How's basis going so far?

[Anonymous]

Could the Basis 'formula' be applied to elementary grades so as to reach younger kids?
High expectations
No prequalification required
No excuses
Carefully designed communication systems between parents, teachers and students, consistently applied
Teacher expertise valued over teaching credentials
Student-centric: motivate for achievement not approval
Funding sources

The fact that the high expectations are framed around AP testing seems like the only thing an elementary school would not replicate. So who's going to start a Basis-style elementary (someone who really really cares about breaking the cycle)?

[Anonymous]

So far the BASIS formula works well with High SES kids.

It remains to be seen if it will work in DC.

The rest of the stuff you've described sounds like KIPP.

[Anonymous]

As a former DC Prep and current Basis parent, I think DC Prep has everything on your list. Like Basis, it may not be the best option for every child or family, but even the choices DC Prep makes in terms of locations speak to their commitment to educating children from underserved communities. Their data shows they keep doing that better each year and that children who are there longer do better. Hopefully parents who start their children at Basis early will experience the same impact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The rest of the stuff you've described sounds like KIPP.

I wonder how many Basis students came from KIPP or DC Prep. Anybody know the breakdown of schools kids were formerly in?

[Anonymous]

With any SES, the sooner they start on the right track, the better. So, none of this takes away from BASIS in any way. If anything it underscores the need for similar measures, models and offerings in elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just heard 7th Spanish teacher is gone.

Does she only teach 7th grade?

My child said that the Math teacher was doing the Spanish on Friday.

[Anonymous]

Could the Basis 'formula' be applied to elementary grades so as to reach younger kids?
High expectations
No prequalification required
No excuses
Carefully designed communication systems between parents, teachers and students, consistently applied
Teacher expertise valued over teaching credentials
Student-centric: motivate for achievement not approval
Funding sources

The fact that the high expectations are framed around AP testing seems like the only thing an elementary school would not replicate. So who's going to start a Basis-style elementary (someone who really really cares about breaking the cycle)?

Well, until the formula is proven successful, it isn't worth replicating. It has not been proven successful in DC and, therefore, has not been proven successful.

Of course, everyone here is eager for it to be successful. We love Basis! But even those of us in love with the school understand that it has not proven itself yet.

Yet! Go Basis!

[Anonymous]

Per 18.29: She was the only Spanish teacher. The maths teacher is bilingual so makes sense in a pinch.

[Anonymous]

I find that my 6th grade DC is spending a great deal of time on homework most nights, i.e., several hours, and its eating into sleep time.

Anyone care to share how much time their DC spends on homework?

[Anonymous]

My DC(5th) gets home about 5. DC is finished by 7pm, and that is with a 30 min dinner break.

[Anonymous]

My 7th grader seems to finish all homework in Late Bird, at least so far. That would mean less than 2 hours.

[Anonymous]

For my 5th grader, math takes an hour and the rest of it is about another half hour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question about demographics at Basis, if I dare. Is the 5th grade cohort more high-SES/white than the 6th? Much more so? What about 7th and 8th? Are most of the higher grades students mostly low-SES or what?

When PPs talk about a school willing to challenge the soft bigotry of low expectations, what about one willing to challenge the hard bigotry of driving out most high-SES parents before HS by catering mainly to low-SES kids, hurting the brightest and most disciplined poor kids by depriving them of middle-class peers? How can the teachers at Basis differentiate without leaving advanced/GT kids behind? They're only tracking for math, right? In all grades? How much tracking for math?

I ask this in all seriousness -we've got a shy 4th grader in DCPS EotP who's bored about half the time at school, although he loves his Johns Hopkins CTY summer classes (which we've done for two summers now). Paying for privates would be a real stretch, leaving us to wonder whether moving to take advantage of suburban test-in programs might be our best route to challenge for him. We're not crazy about Deal for now - still too many tough and low-performing kids being bused in, and not enough tracking/ability grouping.

Our son may or may not get a spot at Basis for 5th, all depends what the lottery looks like in 2013, but he would probably test-in to a suburban GT program. And even if he didn't test in, he could take advanced classes at a suburban middle school. He doesn't need a strong emphasis on organizational or life skills--we're two PhDs who provide that at home--but he does need tougher subject matter and a faster pace if he isn't going to become a discipline problem at school...

I haven't had a chance to count the white kids in 7th and 8th but since Basis just started I don't think it will give you the answer you want in terms of attrition of brilliant white kids. It definitely won't give you SES since many of the blacks (like my child) at Basis come from mid to high SES homes.

Basis tracks math in 5th and Science in 8th and humanities in 9th. The curriculum is available at the school website, but of course this is the first year for DC. Time will tell but I am not to concerned about having 20 geniuses in class with my child but a good number of competitive students. Which Basis has. My child is in a class with 20+ 6th graders and 3 5th graders taking algebra. I don't need every one of the 6th graders taking algebra like I guess you have at the magnets in Maryland/VA. Overall, the curriculum as planned is really strong untracked (check it out and compare to Thomas Jefferson, not saying its better)

Overall I think you should go to the suburbs where you will find a class full of geniuses for your child. I doubt Basis will eliminate all the low SES blacks of manufacture 100 genius kids of any race if that's your goal. Anyways what was your schooling like to become a PHD scientist?

I am trying to tease out your points, but you are so busy samming PP that I can't read what you are saying....PP wants a good academic cohort for her child and makes a point that over drawing from any one SEC group diserves all. What is your point?

[Anonymous]

Sorry for slamming the poster. But really it's painful to read about someone's desire for high SES whites and then hear them talk about "hard bigotry" in the same post.

Furthermore, everyone seems to believe their high SES/white child is gifted and none of the low SES kids/black kids are. If you take the time to get to know these kids you will find many black or low SES kids are not going to be the drain on your kids you believe. Not all of them are disrupting class etc.

The poster doesn't seem to be concerned about overdrawing high SES whites just low SES blacks or blacks in general.

[Anonymous]

I think you are wrong. Most people don't make assumptions like you lay out. Very few do. But what people know from hard statistical evidence us that a high percentage of low SES students ( of any race ) in the same class/ school means that the class or school is going to be involved, in fact focused, on a lot of remediation and discipline and other activities in order to make up for lacks in the households of many ( not all!) Of those students. This is the right thing to do.

This is not bigotry, racism, elitism or anything but sound judgement based on current evidence. When the teaching style, school organization, curriculum, culture or whatever changes to make this no longer the case, no one will even check the ses percentages and test scores of a school because they will all be good.

Until that happens, please stop slamming parents for making sound judgements about what school environment is best for their kids ( high or low ses!)