Anonymous
03/21/2019 11:38
Subject: BASIS DC is Looking to Expand to K-4
ALL THEY ARE GOING TO DO IS 'CREAM' ALL OF THE BEST STUDENTS OUT OF WARDS 1, 4, 5, and 6. Stop it.
Anonymous
03/21/2019 11:36
Subject: BASIS DC is Looking to Expand to K-4
+Anonymous wrote:The enrollment ceiling increase policy has explicit criteria on subgroup performance and exclusionary discipline. I am not sure this would apply, but can Basis meet the criteria? It seems like their high ratings stem from avoiding serving the more challenging students.
See above for subgroup performance and below for discipline from 2017-18 annual reports plus other metrics for BASIS / DCI / Latin (for context and comparison)
Suspension rate DCI/BASIS/Latin
9.3/7/8
Expulsion
.75/0/0
Teacher attrition percentage
26/36/12
Student Promotion rate
98.8/97/99.8
Mid-year student withdrawal percentage
2.7/2.3/1.6
Average teacher salary
58,385/59,760/56,967
Anonymous
03/21/2019 11:18
Subject: BASIS DC is Looking to Expand to K-4
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Please stop with this nonsense. They will draw kids from all over the city. Don't believe me? Look at the current BASIS commute map:
https://www.dcpcsb.org/basis-dc-pcs-student-location-map
Centrally located, easily accessible by metro and bus, in a location where many people, both upper and lower income, work with very limited elementary options for OOB parents. For many of us, schools close to work are just as good as schools close to home. Please stop trying to take away options from people who really need them.
Anonymous wrote:Here is the link to the board meeting where their lack of willingness and ability to serve at-risk kids was discussed.
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=2116656
I agree there seems to be little point in this. If it's to be in Penn Quarter, Thomson and SWWFS are adequately serving their populations. If you can't serve low-income kids well, then this basically to get at the upper-income kids in the Walker-Jones boundary. But they're fine at Seaton, Friendship-Armstrong, Garrison, and Langley. The application said Wards 1 and 2, but I just don't see a ton of need there at the elementary level.
If Basis can't get good results from low-income and special needs kids, then why should it exist? Those kids need a school that can serve them well.
Their results are as strong - and stronger for some subgroups - as Latin and DCI (charters they are most often compared to). Perhaps we should close them too? None are perfect.
Data from the most recent report cards https://dcschoolreportcard.org/
Two caveats -- 1) both DCI and BASIS use the integrated math version of PARCC; Latin uses the traditional grade level/Alg 1/Geometry/Alg 2 versions. 2) BASIS and DCI data reported as 5th-high school. The below is Latin MS data (which scores higher than the high school)
ELA Proficiency % 4+ by subgroup
DCI/BASIS/Latin
Black 49.8/51/43
Latino 44/55/61
Students w/disabilities 19.7/50/19
At-risk 34.8/34.2/17.3
Math proficiency (4+)
DCI/BASIS/Latin
Black 28.4/39/22
Latino 30.3/48/41
Students w/Disabilities 12/30/17
At Risk 14/16/13
Median Growth Percentile ELA
Black 51/65/49
Latino 45/68/58
Students w/Disabilities 44/73/37
At risk 49/35/56
Median Growth Percentile Math
Black 56/41/37
Latino 41/52/45
Students w/Disabilities 60.5/37.5/51
At risk 34/32/30.5
Anonymous
03/21/2019 10:42
Subject: BASIS DC is Looking to Expand to K-4
The enrollment ceiling increase policy has explicit criteria on subgroup performance and exclusionary discipline. I am not sure this would apply, but can Basis meet the criteria? It seems like their high ratings stem from avoiding serving the more challenging students.
Anonymous
03/21/2019 10:29
Subject: BASIS DC is Looking to Expand to K-4
I was interested in this the last time they tried it. What are they doing differently this time around to ensure success?
Anonymous
03/21/2019 10:28
Subject: BASIS DC is Looking to Expand to K-4
Do I need to overlay average family income onto the commute map to show you that they are serving low income students, whose parents also benefit from a central location? I thought it was obvious. Or do you just feel more qualified than those parents to decide whether the school is serving their needs well?
