BASIS charter expansion is up for public comment

[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'm still trying to get my head around the idea that anyone is okay with these people taking $2 million a year off the DC taxpayer in exchange for washing out 60 percent of the class. WTF

I'm a lot more concerned about the DCPS schools passing students through despite truancy and being years behind grade level.

Why? Some dude in Arizona isn't getting the fancy Audi off of that... I mean, if we're going to miseducate our kids, let's keep the money for Audis here in the district.

Also, to be slightly serious, what you're describing is failure of the system, and what I'm talking about is people seeing how close they can get the system to failure in the name of getting the fancy Audi. Profit should never be part of any conversation about education.

BASIS DC is nonprofit, dummy.

Think of the millions that DCPS is spending on failing schools where most of the kids are illiterate and innumerate.

Let’s create another dozen BASIS schools in DC and stop pouring money into schools that don’t work.

No. It's a for-profit charter. We've gone over this.

DC contracts with a non-profit organization which then turns around and pays the for-profit for administration and curriculum. The for-profit is the decision-making power in terms of what happens at the school. It's really gross.

If DCPS put them out of business by offering a test-in, accelerated STEM school, I wouldn't be sad for a moment. But right now, this is who is interested in providing real math and science to my non-JR zoned kids.

Yeah, I mean, if it gets it done for your kids, you should do it. But so many people going in look at those washout numbers and think “oh that won’t be my kid” but statistically, it will be. And it’s infuriating that BADIS administrators bring kids in and know that they can’t educate 60 percent of them, but don’t try to change their method or discourage the kids who aren’t going to make it.

They’re looking to get paid so they have to take kids in they have no intention or ability to get through to graduation and they convince a whole lot of parents that they’re going to help their kids when they won’t. It’s messed up.

DP. Your post makes absolutely no sense. What are the "washout" numbers you keep referring to? Where are you getting that 60% of the kids aren't being educated? I have to assume you're referring to the attrition numbers which--to be clear--does not represent the number of kids who failed. The number of kids who don't pass the year-end comps is actually pretty small. But kids choose to leave for a number of reasons.

You also argue that the school isn't doing anything to "discourage" the kids who aren't going to make it...soooo, what would you have them do? Maybe require the students to take a year-end test that they have to pass in order to get promoted to the next grade? Oh wait...

What's actually messed up is the fact that DC has so many failing schools---schools that are allowed to remain open and take tax dollars yet less than 5% of the kids are at grade level! THAT's what you should be upset about. Those are the kids who aren't being educated. The stats suggest that the kids at BASIS are, in fact, getting an education.

I'm not suggesting that BASIS is perfect, and it sounds like it didn't work out for your child, but whatever ax you have to grind is getting in the way of facts.

Sixty percent of the kids who go in, don't graduate. That's not success. The fact that 40 percent are successful is dismal. It's good for those 40 percent, but it's an indictment of the school overall.

If it was a public school you'd call that a failing school. If it was a private school and only 40 percent of the kids who start make it to graduation people wouldn't send their kids.

You are reading the data wrong. Families leave DC all the time (transient city). Those kids aren't backfilled at BASIS so you don't notice them at other schools. You also ignore the application HS process. If kids apply to SWW or Banneker or DESA and decide to attend that doesn't mean BASIS failed. It means kids had options and chose something else. Some kids do indeed leave (lots between 6th and 7th) because the school is not a good fit for them. And that is ok. It doesn't have to be. The fundamental failure of your argument is that kids who aren't a good fit and leave for a better fit is an indication of BASIS's "failure". That is no more true than it is to say that a kid who opts to leave BASIS because it isn't a good fit "failed".

Tlr Your analytical skills and critical thinking failed you.

If you saw that garbled mess of an answer to any other school, public or private, you would call bullshit. And what's weird is that none of the other schools (public or private) that have comparable test scores, have this issue of a dramatic decline in class size from 9th to 12th...

How many kids start at 9th grade finish with a diploma? If it's not 75-80%+ the school isn't working.

I now see the problem. You made up B.S. numbers. The 60% number you are (incorrectly) hanging your hat on is total attrition based on class size from 5th through 12th. Bolded above makes clear you mean to address attrition from 9th-12th.

Let's look at the actual OSSE data.
9th grade enrollment 2016-17 vs 12th grade enrollment 2019-20: 57 vs 50 (87%)
9th grade enrollment 2017-18 vs 12th grade enrollment 2020-21: 49 vs 39 (80%)
9th grade enrollment 2018-19 vs 12th grade enrollment 2021-22: 57 vs 52 (91%)
9th grade enrollment 2019-20 vs 12th grade enrollment 2022-23: 54 vs 42 (78%)
9th grade enrollment 2020-21 vs 12th grade enrollment 2024: 49 vs 39 (80%)

Good news is based on the criteria you set out ("If it's not 75-80%+ the school isn't working") the school is "working". Welcome to the Boosters Club!!!!

According to the DC school report card (which I'll link: https://schoolreportcard.dc.gov/lea/168/school/3068/report), the school has:

5th grade: 135
9th grade: 79
12th grade: 42.

I'll buy the argument that it's lottery and people don't know what they're getting into at fifth grade and by ninth have realized the terrible mistake theyv'e made, but what's the deal with the 9th to 12th drop. And 42 isn't even the number that graduates. But let's say it is, it's a 47 percent washout. I stand corrected. Still a horrific number.

