Starting Fourth Grade at DCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is OP, thanks to everyone for weighing in. I'm surprised that Inspired Teaching PCS wasn't at all on my radar. I'm familiar with Two Rivers, though.

Anyone knows how many Jefferson 6th graders from Brent returned for 7th grade? Just curious.

You mean in-boundary, UMC students, correct? I believe eight, down from about twice that many at the start of 6th grade.

Yes, I guess I did primarily mean that, but if you have information on former Brent students who don't fit that description, I'd be curious to know as well.

We've had kids at Brent for 8 years. To my knowledge, every year we've been at Brent, somewhere between half a dozen and and a dozen OOB low SES AA 5th grade students have gone on to Jefferson. Some of these kids only attend Brent for 5th for Brent mainly because the parents want the Jefferson feed. The parents may have attended Jefferson themselves for middle school.

How do you know the SES of these children?

I'm wondering too. Seriously, we get back to the basic point that most of the parents posting on here are more influenced by the number of brown faces in the classroom seats than anything else.

I'm just not buying it. We're AA and high SES. It's very easy to figure out who's AA and low SES at Brent if you're paying attention over time.

[Anonymous]

we are still planning on going to SH after Watkins

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:we are still planning on going to SH after Watkins

What grade are you?

[Anonymous]

^^ We’re IB for SH and enrolled at BASIS. A primary factor is that once you hit 5th grade, high school seems not so far off. And while SH was acceptable, Eastern was not. Moreover, we’re too risk-adverse to put all our cards into acceptance at Walls—for our multiple kids.

I presently have no idea whether my happy/bright/academically-motivated Basis 5th grader will stay through 12th grade. But having a solid option through high school gives amazing peace of mind. And if Basis proves to be a soul-crushing experience (which I wholeheartedly doubt!), SH remains an option.

And so far we’re positively loving BASIS.

[Anonymous]

It's just not a safe bet that 5th grade+ at BASIS will be an option for the rest of us on the Hill.

We have Ward 6 neighbors and friends who remain on the 5th grade BASIS WL this year, and haven't had winning lottery numbers for any other program they would have found acceptable either, e.g. Washington Latin, Two Rivers and SH.

These days, some Hill families stay for 5th grade at Maury, SWS and Brent simply to take advantage of the breathing room they will need to make and implement a plan to go private or relocate. I've seen families in this situation move to Upper NW for Deal-Wilson, to the burbs, outside this Metro area, even overseas after they struck out in the DC MS lottery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:we are still planning on going to SH after Watkins

What grade are you?

Not poster you're asking but we're in 4th grade, in-boundary for SH and planning to go for 6th grade. We would prefer to supplement at home with a 2-minute commute to MS than to head to the BASIS grind. We're saving for private HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ We’re IB for SH and enrolled at BASIS. A primary factor is that once you hit 5th grade, high school seems not so far off. And while SH was acceptable, Eastern was not. Moreover, we’re too risk-adverse to put all our cards into acceptance at Walls—for our multiple kids.

I presently have no idea whether my happy/bright/academically-motivated Basis 5th grader will stay through 12th grade. But having a solid option through high school gives amazing peace of mind. And if Basis proves to be a soul-crushing experience (which I wholeheartedly doubt!), SH remains an option.

And so far we’re positively loving BASIS.

Sure, positively loving BASIS one month in. The comprehensive exams don't kick in until 6th grade. Stressed-out 7th and 8th graders aren't in short supply at BASIS, along with kids (particularly boys) who bounce off the walls for lack of fresh air, exercise and a real gym, performance space, even a library.

PS. I used to work at BASIS DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:we are still planning on going to SH after Watkins

What grade are you?

4th

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ We’re IB for SH and enrolled at BASIS. A primary factor is that once you hit 5th grade, high school seems not so far off. And while SH was acceptable, Eastern was not. Moreover, we’re too risk-adverse to put all our cards into acceptance at Walls—for our multiple kids.