If Basis can't get good results from low-income and special needs kids, then why should it exist? Those kids need a school that can serve them well.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Please stop with this nonsense. They will draw kids from all over the city. Don't believe me? Look at the current BASIS commute map:
https://www.dcpcsb.org/basis-dc-pcs-student-location-map
Centrally located, easily accessible by metro and bus, in a location where many people, both upper and lower income, work with very limited elementary options for OOB parents. For many of us, schools close to work are just as good as schools close to home. Please stop trying to take away options from people who really need them.
If Basis can't get good results from low-income and special needs kids, then why should it exist? Those kids need a school that can serve them well.
Anonymous
03/21/2019 10:24
Subject: BASIS DC is Looking to Expand to K-4
Anonymous wrote:Please stop with this nonsense. They will draw kids from all over the city. Don't believe me? Look at the current BASIS commute map:
https://www.dcpcsb.org/basis-dc-pcs-student-location-map
Centrally located, easily accessible by metro and bus, in a location where many people, both upper and lower income, work with very limited elementary options for OOB parents. For many of us, schools close to work are just as good as schools close to home. Please stop trying to take away options from people who really need them.
Anonymous wrote:Here is the link to the board meeting where their lack of willingness and ability to serve at-risk kids was discussed.
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=2116656
I agree there seems to be little point in this. If it's to be in Penn Quarter, Thomson and SWWFS are adequately serving their populations. If you can't serve low-income kids well, then this basically to get at the upper-income kids in the Walker-Jones boundary. But they're fine at Seaton, Friendship-Armstrong, Garrison, and Langley. The application said Wards 1 and 2, but I just don't see a ton of need there at the elementary level.
If Basis can't get good results from low-income and special needs kids, then why should it exist? Those kids need a school that can serve them well.
Anonymous
03/21/2019 10:24
Subject: Re:BASIS DC is Looking to Expand to K-4
Sounds like a uniquely terrible idea. There are many strong ES options in DCPS and DCPCS now. BASIS is already beating down many 10-11 year olds. Why let them start with 5 year olds?
Anonymous
03/21/2019 10:22
Subject: BASIS DC is Looking to Expand to K-4
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:They tried this last year and got crushed in their DCPCSB interview with inadequate and embarrassingly bad answers about at risk students, special needs population, etc.
3 years ago (2016).
Have their issues with serving at-risk and SPED students improved at all?
Parent of kid with IEP. Been there 6 years. If our kid wasn’t being supported appropriately we would leave.
Current HOS is far better. That helps.
Given BASIS high churn rate (admin, teachers and students) I wouldn't put too much faith in whatever is "current"
Anonymous
03/21/2019 10:18
Subject: BASIS DC is Looking to Expand to K-4
Please stop with this nonsense. They will draw kids from all over the city. Don't believe me? Look at the current BASIS commute map:
https://www.dcpcsb.org/basis-dc-pcs-student-location-map
Centrally located, easily accessible by metro and bus, in a location where many people, both upper and lower income, work with very limited elementary options for OOB parents. For many of us, schools close to work are just as good as schools close to home. Please stop trying to take away options from people who really need them.
https://www.dcpcsb.org/basis-dc-pcs-student-location-map
Centrally located, easily accessible by metro and bus, in a location where many people, both upper and lower income, work with very limited elementary options for OOB parents. For many of us, schools close to work are just as good as schools close to home. Please stop trying to take away options from people who really need them.
Anonymous wrote:Here is the link to the board meeting where their lack of willingness and ability to serve at-risk kids was discussed.
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=2116656
I agree there seems to be little point in this. If it's to be in Penn Quarter, Thomson and SWWFS are adequately serving their populations. If you can't serve low-income kids well, then this basically to get at the upper-income kids in the Walker-Jones boundary. But they're fine at Seaton, Friendship-Armstrong, Garrison, and Langley. The application said Wards 1 and 2, but I just don't see a ton of need there at the elementary level.
