Anyone in bound for Deal but choosing Basis?

[Anonymous]

I saw the thread about best middle schools for a quiet child. We are in bound for Deal but wondering if we should choose Basis instead for our thoughtful, quiet son who likes math and science. Looking for input !

[Anonymous]

Who would do that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I saw the thread about best middle schools for a quiet child. We are in bound for Deal but wondering if we should choose Basis instead for our thoughtful, quiet son who likes math and science. Looking for input !

I would give it a fair try. The math and science are amazing, and if he is a 4th grader and applies (they are still taking people) once he does the diagnostic testing he can do the STARS program this year - the after school program they offer to all kids coming to Basis. They group by ability, with the goal of getting the better math students as far ahead as possible. My ds also learned some other subjects at STARS, but the opportunity to do real math in a small group sold him.

[Anonymous]

So what kind of math are they doing at Basis? More advanced than geometry in 8th grade which appears to be the standard for advanced math students at area privates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what kind of math are they doing at Basis? More advanced than geometry in 8th grade which appears to be the standard for advanced math students at area privates.

Algebra 1 and Algebra II.
Algebra I is a very speedy pace, much faster than the academies in MoCo (Takoma Park, Eastern). For many students, week-ends are spent reviewing the five chapters covered during the week.

[Anonymous]

Algebra I and II in fifth grade? Correct?

[Anonymous]

No, Algebra 1 in fifth. Algebra 2 in sixth. This is the program for the most advanced math students (two years ahead).

The average BASIS student does "Math 7/8" in fifth, Pre-Algebra in sixth, Algebra 1 in seventh and Algebra 2 in eighth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who would do that?

BASIS is certainly worth a try if you are IB for Deal. If it does not work out, you go back to Deal.

It's a little harder to choose BASIS if you'd be giving up a spot at, let's say, Latin.

[Anonymous]

Don't forget location as a consideration. We are at a DCI feeder but Basis is tempting simply due to location and math. Can walk to Basis vs the long trek to DCI.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the great feedback. Music to my ears

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, Algebra 1 in fifth. Algebra 2 in sixth. This is the program for the most advanced math students (two years ahead).

The average BASIS student does "Math 7/8" in fifth, Pre-Algebra in sixth, Algebra 1 in seventh and Algebra 2 in eighth.

I highly doubt this is happening. I have taught 5th and 6th grade in Fairfax County for 15 years. This is one of the top school districts in the country with students who have access to incredible resources. The earliest that anyone takes Algebra 1 is 7th grade. And to get into that, you have to be a 6th grader with a score in the 92nd percentile on Iowa (basically a power test--solving complex word problems in a timed setting) and then score pass advanced on the 7th grade math SOL (the state test). Not only is it developmentally inappropriate to teach Algebra that young, I highly doubt that there are enough students who entered through a random lottery that are even close to being ready for it at 5th grade. Do kids learn algebraic concepts during elementary school? Absolutely. But to say with a straight face that there are regular Algebra 1 classes in fifth grade and that "average" student is taking Algebra 1 in 7th is nonsense.

[Anonymous]

You are right that very few 5th graders are taking algebra 1, but there are some. And the rest really are on track for it in 7th grade. This is what they do -- and they have the AZ schools as proof that they know how to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, Algebra 1 in fifth. Algebra 2 in sixth. This is the program for the most advanced math students (two years ahead).

The average BASIS student does "Math 7/8" in fifth, Pre-Algebra in sixth, Algebra 1 in seventh and Algebra 2 in eighth.

I highly doubt this is happening. I have taught 5th and 6th grade in Fairfax County for 15 years. This is one of the top school districts in the country with students who have access to incredible resources. The earliest that anyone takes Algebra 1 is 7th grade. And to get into that, you have to be a 6th grader with a score in the 92nd percentile on Iowa (basically a power test--solving complex word problems in a timed setting) and then score pass advanced on the 7th grade math SOL (the state test). Not only is it developmentally inappropriate to teach Algebra that young, I highly doubt that there are enough students who entered through a random lottery that are even close to being ready for it at 5th grade. Do kids learn algebraic concepts during elementary school? Absolutely. But to say with a straight face that there are regular Algebra 1 classes in fifth grade and that "average" student is taking Algebra 1 in 7th is nonsense.

My son is doing Algebra II in 6th with 3 others, plus a few 7th and 8th graders. Most were in the STARS program (the after school program offered to all admitted fourth graders) and the math teacher taught him a lot last year while he was still doing long division at his other school, and welcomed him and a few other familiar faces to the class this fall. Very small class and it has a fair amount of geometry and trig mixed in there. Although he spends more time on math than any other subject, he is consistently making honor role and acing Physics because there is a lot of math in there that he can sort of intuitively extract and do really quickly.

But he is also learning and understanding a lot in chemistry and biology, and was diagramming sentences in English and using "standard Basis notation" for parts of speech in English and Latin. I assume this will carry over to whatever language he chooses next year.

I don't know what is developmentally appropriate for all students, but my son is loving it. And they were happy to have an "advanced" math class for less than ten students, not all in the same grade. I don't know what math the other kids are doing, but here is a brief hurrah for the lymphatic system, the Missouri Compromise, specific energy, vectors, and the Monroe doctrine. He has probably learned more this year than I did in all my classes from fifth until high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, Algebra 1 in fifth. Algebra 2 in sixth. This is the program for the most advanced math students (two years ahead).

The average BASIS student does "Math 7/8" in fifth, Pre-Algebra in sixth, Algebra 1 in seventh and Algebra 2 in eighth.

I highly doubt this is happening. I have taught 5th and 6th grade in Fairfax County for 15 years. This is one of the top school districts in the country with students who have access to incredible resources. The earliest that anyone takes Algebra 1 is 7th grade. And to get into that, you have to be a 6th grader with a score in the 92nd percentile on Iowa (basically a power test--solving complex word problems in a timed setting) and then score pass advanced on the 7th grade math SOL (the state test). Not only is it developmentally inappropriate to teach Algebra that young, I highly doubt that there are enough students who entered through a random lottery that are even close to being ready for it at 5th grade. Do kids learn algebraic concepts during elementary school? Absolutely. But to say with a straight face that there are regular Algebra 1 classes in fifth grade and that "average" student is taking Algebra 1 in 7th is nonsense.

My son is doing Algebra II in 6th with 3 others, plus a few 7th and 8th graders. Most were in the STARS program (the after school program offered to all admitted fourth graders) and the math teacher taught him a lot last year while he was still doing long division at his other school, and welcomed him and a few other familiar faces to the class this fall. Very small class and it has a fair amount of geometry and trig mixed in there. Although he spends more time on math than any other subject, he is consistently making honor role and acing Physics because there is a lot of math in there that he can sort of intuitively extract and do really quickly.

But he is also learning and understanding a lot in chemistry and biology, and was diagramming sentences in English and using "standard Basis notation" for parts of speech in English and Latin. I assume this will carry over to whatever language he chooses next year.

I don't know what is developmentally appropriate for all students, but my son is loving it. And they were happy to have an "advanced" math class for less than ten students, not all in the same grade. I don't know what math the other kids are doing, but here is a brief hurrah for the lymphatic system, the Missouri Compromise, specific energy, vectors, and the Monroe doctrine. He has probably learned more this year than I did in all my classes from fifth until high school.

Wow!

[Anonymous]

It is pointless to try to explain high-performing charter schools to people who teach in Fairfax or MoCo.