Reply to BASIS DCPCSB to open two PK3-5 campuses

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]How is BASIS different from DC Prep?[/quote]

Exactly or KIPP. It's one thing to turn up the heat on middle schoolers, but Kindergarteners? Really? This model will probably backfire on a number of kids by sucking the fun out of school. [/quote]

Doesn't BASIS already have this model in Arizona?  How is it working there?[/quote]

Schools are fully subscribed and their[b] test scores[/b] seem pretty strong. But they've only been in the[b] K-4 [/b]game for about 3 years.[/quote]

Are test scores really the only thing that matter for kids ages 5-9? If your answer is "Yes," or "Test scores aren't the only thing, but they're the most important thing for this age group," then are you actually a parent? It's hard for me to believe that parents would want this for their children, but I suppose Basis is counting on this option seeming preferable to some or the poorest-managed DCPS schools.

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Actually, if you look at the classical education model, mastery of grammar (building blocks of every subject) is essential. Testing, done well, is a very good tool. I agree that NO kid should advance without mastery of foundations. Why are we so test averse? I am currently homeschooling my 4th grader. He is tested daily (on spelling, English grammar, math facts, history facts...) and commits pretty much everything I teach him to memory. BUT it is not stressful to him. Today, he had to memorize a pronoun chart (subject, object, possessive, reflexive...). He said it was FUN. He's already halfway through Saxon 76. NO stress. Plays golf, plays soccer, plays board games, plays Pokemon, oil paints, plays piano, and TESTS TESTS TESTS. And gets a good night's sleep, and goes on dates with mom and dad, and has great friends. The thing that people worry about is SHAME, I think, that kids are advancing at different levels. The problem is that everyone judges everyone. Testing, done well, is not harmful at all. Judging, however, is.  The key for a school that tests a lot is to also build up a child's understand of what it means to make progress instead of shooting for perfection. That understanding has to be cultivated both at home and in school in order for a child to be healthy. I am not arguing that Basis is going to do this well. I am saying that I disagree with all the parents out there who are anti-testing. Testing is best when done daily. You only need to know a limited set of foundational facts between 1st and 4th grade, completely do-able, every school ought to be providing this for their kids. Basis model is amazing because it TRULY is no child left behind in a sense that this model allows nobody to slip through the cracks missing any key concepts. Is is a gift for every child to have gone through school actually having the strong foundation of education. You can't build a house if foundations have cracks. [/quote]

As a fellow homeschool parent who is interested in transitioning to BASIS, I don't think it's comparable.  Testing with a parent is not the same as school.  Well, at least not with my child. We "test" a lot, but this is a check-in process for him and me (not resultant in a grade). My child has gotten straight As since Kindergarten (yes, has been homeschooling since K).  Our check-in tests are more an evaluation of what I'm doing than what he's doing -- if he's not getting something, it's 100% my fault.  Also, we are able to homeschool with traditional text books (also using Saxon math) a couple times a week -- it's not every day.  Many mid-day plans are only playdates with other kids.  I don't think that is comparable to a 8-4 BASIS day (from what I've read).

I don't want to bash BASIS, because that's actually where I'm hoping to transition.[/quote]

So the way I do testing at home is 100% accuracy testing, not a check-in process like you said. If I ask DS 10 questions and he knows 9, that's 90%. Whether or not I  give him a grade doesn't change the fact (that he knows) he has 1 wrong. So, I don't think grades are that big of a deal, either. The question in front of us is... does testing stress kids out, and do grades stress kids out. I am sad to hear that many kids are stressed out. But it is not the grade NOR the testing that is putting the stress on kids, but unreasonable expectations. You can be very gentle with kids and have very reasonable expectations AND do the Basis model (I think). But the staff there will have to be very skilled at how to coach and motivate kids in a kid friendly way. I hope my kid will go to Basis next year. We are working on full problem sets every day. It really is just part of the routine. He gets done with his homeschool day by 1pm or 2pm but a lot gets done, and the "testing" I do is very exacting. Judging by how happy and giggly my child is, I feel strongly that rigor is completely acceptable when done right. I hope Basis elementary can provide that... but again, it takes skilled, kind and gentle teachers who have a great vision of what as strong education should look like.[/quote]

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