BASIS attrition after middle school- why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG BASIS doesn't have the money for capstone projects. Wait, you didn't notice until senior year?

Then what’s the point of pushing kids so hard to take all these AP for? To do a joke project senior year?

Doesn’t sound like a good system at all. Burn kids out in the AP factory and then take time to recover senior year.

Maybe don't believe everything you read on DCUM.

https://enrollbasis.com/academics/senior-projects/

Lol. The amount of cr*p you read on this forum by trolls is just staggering.

The fact is that the options for academically advanced kids in DC are pretty sparse. BASIS DC is a great choice for a smart kid. Do your own research, folks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG BASIS doesn't have the money for capstone projects. Wait, you didn't notice until senior year?

Then what’s the point of pushing kids so hard to take all these AP for? To do a joke project senior year?

Doesn’t sound like a good system at all. Burn kids out in the AP factory and then take time to recover senior year.

The parent who posted about their student taking Cambridge exams in fall of senior year got my attention. From the vantage point of 8th grade at BASIS I can see that it's tough for even the most diligent high school students to score high on a slew of AP exams taken no later than spring of junior year. This is especially true for the language exams when students could really use summer time for immersion study if families can afford it. The system seems hackneyed at a time when AP exam scores aren't as important in college admissions as they were pre Covid and the SCOTUS ruling on Affirmative Action. If the BASIS system were so great, DC's pricey privates would've adopted it long ago. Nobody's a troll for pointing out that BASIS doesn't have the resources to pump dough into capstone activities. This is a program that begs parents to bump up teachers' salaries. We're waiting to hear from Walls and privates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG BASIS doesn't have the money for capstone projects. Wait, you didn't notice until senior year?

Then what’s the point of pushing kids so hard to take all these AP for? To do a joke project senior year?

Doesn’t sound like a good system at all. Burn kids out in the AP factory and then take time to recover senior year.

The parent who posted about their student taking Cambridge exams in fall of senior year got my attention. From the vantage point of 8th grade at BASIS I can see that it's tough for even the most diligent high school students to score high on a slew of AP exams taken no later than spring of junior year. This is especially true for the language exams when students could really use summer time for immersion study if families can afford it. The system seems hackneyed at a time when AP exam scores aren't as important in college admissions as they were pre Covid and the SCOTUS ruling on Affirmative Action. If the BASIS system were so great, DC's pricey privates would've adopted it long ago. Nobody's a troll for pointing out that BASIS doesn't have the resources to pump dough into capstone activities. This is a program that begs parents to bump up teachers' salaries. We're waiting to hear from Walls and privates.

Walls has its own problems. And you are not necessarily better off at at private, especially for college admissions.

The grass is always greener.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have found that, on average, parents care so much more about the building issues than the kids do. Parents have ideas in their head about the schools they went to but kids don’t know anything other than what you show them. The students make some great friends and they don’t dwell on the building. Sure everyone would prefer a better building (no question!!) but it’s not the dealbreaker for many kids the way it is for their parents.

I am completely surprised that my kid doesn’t care about the building at all. I ask with a concerned face a few times a year. Shrug.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an 8th grade boy at BASIS and we’re staying. He’s found an excellent group of peers that have kept him on track, and he’s now an incredibly mature kid who I can trust to act responsibly. I give a lot of credit to the other kids and their families for that.

Questions for parents who have happy kids and older kids at BASIS:

Do your kids have time to pursue their extra curriculars outside of school, or does the amount of homework prohibit that?
My child had no additional time to pursue extracurriculars in 5th grade. It was a harsh adjustment from her prior school, which didn't value education so much. They actually have to be awake and ready each day, and that was a big adjustment. Since then, she has had tons of time for extracurriculars. She spends at least 2 hours a day on them, and she also has a robust social life. She is busy though.

How were 6th and 7th grade? -- the stories here give me pause (30 kids per class, inexperienced and overwhelmed teachers). How did your kids feel about those years?
6th and 7th were a breeze. I don't recall any homework done at home. She had learned time management, and she was generally able to do it all at school.

