Basis PCS

[Anonymous]

This sounds like an obvious issue for the 30-member DCPS-charter Cross-Sector Task Force to iron out.

I hope that BASIS parents, teachers and admins raise the HS credits transfer, and curricular mismatch, issues with the Force. If kids leaving BASIS after 8th grade really have to repeat World History at Walls, after earning 4s and 5s on the AP test, something is screwy and needs to be sorted out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
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.

this is not true. My DC had credits for Spanish, went into spanish 4, and into Algebra 2...so maybe 4 credits or 3.5 going into Wilson from Deal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This sounds like an obvious issue for the 30-member DCPS-charter Cross-Sector Task Force to iron out.

I hope that BASIS parents, teachers and admins raise the HS credits transfer, and curricular mismatch, issues with the Force. If kids leaving BASIS after 8th grade really have to repeat World History at Walls, after earning 4s and 5s on the AP test, something is screwy and needs to be sorted out.

I wish them luck, but this mismatch is a factor in several schools. I was hoping to send DC to Banneker from a bilingual school, and was advised that they'd be placed in the first level of foreign language regardless of proficiency

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
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.

this is not true. My DC had credits for Spanish, went into spanish 4, and into Algebra 2...so maybe 4 credits or 3.5 going into Wilson from Deal

Your child may have gone into Spanish 4, but they were only able to TRANSFER in 1 credit of Spanish, not the 3 credits that they have actually taken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
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.

this is not true. My DC had credits for Spanish, went into spanish 4, and into Algebra 2...so maybe 4 credits or 3.5 going into Wilson from Deal

Your child may have gone into Spanish 4, but they were only able to TRANSFER in 1 credit of Spanish, not the 3 credits that they have actually taken.

I am in the same situation as pp, but am almost positive DC had 3.5 credits on her transcript. She graduated last year though

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This sounds like an obvious issue for the 30-member DCPS-charter Cross-Sector Task Force to iron out.

I hope that BASIS parents, teachers and admins raise the HS credits transfer, and curricular mismatch, issues with the Force. If kids leaving BASIS after 8th grade really have to repeat World History at Walls, after earning 4s and 5s on the AP test, something is screwy and needs to be sorted out.

I wish them luck, but this mismatch is a factor in several schools. I was hoping to send DC to Banneker from a bilingual school, and was advised that they'd be placed in the first level of foreign language regardless of proficiency

And people wonder why anyone with a brain is ditching DCPS... And people wonder why even their "shining star" schools like Banneker cause people to balk?

DCPS is NOT MEETING FAMILIES NEEDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
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.

this is not true. My DC had credits for Spanish, went into spanish 4, and into Algebra 2...so maybe 4 credits or 3.5 going into Wilson from Deal

Your child may have gone into Spanish 4, but they were only able to TRANSFER in 1 credit of Spanish, not the 3 credits that they have actually taken.

Deal parents were told that Wilson is accepting 2 language credits and 2 math credits from Deal (assuming the top level courses are taken and passed, of course).

[Anonymous]

It appears as though there are 2 sets of rules, one for kids from DCPS MS and one for kids from Charter MS. BASIS kids, unlike kids from other charters are singled out and made to take proficiency exams to be exempt from Algebra I, Algebra II and or geometry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It appears as though there are 2 sets of rules, one for kids from DCPS MS and one for kids from Charter MS. BASIS kids, [b]unlike kids from other charters are singled out and made to take proficiency exams[/b] to be exempt from Algebra I, Algebra II and or geometry.

Why? Because high schools schools have a problem with the credibility of BASIS DC grades.
There are students who totally deserve their grades.
There are also other students whose grades are being manipulated at the middle school and the high school levels. Some students have the tests in advance, others have their grades inflated or deflated after being submitted by the teachers.

Once the current junior class (including the protégé of the data administrator), things might change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It appears as though there are 2 sets of rules, one for kids from DCPS MS and one for kids from Charter MS. BASIS kids, [b]unlike kids from other charters are singled out and made to take proficiency exams[/b] to be exempt from Algebra I, Algebra II and or geometry.

Why? Because high schools schools have a problem with the credibility of BASIS DC grades.
There are students who totally deserve their grades.
There are also other students whose grades are being manipulated at the middle school and the high school levels. Some students have the tests in advance, others have their grades inflated or deflated after being submitted by the teachers.

Once the current junior class (including the protégé of the data administrator), things might change.

You are totally nuts. My kid is in his 4th year at BASIS and he has busted his chops for his good grades. I know of no instances where grades were being manipulated at all especially since there are tons of objectives measures and rubrics used for the overwhelming majority of a student's grade unlike other schools where just being in class is a big part of your grade. Oh, and my kid when he has failed to do an assignment has gotten the expected F as outlined in the syllabus. It is all very clearly spelled out in each syllabus.

[Anonymous]

Huh? DCPS high schools have trouble with the credibility of BASIS grades? Is this the same DCPS that has failed to meet the needs of the majority of students in the District for decades?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Huh? DCPS high schools have trouble with the credibility of BASIS grades? Is this the same DCPS that has failed to meet the needs of the majority of students in the District for decades?

Got that right. Or the same DCPS who graduates many students who are illiterate in reading and math let alone anything else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh? DCPS high schools have trouble with the credibility of BASIS grades? Is this the same DCPS that has failed to meet the needs of the majority of students in the District for decades?

Got that right. Or the same DCPS who graduates many students who are illiterate in reading and math let alone anything else.

Is it possible that DCPS needs to also try to fail the BASIS kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Huh? DCPS high schools have trouble with the credibility of BASIS grades? Is this the same DCPS that has failed to meet the needs of the majority of students in the District for decades?

You have no idea. I spoke with a DCPS Central Office employee who informed me the College Board doesn't allow 8th graders to take AP Courses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh? DCPS high schools have trouble with the credibility of BASIS grades? Is this the same DCPS that has failed to meet the needs of the majority of students in the District for decades?

You have no idea. I spoke with a DCPS Central Office employee who informed me the College Board doesn't allow 8th graders to take AP Courses.

Well the DCPS person is wrong. My BASIS student took an AP exam last year as an 8th grader, got a 5 and now has a profile with the College Board. They are well aware of his age as are the college admissions offices which are now sending him recruiting junk mail.

Now for that AP score to be reported to colleges we will have to petition the College Board to make an exception. Typically they only keep test records 'active' for 4 years (because most students do not take then in 8th grade) but they can go into their archives, if you will, upon request.

This process has been done by BASIS on behalf of its students in other states for several years - and they will help us with it when the time comes. Perhaps that is what is causing the DCPS Central Office person to think that only high school students can take the exams. But it's possible, done, and we have the paper from the College Board with his results to prove it.