And, when you compare it any other school, there is NOWHERE near the attrition 9-12.

Your grasp of data and numbers leaves a great deal to be desired. If you want to look at attrition you need to track that class at it rises; you can't take a snapshot in time and compare 9th grade enrollment and 12th grade enrollment in the same year because the 12th graders didn't start out at the same number. I have you the actual data for those classes. The data came from OSSE published data. The comment on "not even the number of graduates" is woefully ignorant; BASIS kids have enough credits to graduate after 11th grade so literally every single one is graduation eligible on Day 1 of 12th. So by definition 100% of those kids will get their BASIS diploma. You are grasping at straws and making yourself look foolish.

I guess if you don't like the data you just pretend it doesn't exist?

[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'm still trying to get my head around the idea that anyone is okay with these people taking $2 million a year off the DC taxpayer in exchange for washing out 60 percent of the class. WTF

I'm a lot more concerned about the DCPS schools passing students through despite truancy and being years behind grade level.

Why? Some dude in Arizona isn't getting the fancy Audi off of that... I mean, if we're going to miseducate our kids, let's keep the money for Audis here in the district.

Also, to be slightly serious, what you're describing is failure of the system, and what I'm talking about is people seeing how close they can get the system to failure in the name of getting the fancy Audi. Profit should never be part of any conversation about education.

BASIS DC is nonprofit, dummy.

Think of the millions that DCPS is spending on failing schools where most of the kids are illiterate and innumerate.

Let’s create another dozen BASIS schools in DC and stop pouring money into schools that don’t work.

No. It's a for-profit charter. We've gone over this.

DC contracts with a non-profit organization which then turns around and pays the for-profit for administration and curriculum. The for-profit is the decision-making power in terms of what happens at the school. It's really gross.

If DCPS put them out of business by offering a test-in, accelerated STEM school, I wouldn't be sad for a moment. But right now, this is who is interested in providing real math and science to my non-JR zoned kids.

Yeah, I mean, if it gets it done for your kids, you should do it. But so many people going in look at those washout numbers and think “oh that won’t be my kid” but statistically, it will be. And it’s infuriating that BADIS administrators bring kids in and know that they can’t educate 60 percent of them, but don’t try to change their method or discourage the kids who aren’t going to make it.

They’re looking to get paid so they have to take kids in they have no intention or ability to get through to graduation and they convince a whole lot of parents that they’re going to help their kids when they won’t. It’s messed up.

DP. Your post makes absolutely no sense. What are the "washout" numbers you keep referring to? Where are you getting that 60% of the kids aren't being educated? I have to assume you're referring to the attrition numbers which--to be clear--does not represent the number of kids who failed. The number of kids who don't pass the year-end comps is actually pretty small. But kids choose to leave for a number of reasons.

You also argue that the school isn't doing anything to "discourage" the kids who aren't going to make it...soooo, what would you have them do? Maybe require the students to take a year-end test that they have to pass in order to get promoted to the next grade? Oh wait...

What's actually messed up is the fact that DC has so many failing schools---schools that are allowed to remain open and take tax dollars yet less than 5% of the kids are at grade level! THAT's what you should be upset about. Those are the kids who aren't being educated. The stats suggest that the kids at BASIS are, in fact, getting an education.

I'm not suggesting that BASIS is perfect, and it sounds like it didn't work out for your child, but whatever ax you have to grind is getting in the way of facts.

Sixty percent of the kids who go in, don't graduate. That's not success. The fact that 40 percent are successful is dismal. It's good for those 40 percent, but it's an indictment of the school overall.

If it was a public school you'd call that a failing school. If it was a private school and only 40 percent of the kids who start make it to graduation people wouldn't send their kids.

You are reading the data wrong. Families leave DC all the time (transient city). Those kids aren't backfilled at BASIS so you don't notice them at other schools. You also ignore the application HS process. If kids apply to SWW or Banneker or DESA and decide to attend that doesn't mean BASIS failed. It means kids had options and chose something else. Some kids do indeed leave (lots between 6th and 7th) because the school is not a good fit for them. And that is ok. It doesn't have to be. The fundamental failure of your argument is that kids who aren't a good fit and leave for a better fit is an indication of BASIS's "failure". That is no more true than it is to say that a kid who opts to leave BASIS because it isn't a good fit "failed".

Tlr Your analytical skills and critical thinking failed you.

If you saw that garbled mess of an answer to any other school, public or private, you would call bullshit. And what's weird is that none of the other schools (public or private) that have comparable test scores, have this issue of a dramatic decline in class size from 9th to 12th...

How many kids start at 9th grade finish with a diploma? If it's not 75-80%+ the school isn't working.

I now see the problem. You made up B.S. numbers. The 60% number you are (incorrectly) hanging your hat on is total attrition based on class size from 5th through 12th. Bolded above makes clear you mean to address attrition from 9th-12th.

Let's look at the actual OSSE data.
9th grade enrollment 2016-17 vs 12th grade enrollment 2019-20: 57 vs 50 (87%)
9th grade enrollment 2017-18 vs 12th grade enrollment 2020-21: 49 vs 39 (80%)
9th grade enrollment 2018-19 vs 12th grade enrollment 2021-22: 57 vs 52 (91%)
9th grade enrollment 2019-20 vs 12th grade enrollment 2022-23: 54 vs 42 (78%)
9th grade enrollment 2020-21 vs 12th grade enrollment 2024: 49 vs 39 (80%)

Good news is based on the criteria you set out ("If it's not 75-80%+ the school isn't working") the school is "working". Welcome to the Boosters Club!!!!

