Why are kids dropping out of BASIS DC starting in 7/8th grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS has a business model that pretty much depends on pushing/kicking out students. They dump kids during the school year and keep the per pupil fees. Then they dump kids every year (and never replace them with new ones) so they only graduate a minority of students that start in the schools. This makes their graduation/outcome data look extra impressive, even though the model fails most of the students that start in it.

You guys seem clueless.

My next door neighbor's kid, a very hard working young man whom I have known for many years attended DC BASIS since its inception.
The first year, he was a very happy 8th grader.

Year two was alright, except for the end of the year when one teacher decided to fail him without giving any prior notice for supposed plagiarism on a final exam. When hid parents asked for proof which could not be provided, the story changed; they were told that the "F" was the result of his final exam not reflecting his writing style. During a meeting, the principal promised he would retake the exam, but after postponing the test several times, he was told point blank it would not happen. As for this year, he showed me his "CJ" notebook where his end of year grade was a 93 in that English. A couple weeks later, the grade was lower by 20% in the report card.

This young man and another classmate are totally convinced that the report cards and even the AP exams are being manipulated by BASIS data person who has the ultimate control over students' grades. This is a case of the truth being stranger than fiction.

If you believe this malarkey then you need a tin foil hat!

[Anonymous]

You make a good point. I just wish that the BASIS MS was a more civilized and happier seeming place. I've been in the building a dozen times as a volunteer, so I know that it can be a real zoo in those narrow hallways and the two cafeterias. By late in the school year, too many of the kids look exhausted and pale.

What's the point of these threads? The Boosters call the critics names and trivialize their concerns; the critics accuse the Boosters of having drunk the Kool-Aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are several of my friends whose kids were the first to attend the school when it first opened, and now I know none that will be attending 9th or 10th grade there. All of their kids were doing well in 7th and started falling behind in 8th. The end-of-year comps and the stress of taking on AP classes before they're ready and the lack of a traditional high school feel has sent them running for "safety" elsewhere. Most of these kids were bright, and interested in learning and at the top of their respective schools upon entering BASIS. There was a large group who knew each other -- we even ran into several kids that we'd seen in pre-K at the testing day three years ago.

I'm very glad I didn't send my son there. He would have been miserable! He would have ended up leaving for Walls, Wilson, Latin, etc. for high school where there's not so much pressure to make the school look good but more emphasis on the student actually absorbing what they're learning. I don't knock BASIS for the few kids who enjoy the fast pace of learning, but I don't think it's necessarily a good thing or necessary for anyone to be successful in life to be that stressed out in school. School is about so much more than retaining tons of new facts that are heaped upon you constantly and pulled out of you at comps time. Any parent who carefully considers their child's well-being would seriously second-guess a school like this. This is not the best way to learn - it's the best way for kids to become anxious, depressed, and worse from what I hear from so many parents.

The kids that have left are so much happier and well-adjusted, have tons of friends, and are doing well academically in their new schools. They find school to be a fun and balanced place to learn, as well as to grow physically and socially without the dreaded surprise of failing a class during the last week of school. BASIS probably wants to open an elementary school because they know the high school model will not survive much longer. The graduation rate if actually calculated from the cohort of ALL the kids that started in 5th grade would be depressingly low. And the founders should be ashamed of that.

- parent of future biomedical engineer and current 10th-grade honors and athlete-student at a non-BASIS charter school

Idiotic!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You make a good point. I just wish that the BASIS MS was a more civilized and happier seeming place. I've been in the building a dozen times as a volunteer, so I know that it can be a real zoo in those narrow hallways and the two cafeterias. By late in the school year, too many of the kids look exhausted and pale.

What's the point of these threads? The Boosters call the critics names and trivialize their concerns; the critics accuse the Boosters of having drunk the Kool-Aid.

Pointless threads of people talking past each other describes 80-90% of the content on DCUM, not just the Basis ones.

[Anonymous]

Basis parent here..

What concerns me for the upcoming academic year is the instability at Basis DC at the moment. No head of school; seasoned faculty members departing; no college counselor with dear child going into 9th grade and I transferred 7th grade child. Was accepted at 1 selective high school and waitlisted for the #1 choice at number 15. Declined the offer for 2nd choice and not optimistic regarding waitlist moving. I'm regretting the decision not taking 2nd choice now because Basis doesn't seem to be moving in a positive direction for high school and I'm skeptical they will have the tools necessary to assist with college preparation for the students. Hope that I'm wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basis parent here..

What concerns me for the upcoming academic year is the instability at Basis DC at the moment. No head of school; seasoned faculty members departing; no college counselor with dear child going into 9th grade and I transferred 7th grade child. Was accepted at 1 selective high school and waitlisted for the #1 choice at number 15. Declined the offer for 2nd choice and not optimistic regarding waitlist moving. I'm regretting the decision not taking 2nd choice now because Basis doesn't seem to be moving in a positive direction for high school and I'm skeptical they will have the tools necessary to assist with college preparation for the students. Hope that I'm wrong.

