Basis fills a gap that shouldn’t exist.

[Anonymous]

My comment on these retention numbers is that there is a very high chance your kid will be wanting to leave if they go to Basis.

So be prepared to continue playing the lottery and no guarantee of getting in anywhere.

Guess your kid can stay at Basis and be miserable. Last option is move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My comment on these retention numbers is that there is a very high chance your kid will be wanting to leave if they go to Basis.

So be prepared to continue playing the lottery and no guarantee of getting in anywhere.

Guess your kid can stay at Basis and be miserable. Last option is move.

This year BASIS had 140 lottery seats for fifth grade. By the beginning of October, they made 93 offers to the waitlist. A lot of people are turning them down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My comment on these retention numbers is that there is a very high chance your kid will be wanting to leave if they go to Basis.

So be prepared to continue playing the lottery and no guarantee of getting in anywhere.

Guess your kid can stay at Basis and be miserable. Last option is move.

It just seems like such a crapshoot about whether any particular kid will like the school. When we started looking into lottery schools we started with the assumption that getting into Basis was a ticket to high school, that if our kid got in we'd be set, and we could stay in our EOTP house. But we have since talked to so many people who ended up having to scramble to find other middle schools or high schools, including some who moved. Most of the time, the kids who didn't like it fit mold of the kids we're all told will like Basis -- the bright, hardworking kids who take school seriously. It has made us very cautious about the school. We'll probably send our math-oriented kid there if he gets in but we'd be sending him with our eyes wide open and have some backup plans. If he gets into either Latin, we're sending him there instead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My comment on these retention numbers is that there is a very high chance your kid will be wanting to leave if they go to Basis.

So be prepared to continue playing the lottery and no guarantee of getting in anywhere.

Guess your kid can stay at Basis and be miserable. Last option is move.

It just seems like such a crapshoot about whether any particular kid will like the school. When we started looking into lottery schools we started with the assumption that getting into Basis was a ticket to high school, that if our kid got in we'd be set, and we could stay in our EOTP house. But we have since talked to so many people who ended up having to scramble to find other middle schools or high schools, including some who moved. Most of the time, the kids who didn't like it fit mold of the kids we're all told will like Basis -- the bright, hardworking kids who take school seriously. It has made us very cautious about the school. We'll probably send our math-oriented kid there if he gets in but we'd be sending him with our eyes wide open and have some backup plans. If he gets into either Latin, we're sending him there instead.

This is going to invite a lot of anger, but the kids I know who like it all have 98th or 99th percentile math scores.

This is something parents know about their kids in late elementary.

[Anonymous]

(and they like it because they can keep up with intense math and science classes without being overwhelmed. The math moves really quickly, and chemistry and physics involve calculating starting in 6th grade. So a math aptitude keeps it from being overwhelming.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:its not the drop between 8th and 9th because thats a natural exit point (to private/dcps application hs/other more typical hs option with more ecs etc.). its the attrition after 6th/7th and during hs that raises eyebrows.

10 percent of the students don't pass the end of year exams at the end of 6th grade, and they can't move on to 7th until they pass. Some families retake the test but many move on.

This isn't a rumor or a guess, it's info that's freely shared by BASIS admin.

That's why the lack of social promotion is linked to attrition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My comment on these retention numbers is that there is a very high chance your kid will be wanting to leave if they go to Basis.

So be prepared to continue playing the lottery and no guarantee of getting in anywhere.

Guess your kid can stay at Basis and be miserable. Last option is move.

It just seems like such a crapshoot about whether any particular kid will like the school. When we started looking into lottery schools we started with the assumption that getting into Basis was a ticket to high school, that if our kid got in we'd be set, and we could stay in our EOTP house. But we have since talked to so many people who ended up having to scramble to find other middle schools or high schools, including some who moved. Most of the time, the kids who didn't like it fit mold of the kids we're all told will like Basis -- the bright, hardworking kids who take school seriously. It has made us very cautious about the school. We'll probably send our math-oriented kid there if he gets in but we'd be sending him with our eyes wide open and have some backup plans. If he gets into either Latin, we're sending him there instead.

This is going to invite a lot of anger, but the kids I know who like it all have 98th or 99th percentile math scores.

This is something parents know about their kids in late elementary.

That’s a helpful data point but I know lots of kids are at that level (I assume you’re talking about iready, which is the only percentile measure we are given). It’s helpful to know there’s a correlation but I am sure some of the kids we know who have left have cleared that bar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:141 5th graders to 58 11th graders?