According to the DC school report card (which I'll link: https://schoolreportcard.dc.gov/lea/168/school/3068/report), the school has:

5th grade: 135
9th grade: 79
12th grade: 42.

I'll buy the argument that it's lottery and people don't know what they're getting into at fifth grade and by ninth have realized the terrible mistake theyv'e made, but what's the deal with the 9th to 12th drop. And 42 isn't even the number that graduates. But let's say it is, it's a 47 percent washout. I stand corrected. Still a horrific number.

And, when you compare it any other school, there is NOWHERE near the attrition 9-12.

Those are also the enrollment numbers reported by USNWR which BASIS parents insist is the ONLY place to evaluate the school's success.

Audited enrollment data publicly available here: https://osse.dc.gov/enrollment. The numbers on the report card are derived from the OSSE date from SY 22-23.

The 12th grade class with 42 kids began 9th grade (SY 19-20) grade with 54 kids. The retention ration is therefore 42/54 (@78%).

The referenced SY 22-23 9th grade class that started with 78 (OSSE adjusted it down in their official numbers) had a 10th grade audited enrollment this year of 77. They lost one kid.

[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'm still trying to get my head around the idea that anyone is okay with these people taking $2 million a year off the DC taxpayer in exchange for washing out 60 percent of the class. WTF

I'm a lot more concerned about the DCPS schools passing students through despite truancy and being years behind grade level.

Why? Some dude in Arizona isn't getting the fancy Audi off of that... I mean, if we're going to miseducate our kids, let's keep the money for Audis here in the district.

Also, to be slightly serious, what you're describing is failure of the system, and what I'm talking about is people seeing how close they can get the system to failure in the name of getting the fancy Audi. Profit should never be part of any conversation about education.

BASIS DC is nonprofit, dummy.

Think of the millions that DCPS is spending on failing schools where most of the kids are illiterate and innumerate.

Let’s create another dozen BASIS schools in DC and stop pouring money into schools that don’t work.

No. It's a for-profit charter. We've gone over this.

DC contracts with a non-profit organization which then turns around and pays the for-profit for administration and curriculum. The for-profit is the decision-making power in terms of what happens at the school. It's really gross.

If DCPS put them out of business by offering a test-in, accelerated STEM school, I wouldn't be sad for a moment. But right now, this is who is interested in providing real math and science to my non-JR zoned kids.

Yeah, I mean, if it gets it done for your kids, you should do it. But so many people going in look at those washout numbers and think “oh that won’t be my kid” but statistically, it will be. And it’s infuriating that BADIS administrators bring kids in and know that they can’t educate 60 percent of them, but don’t try to change their method or discourage the kids who aren’t going to make it.

They’re looking to get paid so they have to take kids in they have no intention or ability to get through to graduation and they convince a whole lot of parents that they’re going to help their kids when they won’t. It’s messed up.

DP. Your post makes absolutely no sense. What are the "washout" numbers you keep referring to? Where are you getting that 60% of the kids aren't being educated? I have to assume you're referring to the attrition numbers which--to be clear--does not represent the number of kids who failed. The number of kids who don't pass the year-end comps is actually pretty small. But kids choose to leave for a number of reasons.

You also argue that the school isn't doing anything to "discourage" the kids who aren't going to make it...soooo, what would you have them do? Maybe require the students to take a year-end test that they have to pass in order to get promoted to the next grade? Oh wait...

What's actually messed up is the fact that DC has so many failing schools---schools that are allowed to remain open and take tax dollars yet less than 5% of the kids are at grade level! THAT's what you should be upset about. Those are the kids who aren't being educated. The stats suggest that the kids at BASIS are, in fact, getting an education.

I'm not suggesting that BASIS is perfect, and it sounds like it didn't work out for your child, but whatever ax you have to grind is getting in the way of facts.

Sixty percent of the kids who go in, don't graduate. That's not success. The fact that 40 percent are successful is dismal. It's good for those 40 percent, but it's an indictment of the school overall.

If it was a public school you'd call that a failing school. If it was a private school and only 40 percent of the kids who start make it to graduation people wouldn't send their kids.

You are reading the data wrong. Families leave DC all the time (transient city). Those kids aren't backfilled at BASIS so you don't notice them at other schools. You also ignore the application HS process. If kids apply to SWW or Banneker or DESA and decide to attend that doesn't mean BASIS failed. It means kids had options and chose something else. Some kids do indeed leave (lots between 6th and 7th) because the school is not a good fit for them. And that is ok. It doesn't have to be. The fundamental failure of your argument is that kids who aren't a good fit and leave for a better fit is an indication of BASIS's "failure". That is no more true than it is to say that a kid who opts to leave BASIS because it isn't a good fit "failed".

Tlr Your analytical skills and critical thinking failed you.

If you saw that garbled mess of an answer to any other school, public or private, you would call bullshit. And what's weird is that none of the other schools (public or private) that have comparable test scores, have this issue of a dramatic decline in class size from 9th to 12th...