Anonymous
03/21/2019 09:37
Subject: BASIS DC is Looking to Expand to K-4
I know the City needs to serve at risk kids. But we also needs to serve all kids including kids who are advanced and are ready to start at basis in earlier years. Not every school can serve every kid. Not every kid is cut out to handle advanced STEM work. thats ok. You don't throw out the entire idea just because some kids are ready or will never be ready. We need as many options for all kids in DC as possible. its so shortsighted to assume every single kid can get what they need at one place.
Anonymous
03/21/2019 09:11
Subject: BASIS DC is Looking to Expand to K-4
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Here is the link to the board meeting where their lack of willingness and ability to serve at-risk kids was discussed.
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=2116656
I agree there seems to be little point in this. If it's to be in Penn Quarter, Thomson and SWWFS are adequately serving their populations. If you can't serve low-income kids well, then this basically to get at the upper-income kids in the Walker-Jones boundary. But they're fine at Seaton, Friendship-Armstrong, Garrison, and Langley. The application said Wards 1 and 2, but I just don't see a ton of need there at the elementary level.
Having it downtown doesn't seem terrible to me, since it's a place that all the metro lines and lots of buses go. If they put it in Congress Heights, families in Brightwood and Deanwood wouldn't have an easy time getting there. This could be good for families where someone commutes downtown--and that's not just rich families. With that said, stuff like before and aftercare would also be important to make it work for families.
Where downtown would they have adequate outdoor space?
Anonymous
03/21/2019 09:02
Subject: BASIS DC is Looking to Expand to K-4
Anonymous wrote:Here is the link to the board meeting where their lack of willingness and ability to serve at-risk kids was discussed.
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=2116656
I agree there seems to be little point in this. If it's to be in Penn Quarter, Thomson and SWWFS are adequately serving their populations. If you can't serve low-income kids well, then this basically to get at the upper-income kids in the Walker-Jones boundary. But they're fine at Seaton, Friendship-Armstrong, Garrison, and Langley. The application said Wards 1 and 2, but I just don't see a ton of need there at the elementary level.
Having it downtown doesn't seem terrible to me, since it's a place that all the metro lines and lots of buses go. If they put it in Congress Heights, families in Brightwood and Deanwood wouldn't have an easy time getting there. This could be good for families where someone commutes downtown--and that's not just rich families. With that said, stuff like before and aftercare would also be important to make it work for families.
Anonymous
03/20/2019 22:14
Subject: BASIS DC is Looking to Expand to K-4
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:They tried this last year and got crushed in their DCPCSB interview with inadequate and embarrassingly bad answers about at risk students, special needs population, etc.
3 years ago (2016).
Have their issues with serving at-risk and SPED students improved at all?
Parent of kid with IEP. Been there 6 years. If our kid wasn’t being supported appropriately we would leave.
Current HOS is far better. That helps.
Glad to hear it but how are the overall stats looking? Because I don't think the importance of this issue has diminished in the eyes of the board, at all.
The numbers of kids with IEPs is still low; much higher number of students with 504s, based on my observations. While the number of students with 504s isn’t released publicly, the team that supports both groups has grown significantly. At-risk student enrollment over time is harder to track because OSSE switched from tracking economically disadvantaged and FARMs students and now uses the narrower at-risk definition, at least in public reports. I assume the PCSB will look closely at that.
The most recent Basis QSR had good feedback with how special ed supports were being delivered. Teacher retention is better now than 3 years ago; student retention at all grades except 8th to 9th is also better (and 8th to 9th in DC is better than at other schools in their network). At the high school lever the achievement gap among demographic groups is narrower than at other schools in the city.
Will be interesting to see how much any new proposal differs from the 2016 version, if and when it is submitted.
Anonymous
03/20/2019 21:52
Subject: BASIS DC is Looking to Expand to K-4
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:They tried this last year and got crushed in their DCPCSB interview with inadequate and embarrassingly bad answers about at risk students, special needs population, etc.
3 years ago (2016).
Have their issues with serving at-risk and SPED students improved at all?
Parent of kid with IEP. Been there 6 years. If our kid wasn’t being supported appropriately we would leave.
Current HOS is far better. That helps.
Glad to hear it but how are the overall stats looking? Because I don't think the importance of this issue has diminished in the eyes of the board, at all.