My child is drowning at Basis. Thoughts on mid year move?

[Anonymous]

It sounds like BASIS is great for kids who are organized and already really bright. So why are parents enrolling their kids if they know their kids are "not good at math?" Why subject your child to that if you already know your child doesn't fit that mold? I'm not knocking BASIS. It sounds like a great school for kids who need a challenge. My criticism is directed at parents who know or at least have a suspicion that their kid may not do well and still enrolls them into the school anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like BASIS is great for kids who are organized and already really bright. So why are parents enrolling their kids if they know their kids are "not good at math?" Why subject your child to that if you already know your child doesn't fit that mold? I'm not knocking BASIS. It sounds like a great school for kids who need a challenge. My criticism is directed at parents who know or at least have a suspicion that their kid may not do well and still enrolls them into the school anyway.

Kids in 5th grade at BASIS take a placement test and are put in anything from grade level math to Algebra 1 and sometimes Alg 2.

I know lots of parents pressure the school to put their child in the more advanced classes if the placement test scores are borderline - sometimes the school agrees and sometimes they don't. Very few parents seem to ask for their kids to be switched to one a level 'down' even though they probably should.

As for organization, it's something that all the kids struggle with to varying degrees at first. Pretty typical for middle schoolers. But at BASIS they have more classes (8-9 in middle school), including some that only meet 3 days a week, so the amount of stuff to juggle and keep track of is more than a school with 6 subjects.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not unusual for 5th graders to do 2, even 3, hours per night, especially if they're not great at math.

Good grief. I can't believe any parent thinks this is OK for their 5th grader, even if they are great in math. Excessive homework has never been shown to produce better results. If anything its a sign that the school is not efficient or strategic in teaching or class placement.

One parent says 2 to 3; another says 1-1.5.

If your child is spending that much time to get through homework at BASIS (or anywhere else), contact their teachers or the academic dean. That is not typical or expected, and the school staff would want to know -- sometimes teachers don't realize how much time an assignment will take, kids have an undiagnosed LD or are doing more than is needed to master the content. Keep a log of actual assignments and how much time your child spent on them for a week and bring that data to people who can help.

You're working on the assumption that BASIS is incentivized to support and keep kids who need help as an institution. As a general rule, they are not, unless that is, the kids are low SES minorities, meaning that losing them would invite unwelcome scrutiny from the DCPSCB and possibly the media. That isn't to say that individual teachers may not be compassionate and willing to help.

No, admins are wedded to their Arizona forged, sink or swim, only the strong survive MS model. They're happy to drive out kids who seem unlikely to emerge as elite college material in HS. It's easy to find media reports from Arizona complaining that supporting the model isn't a good use of taxpayer dollars. BASIS will pay lip service to ensuring that homework loads are manageable for 11-14 year olds, but that's about it. It's not uncommon for BASIS 5th and 6th graders to be up doing homework at 10:30 PM, without having done extra curriculars that afternoon. The problem is no secret at BASIS.

But then who's complaining when most of the DCPS alternatives are dead ended, Latin's only taking around 20% who apply, privates cost a bomb, and few urbanites are eager to move to the burbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like BASIS is great for kids who are organized and already really bright. So why are parents enrolling their kids if they know their kids are "not good at math?" Why subject your child to that if you already know your child doesn't fit that mold? I'm not knocking BASIS. It sounds like a great school for kids who need a challenge. My criticism is directed at parents who know or at least have a suspicion that their kid may not do well and still enrolls them into the school anyway.

Why are they enrolling them? Hint: Eliot-Hine 6th grade proficiency pass rates below 10%; Jefferson Academy 6th proficiency pass rates in the low teens. Tuition at strong private and parochial middle schools in this city 19-38K. Odds of being admitted to Washington Latin 6th grade without older sibling there, roughly 15%.

My criticism is not directed at parents who are eager, perhaps desperate, to stay in houses and neighborhoods they've grown very attached to over the years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not unusual for 5th graders to do 2, even 3, hours per night, especially if they're not great at math.