All high school students are required to take a college counseling course at BASIS to prep students for college admissions. Also, the school offers regular presentations on prepping for college admissions and whatnot. I attended one last spring and thought it was very informative. Lastly, BASIS has a good track record of having their students admitted to good colleges so I am not very concerned.

As for the HOS, I am not too concerned because seasoned BASIS employees such as Sean Aiken and others will be helping. Additionally, I got the impression that they are close to selecting a candidate. They have invested too much money to let BASIS DC fail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Basis parent here..

What concerns me for the upcoming academic year is the instability at Basis DC at the moment. No head of school; seasoned faculty members departing; no college counselor with dear child going into 9th grade and I transferred 7th grade child. Was accepted at 1 selective high school and waitlisted for the #1 choice at number 15. Declined the offer for 2nd choice and not optimistic regarding waitlist moving. I'm regretting the decision not taking 2nd choice now because Basis doesn't seem to be moving in a positive direction for high school and I'm skeptical they will have the tools necessary to assist with college preparation for the students. Hope that I'm wrong.

I came to the same conclusion at the talk the short-term volunteer college counselor gave before school let out. She seemed to know what she was talking about where college admissions from DC goes, unlike anybody I've spoken to in administration at BASIS. I don't think they will have all the tools necessary to assist with college prep either. We can't afford independents but could pay a college coach in a few years. I just hope we get into Walls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Basis parent here..

What concerns me for the upcoming academic year is the instability at Basis DC at the moment. No head of school; seasoned faculty members departing; no college counselor with dear child going into 9th grade and I transferred 7th grade child. Was accepted at 1 selective high school and waitlisted for the #1 choice at number 15. Declined the offer for 2nd choice and not optimistic regarding waitlist moving. I'm regretting the decision not taking 2nd choice now because Basis doesn't seem to be moving in a positive direction for high school and I'm skeptical they will have the tools necessary to assist with college preparation for the students. Hope that I'm wrong.

All high school students are required to take a college counseling course at BASIS to prep students for college admissions. Also, the school offers regular presentations on prepping for college admissions and whatnot. I attended one last spring and thought it was very informative. Lastly, BASIS has a good track record of having their students admitted to good colleges so I am not very concerned.

As for the HOS, I am not too concerned because seasoned BASIS employees such as Sean Aiken and others will be helping. Additionally, I got the impression that they are close to selecting a candidate. They have invested too much money to let BASIS DC fail.

The spring talk was really good, but who's going to be dispensing college advice on a regular basis? The young hs chemistry teacher? The arrangement doesn't inspire much confidence in our house. If we stay, we expect to be shopping for a seasoned college counselor - my kid would rebel if I got very involved. Hope they select a strong HOS candidate soon.

[Anonymous]

seasoned faculty members departing

What is this info from? It was my understanding that teacher retention was very high this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

seasoned faculty members departing

What is this info from? It was my understanding that teacher retention was very high this year.

+1 most of the departures have been from administration

[Anonymous]

Is it a mutiny we're talking about here, or is the crew about to abandon ship? Is the basis boat gonna sink?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it a mutiny we're talking about here, or is the crew about to abandon ship? Is the basis boat gonna sink?

Basis parent since year 1. It doesn't appear to be a mutiny or sinking to me. The HOS was removed by Basis leadership. Two people on the operations team (the extra-curricular coordinator and registrar - who were both there for 3 years) are leaving to start master's degree programs out of the region.

Teacher corps has been incredibly stable. The entire math department is returning as are, I believe, all of the science teachers. A first-year Spanish and a first-year English teacher from last year are not returning, and they are seeking an additional Latin teacher. Some new learning specialists and support services folks have been hired.

There's a parent meeting on 8/3 at 6 PM with the national Basis CEO and DC leaders. There will be an update on the HOS search.

[Anonymous]

^Thank you for the info above.

BASIS has been better than OK for MS, but some of us are growing fed up and frustrated with a franchise/model/school that does not appear to give a hoot if most of the strongest students depart along the way. I don't like how the BASIS 9th grade is becoming a refuge for students rejected by Walls and top privates.

I predict a breathtaking exodus to Walls for the current MS kids, starting in 2016. Many of us have come to see BASIS as essentially a Walls feeder. The love it (hook line and sinker) or lump it model shortchanges BASIS.

[Anonymous]

There probably isn't a large enough pool of kids in DC who what or need the kind of academic rigor offered by BASIS for high school. Now if they allowed kids from all over DMV to come in and pay a reasonable tuition, the high school would be filled to the brim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There probably isn't a large enough pool of kids in DC who what or need the kind of academic rigor offered by BASIS for high school. Now if they allowed kids from all over DMV to come in and pay a reasonable tuition, the high school would be filled to the brim.

9:14 again. That's interesting. I know DC parents say they want challenge, AP (or IB) opportunities. Does requiring 6 APs classes and tests to graduate scare people off?

Personally I think it's the unproven thing (not that the leadership changes have been fun to live through). Until and unless Basis graduates a happy/well adjusted high school class that goes onto solid colleges, people will hang back for somewhat more established options (Walls, Banneker, Latin, Wilson). No one relishes being the first.