Reply to BASIS proposal to expand to K-4--PCSB hearing today

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Reply to "BASIS proposal to expand to K-4--PCSB hearing today"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The attrition rates before 8th grade at BASIS make it impossible to say that BASIS is actually doing a good job of educating the students it enrolls. They obviously do an excellent job of filtering out the students they don’t want to bother trying to educate. But the institution is more of a filter than a school.[/quote]
You're assuming that the attrition is mostly based on kids washing out of the school.  This is highly unlikely from 5th-6th grade, since 5th grade does not include comp exams, and it's difficult to fail that year.  The pre-8th grade attrition is likely a mix of:
1. People getting accepted in the lottery for schools they always preferred over Basis.  They always intended to use Basis as a stopgap or fallback plan.  This is likely a good chunk of the 5th-6th grade attrition (as well as the 8th-9th).
2. People who move out of the area
3. Kids arrive in 5th grade with such poor foundations that they can't really climb out of that academic hole.
4. The kids aren't as bright or motivated as the parents want to think they are.

#1 and #2 aren't Basis' fault.  #3 is exactly what they're trying to fix by opening a K-4.  For #4, Basis honestly does bend over backward to help kids succeed.  Teachers hold frequent student hours where a kid can get individual attention/tutoring.  The frequent exams and homework assignments mean that the kid is getting a lot of feedback throughout the year.  Basis is pretty upfront that unlike every other school in the area, it is providing advanced instruction.  If a kid is not at least above average and motivated, the kid will likely not succeed.  [/quote]

You forgot 5. (which is really part of #1), people opting for their IB middle school over BASIS.

And 2. should include people moving to an IB that they like.

You can say those things "aren't BASIS's fault", and I agree different families like different types of schools, but it is also possible that some people left BASIS because of BASIS' very real disadvantages and shortcomings in various areas. I don't think attracting kids who are IB for Deal should be, or is, a priority for BASIS. But there's a very defensive vibe to PP's list and it doesn't acknowledge that BASIS does have problems and shortcomings.[/quote]

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