. It has been on the website since day 1 and comes up at every high school info session. No one should be surprised by that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Required APs is nothing new. It has been on the website since day 1 and comes up at every high school info session. No one should be surprised by that.

That they require AP courses is not the issue, BASIS students are likely to end up with more AP coursework than Wilson or Walls students anyhow - the question is why require it AGAIN if an incoming BASIS student already took AP World History in 8th grade and already passed the AP World History exam with a 4 or a 5? That student has ALREADY SATISFIED the requirement in full. It makes no justifiable sense to make them take it again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Required APs is nothing new. It has been on the website since day 1 and comes up at every high school info session. No one should be surprised by that.

That they require AP courses is not the issue, BASIS students are likely to end up with more AP coursework than Wilson or Walls students anyhow - the question is why require it AGAIN if an incoming BASIS student already took AP World History in 8th grade and already passed the AP World History exam with a 4 or a 5? That student has ALREADY SATISFIED the requirement in full. It makes no justifiable sense to make them take it again.

PP here - I was referring to BASIS' required APs which 18:01 was complaining about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:However, and I note it well, he has not put a foot wrong so far, where Cameron by this time was already deep in 8La.

Yes but BasisEd sure put their two feet in the wrong place, because now Sean is just across the river preparing to run a private school when I would wager had they offered to pay him more to stay in DC he would not have taken the promotion that burned him out and would still be with us and so would a lot more kids, and those that weren't might be getting credit - but both at Walls and Wilson you have to take Geometry. But taking AP World History over again if you got a 5 on the AP? Insanity.

And losing over half of LEAP last year plus tons of others, having many who remained from LEAP not taking AP Chem (teacher sent out a desperate email before the start of the year), and no LEAP section at all this year, would not have happened if Sean had stayed. Basis usually does know how to prepare kids for AP exams - even in DC we are doing pretty darn well as Sean (who, again, gave the talk last year about our local AP performance) explained.

My one complaint is that the AP CS course, while full of kids who can teach themselves, is full of kids who will have to teach themselves. NOT a good choice of a teacher. Oh well. These kids are smart and they will get it. And the required APs are really not fair to those who aren't well rounded. But that has to do with the high school curriculum at BASIS in all its schools, not BASIS DC in particular. But it is something parents should consider before they continue on to the high school.

I think Eyerman was a good choice, but he is no Sean Aiken. Doesn't have the charisma, the positive energy, etc....

The height of idiocy for Walls or Wilson to want BASIS kids to re-take material they already had just because Walls and Wilson don't have their shit together. You DO NOT have kids who got a 4 or 5 on their AP course retake it. And likewise, they ALREADY HAD Geometry. If nothing else, that's a disincentive to leaving BASIS.

It is an antiquated DCPS policy that only allows 2 credits to be transferred from middle school, one in a world language and one in Algebra I.