In high school, there has definitely been homework. On average 2 hours a day. But, things really ebb and flow. They don't do much make work. So, if it is time to study, they study. If it isn't, they don't. The crew is tight and encouraging, and they often do homework or study together or on the phone, so there is an overlap of when is studying and when is hanging out. But she and her friends all get mostly (if not straight) A's and have very big extracurricular lives, so I don't push much of anything. The cohort is so good that they know how to learn and teach each other even when the teachers may not quite know what they need. At this point, they know they are learning towards a test, so they find other materials that help if the ones provided aren't cutting it. It is impressive to watch. Once the APs are over, there is really no substance at all and they all relax a ton. It actually works quite well.

Parents of alums, if there are any-- does the senior capstone project really work? I can see kids slacking off... but can also see how it might be an amazing opportunity. How is the execution?

I haven't seen this yet personally. I've seen it work in different ways. But honestly, I'm good either way. These kids are super self-motivated and if they use it as a bit of a gap year, good for them for recognizing that is what they need. There is no way that you could call a successful basis high schooler a slacker with a straight face.

Answers embedded.

Very helpful, thank you so much!

A few more Q's for families who stayed:

Do the science classes have labs/hands on work?
Do they take field trips?
Do the kids put together a school newspaper or yearbook?
Are there activities like Model UN or Debate?

Sure, here you go.

Do the science classes have labs/hands on work?

Yes. Just like other schools.

Do they take field trips?

Yes. Just like other schools

Do the kids put together a school newspaper or yearbook?

Yes for yearbook. No school newspaper.

Are there activities like Model UN or Debate?

Yes. Just like other schools they have both MUN, debate, and other extracurricular activities.

You can answer any other questions by looking here: https://enrollbasis.com/washington-dc/

Thank you! Can you be any more specific? (Which sciences have labs, how many field trips per year and to where, etc.)

Clearly BASIS is not "just like any other school," explicitly so -- the curriculum and style of learning is different. So I'm trying to figure out exactly what the differences compared to a more traditional school. I know they will learn more content. But what exactly will be missing?

I'm not out to snark -- I have a 4th grader who is potentially the kind of kid that BASIS is made for, and I really need to decide this month if it is a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an 8th grade boy at BASIS and we’re staying. He’s found an excellent group of peers that have kept him on track, and he’s now an incredibly mature kid who I can trust to act responsibly. I give a lot of credit to the other kids and their families for that.

Questions for parents who have happy kids and older kids at BASIS:

Do your kids have time to pursue their extra curriculars outside of school, or does the amount of homework prohibit that?
My child had no additional time to pursue extracurriculars in 5th grade. It was a harsh adjustment from her prior school, which didn't value education so much. They actually have to be awake and ready each day, and that was a big adjustment. Since then, she has had tons of time for extracurriculars. She spends at least 2 hours a day on them, and she also has a robust social life. She is busy though.

How were 6th and 7th grade? -- the stories here give me pause (30 kids per class, inexperienced and overwhelmed teachers). How did your kids feel about those years?
6th and 7th were a breeze. I don't recall any homework done at home. She had learned time management, and she was generally able to do it all at school.

In high school, there has definitely been homework. On average 2 hours a day. But, things really ebb and flow. They don't do much make work. So, if it is time to study, they study. If it isn't, they don't. The crew is tight and encouraging, and they often do homework or study together or on the phone, so there is an overlap of when is studying and when is hanging out. But she and her friends all get mostly (if not straight) A's and have very big extracurricular lives, so I don't push much of anything. The cohort is so good that they know how to learn and teach each other even when the teachers may not quite know what they need. At this point, they know they are learning towards a test, so they find other materials that help if the ones provided aren't cutting it. It is impressive to watch. Once the APs are over, there is really no substance at all and they all relax a ton. It actually works quite well.

Parents of alums, if there are any-- does the senior capstone project really work? I can see kids slacking off... but can also see how it might be an amazing opportunity. How is the execution?

