Homework load in 5th and 6th grades at basis dc?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Have you visited schools in other countries? Finland? Singapore? China? Poland? Any of them? They do not spark joy. Schools are for educating children. Only in America do we expect beautiful facilities. There are NO studies claiming windows, fields, pretty walls, etc. are necessary to educate children. This is why we suck. We spend money on the wrong things and not on our teachers.

PP -- Have you? A lot of Singaporean and Finnish schools don't have the dank, windowless appearance of Basis. I am an immigrant and realizes that while the educational system in the US as a whole "sucks" to use your phrasing, compare say MA on the PISA rankings v/s Finland and you'd be surprised. Again, the OECD/PISA rankings for China are not for China as a whole, but for Shanghai.

Back to the topic of the thread - Note that Basis is not supposed to be "any old school", it is supposed be the rigorous ideal to which DCPS should be aspiring (at least in the eyes of parents). But we were not impressed by our visit there. Again, it is not just about homework and rigor. Simple things like science labs for upperclassmen are pretty minimal and cannot be expected to be anything but, given the space and logistics. We asked for instance about the Physics labs and were told that computer simulations were used extensively for many concepts. We are physicists and having both taught undergraduates and graduate students, know that simulations are useful after students have gained an understanding of the "physical" system and the underlying natural laws.

While we agree that Basis may be the more "academic" alternative that DCPS lacks, especially EOTP or the Hill but kids do need the trappings like brightly lit classrooms, a good art program, sports etc. to thrive and succeed.

Best post on this thread. Thank you, immigrant. Beautiful facilities aren't the be and end all, but they matter. I've seen some beautiful government schools in Finland, Singapore, China and Poland.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP. Have you visited schools in other countries? Finland? Singapore? China? Poland? Any of them? They do not spark joy. Schools are for educating children. Only in America do we expect beautiful facilities. There are NO studies claiming windows, fields, pretty walls, etc. are necessary to educate children. This is why we suck. We spend money on the wrong things and not on our teachers.

PP -- Have you? A lot of Singaporean and Finnish schools don't have the dank, windowless appearance of Basis. I am an immigrant and realizes that while the educational system in the US as a whole "sucks" to use your phrasing, compare say MA on the PISA rankings v/s Finland and you'd be surprised. Again, the OECD/PISA rankings for China are not for China as a whole, but for Shanghai.

Back to the topic of the thread - Note that Basis is not supposed to be "any old school", it is supposed be the rigorous ideal to which DCPS should be aspiring (at least in the eyes of parents). But we were not impressed by our visit there. Again, it is not just about homework and rigor. Simple things like science labs for upperclassmen are pretty minimal and cannot be expected to be anything but, given the space and logistics. We asked for instance about the Physics labs and were told that computer simulations were used extensively for many concepts. We are physicists and having both taught undergraduates and graduate students, know that simulations are useful after students have gained an understanding of the "physical" system and the underlying natural laws.

While we agree that Basis may be the more "academic" alternative that DCPS lacks, especially EOTP or the Hill but kids do need the trappings like brightly lit classrooms, a good art program, sports etc. to thrive and succeed.

I'm a BASIS parent and absolutely do not at all think that its program should be replicated by DCPS. It is really different and isn't something that all families will want. Charters are supposed to be different and innovative -- and incubate new ideas that can be replicated in part by others. DCPS did actually hire a former BASIS DC administrator a few years ago. She was in charge of the 6-12 DCPS math curriculum, and the major initiative was offering Algebra at every DCPS MS and EC, not just a handful of schools.

For those who may stumble on this thread in the future, I will share what I think makes it worthwhile for students who do want more challenge. Starting high school content in middle school sets a pace that puts students on track for at minimum 1 AP class in 9th, 2 in 10th and 3 in 11th (that number is required of all, as is passing a minimum of 1). Many parents absolutely don't want that for their kids -- which is fine. Most students in the high school are not taking ANY APs in 12th, but rather are doing post-AP seminars in science, humanities, math, and foreign language. This schedule also leaves time for a mandatory "college counseling" class that lasts 2 trimesters. During that class, students have time to focus on drafting college essays and applications, researching places to apply, and in-school time to find and apply to scholarships. There are 2 college counselors, so the ratio is far lower and the guidance is more personal than is possible at other schools. About 1/3 of students elect to pursue an optional capstone project for the last ~3 months of the senior year, on any topic of their choosing under the supervision of a teacher they choose.

