BASIS DC to open in 2012-2013

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The school is providing staff for many after-school activities. Also, every teacher offers an hour of after-school academic help. The school is pretty much driving the process of after-school activities at this point.

Would have to, right? Until the student body shows up with their parents?

[Anonymous]

Jazz band and orchestra will require some specialized knowledge on the part of the teacher, instruments and practice space, right? So that means that the children will need to rent required instruments. How will the school address the desire of students who do not have the family funds to participate in a music program? Where will these athletic activities like soccer happen if there isn't space? Will the Verizon Center offer space for physical education and sports teams. I suppose the children could jog on down to the Mall and run a practice.

[Anonymous]

New to the discussion, but I've perused the last half dozen entertaining pages.

Come on folks, at some point, common sense really ought to intervene.

Basis needs help from the city to screen applicants, or it will run into the same sort of embarassing trouble Yu Ying has (whether that's one white kid, two, or ten on their non-immersion track). It's just as goofy to think you can build a great Chinese immersion school with hardly a bilingual kid on hand as to think you can churn out Ivy Leaguers without identifying a group of kids with the right stuff from the get go. Those of you who think it will be peachy if Basis ousts two-thirds of its students must never have been in a doctoral program where this happens. The cutthroat atmosphere was awful for me and my classmates and it won't be pleasant for DC middle schoolers. Bite the bullet, find the right kids (a good mix) and build community over the years, affording students career building personal and professional ties for life, like the independents do. Find the modus operandi or don't make the taxpayer foot the bill - no brainer.

[Anonymous]

+1!! Obviously yes.

[Anonymous]

Oh, look, the YY troll has him under her spell! Problem is, they're hard to argue with, at least anywhere but here.

What about a creative solution for BASIS, a hybrid DC Charter-DCPS school? Or even a hybrid private-public school? Has either option ever been debated?

I went to Cornell, a hybrid Ivy-state school, and teach at Temple U in Philly, another hybrid private-state school. The general thinking is that never the twain (public-private) shall meet on an administrative level, but why not? Terrific education, fine institutions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New to the discussion, but I've perused the last half dozen entertaining pages.

Come on folks, at some point, common sense really ought to intervene.

Basis needs help from the city to screen applicants, or it will run into the same sort of embarassing trouble Yu Ying has (whether that's one white kid, two, or ten on their non-immersion track). It's just as goofy to think you can build a great Chinese immersion school with hardly a bilingual kid on hand as to think you can churn out Ivy Leaguers without identifying a group of kids with the right stuff from the get go. Those of you who think it will be peachy if Basis ousts two-thirds of its students must never have been in a doctoral program where this happens. The cutthroat atmosphere was awful for me and my classmates and it won't be pleasant for DC middle schoolers. Bite the bullet, find the right kids (a good mix) and build community over the years, affording students career building personal and professional ties for life, like the independents do. Find the modus operandi or don't make the taxpayer foot the bill - no brainer.

Basis clearly doesn't expect all students or even most students to start up to full speed with their curriculum. The are currently offering free classes (2 times a week) to get the kids ready. The classes are offered at 3 locations, at 3 different levels. They also plan a summer preparation component. My DD is enjoying her class and learning something new each week. She hasn't complained about going and this is for 3 total hours of class a weekday evening and Saturday. Few schools have had such rigorous preparation before they even open. This suggests they realize the unique problems that may arise and are organized enough to do something about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, look, the YY troll has him under her spell! Problem is, they're hard to argue with, at least anywhere but here.

What about a creative solution for BASIS, a hybrid DC Charter-DCPS school? Or even a hybrid private-public school? Has either option ever been debated?

I went to Cornell, a hybrid Ivy-state school, and teach at Temple U in Philly, another hybrid private-state school. The general thinking is that never the twain (public-private) shall meet on an administrative level, but why not? Terrific education, fine institutions.

Only differrence is that a charter school IS public. There is no private here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New to the discussion, but I've perused the last half dozen entertaining pages.