How many kids start at 9th grade finish with a diploma? If it's not 75-80%+ the school isn't working.

I now see the problem. You made up B.S. numbers. The 60% number you are (incorrectly) hanging your hat on is total attrition based on class size from 5th through 12th. Bolded above makes clear you mean to address attrition from 9th-12th.

Let's look at the actual OSSE data.
9th grade enrollment 2016-17 vs 12th grade enrollment 2019-20: 57 vs 50 (87%)
9th grade enrollment 2017-18 vs 12th grade enrollment 2020-21: 49 vs 39 (80%)
9th grade enrollment 2018-19 vs 12th grade enrollment 2021-22: 57 vs 52 (91%)
9th grade enrollment 2019-20 vs 12th grade enrollment 2022-23: 54 vs 42 (78%)
9th grade enrollment 2020-21 vs 12th grade enrollment 2024: 49 vs 39 (80%)

Good news is based on the criteria you set out ("If it's not 75-80%+ the school isn't working") the school is "working". Welcome to the Boosters Club!!!!

According to the DC school report card (which I'll link: https://schoolreportcard.dc.gov/lea/168/school/3068/report), the school has:

5th grade: 135
9th grade: 79
12th grade: 42.

I'll buy the argument that it's lottery and people don't know what they're getting into at fifth grade and by ninth have realized the terrible mistake theyv'e made, but what's the deal with the 9th to 12th drop. And 42 isn't even the number that graduates. But let's say it is, it's a 47 percent washout. I stand corrected. Still a horrific number.

And, when you compare it any other school, there is NOWHERE near the attrition 9-12.

Those are also the enrollment numbers reported by USNWR which BASIS parents insist is the ONLY place to evaluate the school's success.

Audited enrollment data publicly available here: https://osse.dc.gov/enrollment. The numbers on the report card are derived from the OSSE date from SY 22-23.

The 12th grade class with 42 kids began 9th grade (SY 19-20) grade with 54 kids. The retention ration is therefore 42/54 (@78%).

The referenced SY 22-23 9th grade class that started with 78 (OSSE adjusted it down in their official numbers) had a 10th grade audited enrollment this year of 77. They lost one kid.

Only 42 kids for 12th. Wow, I knew Basis was a small school but no idea the upper grades was that small.

[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'm still trying to get my head around the idea that anyone is okay with these people taking $2 million a year off the DC taxpayer in exchange for washing out 60 percent of the class. WTF

I'm a lot more concerned about the DCPS schools passing students through despite truancy and being years behind grade level.

Why? Some dude in Arizona isn't getting the fancy Audi off of that... I mean, if we're going to miseducate our kids, let's keep the money for Audis here in the district.

Also, to be slightly serious, what you're describing is failure of the system, and what I'm talking about is people seeing how close they can get the system to failure in the name of getting the fancy Audi. Profit should never be part of any conversation about education.

BASIS DC is nonprofit, dummy.

Think of the millions that DCPS is spending on failing schools where most of the kids are illiterate and innumerate.

Let’s create another dozen BASIS schools in DC and stop pouring money into schools that don’t work.

No. It's a for-profit charter. We've gone over this.

DC contracts with a non-profit organization which then turns around and pays the for-profit for administration and curriculum. The for-profit is the decision-making power in terms of what happens at the school. It's really gross.

If DCPS put them out of business by offering a test-in, accelerated STEM school, I wouldn't be sad for a moment. But right now, this is who is interested in providing real math and science to my non-JR zoned kids.

Yeah, I mean, if it gets it done for your kids, you should do it. But so many people going in look at those washout numbers and think “oh that won’t be my kid” but statistically, it will be. And it’s infuriating that BADIS administrators bring kids in and know that they can’t educate 60 percent of them, but don’t try to change their method or discourage the kids who aren’t going to make it.

They’re looking to get paid so they have to take kids in they have no intention or ability to get through to graduation and they convince a whole lot of parents that they’re going to help their kids when they won’t. It’s messed up.

DP. Your post makes absolutely no sense. What are the "washout" numbers you keep referring to? Where are you getting that 60% of the kids aren't being educated? I have to assume you're referring to the attrition numbers which--to be clear--does not represent the number of kids who failed. The number of kids who don't pass the year-end comps is actually pretty small. But kids choose to leave for a number of reasons.

You also argue that the school isn't doing anything to "discourage" the kids who aren't going to make it...soooo, what would you have them do? Maybe require the students to take a year-end test that they have to pass in order to get promoted to the next grade? Oh wait...

What's actually messed up is the fact that DC has so many failing schools---schools that are allowed to remain open and take tax dollars yet less than 5% of the kids are at grade level! THAT's what you should be upset about. Those are the kids who aren't being educated. The stats suggest that the kids at BASIS are, in fact, getting an education.

I'm not suggesting that BASIS is perfect, and it sounds like it didn't work out for your child, but whatever ax you have to grind is getting in the way of facts.

Sixty percent of the kids who go in, don't graduate. That's not success. The fact that 40 percent are successful is dismal. It's good for those 40 percent, but it's an indictment of the school overall.

If it was a public school you'd call that a failing school. If it was a private school and only 40 percent of the kids who start make it to graduation people wouldn't send their kids.