I work as an independent college counselor. I'm DC based, but work remotely with most of my clients. I haven't worked with BASIS DC clients yet, but I've counseled a number of BASIS AZ students.

From what I've seen, pushing APs down to 8th-11th grade doesn't tend to work half as well as the franchise likes to claim. Most BASIS students would clearly be better off taking their APs in 10th-12th grades - they'd score higher if they were more mature, enjoy the learning more, grasp and retain the material better and would be more likely to earn college credit for their efforts (at schools accepting AP credit; far fewer elite colleges do this than a decade ago). The college counseling emphasis at BASIS is fine, but the capstone isn't necessarily all that hot either. The experience tends to be a lonely one for 17 year olds, off in their own academic orbits too young.

Burnout is a real problem for many students up the chain. Challenge, rigor and acceleration have their limits in what's primarily a cookie cutter program housed in weak facilities (not just in DC, but elsewhere in the country).

This is exactly why we're unimpressed with BASIS' curriculum on steroids. Whether my child is ready for this in 6th or 7th grade is besides the point. The experience will be more meaningful for a more mature learner.

[Anonymous]

+1000. Let bright, hard-working kids grow up without near-constant, and needless, academic stress and pressure. Being pleased that they can handle their education is to set the bar too low.

[Anonymous]

Why do people post nonsense about basis when their kids don’t attend the school or will not attend the school. Seems to me that they are insecure in their education choices and their kids abilities so they have to cut down other schools.

Basis dc middle school has been a godsend for my bright hardworking child. DC has learned far more than he would have at deal, hardy, Hobson your overpriced private, etc. The upper school curriculum is irrelevant to your kid in 5th and 6th grade.

Make your decision based on fit for your child not ramblings of bored stay at home parents. The homework is only a challenge for kids who are disorganized, or have slow processing capabilities. Even in those cases, your snowflake will struggle but eventually become a better student. It is okay to let them work hard.....you do not have to make everything so easy for them.

[Anonymous]

You disagree with posters, so their posts are "nonsense." The upper school curriculum is not in fact "irrelevant" to your kid in 5th and 6th, because those are the two years when BASIS puts 11 and 12 year-olds on the Road to Damascus. Most BASIS families drink the Kool-Aid to embrace their warped variant of competitive college admissions involving a great deal of premature AP work.

My arts-minded "snowflake" is a person of color. We left BASIS because he was bouncing off the walls without fresh air, green space and real performance spaces. Making 90s Club mainly by doing HW efficiently didn't render the program a healthy experience for him.

We switched to our in-boundary DCPS and began paying a couple tutors and sending him to enrichment camps to add challenge. We haven't made things easier for him in middle school, we've made them healthier and more humane. The switch was not ideal--our in-boundary middle school works out to be more expensive than BASIS, since we pay to add rigor. Worth it.

[Anonymous]

I get the feeling that 5th and 6th grades in BASIS are OK under the current HOS. I'm guessing the HW load would be manageable for a kid who isn't particularly mature for age, but probably can be taught the organizational skills to cope with the curriculum.

Not convinced the same is true of 7th and 8th grade, and don't want to switch middle schools. That's the dilemma in deciding whether or not to take a 5th grade spot.

[Anonymous]

BASIS parent of many years here - One of the best things about BASIS is that the curriculum is rigorous AND the classmates are diverse. There are rich kids and poor kids and kids of all colors. Everyone is there based on merit (since they had to pass their comps). No one paid their away in. Some come back from expensive family vacations after breaks, but certainly not anywhere near the majority.

I look at DCPS and the struggles my bright DC had there, particularly with bullies, and then I look at the privates, filled with either extremely wealthy or scholarship kids and think how lucky we are to have a school that well-reflects the families in our city.

