how does BASIS work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no academic challenge in 5th grade. They spend the year learning organizational skills.

My kid is a seventh grader and we kind of needed this after the drama of COVID third and fourth grade!

[Anonymous]

BASIS doesn't work.

Look at how many kids are in the 6th grade class and look how many kids graduate. Then multiply it by the number of principals they have each year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BASIS doesn't work.

Look at how many kids are in the 6th grade class and look how many kids graduate. Then multiply it by the number of principals they have each year.

+100. Ha. Come on now, you're being unfair, only 8 or 9 principals in 14 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS doesn't work.

Look at how many kids are in the 6th grade class and look how many kids graduate. Then multiply it by the number of principals they have each year.

+100. Ha. Come on now, you're being unfair, only 8 or 9 principals in 14 years.

Commenting on your own post? You sound really dumb.

BASIS DC is ranked the #1 public middle school in DC.

https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/middle-schools/district-of-columbia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no academic challenge in 5th grade. They spend the year learning organizational skills.

5th grade math leads to 6th grade Pre-Algebra for all kids. 5t grade science leads to 6th grade classes in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. By all means, please proceed...

+1. 5th grade is plenty challenging. What other public school in DC is teaching biology, physics, chemistry, and advanced math in 5th grade?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BASIS doesn't work.

Look at how many kids are in the 6th grade class and look how many kids graduate. Then multiply it by the number of principals they have each year.

+100. Ha. Come on now, you're being unfair, only 8 or 9 principals in 14 years.

The current Head of School is in his 5th year and was in a leadership role at BASIS DC before being selected. I have a 9th grader at the school and he's been there the whole time. It is true that a principal resigned very early in my child's 5th grade year. A seasoned leader from Arizona served as acting principal until a new hire was made -- and that Arizona leader is still actively involved with BASIS DC to the point that he joined this week's school town hall! So there hasn't been a break in leadership that's impacted our experience.

There's a lot of valid criticism about BASIS, but charges of frequent turnover with the Head of School is simply dated news.

And, yes, the attrition rate is high. So what. The school works great for my kids. Kids leave for lots of reasons -- most because they couldn't handle or didn't want to handle the academics. But for other reasons too. BASIS doesn't backfill, so when kids leave the class size shrinks. It's actually nice!

[Anonymous]

In the early years at BASIS, I, too, believed that kids mostly left because they couldn't handle, or didn't want to handle, the academics.

But what we've found over the years is that kids mostly leave because they can, for schools offering a better-rounded education in the suburbs or elsewhere in the country, or international schools abroad, or local private schools, or Walls or Banneker. Families mostly leave for better teaching, extra curriculars and facilities, not less rigor. The inconvenient truth is that many of the leavers are among the top performers in their cohorts.

[Anonymous]

+1. Parents who elect to believe that BASIS rigor drives out most of the families who leave are kidding themselves. It's not uncommon for strong 8th grade students to go. We left for a hs with less teacher turnover and more flexibility, e.g. option of a full year of 12th grade classes (which we want).

[Anonymous]

People are always leaving schools in DC because it’s easy to do so. That’s why I live here instead of the suburbs! Instead of trying to staying in a one-size fits all suburban system, I can move my child around! For some families and kids this isn’t great, but for my family, this has been a blessing, not a curse.

[Anonymous]

Yes, BASIS loses some of its top students. But to suggest that most of the attrition comes from the top is simply false.

In any case, my current 9th grader was consistently on distinguished honor roll throughout middle school, got accepted to Walls, and opted to stay at BASIS. Yes, some kids in similar positions left; others stayed. That goes back to someone else’s point about school choice.

[Anonymous]

To suggest that most of the top students stay is also false.

BASIS Class of 2023: Zero to Ivy League. One to Johns Hopkins; one to Cal Tech.

Walls Class of 2023: 7 Ivy Admissions, including several BASIS MS grads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To suggest that most of the top students stay is also false.

BASIS Class of 2023: Zero to Ivy League. One to Johns Hopkins; one to Cal Tech.

Walls Class of 2023: 7 Ivy Admissions, including several BASIS MS grads.

And the Walls Class of 2023 was also over 4 times the size(!!), so your figures are misleading. If you adjust for class-size, results were equivalent.

In any case, I think we can agree that BASIS’ college results last year were disappointing. If you look at the last several years you’ll have a better sense of college performance.

In any case, Walls’ standing is quickly going downhill, thanks to a lack of admissions standards. But I acknowledge some of BASIS’ top kids left for Walls; at the same time, some of their top kids stayed, including those with options, including admissions to Walls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To suggest that most of the top students stay is also false.

BASIS Class of 2023: Zero to Ivy League. One to Johns Hopkins; one to Cal Tech.

Walls Class of 2023: 7 Ivy Admissions, including several BASIS MS grads.

And the Walls Class of 2023 was also over 4 times the size(!!), so your figures are misleading. If you adjust for class-size, results were equivalent.

In any case, I think we can agree that BASIS’ college results last year were disappointing. If you look at the last several years you’ll have a better sense of college performance.

In any case, Walls’ standing is quickly going downhill, thanks to a lack of admissions standards. But I acknowledge some of BASIS’ top kids left for Walls; at the same time, some of their top kids stayed, including those with options, including admissions to Walls.

So what you're saying is, BASIS has massive attrition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To suggest that most of the top students stay is also false.

BASIS Class of 2023: Zero to Ivy League. One to Johns Hopkins; one to Cal Tech.

Walls Class of 2023: 7 Ivy Admissions, including several BASIS MS grads.

And the Walls Class of 2023 was also over 4 times the size(!!), so your figures are misleading. If you adjust for class-size, results were equivalent.

In any case, I think we can agree that BASIS’ college results last year were disappointing. If you look at the last several years you’ll have a better sense of college performance.

In any case, Walls’ standing is quickly going downhill, thanks to a lack of admissions standards. But I acknowledge some of BASIS’ top kids left for Walls; at the same time, some of their top kids stayed, including those with options, including admissions to Walls.

Agree with most of this:

1) The comparison between Walls and Basis is misleading since the Walls senior class was much larger than the Basis senior class.

2) The Walls class of 2023 was admitted with the old admission test. The quality of admittees has since gone downhill since so that will affect college admissions going forward.

3) If some of the top graduates in the Walls class of 2023 were Basis MS grads, that seems like that an endorsement of the Basis educational system.

4) About 2/3 of the Basis class of 2023 was accepted to a T50 university. That is a better overall result than Walls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To suggest that most of the top students stay is also false.

BASIS Class of 2023: Zero to Ivy League. One to Johns Hopkins; one to Cal Tech.

Walls Class of 2023: 7 Ivy Admissions, including several BASIS MS grads.

And the Walls Class of 2023 was also over 4 times the size(!!), so your figures are misleading. If you adjust for class-size, results were equivalent.

In any case, I think we can agree that BASIS’ college results last year were disappointing. If you look at the last several years you’ll have a better sense of college performance.

In any case, Walls’ standing is quickly going downhill, thanks to a lack of admissions standards. But I acknowledge some of BASIS’ top kids left for Walls; at the same time, some of their top kids stayed, including those with options, including admissions to Walls.

So what you're saying is, BASIS has massive attrition.

The school is demanding, doesn't socially promote, and doesn't backfill. Because of the 100% lottery system, some kids enroll and can't handle the curriculum, usually leaving in the first few years.

There is little attrition after kids start 9th grade.