I haven't seen this yet personally. I've seen it work in different ways. But honestly, I'm good either way. These kids are super self-motivated and if they use it as a bit of a gap year, good for them for recognizing that is what they need. There is no way that you could call a successful basis high schooler a slacker with a straight face.

Answers embedded.

Very helpful, thank you so much!

A few more Q's for families who stayed:

Do the science classes have labs/hands on work?
Do they take field trips?
Do the kids put together a school newspaper or yearbook?
Are there activities like Model UN or Debate?

Sure, here you go.

Do the science classes have labs/hands on work?

Yes. Just like other schools.

Do they take field trips?

Yes. Just like other schools

Do the kids put together a school newspaper or yearbook?

Yes for yearbook. No school newspaper.

Are there activities like Model UN or Debate?

Yes. Just like other schools they have both MUN, debate, and other extracurricular activities.

You can answer any other questions by looking here: https://enrollbasis.com/washington-dc/

Thank you! Can you be any more specific? (Which sciences have labs, how many field trips per year and to where, etc.)

Clearly BASIS is not "just like any other school," explicitly so -- the curriculum and style of learning is different. So I'm trying to figure out exactly what the differences compared to a more traditional school. I know they will learn more content. But what exactly will be missing?

I'm not out to snark -- I have a 4th grader who is potentially the kind of kid that BASIS is made for, and I really need to decide this month if it is a good idea.

Why don’t you reach out to the school and ask? Not sure that I would want to rely on DCUM.

What other schools are you considering? Where are you now?

[Anonymous]

To parents of 4th graders interested in BASIS: highly recommend doing the “shadow day” at the school and taking a tour so both you and your student have a sense of the school firsthand. Also, try to talk to people with direct and recent experiences at the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have an 8th grade boy at BASIS and we’re staying. He’s found an excellent group of peers that have kept him on track, and he’s now an incredibly mature kid who I can trust to act responsibly. I give a lot of credit to the other kids and their families for that.

Questions for parents who have happy kids and older kids at BASIS:

Do your kids have time to pursue their extra curriculars outside of school, or does the amount of homework prohibit that?
My child had no additional time to pursue extracurriculars in 5th grade. It was a harsh adjustment from her prior school, which didn't value education so much. They actually have to be awake and ready each day, and that was a big adjustment. Since then, she has had tons of time for extracurriculars. She spends at least 2 hours a day on them, and she also has a robust social life. She is busy though.

How were 6th and 7th grade? -- the stories here give me pause (30 kids per class, inexperienced and overwhelmed teachers). How did your kids feel about those years?
6th and 7th were a breeze. I don't recall any homework done at home. She had learned time management, and she was generally able to do it all at school.

In high school, there has definitely been homework. On average 2 hours a day. But, things really ebb and flow. They don't do much make work. So, if it is time to study, they study. If it isn't, they don't. The crew is tight and encouraging, and they often do homework or study together or on the phone, so there is an overlap of when is studying and when is hanging out. But she and her friends all get mostly (if not straight) A's and have very big extracurricular lives, so I don't push much of anything. The cohort is so good that they know how to learn and teach each other even when the teachers may not quite know what they need. At this point, they know they are learning towards a test, so they find other materials that help if the ones provided aren't cutting it. It is impressive to watch. Once the APs are over, there is really no substance at all and they all relax a ton. It actually works quite well.

Parents of alums, if there are any-- does the senior capstone project really work? I can see kids slacking off... but can also see how it might be an amazing opportunity. How is the execution?

I haven't seen this yet personally. I've seen it work in different ways. But honestly, I'm good either way. These kids are super self-motivated and if they use it as a bit of a gap year, good for them for recognizing that is what they need. There is no way that you could call a successful basis high schooler a slacker with a straight face.

Answers embedded.

Very helpful, thank you so much!

A few more Q's for families who stayed:

Do the science classes have labs/hands on work?
Do they take field trips?
Do the kids put together a school newspaper or yearbook?
Are there activities like Model UN or Debate?

