BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013

[Anonymous]

The Arizona high attrition model won’t fly in DC for obvious reasons. Instead, Basis will come under heavy pressure from charter board to manufacture a creative solution to keep struggling students on board, e.g. Yu Ying’s non-immersion Mandarin track (where all the kids are black). The National Assessment for Educational Progress (think tank giving a small percent of students in every state and DC the same test in 4th and 8th grades) findings on the vast black-white achievement gap in DC, coupled with non-selective admissions, do not auger well for the school: more than a third of DC white kids currently score in NAEP’s “advanced” category for reading and math (vs. 14% of white in the highest scoring state, Massachusetts) and 1-2% of black kids. Politically, will Basis be in a good position to encourage a large percentage of the black kids to hit the road? The franchise surely won’t bite the hand that feeds it, risking having their charter revoked, by allowing anywhere near the attrition rates seen in AZ. No, standards will invariably be watered down instead, with victory declared in the number of AP tests taken per capita (easy to do when there’s no magic AP pass number, and scores of 2s and 3s out of 5 on AP tests are already the DCPS norm).


The two white families transferred opted out and left the school. Given the option, I would transfer my child out as well, if for no other reason to avoid people like you.

[Anonymous]

Ahh....so we've now exposed the Yu Ying secret. Will Sela adopt the same policy - a different track for the non Hebrew speakers? Okaaay then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:help me understand this: is there any prohibition on BASIS pulling in students from outside the DC area, who would PAY tuition? I had heard that other charters accepted out-of-staters with tuition...that might make up the numbers as attrition hits the upper grades

I don't think that new kids join BASIS after 6th grade. Beginning in 6th grade, BASIS students must pass comprehensive exams to advance to the next grade.

I suspect that the school will not admit kids into the 7th grade or higher unless they can demonstrate mastery of the material covered in the prior grade by passing the same comprehensive exams, and kids who are not able to pass the comprehensive exams are offered spots in the lower grades. Of course, by the 7th or 8th grade, due to the rigorous curriculum, the likelihood that a student transferring into BASIS can pass those exams approaches 0.The enrollment data presented in the following article support my hypothesis:

http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2011/03/blog-post.html

While enrollment occasionally increases from 5th to 6th grade, enrollment only decreases from that point on. In particular, enrollment decreases significantly from 8th to 9th grade, presumably due to large numbers of students choosing neighborhood high schools over BASIS.

I don't get the impression that BASIS cares much about keeping numbers up. They seem to be focused on the quality of the students they graduate, not the quantity.

In any case, they can keep enrollment up in the face of high attrition simply by admitting many more students in the lower grades. That is, if they want to maintain enrollment at about 500 students for a 8-year program, rather than admit 60 student in the 5th grade, they would admit about 100.

It appears that this the approach they've taken.

Sorry, I don't follow why, after 7th or 8th grade, due to the rigorous curriculum, the likelihood that a student transferring into BASIS could pass their end-of-year exams would approach 0 when DC has a good many independents, where some parents struggle to afford tuition, offering equally tough academics. It also has suburbs where parents often move/live primarily because they aren't satisfied with public MS and HS offerings in the District, coupled with lack of funds for independents, but would prefer to live downtown. So you think that a student could only transfer into BASIS from a DCPS school, or another charter, not simply by virtue of being a DC resident capable of passing a comprehensive end-of-year exam? It doesn't seem out of the question that dozens of parents outside DCPS and DC Charter with very bright and well prepared kids would look to BASIS for a comparable, tax-supported education if permitted, particularly if they'd been shut out of 5th or 6th grade lottery admissions and the school was prospering. If residency in the District would be all that was required for a kid of the right age to take, and pass, an end-of-year exam at BASIS in the hopes of being admitted, I'm having a hard time imagining a shortage of qualified takers. A backdoor route to selective admissions would emerge. But then many, if not most, of the incoming kids would be middle-class and white, which wouldn't work politically, at least not for some years. These are awkward public conversations and questions, but perhaps they should be had when taxpayer money is behind BASIS DC.

[Anonymous]

The two white families transferred opted out and left the school. Given the option, I would transfer my child out as well, if for no other reason to avoid people like you.

Oh come on, don't lower the tone in a thoughtful conversation by getting petty. The PP made a factual statement about an issue that's a sore point with DC Charter, because nobody saw it coming at YY's founding as much as anything else. We're talking about the lengths charters must go to in order to keep kids who struggle, like it or not. The matter at hand is whether or not BASIS alone will be allowed to make it almost impossible for struggling kids to return from one year to the next. It's an open question and a very interesting subject.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:help me understand this: is there any prohibition on BASIS pulling in students from outside the DC area, who would PAY tuition? I had heard that other charters accepted out-of-staters with tuition...that might make up the numbers as attrition hits the upper grades

I don't think that new kids join BASIS after 6th grade. Beginning in 6th grade, BASIS students must pass comprehensive exams to advance to the next grade.