Come on folks, at some point, common sense really ought to intervene.

Basis needs help from the city to screen applicants, or it will run into the same sort of embarassing trouble Yu Ying has (whether that's one white kid, two, or ten on their non-immersion track). It's just as goofy to think you can build a great Chinese immersion school with hardly a bilingual kid on hand as to think you can churn out Ivy Leaguers without identifying a group of kids with the right stuff from the get go. Those of you who think it will be peachy if Basis ousts two-thirds of its students must never have been in a doctoral program where this happens. The cutthroat atmosphere was awful for me and my classmates and it won't be pleasant for DC middle schoolers. Bite the bullet, find the right kids (a good mix) and build community over the years, affording students career building personal and professional ties for life, like the independents do. Find the modus operandi or don't make the taxpayer foot the bill - no brainer.

Not going to happen, it's against the law. Latin manages just fine, as does Yu Ying. Basis is not special, sorry.

[Anonymous]

Not going to happen, it's against the law. Latin manages just fine, as does Yu Ying. Basis is not special, sorry.

PP is right. It isn't going to happen, not with a DC charter. Latin's hs does manage just fine if you aren't shooting for INTEL prizes and blue chip colleges (explaining why we bailed after 8th).

But I'm with some other PPs in doubting that there's no music left the write on a ms academic magnet, any scope to tweak the law on charters ever, or any chance that BASIS will change its tune on admissions by hs. The lobby for a rigorous elite ms/hs where kids are both screened for aptitude and attitude, and given targetted prep to help them succeed (as Basis is providing), is gaining momentum. Other threads have discussed the issue. More are poppling up.

A friend (who happens to be, dare I mention it, AA) turned down YY. He observed that the kids speak English when teachers aren't around and went with Mandarin immersion in Rockville, where nearly half the kids speak Chinese at home and often speak it outside class (because they're guess what, Chinese Americans and immigrants or guest workers). Everybody in the know doesn't think YY is fine, just those who enroll their kids and keep them there.

[Anonymous]

Actually there is no reason that tracking could not be done the right way with support for students and that would allow them to advance when ready. I think it is impossible for a teacher to fully differentiate for all students when a classroom has students who run the gamut of struggling to advanced learners.

Therefore, I think it is better not to have students who range from struggling to advanced in the same classroom. If we keep them all together, then the teacher will be directing curricula to the lowest common denominator out of necessity. This would not meet all the needs of all students.


What do you propose the Yu Ying do since they have some struggling students? Should this school change their construct just to meet the needs of the struggling students alone???? Seems to me that this is not fair to those who are struggling.

What you are suggesting in your first paragraph is not tracking. Tracking doesn't allow for advancement. Your second paragraph IS about tracking and highlights the problem. If kids of differing abilities are not in the same classroom, there can be no advancement.

I have no opinion on Yu Ying. Shocking, I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not going to happen, it's against the law. Latin manages just fine, as does Yu Ying. Basis is not special, sorry.

PP is right. It isn't going to happen, not with a DC charter. Latin's hs does manage just fine if you aren't shooting for INTEL prizes and blue chip colleges (explaining why we bailed after 8th).

But I'm with some other PPs in doubting that there's no music left the write on a ms academic magnet, any scope to tweak the law on charters ever, or any chance that BASIS will change its tune on admissions by hs. The lobby for a rigorous elite ms/hs where kids are both screened for aptitude and attitude, and given targetted prep to help them succeed (as Basis is providing), is gaining momentum. Other threads have discussed the issue. More are poppling up.

A friend (who happens to be, dare I mention it, AA) turned down YY. He observed that the kids speak English when teachers aren't around and went with Mandarin immersion in Rockville, where nearly half the kids speak Chinese at home and often speak it outside class (because they're guess what, Chinese Americans and immigrants or guest workers). Everybody in the know doesn't think YY is fine, just those who enroll their kids and keep them there.