You are reading the data wrong. Families leave DC all the time (transient city). Those kids aren't backfilled at BASIS so you don't notice them at other schools. You also ignore the application HS process. If kids apply to SWW or Banneker or DESA and decide to attend that doesn't mean BASIS failed. It means kids had options and chose something else. Some kids do indeed leave (lots between 6th and 7th) because the school is not a good fit for them. And that is ok. It doesn't have to be. The fundamental failure of your argument is that kids who aren't a good fit and leave for a better fit is an indication of BASIS's "failure". That is no more true than it is to say that a kid who opts to leave BASIS because it isn't a good fit "failed".

Tlr Your analytical skills and critical thinking failed you.

If you saw that garbled mess of an answer to any other school, public or private, you would call bullshit. And what's weird is that none of the other schools (public or private) that have comparable test scores, have this issue of a dramatic decline in class size from 9th to 12th...

How many kids start at 9th grade finish with a diploma? If it's not 75-80%+ the school isn't working.

I now see the problem. You made up B.S. numbers. The 60% number you are (incorrectly) hanging your hat on is total attrition based on class size from 5th through 12th. Bolded above makes clear you mean to address attrition from 9th-12th.

Let's look at the actual OSSE data.
9th grade enrollment 2016-17 vs 12th grade enrollment 2019-20: 57 vs 50 (87%)
9th grade enrollment 2017-18 vs 12th grade enrollment 2020-21: 49 vs 39 (80%)
9th grade enrollment 2018-19 vs 12th grade enrollment 2021-22: 57 vs 52 (91%)
9th grade enrollment 2019-20 vs 12th grade enrollment 2022-23: 54 vs 42 (78%)
9th grade enrollment 2020-21 vs 12th grade enrollment 2024: 49 vs 39 (80%)

Good news is based on the criteria you set out ("If it's not 75-80%+ the school isn't working") the school is "working". Welcome to the Boosters Club!!!!

lol

Don’t feed the troll.

[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'm still trying to get my head around the idea that anyone is okay with these people taking $2 million a year off the DC taxpayer in exchange for washing out 60 percent of the class. WTF

I'm a lot more concerned about the DCPS schools passing students through despite truancy and being years behind grade level.

Why? Some dude in Arizona isn't getting the fancy Audi off of that... I mean, if we're going to miseducate our kids, let's keep the money for Audis here in the district.

Also, to be slightly serious, what you're describing is failure of the system, and what I'm talking about is people seeing how close they can get the system to failure in the name of getting the fancy Audi. Profit should never be part of any conversation about education.

BASIS DC is nonprofit, dummy.

Think of the millions that DCPS is spending on failing schools where most of the kids are illiterate and innumerate.

Let’s create another dozen BASIS schools in DC and stop pouring money into schools that don’t work.

No. It's a for-profit charter. We've gone over this.

DC contracts with a non-profit organization which then turns around and pays the for-profit for administration and curriculum. The for-profit is the decision-making power in terms of what happens at the school. It's really gross.

If DCPS put them out of business by offering a test-in, accelerated STEM school, I wouldn't be sad for a moment. But right now, this is who is interested in providing real math and science to my non-JR zoned kids.

Yeah, I mean, if it gets it done for your kids, you should do it. But so many people going in look at those washout numbers and think “oh that won’t be my kid” but statistically, it will be. And it’s infuriating that BADIS administrators bring kids in and know that they can’t educate 60 percent of them, but don’t try to change their method or discourage the kids who aren’t going to make it.

They’re looking to get paid so they have to take kids in they have no intention or ability to get through to graduation and they convince a whole lot of parents that they’re going to help their kids when they won’t. It’s messed up.

DP. Your post makes absolutely no sense. What are the "washout" numbers you keep referring to? Where are you getting that 60% of the kids aren't being educated? I have to assume you're referring to the attrition numbers which--to be clear--does not represent the number of kids who failed. The number of kids who don't pass the year-end comps is actually pretty small. But kids choose to leave for a number of reasons.

You also argue that the school isn't doing anything to "discourage" the kids who aren't going to make it...soooo, what would you have them do? Maybe require the students to take a year-end test that they have to pass in order to get promoted to the next grade? Oh wait...

What's actually messed up is the fact that DC has so many failing schools---schools that are allowed to remain open and take tax dollars yet less than 5% of the kids are at grade level! THAT's what you should be upset about. Those are the kids who aren't being educated. The stats suggest that the kids at BASIS are, in fact, getting an education.

I'm not suggesting that BASIS is perfect, and it sounds like it didn't work out for your child, but whatever ax you have to grind is getting in the way of facts.

Sixty percent of the kids who go in, don't graduate. That's not success. The fact that 40 percent are successful is dismal. It's good for those 40 percent, but it's an indictment of the school overall.

If it was a public school you'd call that a failing school. If it was a private school and only 40 percent of the kids who start make it to graduation people wouldn't send their kids.

You are reading the data wrong. Families leave DC all the time (transient city). Those kids aren't backfilled at BASIS so you don't notice them at other schools. You also ignore the application HS process. If kids apply to SWW or Banneker or DESA and decide to attend that doesn't mean BASIS failed. It means kids had options and chose something else. Some kids do indeed leave (lots between 6th and 7th) because the school is not a good fit for them. And that is ok. It doesn't have to be. The fundamental failure of your argument is that kids who aren't a good fit and leave for a better fit is an indication of BASIS's "failure". That is no more true than it is to say that a kid who opts to leave BASIS because it isn't a good fit "failed".

