Reply to How's basis going so far?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Actually FWIW in my experience here in Tucson (parent here) the strictness of comps has reduced due to increasing size of enrollment and need to retain bodies for financial reasons. So one teacher told me that a kid he failed on the comp AND the re-take in 8th grade nevetheless was promoted to 9th grade. This student just recently transferred out of BASIS voluntarily after receiving straight Fs for a few weeks in 9th grade. Remember, charters earn money by keeping students enrolled. Many hardworking kids still drop out along the way either due to burn out or because they could get much better grades with less work elsewhere. The original plan mentioned by the poster who was part of the first BASIS class (holding back kids who fail comps) is no longer, in my experience, the norm at the Tucson campus though the policy remains on the books. Some students do voluntarily choose to repeat grades. Some parents will have their child take 5th grade in regular public school and then start BASIS 5th grade to gain more time to prepare.[/quote]

That's interesting, PP.  I spoke with Olga Block about this once, and, if I recall correctly, her position was that the kids who get promoted by lowering the standards, e.g., failing a comp but being promoted anyway, ultimately fail out.  The example you cite supports her position.

Why do you think they bother promoting kids who will ultimately fail out?  Are they trying to keep them on the rolls until headcount day the following year?  Here in DC, a charter is paid for the number of children enrolled on headcount day, which is around October 5th.  It doesn't matter if the enrollment increases or decreases after that point. The payment is the same.  Interestingly, headcount day has come an gone, but BASIS DC is still advertising available spots.

As for maintaining enrollment numbers, I understand that the enrollment model at BASIS is a pyramid.  That is, due to the high attrition rate, there are more 5th graders than 6th graders, more 6th graders than 7th graders, etc. all the way up to 12th.  The high attrition rate is already factored in, is it not?  How strong is the financial incentive to maintain the class size really?  If enrollment drops for than expected, can't they just increase the sizes of the 5th and 6th grades?

I would imagine that promoting the child who failed the comp was an act of compassion more than anything else.  It's probably hard hold back a child whose been there for a few years and "only" failed one comp.  I could see myself promoting such a child in hopes that he gets his act together over the summer and comes back with a more serious attitude.

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