If you gave BASIS a chance and it didn't work out, when did you know?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would your child be trying to do a senior project in the area that they want a job? Every single one of the kids is about to go away to a four year college and probably grad school. Also, it isn't mandatory at all. If your kid isn't creative enough to find a niche to explore and learn from on their own, they should skip it. They will graduate all the same.

I still have no clue what you are talking about with regard to lack of extracurricular leadership positions. This seems again to be child specific, nothing to do with the school. My child has interesting electives (though they are starting to wind down) and so many leadership positions, both within the school and through city wide extracurriculars. So do her friends. I can't think of a single one that isn't captain of something or president of something or similar. It sounds like this child is just unmotivated, which may be fueled by a parental desire to interfere and not allow independent growth.

Do you hear yourself? Your kids interesting electives are winding down... in December?! There are six months of not that to go. You have drunk the Kool Aid, my friend. I also think you don't have perspective on what extracurriculars are like at other schools if you think BASIS -- not city wide/non-school based extracurriculars -- is the same as what most schools have in terms of Senior involvement. Lots of second semester Seniors don't even come to school at BASIS. That is just not a thing at most good schools; kids are knee deep in everything in their second semester of Senior year.

Based on what PP said, that is probably why Basis does better in college admissions. You don’t apply to college after senior year.

I actually think BASIS doesn’t do as well as it should in college admissions because it gives such short shrift to ECs, which are actually the distinguishing factor between lots of similar reasonably high stats white & Asian kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would your child be trying to do a senior project in the area that they want a job? Every single one of the kids is about to go away to a four year college and probably grad school. Also, it isn't mandatory at all. If your kid isn't creative enough to find a niche to explore and learn from on their own, they should skip it. They will graduate all the same.

I still have no clue what you are talking about with regard to lack of extracurricular leadership positions. This seems again to be child specific, nothing to do with the school. My child has interesting electives (though they are starting to wind down) and so many leadership positions, both within the school and through city wide extracurriculars. So do her friends. I can't think of a single one that isn't captain of something or president of something or similar. It sounds like this child is just unmotivated, which may be fueled by a parental desire to interfere and not allow independent growth.

Do you hear yourself? Your kids interesting electives are winding down... in December?! There are six months of not that to go. You have drunk the Kool Aid, my friend. I also think you don't have perspective on what extracurriculars are like at other schools if you think BASIS -- not city wide/non-school based extracurriculars -- is the same as what most schools have in terms of Senior involvement. Lots of second semester Seniors don't even come to school at BASIS. That is just not a thing at most good schools; kids are knee deep in everything in their second semester of Senior year.

This. You can only pitch a relentlessly lackluster arrangement as a bold one for so long before you're called out.

NP. +1. It’s incredible how some people bend backwards to try to justify things. What is worst is that instead of just admit that Basis gives absolutely no support to these “senior projects” , they try to twist it around saying that all it takes is for kid to be motivated and independent and absolve the school of its responsibility.

It’s bad enough the kids are grinding it like hell for 3 years with the endless testing. Now these kids suck because they are not motivated when the school itself is checked out for the seniors.

Every kid doing a senior project has an advisor. What support is Basis supposed to give beyond that?

Seems like a great opportunity for kids.

Here is the description:

The BASIS Charter School Senior Project supports students’ developing sense of investigation while fostering independence and professionalism. Over the course of the third trimester, students gain real-world experience at an off-campus site. Working with mentors at their school and off-campus site, students investigate a topic of their choosing and share blog entries summarizing their successes and challenges. At the end of the trimester, students return to campus and present an analysis of their findings to peers, staff, and parents. These projects may be completed anywhere in the world.

So what is the advisor doing exactly for the kids? Are there meetings to discuss ideas on projects? Are they helping to make connections to gather data? Do they help students analyze data and present data or help guide the project? Do they read and edit the work?

Because from the actual responses of parents in here, they are saying the kids need to be independent and do it on their own.

What do advisors normally do?

Walls has a senior project requirement which is extremely limited compared to Basis. Why don’t you go complain about that?

This whole discussion is absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would your child be trying to do a senior project in the area that they want a job? Every single one of the kids is about to go away to a four year college and probably grad school. Also, it isn't mandatory at all. If your kid isn't creative enough to find a niche to explore and learn from on their own, they should skip it. They will graduate all the same.

I still have no clue what you are talking about with regard to lack of extracurricular leadership positions. This seems again to be child specific, nothing to do with the school. My child has interesting electives (though they are starting to wind down) and so many leadership positions, both within the school and through city wide extracurriculars. So do her friends. I can't think of a single one that isn't captain of something or president of something or similar. It sounds like this child is just unmotivated, which may be fueled by a parental desire to interfere and not allow independent growth.

