Reply to Is Basis really as hard as people think?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I think what you got there is a bunch of hot shot students who are motivated by challenge. Not surprising to me at all that most are A students.[/quote]

My 0.02 on the original question. We have crossed BASIS-DC off the list based largely on conversations with a college friend who now teaches at the BASIS Tucson campus. Many factors in the mix, but two in particular relate directly to the OP's question.

Anecdote 1: This year many parents of Tucson 5th graders complained to the admin about high levels of stress and anxiety in their students. The admin's response was to hire a therapist to lead test anxiety workshops. This is a dealbreaker for us on a number of levels. First, why on earth are[b] so many 5th graders suffering from anxiety[/b]? Second, in what universe is teaching coping mechanisms a reasonable response? It is like a manufacturer of a toy that tends to burn students holding workshops on how to treat burn wounds. The problem in my opinion is with the product!!! Now from what I hear BASIS DC is not yet a full-fledged BASIS since it is a starter project. [b]So at the current watered down level it might actually be a pretty optimal environment for motivated parents with motivated kids[/b] (especially who are good at math). But the BASIS corporation is pretty insistent on product uniformity as they expand. Each campus answers to a central admin with a central curriculum and set of policies. We are making our decision on the BASIS model, not the current work in progress in DC.

Anecdote 2: Many teachers at the Tucson campus feel the focus on APs and acceleration has gone out of control. So we hear for example that many math teachers think think the Saxon program is too rigid and unforgiving (8th grade math in 5th grade, 30 questions every day, no time for stragglers to get comfortable with concepts, takes too much energy away from other classes, students hanging on only with extensive parental assistance and prodding). Math teacher also think it is a bad idea to schedule calculus for 9th grade. History teachers grumble about the inappropriateness of scheduling AP world history in 8th grade. And they all grumble about how the curriculum is designed by off-site administrators based solely on pushing more standardized tests and more acceleration, without regard to the other important elements of education.

As upper middle class educated parents we are confident that our DC will rise to the challenge of academics in due time within the "ordinary" educational system supplemented by our supportive home environment. We have a fairly negative view of an extreme focus on standardized tests (although they have a role to play), and the anxiety and lack of creativity (cram / bubble fill / repeat) that a test-based accelerated curriculum will create. [/quote]

The Basis DC curriculum is [b]not[/b] watered down at all. The 5th grade class is the same as at any Basis school. The 6th grade and above are slightly altered for a new school as Basis does for all new schools to take into consideration the upper grades did not start with the 5th grade curricula. I do not know of many 5th graders having anxiety attacks over testing. In fact, the kids seem happy and the parents seem happy.

As for the anecdotes from Basis teachers, I think you will always find some teachers in any school who disagree with a school's educational philosophy so I am not really impressed at all by anecdotes.

As for AP World History in 8th grade, I think the Basis curricula is designed to ease students up to that goals as well as the other AP goals. Our child's 5th grade coursework is laying the foundation now for AP World History, AP sciences, and AP math.
As for the math, Saxon 8/7 is really not that big of a jump for 5th graders especially if they are proficient in addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and math facts. Saxon 8/7 actually reviews all of elementary math. In fact, I think most math programs simply keep kids in an elementary math holding pattern for an artifically prolonged period of time which is unnecessary IMO.[/quote]

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