Good grief. I can't believe any parent thinks this is OK for their 5th grader, even if they are great in math. Excessive homework has never been shown to produce better results. If anything its a sign that the school is not efficient or strategic in teaching or class placement.

One parent says 2 to 3; another says 1-1.5.

If your child is spending that much time to get through homework at BASIS (or anywhere else), contact their teachers or the academic dean. That is not typical or expected, and the school staff would want to know -- sometimes teachers don't realize how much time an assignment will take, kids have an undiagnosed LD or are doing more than is needed to master the content. Keep a log of actual assignments and how much time your child spent on them for a week and bring that data to people who can help.

You're working on the assumption that BASIS is incentivized to support and keep kids who need help as an institution. As a general rule, they are not, unless that is, the kids are low SES minorities, meaning that losing them would invite unwelcome scrutiny from the DCPSCB and possibly the media. That isn't to say that individual teachers may not be compassionate and willing to help.

No, admins are wedded to their Arizona forged, sink or swim, only the strong survive MS model. They're happy to drive out kids who seem unlikely to emerge as elite college material in HS. It's easy to find media reports from Arizona complaining that supporting the model isn't a good use of taxpayer dollars. BASIS will pay lip service to ensuring that homework loads are manageable for 11-14 year olds, but that's about it. It's not uncommon for BASIS 5th and 6th graders to be up doing homework at 10:30 PM, without having done extra curriculars that afternoon. The problem is no secret at BASIS.

But then who's complaining when most of the DCPS alternatives are dead ended, Latin's only taking around 20% who apply, privates cost a bomb, and few urbanites are eager to move to the burbs.

Different kids have different experiences. My fifth-grader has never stayed up late doing homework. He averages less than an hour per night and his grades are good. He's far from a perfect student, but he has fewer behavior issues in the classroom at Basis than he had at his small, happy elementary school.

That said, before he started at Basis, I had no idea how he would adapt to the different atmosphere. It turns out that he's really good at juggling the many different classes, likes the challenging math, and loves the increased independence. I'm not sure what I would do if I felt he was drowning, and I think it's impossible to tell how Basis will work for your child until they experience it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's not unusual for 5th graders to do 2, even 3, hours per night, especially if they're not great at math.

Good grief. I can't believe any parent thinks this is OK for their 5th grader, even if they are great in math. Excessive homework has never been shown to produce better results. If anything its a sign that the school is not efficient or strategic in teaching or class placement.

One parent says 2 to 3; another says 1-1.5.

If your child is spending that much time to get through homework at BASIS (or anywhere else), contact their teachers or the academic dean. That is not typical or expected, and the school staff would want to know -- sometimes teachers don't realize how much time an assignment will take, kids have an undiagnosed LD or are doing more than is needed to master the content. Keep a log of actual assignments and how much time your child spent on them for a week and bring that data to people who can help.

You're working on the assumption that BASIS is incentivized to support and keep kids who need help as an institution. As a general rule, they are not, unless that is, the kids are low SES minorities, meaning that losing them would invite unwelcome scrutiny from the DCPSCB and possibly the media. That isn't to say that individual teachers may not be compassionate and willing to help.

No, admins are wedded to their Arizona forged, sink or swim, only the strong survive MS model. They're happy to drive out kids who seem unlikely to emerge as elite college material in HS. It's easy to find media reports from Arizona complaining that supporting the model isn't a good use of taxpayer dollars. BASIS will pay lip service to ensuring that homework loads are manageable for 11-14 year olds, but that's about it. It's not uncommon for BASIS 5th and 6th graders to be up doing homework at 10:30 PM, without having done extra curriculars that afternoon. The problem is no secret at BASIS.

But then who's complaining when most of the DCPS alternatives are dead ended, Latin's only taking around 20% who apply, privates cost a bomb, and few urbanites are eager to move to the burbs.

