Anonymous wrote:What I'm gathering from all this information is that BASIS middle school has the most challenging curriculum in DC, but the high school curriculum is limited, and that Walls and JR give students the opportunity to advance farther in the subjects that they accel in. Useful to know. I'm very happy to send our kid there for 5-8, and we can make another decision/lottery/apply in 4 years. Curious what Banneker and McKinley will offer then, too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the observations and analysis above. There are more opportunities for advancement at Walls and J-R, particularly via dual enrollment at GW (almost never done from BASIS). BASIS doesn’t offer opportunities for language past AP either and doesn’t produce many AP language 5s. I used to teach at one of the NYC STEM HS magnets, where kids either did BC Calc or AB. That’s still the case in NYC. Teaching both calcs both to the same students is ridiculous. I’ll add that BASIS’ weak facilities and shoestring budget cut seniors off from the sort if STEM research opportunities (team research included) that are common in better funded high-performing high schools. Granted, that’s the story in DC public, period.

I am curious how you know dual enrollment stats for DC high schools and how many AP language AP scores BASIS has...

1) You can do dual enrollment at BASIS if you want. So, there is an "opportunity" for that. However, few students feel the need to avail themselves of this opportunity.

2) BASIS doesn't focus much on languages but you do have to take 5 years of a single foreign language (including senior year) and the AP language scores at BASIS DC are well above the national average.

3) You don't have to take both Calc AB and BC at BASIS BC if you don't want. Only Calc AB is required.

Anonymous wrote:I’m curious if/how BASIS (as a national network since it’s not decided in DC) justifies its curriculum decisions? It’s fine that they don’t prioritize foreign language just as it’s fine schools that privatize foreign language don’t priority math and science like BASIS does. Families know that when they make their choice to attend BASIS. But I’m curious how they defend their math curriculum decisions since that clearly is a subject that they do prioritize. And I’m curious about the “why” behind the foreign language set up. I think families would be more okay with the network’s decisions if they were better explained (or explained at all).

Maybe BASIS thinks linguistics helps students ultimately do better on the verbal section of the SAT? Maybe they think dividing up AB and BC calculus ensures more kids score higher on the AB part (which which reflects better on the school) or maybe it’s because they don’t know if enough students in the grade could handle calculus ABC all at once to make it worth having a class or a teacher qualified to handle that combined calculus class. I know the school doesn’t necessarily have to justify its decisions but having that insight could help people appreciate the decision or better appreciate what they are trading off. Has anyone ever had meaningful discussion about this with the BASIS powers that be?

Anonymous wrote:I’m curious if/how BASIS (as a national network since it’s not decided in DC) justifies its curriculum decisions? It’s fine that they don’t prioritize foreign language just as it’s fine schools that privatize foreign language don’t priority math and science like BASIS does. Families know that when they make their choice to attend BASIS. But I’m curious how they defend their math curriculum decisions since that clearly is a subject that they do prioritize. And I’m curious about the “why” behind the foreign language set up. I think families would be more okay with the network’s decisions if they were better explained (or explained at all).

Maybe BASIS thinks linguistics helps students ultimately do better on the verbal section of the SAT? Maybe they think dividing up AB and BC calculus ensures more kids score higher on the AB part (which which reflects better on the school) or maybe it’s because they don’t know if enough students in the grade could handle calculus ABC all at once to make it worth having a class or a teacher qualified to handle that combined calculus class. I know the school doesn’t necessarily have to justify its decisions but having that insight could help people appreciate the decision or better appreciate what they are trading off. Has anyone ever had meaningful discussion about this with the BASIS powers that be?

Anonymous wrote:
I don't think that really shows "lack of rigor."

For example, J-R is a huge school with lots of AP offerings through senior year; in fact, they offer about 30 AP classes every year including 4 AP physics classes. But that doesn't mean that 1) lots of students are taking all these classes, or even able to get into these classes; or 2) learning a lot from these classes and doing well. That is especially true senior year after kids have been accepted to college; senioritis is real.

True, there are a few J-R students taking lots of AP courses through senior year, supplementing big time, and doing great. However, this is just a handful of students. And that hardly indicates that J-R is a more rigorous school than BASIS DC. It is not. Plenty of students at J-R skate by doing almost nothing.

In fact, almost 40% of J-R students taking at least one AP course graduate every year without even getting a single 3, 4, or 5 on an AP test. In contrast, no one can graduate from BASIS DC without getting a 3 on at least one AP test and plenty of kids at BASIS are getting 3s, 4s, and 5s on AP exams as early as 8th grade. So, that means, that almost 40% of J-R students wouldn't graduate from BASIS DC if they were enrolled.

You can carp about specific aspects of the BASIS curriculum and lack of some offerings. But it is a small school and can't please everyone. And you can't say that it lacks rigor.

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the observations and analysis above. There are more opportunities for advancement at Walls and J-R, particularly via dual enrollment at GW (almost never done from BASIS). BASIS doesn’t offer opportunities for language past AP either and doesn’t produce many AP language 5s. I used to teach at one of the NYC STEM HS magnets, where kids either did BC Calc or AB. That’s still the case in NYC. Teaching both calcs both to the same students is ridiculous. I’ll add that BASIS’ weak facilities and shoestring budget cut seniors off from the sort if STEM research opportunities (team research included) that are common in better funded high-performing high schools. Granted, that’s the story in DC public, period.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure what you mean by teaching both AB and BC calculus simultaneously.
A quick clarification:
all BASIS students need to take AP Calc AB to graduate, but taking AP Calc BC is not required of all students, both because students might be on the math track to take AP Calc AB in 11th grade and because for those who take AP Calc AB in 10th grade, they can opt to take AP Statistics instead of AP Calc BC in 11th grade.

. Simple. BASIS students can’t take BC Calc without having taken AB at BASIS. That sequencing isn’t not remotely normal for the most advanced HS math students in this country.

This. BC Calc is really ABC Calc how it's taught at most good schools. Students take one or the other, but not both. In fact, when you take the Calc BC exam, you get an AB subscore.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure what you mean by teaching both AB and BC calculus simultaneously.
A quick clarification:
all BASIS students need to take AP Calc AB to graduate, but taking AP Calc BC is not required of all students, both because students might be on the math track to take AP Calc AB in 11th grade and because for those who take AP Calc AB in 10th grade, they can opt to take AP Statistics instead of AP Calc BC in 11th grade.

. Simple. BASIS students can’t take BC Calc without having taken AB at BASIS. That sequencing isn’t not remotely normal for the most advanced HS math students in this country.