I suspect that the school will not admit kids into the 7th grade or higher unless they can demonstrate mastery of the material covered in the prior grade by passing the same comprehensive exams, and kids who are not able to pass the comprehensive exams are offered spots in the lower grades. Of course, by the 7th or 8th grade, due to the rigorous curriculum, the likelihood that a student transferring into BASIS can pass those exams approaches 0.The enrollment data presented in the following article support my hypothesis:

http://www.schoolsmatter.info/2011/03/blog-post.html

While enrollment occasionally increases from 5th to 6th grade, enrollment only decreases from that point on. In particular, enrollment decreases significantly from 8th to 9th grade, presumably due to large numbers of students choosing neighborhood high schools over BASIS.

I don't get the impression that BASIS cares much about keeping numbers up. They seem to be focused on the quality of the students they graduate, not the quantity.

In any case, they can keep enrollment up in the face of high attrition simply by admitting many more students in the lower grades. That is, if they want to maintain enrollment at about 500 students for a 8-year program, rather than admit 60 student in the 5th grade, they would admit about 100.

It appears that this the approach they've taken.

Sorry, I don't follow why, after 7th or 8th grade, due to the rigorous curriculum, the likelihood that a student transferring into BASIS could pass their end-of-year exams would approach 0 when DC has a good many independents, where some parents struggle to afford tuition, offering equally tough academics. It also has suburbs where parents often move/live primarily because they aren't satisfied with public MS and HS offerings in the District, coupled with lack of funds for independents, but would prefer to live downtown. So you think that a student could only transfer into BASIS from a DCPS school, or another charter, not simply by virtue of being a DC resident capable of passing a comprehensive end-of-year exam? It doesn't seem out of the question that dozens of parents outside DCPS and DC Charter with very bright and well prepared kids would look to BASIS for a comparable, tax-supported education if permitted, particularly if they'd been shut out of 5th or 6th grade lottery admissions and the school was prospering. If residency in the District would be all that was required for a kid of the right age to take, and pass, an end-of-year exam at BASIS in the hopes of being admitted, I'm having a hard time imagining a shortage of qualified takers. A backdoor route to selective admissions would emerge. But then many, if not most, of the incoming kids would be middle-class and white, which wouldn't work politically, at least not for some years. These are awkward public conversations and questions, but perhaps they should be had when taxpayer money is behind BASIS DC.




A lot of the questions you raise are legitimate. But the question about admitting students to BASIS in later grades is not simply about students wanting entry who are bright and well prepared and willing to work hard. It is about the specialized curriculum that they offer and the unique way it is organized.

For example, I believe basis begins teaching chemistry, biology and physics (?) Simultaneously beginning in middle school to preprepare over multiple years for the ap exam in those subjects in maybe 10th grade. So a student wanting to enter in 8 or 9th grade would normally not already have a grounding in chemistry or physics.

[Anonymous]

These thorny issues should be addressed in the public domain BEFORE BASIS DC OPENS. Parents should be told if the school is going to be a new breed, a charter catering as much to U middleclass families as low and moderate income. There's no whitewashing the issue in the city with the biggest black-white achievement gap. Quality of graduates in upper grades could be maintaned by replacing dropouts with area teens who could perform to the BASIS standard. But is the DC Charter Board open to supporting the city's first majority white/Asian high school? Is BASIS open to that? Public and franchise officials should answer these politically vexing questions. If the answer is no, the result on the college admissions front may still be more inspiring than at SWW, Wilson, Banneker and Latin in 6-10 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ahh....so we've now exposed the Yu Ying secret. Will Sela adopt the same policy - a different track for the non Hebrew speakers? Okaaay then.

I am a parent at Yu Ying. The non immersion track is not "all black". Get your facts straight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The two white families transferred opted out and left the school. Given the option, I would transfer my child out as well, if for no other reason to avoid people like you.

Oh come on, don't lower the tone in a thoughtful conversation by getting petty. The PP made a factual statement about an issue that's a sore point with DC Charter, because nobody saw it coming at YY's founding as much as anything else. We're talking about the lengths charters must go to in order to keep kids who struggle, like it or not. The matter at hand is whether or not BASIS alone will be allowed to make it almost impossible for struggling kids to return from one year to the next. It's an open question and a very interesting subject.

No, no and triple no. The PP implied that only Black students were placed in the non-immersion spots at Yu Ying. That is factually incorrect. There were white students who were also failing and thus placed in the non-immersion track. Their parents chose to pull them out of the school altogether. Some of the Black parents made the same choice. The students who remained happened to all be Black, but Blacks were not the only ones placed in the second track. If PP wanted to talk about the lengths charters extend to keep children who struggle in the school, there was absolutely no need, no need at all to bring race into the topic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These thorny issues should be addressed in the public domain BEFORE BASIS DC OPENS. Parents should be told if the school is going to be a new breed, a charter catering as much to U middleclass families as low and moderate income. There's no whitewashing the issue in the city with the biggest black-white achievement gap. Quality of graduates in upper grades could be maintaned by replacing dropouts with area teens who could perform to the BASIS standard. But is the DC Charter Board open to supporting the city's first majority white/Asian high school? Is BASIS open to that? Public and franchise officials should answer these politically vexing questions. If the answer is no, the result on the college admissions front may still be more inspiring than at SWW, Wilson, Banneker and Latin in 6-10 years.