Tlr Your analytical skills and critical thinking failed you.

If you saw that garbled mess of an answer to any other school, public or private, you would call bullshit. And what's weird is that none of the other schools (public or private) that have comparable test scores, have this issue of a dramatic decline in class size from 9th to 12th...

How many kids start at 9th grade finish with a diploma? If it's not 75-80%+ the school isn't working.

I now see the problem. You made up B.S. numbers. The 60% number you are (incorrectly) hanging your hat on is total attrition based on class size from 5th through 12th. Bolded above makes clear you mean to address attrition from 9th-12th.

Let's look at the actual OSSE data.
9th grade enrollment 2016-17 vs 12th grade enrollment 2019-20: 57 vs 50 (87%)
9th grade enrollment 2017-18 vs 12th grade enrollment 2020-21: 49 vs 39 (80%)
9th grade enrollment 2018-19 vs 12th grade enrollment 2021-22: 57 vs 52 (91%)
9th grade enrollment 2019-20 vs 12th grade enrollment 2022-23: 54 vs 42 (78%)
9th grade enrollment 2020-21 vs 12th grade enrollment 2024: 49 vs 39 (80%)

Good news is based on the criteria you set out ("If it's not 75-80%+ the school isn't working") the school is "working". Welcome to the Boosters Club!!!!

According to the DC school report card (which I'll link: https://schoolreportcard.dc.gov/lea/168/school/3068/report), the school has:

5th grade: 135
9th grade: 79
12th grade: 42.

I'll buy the argument that it's lottery and people don't know what they're getting into at fifth grade and by ninth have realized the terrible mistake theyv'e made, but what's the deal with the 9th to 12th drop. And 42 isn't even the number that graduates. But let's say it is, it's a 47 percent washout. I stand corrected. Still a horrific number.

And, when you compare it any other school, there is NOWHERE near the attrition 9-12.

Those are also the enrollment numbers reported by USNWR which BASIS parents insist is the ONLY place to evaluate the school's success.

Audited enrollment data publicly available here: https://osse.dc.gov/enrollment. The numbers on the report card are derived from the OSSE date from SY 22-23.

The 12th grade class with 42 kids began 9th grade (SY 19-20) grade with 54 kids. The retention ration is therefore 42/54 (@78%).

The referenced SY 22-23 9th grade class that started with 78 (OSSE adjusted it down in their official numbers) had a 10th grade audited enrollment this year of 77. They lost one kid.

Would it also make sense to compare 9th vs. 11th grade enrollment numbers; i.e., because they have enough credits to graduate by the end of 11th, is some of the attrition in 12th due to that factor?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are also open, by the way, about th fact that around 10 percent of the kids do not pass their comps at the end of the year and actually cannot return (without repeating the grade). The admin said that most of these kids do not return, so Definitely lots of the attrition is coming from that. It's the only public school in DC that doesn't do social promotion, and their curriculum is very accelerated on top of that.

I wish people in this thread would stop characterizing BASIS middle school as being “very accelerated.” It’s not. The math is completely normal for middle school. The science, while split into three classes (that only meet a couple times a week) is the same core science that is taught in middle 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:

Anonymous wrote:I'm still trying to get my head around the idea that anyone is okay with these people taking $2 million a year off the DC taxpayer in exchange for washing out 60 percent of the class. WTF

I'm a lot more concerned about the DCPS schools passing students through despite truancy and being years behind grade level.

Why? Some dude in Arizona isn't getting the fancy Audi off of that... I mean, if we're going to miseducate our kids, let's keep the money for Audis here in the district.

Also, to be slightly serious, what you're describing is failure of the system, and what I'm talking about is people seeing how close they can get the system to failure in the name of getting the fancy Audi. Profit should never be part of any conversation about education.

BASIS DC is nonprofit, dummy.

Think of the millions that DCPS is spending on failing schools where most of the kids are illiterate and innumerate.

Let’s create another dozen BASIS schools in DC and stop pouring money into schools that don’t work.

No. It's a for-profit charter. We've gone over this.

DC contracts with a non-profit organization which then turns around and pays the for-profit for administration and curriculum. The for-profit is the decision-making power in terms of what happens at the school. It's really gross.

If DCPS put them out of business by offering a test-in, accelerated STEM school, I wouldn't be sad for a moment. But right now, this is who is interested in providing real math and science to my non-JR zoned kids.

Yeah, I mean, if it gets it done for your kids, you should do it. But so many people going in look at those washout numbers and think “oh that won’t be my kid” but statistically, it will be. And it’s infuriating that BADIS administrators bring kids in and know that they can’t educate 60 percent of them, but don’t try to change their method or discourage the kids who aren’t going to make it.

They’re looking to get paid so they have to take kids in they have no intention or ability to get through to graduation and they convince a whole lot of parents that they’re going to help their kids when they won’t. It’s messed up.

DP. Your post makes absolutely no sense. What are the "washout" numbers you keep referring to? Where are you getting that 60% of the kids aren't being educated? I have to assume you're referring to the attrition numbers which--to be clear--does not represent the number of kids who failed. The number of kids who don't pass the year-end comps is actually pretty small. But kids choose to leave for a number of reasons.