Do you hear yourself? Your kids interesting electives are winding down... in December?! There are six months of not that to go. You have drunk the Kool Aid, my friend. I also think you don't have perspective on what extracurriculars are like at other schools if you think BASIS -- not city wide/non-school based extracurriculars -- is the same as what most schools have in terms of Senior involvement. Lots of second semester Seniors don't even come to school at BASIS. That is just not a thing at most good schools; kids are knee deep in everything in their second semester of Senior year.

This. You can only pitch a relentlessly lackluster arrangement as a bold one for so long before you're called out.

NP. +1. It’s incredible how some people bend backwards to try to justify things. What is worst is that instead of just admit that Basis gives absolutely no support to these “senior projects” , they try to twist it around saying that all it takes is for kid to be motivated and independent and absolve the school of its responsibility.

It’s bad enough the kids are grinding it like hell for 3 years with the endless testing. Now these kids suck because they are not motivated when the school itself is checked out for the seniors.

Every kid doing a senior project has an advisor. What support is Basis supposed to give beyond that?

Seems like a great opportunity for kids.

Here is the description:

The BASIS Charter School Senior Project supports students’ developing sense of investigation while fostering independence and professionalism. Over the course of the third trimester, students gain real-world experience at an off-campus site. Working with mentors at their school and off-campus site, students investigate a topic of their choosing and share blog entries summarizing their successes and challenges. At the end of the trimester, students return to campus and present an analysis of their findings to peers, staff, and parents. These projects may be completed anywhere in the world.

So what is the advisor doing exactly for the kids? Are there meetings to discuss ideas on projects? Are they helping to make connections to gather data? Do they help students analyze data and present data or help guide the project? Do they read and edit the work?

Because from the actual responses of parents in here, they are saying the kids need to be independent and do it on their own.

What do advisors normally do?

Walls has a senior project requirement which is extremely limited compared to Basis. Why don’t you go complain about that?

This whole discussion is absurd.

Ah, I see. So it’s advisor in name only………

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would your child be trying to do a senior project in the area that they want a job? Every single one of the kids is about to go away to a four year college and probably grad school. Also, it isn't mandatory at all. If your kid isn't creative enough to find a niche to explore and learn from on their own, they should skip it. They will graduate all the same.

I still have no clue what you are talking about with regard to lack of extracurricular leadership positions. This seems again to be child specific, nothing to do with the school. My child has interesting electives (though they are starting to wind down) and so many leadership positions, both within the school and through city wide extracurriculars. So do her friends. I can't think of a single one that isn't captain of something or president of something or similar. It sounds like this child is just unmotivated, which may be fueled by a parental desire to interfere and not allow independent growth.

Do you hear yourself? Your kids interesting electives are winding down... in December?! There are six months of not that to go. You have drunk the Kool Aid, my friend. I also think you don't have perspective on what extracurriculars are like at other schools if you think BASIS -- not city wide/non-school based extracurriculars -- is the same as what most schools have in terms of Senior involvement. Lots of second semester Seniors don't even come to school at BASIS. That is just not a thing at most good schools; kids are knee deep in everything in their second semester of Senior year.

Based on what PP said, that is probably why Basis does better in college admissions. You don’t apply to college after senior year.

I actually think BASIS doesn’t do as well as it should in college admissions because it gives such short shrift to ECs, which are actually the distinguishing factor between lots of similar reasonably high stats white & Asian kids.

You'd think that this would be true; it's intuitive. But where's the evidence? It's undeniable, BASIS DC has done remarkably well in college admissions in the last decade, with up to a dozen grads heading to Ivies every year, and typically one or two to MIT. I keep waiting for their Ivy League admit rate to slump in this age when taking a bunch of AP exams and scoring 4s and 5s doesn't impress college admissions officers like it did in the past, but it doesn't. They guidance counselors at BASIS must have been adept at helping students spin whatever ECs seniors bring to the table as competitive.

What BASIS DC does effectively is shed the students/families who can't, or won't, march in step with their curriculum. In our experience in their middle school, it's like a military academy without the military dimension. We're contrarians who disliked the place for our artsy and humanities-oriented children and left fast. But most of the other parents seemed perfectly OK with the way BASIS works.

[Anonymous]

All the above is true.

[Anonymous]

To answer the OP's original question, I think a lot of the following might help:

If your kids is getting math scores below the 90th percentile, they will find the math and science classes really stressful.

If you have an arts and humanities focused kid (over STEM), they probably will not enjoy it.

If your kid isn't great with executive functioning, they will find it stressful.

If you are a parent with helicopter tendencies (this is not a judgement, but I don't know how else to say it), you and your kid will find it stressful. (because you will be on their case about the amount of work, so there will be a lot of nagging, and they won't take over responsibility and will slowly drown in the workload).