Problem is that Basis, the DCCSB & the pols have already bought themselves a decade to duck these inconvenient truths. If Basis gets a high school, with the first half dozen graduating classes, the powers that be will be able to pass the buck by arguing, hey, the school didn't have these kids from 5th grade. Eventually, a mayor and city council with more a vision for the system will probably let charters tweak admissions policies, within reason. Too long a wait for parents.

[Anonymous]

Here is my question: if basis is open to anyone in the city who is interested in an overtly academically rigorous curriculum and willing to work really hard and they end up graduating excellent students, who cares what race those students are?

Fact is, everyone has an equal chance to enter and, I feel confident, to do what it takes to stay in the school. There have been, and will continue to be, vigorous outreach to all parts of the city and excellent FREE small group tutoring already happening based on diagnostic testing, to bring all students up to speed before school starts next August.

So this comes down to WHO chooses the school and WHO does what it takes to keep up with the program, repeating classes if necessary. And there are numerous levels of support in place to make that happen. So it comes down to personal choice, in my opinion and is a great asset in our city for those who choose it.

[Anonymous]

Here's a question: It like a lot of high achieving students at Latin leave before High School. We aren't at Latin so I don't know why. Is it because families want an even more academically rigorous high school for their child? One of the complaints about BASIS in this thread is that the attrition rate is so high. Could the students leaving Latin transfer to BASIS and succeed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The two white families transferred opted out and left the school. Given the option, I would transfer my child out as well, if for no other reason to avoid people like you.

Oh come on, don't lower the tone in a thoughtful conversation by getting petty. The PP made a factual statement about an issue that's a sore point with DC Charter, because nobody saw it coming at YY's founding as much as anything else. We're talking about the lengths charters must go to in order to keep kids who struggle, like it or not. The matter at hand is whether or not BASIS alone will be allowed to make it almost impossible for struggling kids to return from one year to the next. It's an open question and a very interesting subject.

No, no and triple no. The PP implied that only Black students were placed in the non-immersion spots at Yu Ying. That is factually incorrect. There were white students who were also failing and thus placed in the non-immersion track. Their parents chose to pull them out of the school altogether. Some of the Black parents made the same choice. The students who remained happened to all be Black, but Blacks were not the only ones placed in the second track. If PP wanted to talk about the lengths charters extend to keep children who struggle in the school, there was absolutely no need, no need at all to bring race into the topic.

+1!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ahh....so we've now exposed the Yu Ying secret. Will Sela adopt the same policy - a different track for the non Hebrew speakers? Okaaay then.

I am a parent at Yu Ying. The non immersion track is not "all black". Get your facts straight.

Thank you! I am so tired of people saying this. Apparently, their child does not attend the school.

[Anonymous]

I see no problem with high attrition rates especially since Basis offers a tremendous amount of support and allows those who fail comprehensive exams to repeat grade. This is fair.

A highly rigorous curricula is not for everyone and I see no problem in this. Basis is helping to meet the needs of students who want to work hard and have a rigorous curricula which currently are not being met by existing public schools in DC.

[Anonymous]

A lot of the questions you raise are legitimate. But the question about admitting students to BASIS in later grades is not simply about students wanting entry who are bright and well prepared and willing to work hard. It is about the specialized curriculum that they offer and the unique way it is organized.

For example, I believe basis begins teaching chemistry, biology and physics (?) Simultaneously beginning in middle school to preprepare over multiple years for the ap exam in those subjects in maybe 10th grade. So a student wanting to enter in 8 or 9th grade would normally not already have a grounding in chemistry or physics.

Useful information. But what would stop a family, or school, who wanted a bright and hard working kid to attend BASIS in the later grades from having their kid prepped to pass the end-of-year exams? If the MS curriculum is made public, and includes chemistry, biology and physics, couldn't a bright, focused child get the necessary grounding in these subjects with the support of adults who could help? The Stanford gifted youth on-line program offers those subjects at the middle school level, and doens't charge an arm and a leg ($500-$600 a class). My neighbors want their child to attend BASIS, and they're a chemical engineer and a biologist. Some independents let advanced MS kids take HS sciences. I wouldn't put it past groups of parents to hire science instructors (having seen this happen in my neighborhood to prep kids to take the Takoma Park MS math/science/computer magnet exam).

The $60,000 question is how open the DC charter board and BASIS would be to allowing an influx of kids who could handle the upper grades curriculum to replace those who dropped out, when selective admissions would be involved. If the city were to establish a prep program serving low-income MS kids, teaching sciences intensely over summers and weekends, some could also make the cut. Without city sponsored prep, if replacement kids were allowed, most would be from affluent families and that wouldn't pass muster politically. It sounds like the franchise will simply run a very small high school in DC, assuming it gets one, seeking to avoid controversy. That would be a shame, at least in the eyes of some, when a fair number of local kids who would thrive at the school would then be excluded. I'm not convinced that the wall against selective admissions won't crumble eventually, but it could be a long while.