Reply to BASIS attrition after middle school- why?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]If you’re trying to decide if BASIS is right for your individual student, for middle school or for high school, it does not help at all to look at the overall class sizes and how they shrink over the years.

As has been pointed out a couple times already on this thread and countless times on other threads: (1) BASIS’s student body size is capped based on the capacity of the building; (2) BASIS does not backfill; (3) BASIS does not socially promote; and (4) BASIS is 100% lottery admission.  [b]This means students begin attending BASIS in 5th grade (almost always) without having to first demonstrate any academic background, then experience an academically rigorous program/HW time commitment, and subsequently realize the program may or may not be a good fit. [/b] If students leave, they are essentially never replaced - not because others wouldn’t want to come to BASIS, but because BASIS almost never admits off the lottery beyond 5th grade as matter of policy.

Students who remain at the school seemingly inevitably found their place academically and socially.  Most parents wouldn’t try to move a happy kid to a different school.  An unhappy kid (unhappy for whatever reason) is likely not going to stay (unless parents really feel like they are stuck in which case they will just make the best of it).

Academic success + great friends = likelihood student remains for high school.  
Whether BASIS works out or doesn’t work out in the long run for other people is not necessarily going to tell you whether your individual student will be happy there. [/quote]  
Yawn. BASIS exceptionalism is never-ending on DCUM.

The building isn't a good fit for any living pre-teen or teen. High annual teacher turnover, semi-competent leadership and a large cohort of inexperienced, poorly trained, paid and supported middle school teachers isn't a good fit for any kid either. It's not uncommon for a family to enroll, hope for the best for their straight-A student only to become disillusioned over time because BASIS DC isn't all that great. No, students who remain at the school don't inevitably find their place academically and socially.  What often happens is that their parents are unwilling, unable or some combination to line up a good alternative for them. It's not unusual for BASIS 9th graders to re-enroll after failing to crack Walls, or to get the fi aid a family was hoping for at privates. Avoiding going in wearing rose-colored glasses, I'm with you there.[/quote]

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