No. I have two kids at BASIS, one of whom has an IEP and both of whom have struggled with content from time to time. The support is there, including homework guidance (DC 2 was working hard, not smart and they helped him figure out the difference). I don't give significant amounts of money to the school, and my kids are not low SES minorities.

[Anonymous]

If you are looking for a DC School for the year - check out Maury. It is a short term fix. They had more kids re-enroll than planned so needed to create a 2nd 5th grade classroom.

They definitely have capacity.

[Anonymous]

Sure, call Maury, but even if they have a small 5th grade they don't have to take any more kids after count day if they don't want to. And they should take any kids who were on their 5th grade waitlist before OP's kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
What's a HS course at basis in 5th grade? None I know of.

Some 5th grade students take Algebra 1 in 5th and this is a high school course and will go on transcript for credit but does not count towards high school GPA. The other middle school high school courses are Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus, World History 2, Economics, and any other AP courses that some 8th graders choose to take. The math depends on your child so not all students take all of those course before high school. The normal math sequence in middle school at BASIS is Math 8/7, maybe Pre-Calculus (but math 8/7 is equivalent to a Pre-Calculus course), Algebra 1, and Algebra 2, and Pre-Calculus A or AB. a ful credit of Geometry is given after completing Algebra 1 and 2 as well since it is incorporated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sure, call Maury, but even if they have a small 5th grade they don't have to take any more kids after count day if they don't want to. And they should take any kids who were on their 5th grade waitlist before OP's kid.

The excellent Canadian Maury principal is very goodhearted. She really cares about kids. But even if she decides to help you, what happens for 6th grade? Hardly any of the in-boundary families use Eliot-Hine. There are two white kids there this year, from a catchment area that's more than two-thirds white. It's no longer easy to lottery into so-so Start Hobson, or Hardy.

[Anonymous]

No. I have two kids at BASIS, one of whom has an IEP and both of whom have struggled with content from time to time. The support is there, including homework guidance (DC 2 was working hard, not smart and they helped him figure out the difference). I don't give significant amounts of money to the school, and my kids are not low SES minorities.

Wait till 8th grade. Then you'll feel the love.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. I have two kids at BASIS, one of whom has an IEP and both of whom have struggled with content from time to time. The support is there, including homework guidance (DC 2 was working hard, not smart and they helped him figure out the difference). I don't give significant amounts of money to the school, and my kids are not low SES minorities.

Wait till 8th grade. Then you'll feel the love.

Oldest is in 10th. So I think we're good. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why people are so afraid of using BASIS as a middle school option ONLY and leaving it in 9th grade. I agree that an intense BASIS high school is not for most of the kids who are still doing great with a BASIS middle school.

Yes, "just" passing every year through 8th at BASIS and then flourishing at a less rigorous high school (SWW or private) isn't ideal, but a lot of families would cut off their right hand to be in that situation. You basically will have a kid who finds high school "easy", thrive with top grades, and get into a great college.

I think using BASIS to meet a student's different needs (help organizing, academic prep, etc) for high school is great. Everyone cannot be in their 5% club. In fact, literally 95% of BASIS students cannot be in that club. That does not make it a bad fit for those 95%.

[Anonymous]

My DD has decided to stay for high school for many reasons. Amazing student:teacher ratio, downtown location, great college counselor and a lot of her friends are staying. Getting to finish high school mid-way through senior year (unless you do senior thesis) means a great opportunity for six-month gap before college. I'm continually impressed by the diversity at BASIS. The kids who get honor roll reflect the diversity of our fair city (much more so than our elementary school).

[Anonymous]

No. I have two kids at BASIS, one of whom has an IEP and both of whom have struggled with content from time to time. The support is there, including homework guidance (DC 2 was working hard, not smart and they helped him figure out the difference). I don't give significant amounts of money to the school, and my kids are not low SES minorities.

Um, IEP families are one of the protected classes. BASIS doesn't want more law suits over Sp Ed matters.