For a public school?

Wow.

60% attention rate.

Range is going to be anywhere between 40-60%.

DCI 4-5%

Latin - I would guess also similar under 5%.

Huge contrast

Latin has a much higher retention, but they also backfill at every grade level. First number is number of students enrolled, number in parentheses is the number of students who continued on from the prior year.

SY19-20 5th grade class: 95 > 94 (92) > 91 (89) > 96 (91) > 94 (77) > 89 (89)
SY20-21 5th grade class: 95 > 96 (94) > 95 (95) > 97 (93) > 95 (78)
SY21-22 5th grade class: 96 > 93 (91) > 100 (93) > 98 (96)
SY22-23 5th grade class: 99 > 99 (95) > 98 (97)
SY23-24 5th grade class: 97 > 97 (96)

Same data for DCI.

First number is number of students enrolled, number in parentheses is the number of students who continued on from the prior year.

SY19-20 6th grade class: 254 > 260 (242) > 249 (241) > 247 (211) > 208 (205) > 203 (196)
SY20-21 6th grade class: 262 > 258 (248) > 268 (249) > 241 (222) > 228 (227)
SY21-22 6th grade class: 259 > 246 (235) > 246 (238) > 240 (201)
SY22-23 6th grade class: 272 > 257 (253) > 247 (239)
SY23-24 6th grade class: 274 > 262 (259)

If we make the simplifying assumption that all Latin and DCI attrition comes from the original class, we get retention rates from original class as follows:

BASIS retention through 8th: 59-73%
BASIS retention through 9th: 42-43%
DCI retention through 8th: 86-91%
DCI retention through 9th: 70-74%
Latin retention through 8th: 91-96%
Latin retention through 9th: 72-76%

Now provide the percentages for kids below grade level at Latin and DCI that are socially promoted every year.

Just because kids don’t leave doesn’t mean the school is any good.

Meeting or exceeding on CAPE, SY24-25 8th grade

BASIS ELA: 84%
BASIS Math: 79%
DCI ELA: 58%
DCI Math: 41%
Latin ELA: 72%
Latin Math: 63%

Citywide, the highest meeting or exceeding percentages were BASIS, Deal, and Latin for ELA and BASIS, Center City Congress Heights, Deal, and Latin for Math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My comment on these retention numbers is that there is a very high chance your kid will be wanting to leave if they go to Basis.

So be prepared to continue playing the lottery and no guarantee of getting in anywhere.

Guess your kid can stay at Basis and be miserable. Last option is move.

It just seems like such a crapshoot about whether any particular kid will like the school. When we started looking into lottery schools we started with the assumption that getting into Basis was a ticket to high school, that if our kid got in we'd be set, and we could stay in our EOTP house. But we have since talked to so many people who ended up having to scramble to find other middle schools or high schools, including some who moved. Most of the time, the kids who didn't like it fit mold of the kids we're all told will like Basis -- the bright, hardworking kids who take school seriously. It has made us very cautious about the school. We'll probably send our math-oriented kid there if he gets in but we'd be sending him with our eyes wide open and have some backup plans. If he gets into either Latin, we're sending him there instead.

This is going to invite a lot of anger, but the kids I know who like it all have 98th or 99th percentile math scores.

This is something parents know about their kids in late elementary.

That’s a helpful data point but I know lots of kids are at that level (I assume you’re talking about iready, which is the only percentile measure we are given). It’s helpful to know there’s a correlation but I am sure some of the kids we know who have left have cleared that bar.

Parents will have their 3rd grade CAPE scores by the time they make the decision, too.

[Anonymous]

10% of the 6th graders fail the end of year comps? thats brutal (and demoralizing). yes CAPE test scores in fall of 4th grade have percentiles on them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:its not the drop between 8th and 9th because thats a natural exit point (to private/dcps application hs/other more typical hs option with more ecs etc.). its the attrition after 6th/7th and during hs that raises eyebrows.

10 percent of the students don't pass the end of year exams at the end of 6th grade, and they can't move on to 7th until they pass. Some families retake the test but many move on.

This isn't a rumor or a guess, it's info that's freely shared by BASIS admin.

That's why the lack of social promotion is linked to attrition.

Well what about the other 20-50% kids that leave in middle? They are not failing and don’t leave.

Also kids can retake it and do move on. It’s not hard.

Sorry but above is not the only reason for the high attrition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:141 5th graders to 58 11th graders?