Sure, here you go.

Do the science classes have labs/hands on work?

Yes. Just like other schools.

Do they take field trips?

Yes. Just like other schools

Do the kids put together a school newspaper or yearbook?

Yes for yearbook. No school newspaper.

Are there activities like Model UN or Debate?

Yes. Just like other schools they have both MUN, debate, and other extracurricular activities.

You can answer any other questions by looking here: https://enrollbasis.com/washington-dc/

Thank you! Can you be any more specific? (Which sciences have labs, how many field trips per year and to where, etc.)

Clearly BASIS is not "just like any other school," explicitly so -- the curriculum and style of learning is different. So I'm trying to figure out exactly what the differences compared to a more traditional school. I know they will learn more content. But what exactly will be missing?

I'm not out to snark -- I have a 4th grader who is potentially the kind of kid that BASIS is made for, and I really need to decide this month if it is a good idea.

Why don’t you reach out to the school and ask? Not sure that I would want to rely on DCUM.

What other schools are you considering? Where are you now?[/quote
I went to the open house a couple times and did ask but honestly I worry about sifting through BS (the director of curriculum said "they go on a field trip once a week" which seems highly unlikely.)

IB middle school is awful, but we have loved our DCPS elementary experience. The other option would be to try to lottery into a better DCPS feeder school.

[Anonymous]

Families burn out not just on intense early AP prep but on the BASIS our-way-or-the-highway approach to academic achievement. Admins aren’t open to ideas to burnish academics, like encouraging juniors to prep for one or two Cambridge exams taken in fall of senior year (a few top DC privates have started doing that, to help applicants stand out in college applications). They’re also not open to building esprit de corps with group senior capstone projects the school sets up. Parents have suggested this many times. This isn’t a program that innovates to improve kids’ admissions chances of admission to top colleges, although the program pushes IvyPlus from the MS years. The leadership isn’t there. That said, leadership at Walls seems even more lackluster. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Another poster asked about field trips and extracurricular activities at BASIS. I'm the parent of a 5th grader at BASIS so I'll try to answer those questions based on my child's experience this year.

Field trips: My 5th grader has taken several field trips so far this year. In the fall, the 5th graders went on BASIS's annual NatureBridge 3-day camping trip (they stayed in cabins, hiked, did hands-on science exploration, had a bonfire, did activities to get to know each other, etc). They have also taken three field trips to the Smithsonian (trips to the Museum of African American History, Museum of American History, and Museum of Natural History). In addition, some of the 5th graders took a field trip to go ice skating at the National Gallery's sculpture garden because their "House" won the most House Points.

There are a variety of extracurriculars at BASIS. Here are some that I know are being offered this year (not a complete list):
Debate Club
National Honor Society
MATHCOUNTS/middle school and high school math clubs
Model UN
Science Olympiad
Chess Team
Investment Club
Fall & Spring Musicals
Community service/volunteer clubs
Art in the City (exploring art museums)
Art Club
Film Fridays
Some international culture clubs
Green Team
Fantasy book club
Knitting
Mock Trial
Youth & Government Club
Swiftie Club
Anime Club
Pep Band
Programming Club
Tae Kwon Do
Pokemon Club
Dance Club
Interior Design & Architecture Club

They add extracurriculars if there is enough student interest. Any BASIS student can start a club by getting some student signatures and a faculty advisor.

My 5th grader finishes homework at school just about every day (mostly during in-school study hall, which takes place every day after lunch) while getting straight A's, so we've found that there is more than enough time to do sports and extracurriculars. Many of the kids in my child's friend group also spend minimal time on homework at home while excelling academically. I've talked to a number of parents of kids in higher grades who say the same. All in all, we've been pleasantly surprised at the amount of time that our child has after school to do sports, read for fun, and pursue other interests.

