Basis 8th grade to Walls-vent

[Anonymous]

PP nailed it. It’s crazy how people complain about BASIS rather than the fact that the DCPS high schools are by and large a disaster. Maybe JR should be a city-wide school? Maybe DC should offer special academic programs for gifted students at schools that otherwise have 1% of the student body on grade level and families need to be bribed to send their kids to school?

It’s easier to blame BASIS because it’s the unicorn in DC that actually celebrates the strivers instead of trying to make them feel like they shouldn’t try too hard because their peers might feel bad about themselves…. It’s astounding how people do not recognize the real problems in the DC school system…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Why not have an admissions process for ninth grade admission to Basis? Surely the great minds could figure out how to at least attempt to fill those seats. Basis senior classes are so small.

But I guess they will continue to just throw their hands up and say no one will let us have an admissions test so we will go along assuming that no single child in the entire city is smart enough to join Basis for HS.

What kind of admission process do you propose to ensure kids are prepared for the BASIS 9th grade curriculum?

BASIS 9th graders take the following classes: Honors science, Honors English literature, Honors English language and composition, some version of pre calculus (I’m not sure all the options), AP US Government, foreign language, and an elective which is likely another AP class.

Tell me which other school offers this as a baseline for Freshmen?

And while we are at it— why can’t all kids in DC have access to a school the caliber of Walls or Jackson Reed?

There are 3 math tracks in 9th: AP Precalc, Precalc B, and Precalc A.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parcc aside, at the sww open house this year the teacher mentioned that they teach algebra to (some) 9th graders and even have a “math support” program for kids who are seriously behind. Why are they even offering walls spots to kids who are performing at grade level or below for math? They could clearly fill their class with just advanced math kids, and then save themselves the expense of teachers for remedial coursework at a magnet school. Makes zero sense. It was one thing that turned our advanced math kids off of walls.

Pandemic.....

[Anonymous]

We can blame DCPS AND expect Basis to open its doors to students who can do the work. Do you think the kids who peel off for the competitive privates at ninth grade couldn’t handle Basis? Or the 4.0 kids who go on to SWW and then to top colleges? Why was SWW able to have an admissions test for so many years but Basis couldn’t?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We can blame DCPS AND expect Basis to open its doors to students who can do the work. Do you think the kids who peel off for the competitive privates at ninth grade couldn’t handle Basis? Or the 4.0 kids who go on to SWW and then to top colleges? Why was SWW able to have an admissions test for so many years but Basis couldn’t?

I do assume that mostly. And that isn’t a compliment to BASIS. The program is rigid! The kids are fully indoctrinated by 9th grade. It would be awful for anyone to jump in at that stage, regardless of intelligence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We can blame DCPS AND expect Basis to open its doors to students who can do the work. Do you think the kids who peel off for the competitive privates at ninth grade couldn’t handle Basis? Or the 4.0 kids who go on to SWW and then to top colleges? Why was SWW able to have an admissions test for so many years but Basis couldn’t?

I do assume that mostly. And that isn’t a compliment to BASIS. The program is rigid! The kids are fully indoctrinated by 9th grade. It would be awful for anyone to jump in at that stage, regardless of intelligence.

I think the biggest issue is just literally the math track. BASIS kids seems to all be at precal at 9th. If a kid has taken algebra 1, geometry and Algebra 2 they should be fine, but there is not other middle school in DC that offers that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We can blame DCPS AND expect Basis to open its doors to students who can do the work. Do you think the kids who peel off for the competitive privates at ninth grade couldn’t handle Basis? Or the 4.0 kids who go on to SWW and then to top colleges? Why was SWW able to have an admissions test for so many years but Basis couldn’t?

I do assume that mostly. And that isn’t a compliment to BASIS. The program is rigid! The kids are fully indoctrinated by 9th grade. It would be awful for anyone to jump in at that stage, regardless of intelligence.

I think the biggest issue is just literally the math track. BASIS kids seems to all be at precal at 9th. If a kid has taken algebra 1, geometry and Algebra 2 they should be fine, but there is not other middle school in DC that offers that.

(And as goes without saying, you can't move onto the next stage of math unless you have mastered the previous stage, unlike a subject like English or history)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We can blame DCPS AND expect Basis to open its doors to students who can do the work. Do you think the kids who peel off for the competitive privates at ninth grade couldn’t handle Basis? Or the 4.0 kids who go on to SWW and then to top colleges? Why was SWW able to have an admissions test for so many years but Basis couldn’t?

Because BASIS is a charter school. Charter schools must lottery seats. They are not allowed to have admissions tests. This is a federal rule, not a local one. BASIS is not allowed to just select the kids who are prepared, or else their whole admissions process would be different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We can blame DCPS AND expect Basis to open its doors to students who can do the work. Do you think the kids who peel off for the competitive privates at ninth grade couldn’t handle Basis? Or the 4.0 kids who go on to SWW and then to top colleges? Why was SWW able to have an admissions test for so many years but Basis couldn’t?

So you want your rising 9th grader to go to BASIS? Or are you mad your BASIS (or not) rising 9th grader didn’t get into Walls?

Those kids with 4.0s you speak of going to SWW or privates could have gone to BASIS in 5th grade. For the most part BASIS went through a significant portion of their waitlist at that time. Then they could have stayed for HS. Problem solved.

Someone will know the reason why BASIS can’t have a tests. I think it has something to do with how its charter was approved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We can blame DCPS AND expect Basis to open its doors to students who can do the work. Do you think the kids who peel off for the competitive privates at ninth grade couldn’t handle Basis? Or the 4.0 kids who go on to SWW and then to top colleges? Why was SWW able to have an admissions test for so many years but Basis couldn’t?