Wow. Duh. Just like kids who speak spanish as their first language speak spanish to each other when teachers aren't around and at home. Yu Ying can't offer preference to Chinese speakers and there is but a small native Chinese population in DC. So are you implying that the school shouldn't exist? That there is no merit to teaching Chinese to kids in DC? The kids at YY speak more Chinese than any other kids in DC who aren't Chinese. So what's your problem with it? Do you think everyone should move to Rockville who wants Chinese?

[Anonymous]

PP, this thread isn't about YuYing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, this thread isn't about YuYing.

no shit, sherlock. i was responding to the person who made it about yuying.

[Anonymous]

well, idiot, stop replying in a thread that isn't about Yu Ying and start one that is, if you must.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New to the discussion, but I've perused the last half dozen entertaining pages.

Come on folks, at some point, common sense really ought to intervene.

Basis needs help from the city to screen applicants, or it will run into the same sort of embarassing trouble Yu Ying has (whether that's one white kid, two, or ten on their non-immersion track). It's just as goofy to think you can build a great Chinese immersion school with hardly a bilingual kid on hand as to think you can churn out Ivy Leaguers without identifying a group of kids with the right stuff from the get go. Those of you who think it will be peachy if Basis ousts two-thirds of its students must never have been in a doctoral program where this happens. The cutthroat atmosphere was awful for me and my classmates and it won't be pleasant for DC middle schoolers. Bite the bullet, find the right kids (a good mix) and build community over the years, affording students career building personal and professional ties for life, like the independents do. Find the modus operandi or don't make the taxpayer foot the bill - no brainer.

I disagree, PP.

First, a 5-year retention rate (from 6th to 11th) of 35% translates into a re-enrollment rate of 81%. That would be a perfectly respectable re-enrollment rate -- below Latin's but above Chavez's.

Actually, I'd be curious to know what Latin's 5-year retention rate is in reality. Latin replaces departing students with new students all the way through. The re-enrollment rate Latin advertises includes both old and new students. The re-enrollment rate among new students is probably higher than among old students, especially given the reports of the exodus after 8th grade. I would not be surprised to learn that fewer than 35% of Latin 6th graders from 5 years ago are in the 11th grade this year.

Second, BASIS does not oust its students. Recognizing how challenging the curriculum is, BASIS tries hard to support its students. BASIS students entering in the fall have been meeting for classes twice a week since March. BASIS will also provide summer classes, extended office hours during the school year, homework buddies, etc.

Beginning the 6th grade, BASIS students must pass comprehensive exams in order to advance to the next grade. They get two chances to pass their comps -- one at the end of the year and one at the end of the summer. If they fail both times, they must repeat the grade.

It is undoubtedly the case that some of the kids who leave BASIS do so because they fail their comps and do not want to repeat the year. Nevertheless, BASIS is not going to lift the comp requirement to keep those kids.

I hold a PhD as well, PP, and in my program, PhD candidates were not allowed to begin dissertation work until they passed comprehensive exams in a number of subject areas. Some of my peers had trouble and spent several years completing the comp requirement. Others passed all of the comps during their first two years. The comp requirement at BASIS is an integral part of the program, as it was at my university.

Anyway, I suspect that most of the attrition at BASIS comes from kids who pass their comps but decide that the rigorous curriculum is still not right for them, not from kids who fail their comps. Some kids just want programs that basis does not offer, e.g., a school football team.

The BASIS approach seems to be rather than offer a rigorous curriculum to a select group of kids who are screened at the outset, offer the rigorous curriculum to all takers and see who is capable of succeeding at it. The BASIS approach seems more equitable to me, and it has resulted in phenomenal success at one BASIS school.

I am optimistic that the BASIS approach will achieve comparable success here in DC. While I am happy to continue the debate on the pros and cons of the BASIS approach and its relevance to the demographics of DC, the truth is that only way to determine if the BASIS approach works here is to try it here. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.