For a public school?

Wow.

60% attention rate.

Range is going to be anywhere between 40-60%.

DCI 4-5%

Latin - I would guess also similar under 5%.

Huge contrast

Latin has a much higher retention, but they also backfill at every grade level. First number is number of students enrolled, number in parentheses is the number of students who continued on from the prior year.

SY19-20 5th grade class: 95 > 94 (92) > 91 (89) > 96 (91) > 94 (77) > 89 (89)
SY20-21 5th grade class: 95 > 96 (94) > 95 (95) > 97 (93) > 95 (78)
SY21-22 5th grade class: 96 > 93 (91) > 100 (93) > 98 (96)
SY22-23 5th grade class: 99 > 99 (95) > 98 (97)
SY23-24 5th grade class: 97 > 97 (96)

Same data for DCI.

First number is number of students enrolled, number in parentheses is the number of students who continued on from the prior year.

SY19-20 6th grade class: 254 > 260 (242) > 249 (241) > 247 (211) > 208 (205) > 203 (196)
SY20-21 6th grade class: 262 > 258 (248) > 268 (249) > 241 (222) > 228 (227)
SY21-22 6th grade class: 259 > 246 (235) > 246 (238) > 240 (201)
SY22-23 6th grade class: 272 > 257 (253) > 247 (239)
SY23-24 6th grade class: 274 > 262 (259)

If we make the simplifying assumption that all Latin and DCI attrition comes from the original class, we get retention rates from original class as follows:

BASIS retention through 8th: 59-73%
BASIS retention through 9th: 42-43%
DCI retention through 8th: 86-91%
DCI retention through 9th: 70-74%
Latin retention through 8th: 91-96%
Latin retention through 9th: 72-76%

Now provide the percentages for kids below grade level at Latin and DCI that are socially promoted every year.

Just because kids don’t leave doesn’t mean the school is any good.

Meeting or exceeding on CAPE, SY24-25 8th grade

BASIS ELA: 84%
BASIS Math: 79%
DCI ELA: 58%
DCI Math: 41%
Latin ELA: 72%
Latin Math: 63%

Citywide, the highest meeting or exceeding percentages were BASIS, Deal, and Latin for ELA and BASIS, Center City Congress Heights, Deal, and Latin for Math.

Interesting that Basis has the highest test scores in DC in BOTH ELA and math.

It does not just excel in math.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:its not the drop between 8th and 9th because thats a natural exit point (to private/dcps application hs/other more typical hs option with more ecs etc.). its the attrition after 6th/7th and during hs that raises eyebrows.

10 percent of the students don't pass the end of year exams at the end of 6th grade, and they can't move on to 7th until they pass. Some families retake the test but many move on.

This isn't a rumor or a guess, it's info that's freely shared by BASIS admin.

That's why the lack of social promotion is linked to attrition.

Well what about the other 20-50% kids that leave in middle? They are not failing and don’t leave.

Also kids can retake it and do move on. It’s not hard.

Sorry but above is not the only reason for the high attrition.

Wha?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:10% of the 6th graders fail the end of year comps? thats brutal (and demoralizing). yes CAPE test scores in fall of 4th grade have percentiles on them.

Yup, 10-15 percent every year through middle school. Not counting 5th, which doesn't have comps (and not coincidentally, most kids return for 6th).

It is brutal and demoralizing. The kids feel awful. And some of that BASIS anger you feel in the larger community is from parents whose kids went through this.

(Of course people leave for other reasons, too, but undoubtedly a set amount of attrition is linked to failing comps.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:its not the drop between 8th and 9th because thats a natural exit point (to private/dcps application hs/other more typical hs option with more ecs etc.). its the attrition after 6th/7th and during hs that raises eyebrows.

10 percent of the students don't pass the end of year exams at the end of 6th grade, and they can't move on to 7th until they pass. Some families retake the test but many move on.

This isn't a rumor or a guess, it's info that's freely shared by BASIS admin.

That's why the lack of social promotion is linked to attrition.

Well what about the other 20-50% kids that leave in middle? They are not failing and don’t leave.

Also kids can retake it and do move on. It’s not hard.

Sorry but above is not the only reason for the high attrition.

Here's a math problem for you:

Start with 130 in 6th grade, and then reduce it by 10 percent every year until 9th grade. See what number you have at the end.

And then at 9th, maybe 20 percent of the kids will leave for application schools, private and the suburbs (as they do from every middle school, including Deal and Hardy).