That one is a little interesting, bc a lot of BASIS parents have really high expecations for their kids (including me). So it's a parent with high expectations but who is willing to let go and let their kid handle it.

That leaves:

Kids who find math easy, want to learn a ton, are very organized, and have parents who let them take over the responsibility for their schoolwork. These kids exist, I have one and he is genuinely happy. If you have one too, BASIS is truly a great opportunity.

[Anonymous]

6:43, thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would your child be trying to do a senior project in the area that they want a job? Every single one of the kids is about to go away to a four year college and probably grad school. Also, it isn't mandatory at all. If your kid isn't creative enough to find a niche to explore and learn from on their own, they should skip it. They will graduate all the same.

I still have no clue what you are talking about with regard to lack of extracurricular leadership positions. This seems again to be child specific, nothing to do with the school. My child has interesting electives (though they are starting to wind down) and so many leadership positions, both within the school and through city wide extracurriculars. So do her friends. I can't think of a single one that isn't captain of something or president of something or similar. It sounds like this child is just unmotivated, which may be fueled by a parental desire to interfere and not allow independent growth.

Do you hear yourself? Your kids interesting electives are winding down... in December?! There are six months of not that to go. You have drunk the Kool Aid, my friend. I also think you don't have perspective on what extracurriculars are like at other schools if you think BASIS -- not city wide/non-school based extracurriculars -- is the same as what most schools have in terms of Senior involvement. Lots of second semester Seniors don't even come to school at BASIS. That is just not a thing at most good schools; kids are knee deep in everything in their second semester of Senior year.

Based on what PP said, that is probably why Basis does better in college admissions. You don’t apply to college after senior year.

I actually think BASIS doesn’t do as well as it should in college admissions because it gives such short shrift to ECs, which are actually the distinguishing factor between lots of similar reasonably high stats white & Asian kids.

You'd think that this would be true; it's intuitive. But where's the evidence? It's undeniable, BASIS DC has done remarkably well in college admissions in the last decade, with up to a dozen grads heading to Ivies every year, and typically one or two to MIT. I keep waiting for their Ivy League admit rate to slump in this age when taking a bunch of AP exams and scoring 4s and 5s doesn't impress college admissions officers like it did in the past, but it doesn't. They guidance counselors at BASIS must have been adept at helping students spin whatever ECs seniors bring to the table as competitive.

What BASIS DC does effectively is shed the students/families who can't, or won't, march in step with their curriculum. In our experience in their middle school, it's like a military academy without the military dimension. We're contrarians who disliked the place for our artsy and humanities-oriented children and left fast. But most of the other parents seemed perfectly OK with the way BASIS works.

+1. I like the curriculum BASIS and the way it is administered, and I like it when those who don't, leave. As time goes on, the ones who stay are increasingly those who like it, and then things become even better. I wish there were more choices for people who like different types of curricula, but it isn't the fault of BASIS for not offering those.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would your child be trying to do a senior project in the area that they want a job? Every single one of the kids is about to go away to a four year college and probably grad school. Also, it isn't mandatory at all. If your kid isn't creative enough to find a niche to explore and learn from on their own, they should skip it. They will graduate all the same.

I still have no clue what you are talking about with regard to lack of extracurricular leadership positions. This seems again to be child specific, nothing to do with the school. My child has interesting electives (though they are starting to wind down) and so many leadership positions, both within the school and through city wide extracurriculars. So do her friends. I can't think of a single one that isn't captain of something or president of something or similar. It sounds like this child is just unmotivated, which may be fueled by a parental desire to interfere and not allow independent growth.

Do you hear yourself? Your kids interesting electives are winding down... in December?! There are six months of not that to go. You have drunk the Kool Aid, my friend. I also think you don't have perspective on what extracurriculars are like at other schools if you think BASIS -- not city wide/non-school based extracurriculars -- is the same as what most schools have in terms of Senior involvement. Lots of second semester Seniors don't even come to school at BASIS. That is just not a thing at most good schools; kids are knee deep in everything in their second semester of Senior year.

Based on what PP said, that is probably why Basis does better in college admissions. You don’t apply to college after senior year.

I actually think BASIS doesn’t do as well as it should in college admissions because it gives such short shrift to ECs, which are actually the distinguishing factor between lots of similar reasonably high stats white & Asian kids.

You'd think that this would be true; it's intuitive. But where's the evidence? It's undeniable, BASIS DC has done remarkably well in college admissions in the last decade, with up to a dozen grads heading to Ivies every year, and typically one or two to MIT. I keep waiting for their Ivy League admit rate to slump in this age when taking a bunch of AP exams and scoring 4s and 5s doesn't impress college admissions officers like it did in the past, but it doesn't. They guidance counselors at BASIS must have been adept at helping students spin whatever ECs seniors bring to the table as competitive.