So you want your rising 9th grader to go to BASIS? Or are you mad your BASIS (or not) rising 9th grader didn’t get into Walls?

Those kids with 4.0s you speak of going to SWW or privates could have gone to BASIS in 5th grade. For the most part BASIS went through a significant portion of their waitlist at that time. Then they could have stayed for HS. Problem solved.

Someone will know the reason why BASIS can’t have a tests. I think it has something to do with how its charter was approved.

Yes, it is this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing about PARCC is kids have no skin in the game. The only people who are affected by PARCC scores are teachers who teach those grade levels/courses and the school profile. If DCPS wanted to get an actual measure of student readiness in math and reading then they’d make scoring a 3 on parcc a requirement for graduation. I guarantee PARCC scores would increase citywide in HS. But of course DCPS won’t actually make the test worth anything so instead kids focus on AP tests or coursework that affects their grades. How hard would you all try on a test that means nothing? Versus how hard would you try on a test that had some incentive (money, getting into grad school, etc.?

But a Walls student wouldn't need to try at all to get a 4 on the PARCC! It's testing stuff they already know well. You're not supposed to study. Just show up and take a test.

+1. I think PARCC reflects the poor teaching at Walls more than anything else. What kind community have you built that would have 1/3 of the students not care about a test that would show the quality of the school and its teaching?

Have you ever met a teenager?

Especially ones who are studious enough to get into Walls, I'm guessing think a lot think PARCC is a joke and want to just get it over with while putting in minimum effort. If it doesn't affect GPA or college for them personally, why bother?

What kind of kids are you raising? If it doesn’t affect them personally, they’re going to put in zero effort?

What kind of stupid city foists PARCC/CAPE on kids when plenty of states go with PSAT 8/9, PSAT or the SAT as their state standardized test for high school. Congress allow that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We can blame DCPS AND expect Basis to open its doors to students who can do the work. Do you think the kids who peel off for the competitive privates at ninth grade couldn’t handle Basis? Or the 4.0 kids who go on to SWW and then to top colleges? Why was SWW able to have an admissions test for so many years but Basis couldn’t?

So you want your rising 9th grader to go to BASIS? Or are you mad your BASIS (or not) rising 9th grader didn’t get into Walls?

Those kids with 4.0s you speak of going to SWW or privates could have gone to BASIS in 5th grade. For the most part BASIS went through a significant portion of their waitlist at that time. Then they could have stayed for HS. Problem solved.

Someone will know the reason why BASIS can’t have a tests. I think it has something to do with how its charter was approved.

This is always the Basis argument: You’re jealous. No, but I see where this city lacks good opportunities for smart kids, opportunities in the form of unfilled seats at Basis. Anyone can see that. Even people at Basis.

What about those 8th graders who are 4.0s now? Or three or four or five years from now? I guess they have to be lucky when they are fifth graders because, in practice, Basis closes their doors and leaves seats empty beyond sixth or seventh grade (when only Basis siblings can magically be Basis-ready).

Kids coming out of Basis have gotten a great education and are ready to do great things. Too bad some people there can’t bring themselves to share more of that opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We can blame DCPS AND expect Basis to open its doors to students who can do the work. Do you think the kids who peel off for the competitive privates at ninth grade couldn’t handle Basis? Or the 4.0 kids who go on to SWW and then to top colleges? Why was SWW able to have an admissions test for so many years but Basis couldn’t?

So you want your rising 9th grader to go to BASIS? Or are you mad your BASIS (or not) rising 9th grader didn’t get into Walls?

Those kids with 4.0s you speak of going to SWW or privates could have gone to BASIS in 5th grade. For the most part BASIS went through a significant portion of their waitlist at that time. Then they could have stayed for HS. Problem solved.

Someone will know the reason why BASIS can’t have a tests. I think it has something to do with how its charter was approved.

This is always the Basis argument: You’re jealous. No, but I see where this city lacks good opportunities for smart kids, opportunities in the form of unfilled seats at Basis. Anyone can see that. Even people at Basis.

What about those 8th graders who are 4.0s now? Or three or four or five years from now? I guess they have to be lucky when they are fifth graders because, in practice, Basis closes their doors and leaves seats empty beyond sixth or seventh grade (when only Basis siblings can magically be Basis-ready).

Kids coming out of Basis have gotten a great education and are ready to do great things. Too bad some people there can’t bring themselves to share more of that opportunity.

But they do share that opportunity. The number of 5th grade seats is adjusted to reflect attrition in other grades. More kids leaving for 9th = more 5th grade seats and vice versa. That building can only hold 650ish kids. Can’t have a large 5th grade and also large HS classes.

I find it interesting that BASIS is bashed for all sorts of things and now that “selective” high schools are harder to get into people start bashing the school for not accepting more kids.

[Anonymous]

Everyone is telling you that the issue is not that BASIS doesn't think ANY kid who doesn't go to BASIS is prepared, but rather that they are not allowed to have any processes for using academic record or test scores to select just the kids who are prepared. It is actually illegal for charters to do this.

And DCPS could put BASIS out of business in a second if they wanted. DCPS has more resources and is allowed to do selective admissions. The lack of opportunities for smart kids in DC is the fault of DCPS, not BASIS.

[Anonymous]

I’m not interested in Basis because I don’t like the math acceleration they have. I’m a HS teacher and in my opinion, very few kids are developmentally ready for precalculus in 8th grade. I don’t see the point of rushing through the K-12 curriculum just to accelerate kids.
I 100% agree that DCPS, in general, does not challenge kids enough. But Basis is sort of the other extreme. Going slower and deeper with math and other subjects usually works better than pure acceleration. I’m sure some kids do well with the Basis model but it is not ideal for most kids