I presently have no idea whether my happy/bright/academically-motivated Basis 5th grader will stay through 12th grade. But having a solid option through high school gives amazing peace of mind. And if Basis proves to be a soul-crushing experience (which I wholeheartedly doubt!), SH remains an option.

And so far we’re positively loving BASIS.

Sure, positively loving BASIS one month in. The comprehensive exams don't kick in until 6th grade. Stressed-out 7th and 8th graders aren't in short supply at BASIS, along with kids (particularly boys) who bounce off the walls for lack of fresh air, exercise and a real gym, performance space, even a library.

PS. I used to work at BASIS DC.

Ever noticed how parents starting BASIS in 5th grade tend to ignore the inconvenient fact that more than half of the incoming students will no longer be there come 9th grade?

"Amazing peace of mind" isn't exactly the name of the game when admins are actively trying to weed your 7th or 8th grader out for whatever reasons. That's the BASIS model.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ We’re IB for SH and enrolled at BASIS. A primary factor is that once you hit 5th grade, high school seems not so far off. And while SH was acceptable, Eastern was not. Moreover, we’re too risk-adverse to put all our cards into acceptance at Walls—for our multiple kids.

I presently have no idea whether my happy/bright/academically-motivated Basis 5th grader will stay through 12th grade. But having a solid option through high school gives amazing peace of mind. And if Basis proves to be a soul-crushing experience (which I wholeheartedly doubt!), SH remains an option.

And so far we’re positively loving BASIS.

You said naive, PP. BASIS isn't for all comers through high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:we are still planning on going to SH after Watkins

What grade are you?

4th

See you at SH, PP. Our older kid is bright and high-performing but already prone to test anxiety. No BASIS for us.

[Anonymous]

I'm wondering if PARCC results are a good indication if a child is a good test taker and would therefore do OK at Basis. Can anyone weigh in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ We’re IB for SH and enrolled at BASIS. A primary factor is that once you hit 5th grade, high school seems not so far off. And while SH was acceptable, Eastern was not. Moreover, we’re too risk-adverse to put all our cards into acceptance at Walls—for our multiple kids.

I presently have no idea whether my happy/bright/academically-motivated Basis 5th grader will stay through 12th grade. But having a solid option through high school gives amazing peace of mind. And if Basis proves to be a soul-crushing experience (which I wholeheartedly doubt!), SH remains an option.

And so far we’re positively loving BASIS.

Sure, positively loving BASIS one month in. The comprehensive exams don't kick in until 6th grade. Stressed-out 7th and 8th graders aren't in short supply at BASIS, along with kids (particularly boys) who bounce off the walls for lack of fresh air, exercise and a real gym, performance space, even a library.

PS. I used to work at BASIS DC.

Ever noticed how parents starting BASIS in 5th grade tend to ignore the inconvenient fact that more than half of the incoming students will no longer be there come 9th grade?



"Amazing peace of mind" isn't exactly the name of the game when admins are actively trying to weed your 7th or 8th grader out for whatever reasons. That's the BASIS model.

It is very interesting to me how angry/bitter some people get when Basis actually works for some kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm wondering if PARCC results are a good indication if a child is a good test taker and would therefore do OK at Basis. Can anyone weigh in?

I’m unsure. But I’m the parent of the Basis 5th grader who others are calling naive for feeling “peace of mind” to have Basis as a high school option.

FWIW: My child got two 5’s on PAARC and — per all teachers — consistently performed in the top 5 percent of her super well-regarded elementary school. She is super academically-motivated. So, yes, I’m optimistic about Basis being a solid high school option.

DC does not have test in middle-school programs like NYC’s Hunter College middle school/high school, but Basis offers a flunk our model. I’ll take that over no tracking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm wondering if PARCC results are a good indication if a child is a good test taker and would therefore do OK at Basis. Can anyone weigh in?

My 6th grader is thriving at Basis and is even complaining that some of the classes are going too slow, and didn't do spectacularly on PARCC (mid 4 for reading, high 4 for math).