There are a variety of sports teams at BASIS, though I think 5th graders are only allowed to join the cross country team. I've seen a separate thread about sports at BASIS, so you might want to check that out. (I think the school sports teams are cross country, soccer, basketball, indoor track & field, swimming, flag football, and chess -- which they also classify as a school sport.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Families burn out not just on intense early AP prep but on the BASIS our-way-or-the-highway approach to academic achievement. Admins aren’t open to ideas to burnish academics, like encouraging juniors to prep for one or two Cambridge exams taken in fall of senior year (a few top DC privates have started doing that, to help applicants stand out in college applications). They’re also not open to building esprit de corps with group senior capstone projects the school sets up. Parents have suggested this many times. This isn’t a program that innovates to improve kids’ admissions chances of admission to top colleges, although the program pushes IvyPlus from the MS years. The leadership isn’t there. That said, leadership at Walls seems even more lackluster. Sigh.

Agree that BASIS isn't as good for students aiming for T20 colleges than lower tier, where multiple high AP scores should do the trick.

They have a set formula for college success and stick to it. Best to leave after middle school if you're looking for support for academics off the beaten path.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have found that, on average, parents care so much more about the building issues than the kids do. Parents have ideas in their head about the schools they went to but kids don’t know anything other than what you show them. The students make some great friends and they don’t dwell on the building. Sure everyone would prefer a better building (no question!!) but it’s not the dealbreaker for many kids the way it is for their parents.

I am completely surprised that my kid doesn’t care about the building at all. I ask with a concerned face a few times a year. Shrug.

I work in a federal building that is far worse than the BASIS building and it's not a big deal either. Would I love to work in a beautiful building? Of course. I'm not going to quit my job because of the building though? If I find the people I work with to be nice and the work I do interesting, I don't really care what the building looks like. That's the same thing with BASIS for the kids that like the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG BASIS doesn't have the money for capstone projects. Wait, you didn't notice until senior year?

Then what’s the point of pushing kids so hard to take all these AP for? To do a joke project senior year?

Doesn’t sound like a good system at all. Burn kids out in the AP factory and then take time to recover senior year.

The parent who posted about their student taking Cambridge exams in fall of senior year got my attention. From the vantage point of 8th grade at BASIS I can see that it's tough for even the most diligent high school students to score high on a slew of AP exams taken no later than spring of junior year. This is especially true for the language exams when students could really use summer time for immersion study if families can afford it. The system seems hackneyed at a time when AP exam scores aren't as important in college admissions as they were pre Covid and the SCOTUS ruling on Affirmative Action. If the BASIS system were so great, DC's pricey privates would've adopted it long ago. Nobody's a troll for pointing out that BASIS doesn't have the resources to pump dough into capstone activities. This is a program that begs parents to bump up teachers' salaries. We're waiting to hear from Walls and privates.

Go, definitely go. The classes are better when the people who don't like the school leave. If you don't get into Walls or privates, please move to the suburbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OMG BASIS doesn't have the money for capstone projects. Wait, you didn't notice until senior year?

Then what’s the point of pushing kids so hard to take all these AP for? To do a joke project senior year?

Doesn’t sound like a good system at all. Burn kids out in the AP factory and then take time to recover senior year.

APs aren't even hard. Look at how that other parent has their kid taking all the APs and also all the Cambridge exams, plus summer immersion programs. Where's the burnout?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have found that, on average, parents care so much more about the building issues than the kids do. Parents have ideas in their head about the schools they went to but kids don’t know anything other than what you show them. The students make some great friends and they don’t dwell on the building. Sure everyone would prefer a better building (no question!!) but it’s not the dealbreaker for many kids the way it is for their parents.

I am completely surprised that my kid doesn’t care about the building at all. I ask with a concerned face a few times a year. Shrug.

I work in a federal building that is far worse than the BASIS building and it's not a big deal either. Would I love to work in a beautiful building? Of course. I'm not going to quit my job because of the building though? If I find the people I work with to be nice and the work I do interesting, I don't really care what the building looks like. That's the same thing with BASIS for the kids that like the school.

Do we really want kids to live like office workers?