You also argue that the school isn't doing anything to "discourage" the kids who aren't going to make it...soooo, what would you have them do? Maybe require the students to take a year-end test that they have to pass in order to get promoted to the next grade? Oh wait...

What's actually messed up is the fact that DC has so many failing schools---schools that are allowed to remain open and take tax dollars yet less than 5% of the kids are at grade level! THAT's what you should be upset about. Those are the kids who aren't being educated. The stats suggest that the kids at BASIS are, in fact, getting an education.

I'm not suggesting that BASIS is perfect, and it sounds like it didn't work out for your child, but whatever ax you have to grind is getting in the way of facts.

Sixty percent of the kids who go in, don't graduate. That's not success. The fact that 40 percent are successful is dismal. It's good for those 40 percent, but it's an indictment of the school overall.

If it was a public school you'd call that a failing school. If it was a private school and only 40 percent of the kids who start make it to graduation people wouldn't send their kids.

You are reading the data wrong. Families leave DC all the time (transient city). Those kids aren't backfilled at BASIS so you don't notice them at other schools. You also ignore the application HS process. If kids apply to SWW or Banneker or DESA and decide to attend that doesn't mean BASIS failed. It means kids had options and chose something else. Some kids do indeed leave (lots between 6th and 7th) because the school is not a good fit for them. And that is ok. It doesn't have to be. The fundamental failure of your argument is that kids who aren't a good fit and leave for a better fit is an indication of BASIS's "failure". That is no more true than it is to say that a kid who opts to leave BASIS because it isn't a good fit "failed".

Tlr Your analytical skills and critical thinking failed you.

If you saw that garbled mess of an answer to any other school, public or private, you would call bullshit. And what's weird is that none of the other schools (public or private) that have comparable test scores, have this issue of a dramatic decline in class size from 9th to 12th...

How many kids start at 9th grade finish with a diploma? If it's not 75-80%+ the school isn't working.

I now see the problem. You made up B.S. numbers. The 60% number you are (incorrectly) hanging your hat on is total attrition based on class size from 5th through 12th. Bolded above makes clear you mean to address attrition from 9th-12th.

Let's look at the actual OSSE data.
9th grade enrollment 2016-17 vs 12th grade enrollment 2019-20: 57 vs 50 (87%)
9th grade enrollment 2017-18 vs 12th grade enrollment 2020-21: 49 vs 39 (80%)
9th grade enrollment 2018-19 vs 12th grade enrollment 2021-22: 57 vs 52 (91%)
9th grade enrollment 2019-20 vs 12th grade enrollment 2022-23: 54 vs 42 (78%)
9th grade enrollment 2020-21 vs 12th grade enrollment 2024: 49 vs 39 (80%)

Good news is based on the criteria you set out ("If it's not 75-80%+ the school isn't working") the school is "working". Welcome to the Boosters Club!!!!

According to the DC school report card (which I'll link: https://schoolreportcard.dc.gov/lea/168/school/3068/report), the school has:

5th grade: 135
9th grade: 79
12th grade: 42.

I'll buy the argument that it's lottery and people don't know what they're getting into at fifth grade and by ninth have realized the terrible mistake theyv'e made, but what's the deal with the 9th to 12th drop. And 42 isn't even the number that graduates. But let's say it is, it's a 47 percent washout. I stand corrected. Still a horrific number.

And, when you compare it any other school, there is NOWHERE near the attrition 9-12.

Those are also the enrollment numbers reported by USNWR which BASIS parents insist is the ONLY place to evaluate the school's success.

Audited enrollment data publicly available here: https://osse.dc.gov/enrollment. The numbers on the report card are derived from the OSSE date from SY 22-23.

The 12th grade class with 42 kids began 9th grade (SY 19-20) grade with 54 kids. The retention ration is therefore 42/54 (@78%).

The referenced SY 22-23 9th grade class that started with 78 (OSSE adjusted it down in their official numbers) had a 10th grade audited enrollment this year of 77. They lost one kid.

Would it also make sense to compare 9th vs. 11th grade enrollment numbers; i.e., because they have enough credits to graduate by the end of 11th, is some of the attrition in 12th due to that factor?

Likely. 12th grade at BASIS is the self-guided senior project; kids don't even come to school for like half the year. Can't imagine a kid voluntarily going to another high school to have to deal with a traditional HS stuff. Reasonable assumption is those kids matriculate to college early or just take a gap year. Don't believe there is any reliable data on what those kids do when they leave after 11th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are also open, by the way, about th fact that around 10 percent of the kids do not pass their comps at the end of the year and actually cannot return (without repeating the grade). The admin said that most of these kids do not return, so Definitely lots of the attrition is coming from that. It's the only public school in DC that doesn't do social promotion, and their curriculum is very accelerated on top of that.

I wish people in this thread would stop characterizing BASIS middle school as being “very accelerated.” It’s not. The math is completely normal for middle school. The science, while split into three classes (that only meet a couple times a week) is the same core science that is taught in middle school.

That is simply not true. They take Algebra 1/geometry in 7th, and Algebra 2/Geometry in 8th, and then take precalc in 9th. There are kids doing that in DC, but they have tested out of the highest level at their DCOS and it is an exception. To expect that of everyone at the school is highly unusual.