[Anonymous]

Times have changed, BASIS parent. Deal's study body is highly diverse these days, offering challenge to advanced learners. Adams, Hardy and Stuart Hobson, too. These schools all offer good gyms, stages, playing fields, full-fledged sports programs, art and music rooms and instruction, and libraries. The BASIS franchise made a colossal mistake in buying that god awful office building. No denying it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:BASIS parent of many years here - One of the best things about BASIS is that the curriculum is rigorous AND the classmates are diverse. There are rich kids and poor kids and kids of all colors. Everyone is there based on merit (since they had to pass their comps). No one paid their away in. Some come back from expensive family vacations after breaks, but certainly not anywhere near the majority.

I look at DCPS and the struggles my bright DC had there, particularly with bullies, and then I look at the privates, filled with either extremely wealthy or scholarship kids and think how lucky we are to have a school that well-reflects the families in our city.

This is incorrect. No one is there based on "merit." At best you could say that students who don't keep up do not rise to age appropriate grade level. In fact, kids who don't keep up are often counselled out, but even there BASIS cannot dismiss any child who wishes to remain in the program. That's not "merit". There's no acceptance process and anyone can enroll in 5th or 6th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do people post nonsense about basis when their kids don’t attend the school or will not attend the school. Seems to me that they are insecure in their education choices and their kids abilities so they have to cut down other schools.

Basis dc middle school has been a godsend for my bright hardworking child. DC has learned far more than he would have at deal, hardy, Hobson your overpriced private, etc. The upper school curriculum is irrelevant to your kid in 5th and 6th grade.

Make your decision based on fit for your child not ramblings of bored stay at home parents. The homework is only a challenge for kids who are disorganized, or have slow processing capabilities. Even in those cases, your snowflake will struggle but eventually become a better student. It is okay to let them work hard.....you do not have to make everything so easy for them.

In our IB school I've gotten to know a few families who left BASIS with bright, hard working kids who didn't struggle academically but were worn down by unnecessary pressure, a crushing amount of homework, and a lack of appropriate school life balance for a preteen. To me that's being MORE secure to know that even if BASIS provides challenge and rigor that your child can handle that it's still a bad fit.

[Anonymous]

+1. Exactly.

We know kid who left his parochial school last year for BASIS who does well academically there, yet dislikes the school. He says he hates the relentless grade competition, the long hours of dull homework, the dearth of fun, fresh air and serious music and sports.

The parents have asked the parochial school to allow the child to return in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Times have changed, BASIS parent. Deal's study body is highly diverse these days, offering challenge to advanced learners. Adams, Hardy and Stuart Hobson, too. These schools all offer good gyms, stages, playing fields, full-fledged sports programs, art and music rooms and instruction, and libraries. The BASIS franchise made a colossal mistake in buying that god awful office building. No denying it.

OK, thanks for the correction. We’ll just move IB for Deal. Or Hardy. Or Adams. Or Stuart Hobson. Or Oz.

Do you think everyone has $1m for a home?

[Anonymous]

We’re inbound for S-H and presently on the Basis waitlist. Our child is self-motivated and excels academically but is prone to stress and anxiety. Anyone care to opine on the better option?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We’re inbound for S-H and presently on the Basis waitlist. Our child is self-motivated and excels academically but is prone to stress and anxiety. Anyone care to opine on the better option?

My DS is an 8th grader at BASIS and is happy and not stressed at all about grades. He flirts with straight A's but ually gets a B or C in a couple classes. He has never mentioned any competitiveness that I can recall. Most of the previous posters are not even parents of BASIS. The current principal has reduced HW. It's not the drill drill drill school that people think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’re inbound for S-H and presently on the Basis waitlist. Our child is self-motivated and excels academically but is prone to stress and anxiety. Anyone care to opine on the better option?

My DS is an 8th grader at BASIS and is happy and not stressed at all about grades. He flirts with straight A's but ually gets a B or C in a couple classes. He has never mentioned any competitiveness that I can recall. Most of the previous posters are not even parents of BASIS. The current principal has reduced HW. It's not the drill drill drill school that people think.

PP here. My main negatives are teacher turnover at the lower grades and the curriculum in the lower school moves so fast it's more survey than learning. 8th grade and hopefully HS will be more robust.