What BASIS DC does effectively is shed the students/families who can't, or won't, march in step with their curriculum. In our experience in their middle school, it's like a military academy without the military dimension. We're contrarians who disliked the place for our artsy and humanities-oriented children and left fast. But most of the other parents seemed perfectly OK with the way BASIS works.

+1. I like the curriculum BASIS and the way it is administered, and I like it when those who don't, leave. As time goes on, the ones who stay are increasingly those who like it, and then things become even better. I wish there were more choices for people who like different types of curricula, but it isn't the fault of BASIS for not offering those.

+2. I didn't choose Washington Latin for our kids because I didn't like the Latin curriculum. Most of my neighbors did, but I really didn't. I'm glad it exists for those who like it, but it wasn't for me.

[Anonymous]

6th grade BASIS parent here. My son loves it. He is the textbook definition of a BASIS student. We will sending kid #2 next year. Crossing my fingers it works out as they are a very different kids. Very much appreciated this thread as I sometimes wonder what is going on with the kids who aren't like my son and are hating life every day with the giant case-it and endless packets.

[Anonymous]

Co-sign: we have one kid thriving at Basis but wouldn’t even consider it for our other kid (and it would have been a poor fit for middle school me).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:6th grade BASIS parent here. My son loves it. He is the textbook definition of a BASIS student. We will sending kid #2 next year. Crossing my fingers it works out as they are a very different kids. Very much appreciated this thread as I sometimes wonder what is going on with the kids who aren't like my son and are hating life every day with the giant case-it and endless packets.

From what I've observed few of the kids love or hate BASIS. They're OK with it, not more, or less.

The motivated students appreciate good teachers and challenging work. But almost everybody would love to have the use of outdoor space, a stage, classrooms flooded with natural light, wide hallways, a real gym, a pleasant school library/media center, and an auditorium. They'd also go for a range of strong electives (including foreign language instruction from day 1, and not just at the beginning level) and serious ECs, better teachers across the board, fewer classmates who shouldn't be there etc.

The kids make the best of things. That's all BASIS DC is worth. No secret that those with wherewithal and/or admissions luck almost always leave after a point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:6th grade BASIS parent here. My son loves it. He is the textbook definition of a BASIS student. We will sending kid #2 next year. Crossing my fingers it works out as they are a very different kids. Very much appreciated this thread as I sometimes wonder what is going on with the kids who aren't like my son and are hating life every day with the giant case-it and endless packets.

From what I've observed few of the kids love or hate BASIS. They're OK with it, not more, or less.

The motivated students appreciate good teachers and challenging work. But almost everybody would love to have the use of outdoor space, a stage, classrooms flooded with natural light, wide hallways, a real gym, a pleasant school library/media center, and an auditorium. They'd also go for a range of strong electives (including foreign language instruction from day 1, and not just at the beginning level) and serious ECs, better teachers across the board, fewer classmates who shouldn't be there etc.

The kids make the best of things. That's all BASIS DC is worth. No secret that those with wherewithal and/or admissions luck almost always leave after a point.

This guy has posting variations on a theme for literally years. Gym? Sure. Theater? Yep. No MS kid comes home to lament a lack of library. And you are dating yourself making reference to a "media center".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:6th grade BASIS parent here. My son loves it. He is the textbook definition of a BASIS student. We will sending kid #2 next year. Crossing my fingers it works out as they are a very different kids. Very much appreciated this thread as I sometimes wonder what is going on with the kids who aren't like my son and are hating life every day with the giant case-it and endless packets.

From what I've observed few of the kids love or hate BASIS. They're OK with it, not more, or less.

The motivated students appreciate good teachers and challenging work. But almost everybody would love to have the use of outdoor space, a stage, classrooms flooded with natural light, wide hallways, a real gym, a pleasant school library/media center, and an auditorium. They'd also go for a range of strong electives (including foreign language instruction from day 1, and not just at the beginning level) and serious ECs, better teachers across the board, fewer classmates who shouldn't be there etc.

The kids make the best of things. That's all BASIS DC is worth. No secret that those with wherewithal and/or admissions luck almost always leave after a point.

This guy has posting variations on a theme for literally years. Gym? Sure. Theater? Yep. No MS kid comes home to lament a lack of library. And you are dating yourself making reference to a "media center".

My DC was horrified to hear BASIS doesn’t have a library and still brings it up from time to time when people talk about the school.

[Anonymous]

The MLK library is literally a block and a half away and kids can leave for lunch starting in 8th grade. My kid loves that, so yes, thee is no gym, but how cool is it to run cross country on the National Mall, and how awesome to hang out at Gregory's Coffee in the morning before school and at Chipotle after. The city is their playground.