[Anonymous]

Highly unusual and not as wonderful or successful as you might think. It's not uncommon for BASIS middle school grads who don't stay for high school to be forced to repeat some of the middle school math they did at BASIS their new high schools, despite having earned good math grades at BASIS. They can't always pass math placement tests. This happens at Walls and privates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Highly unusual and not as wonderful or successful as you might think. It's not uncommon for BASIS middle school grads who don't stay for high school to be forced to repeat some of the middle school math they did at BASIS their new high schools, despite having earned good math grades at BASIS. They can't always pass math placement tests. This happens at Walls and privates.

IIRC, it happens at Walls because Walls doesn’t count the credits the same way BASIS does. It’s not because students are failing the placement tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are also open, by the way, about th fact that around 10 percent of the kids do not pass their comps at the end of the year and actually cannot return (without repeating the grade). The admin said that most of these kids do not return, so Definitely lots of the attrition is coming from that. It's the only public school in DC that doesn't do social promotion, and their curriculum is very accelerated on top of that.

I wish people in this thread would stop characterizing BASIS middle school as being “very accelerated.” It’s not. The math is completely normal for middle school. The science, while split into three classes (that only meet a couple times a week) is the same core science that is taught in middle school.

That is simply not true. They take Algebra 1/geometry in 7th, and Algebra 2/Geometry in 8th, and then take precalc in 9th. There are kids doing that in DC, but they have tested out of the highest level at their DCOS and it is an exception. To expect that of everyone at the school is highly unusual.

When I was in a gifted program 30 years ago, we took Alg 1 in 7th grade. It was definitely not the normal track.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are also open, by the way, about th fact that around 10 percent of the kids do not pass their comps at the end of the year and actually cannot return (without repeating the grade). The admin said that most of these kids do not return, so Definitely lots of the attrition is coming from that. It's the only public school in DC that doesn't do social promotion, and their curriculum is very accelerated on top of that.

I wish people in this thread would stop characterizing BASIS middle school as being “very accelerated.” It’s not. The math is completely normal for middle school. The science, while split into three classes (that only meet a couple times a week) is the same core science that is taught in middle school.

That is simply not true. They take Algebra 1/geometry in 7th, and Algebra 2/Geometry in 8th, and then take precalc in 9th. There are kids doing that in DC, but they have tested out of the highest level at their DCOS and it is an exception. To expect that of everyone at the school is highly unusual.

When I was in a gifted program 30 years ago, we took Alg 1 in 7th grade. It was definitely not the normal track.

I think it's important that prospective parents understand the track properly... Thinking it is "just normal math" is why so many students end up feeling unhappy and stressed out and leaving. It's not a brag about BASIS, but conveying facts that are helpful when deciding whether or not to enroll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are also open, by the way, about th fact that around 10 percent of the kids do not pass their comps at the end of the year and actually cannot return (without repeating the grade). The admin said that most of these kids do not return, so Definitely lots of the attrition is coming from that. It's the only public school in DC that doesn't do social promotion, and their curriculum is very accelerated on top of that.

I wish people in this thread would stop characterizing BASIS middle school as being “very accelerated.” It’s not. The math is completely normal for middle school. The science, while split into three classes (that only meet a couple times a week) is the same core science that is taught in middle school.

That is simply not true. They take Algebra 1/geometry in 7th, and Algebra 2/Geometry in 8th, and then take precalc in 9th. There are kids doing that in DC, but they have tested out of the highest level at their DCOS and it is an exception. To expect that of everyone at the school is highly unusual.

Do you truly believe that kids aren't taking Algebra and geometry in 7th and 8th grade at normal high schools? You are under the impression that this is so amazingly advanced because you are comparing it to failing schools. We have been pretty disappointed with how much math is actually being taught in middle school at BASIS. The same is true for middle school science. They're slapping the label "chemistry" or "physics" on the class, but the kids are learning basic material that all children learn in 5-8th grade science class, just split into separate classes that only meet a few times a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are also open, by the way, about th fact that around 10 percent of the kids do not pass their comps at the end of the year and actually cannot return (without repeating the grade). The admin said that most of these kids do not return, so Definitely lots of the attrition is coming from that. It's the only public school in DC that doesn't do social promotion, and their curriculum is very accelerated on top of that.

I wish people in this thread would stop characterizing BASIS middle school as being “very accelerated.” It’s not. The math is completely normal for middle school. The science, while split into three classes (that only meet a couple times a week) is the same core science that is taught in middle school.

That is simply not true. They take Algebra 1/geometry in 7th, and Algebra 2/Geometry in 8th, and then take precalc in 9th. There are kids doing that in DC, but they have tested out of the highest level at their DCOS and it is an exception. To expect that of everyone at the school is highly unusual.

When I was in a gifted program 30 years ago, we took Alg 1 in 7th grade. It was definitely not the normal track.

I think it's important that prospective parents understand the track properly... Thinking it is "just normal math" is why so many students end up feeling unhappy and stressed out and leaving. It's not a brag about BASIS, but conveying facts that are helpful when deciding whether or not to enroll.

Assuming you have a child in the school older than 5th grade, go pull up a course description for any of the suburban high schools and compare what they're learning in 6th, 7th, 8th grade. It's all the same material that BASIS is teaching.

[Anonymous]

Yes, the comparison to local failing schools DC is key. The BASIS DC experience encourages parents to become mired in relatavism.