Anonymous wrote:In looking through the Challenge Index site, I notice that the index doesn't seem to account for the fact that the IB programs are the equivalent of 5-6 APs. The Challenge Index seems like an oversimplistic, easily skewed metric, not really useful for much of anything.

Earning the full IB Diploma, which I did in HS, is more like the equivalent of 7-8 APs. At least three of the tests are taken at the "higher" level (harder than the AP tests I took) and the program includes the ToK (Theory of Knowledge) course, volunteer work and an extended essay (30-page research paper). I don't like the Challenge Index much either.

Anonymous wrote:What type of statics does Basis have of their graduates? What schools - colleges were they accepted at and their successes. Where are they now? Schools is not only to pass academic subjects but how well they have functioned in society. School tests is only one measurement of one's ability or capability. What is education and what does it look like? If a person is able regurgitate information does that mean they are smart?

Question that needs to be asked is does learning look like? How do you measure what learning is versus memorization?

How successful are these kids that attended Basis?

There many millionaires as well as very successful business people that did not attend colleges or a rigorous school such Basis.

Where have BASIS grads been accepted? Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, CalTech, et cetera. Pretty much any top university in the nation. http://basisschools.org/college-acceptances

And, it's not at all about "regurgitation". They build upon foundational knowledge with critical thinking and other components. And as for millionaires and successful business people - most of them simply never even had the opportunity to attend schools like BASIS. But had they, they would likely have been even more empowered than they already are.

What type of statics does Basis have of their graduates? What schools - colleges were they accepted at and their successes. Where are they now? Schools is not only to pass academic subjects but how well they have functioned in society. School tests is only one measurement of one's ability or capability. What is education and what does it look like? If a person is able regurgitate information does that mean they are smart?

Question that needs to be asked is does learning look like? How do you measure what learning is versus memorization?

How successful are these kids that attended Basis?

There many millionaires as well as very successful business people that did not attend colleges or a rigorous school such Basis.

Thanks, TR parent, for this great summary, and for pulling the thread back to the original topic. Would love to hear similar summaries from parents from other schools (Hardy, EL Haynes, Cap City, etc).

Two Rivers Middle School also only splits kids by ability in Math (so they say), but they have started a "LAB" period at the end of 4days/week where the kids are in a certain "extra class" depending on ability. The parents are involved in deciding which LAB program their kids do and also ANET and other testing plays into the schools suggestions. It is like a Math club for some kids, advanced spanish for others, or for the kids that are behind, a way to catch them up for a time period that isn't taking away from the kids who are at grade level and above. Even in the regular classroom setting there are 3 teachers/24 kids including a special ed teacher - so they really are able to teach to a wide range of levels successfully.

They also have started to offer a lot more in the form of extras and arts (guitar, drama - something like 75% kids participated in their musical performed at The Atlas this year, creative writing, print making, etc.). They offer 2 hours of extracurriculars every Wednesday either on campus or at the Y - robotics, volleyball, swimming instruction(mandatory for all to take atleast once), rock climbing, financial planning, etc.) Spanish is offered 3 days/week for everyone. The biggest problem is that so many kids leave after 4th to go to middle schools that feed into high school, so you do lose a lot of the higher performing kids (increased significantly with the opening of BASIS last year). Although there were apparently a handful of BASIS parents who left 2Rivers and tried to get back in with this years lottery...

The Middle school seems to do a lot with "student led" projects and small committees of students during class time where they bounce ideas off of each other. If most of the high performing kids leave, and you have a lot of kids below grade level who are not active participants in their own learning, then this doesn't work as well...but I still feel like my child will thrive more in this environment than a larger, highly test centered one. Two Rivers also follows the expeditionary learning model, even through middle school, which some parents don't like for their children past the ES level. It works well for my son who is very bright but not highly self motivated to do lots of memorization and testing and hours of homework. The topics are interesting and relevant and the kids practice critical thinking at every step of the way. I think the expeditions for middle school this year were dealing with GMO food debate during one trimester, and The Hela Cells debate in another (this was for 7th grade).

It is a small school (48 kids/grade) that also focuses a lot on socio-emotional development. They have a "Core" period where a Core Leader (one of the schools teachers or administrators) works with a small group of kids (the same group all year) on different issues they are dealing with. I don't worry about bullying or that sort of thing at all at Two Rivers. The Core Leader is also a person that parents can communicate with if they have a concern which I think is really important once the kids get into roving classrooms and uppergrades where they don't have a main teacher.

My son will be there, starting in 6th next year, moving up from the ES. He has seen more than 1/2 of his friends leave for Latin/Basis/Suburbs/Private...but is really thriving still. The group of kids who came in at 5th from various other ESs in the city are all good kids, some behind academically, but there have not been behavioral issues and it hasn't held my son back at all.

The lottery has obviously passed, but if you did it and got a spot and are looking for another great option, it is worth considering. They maintain an open door policy, you could go in at any time and look around.

In looking through the Challenge Index site, I notice that the index doesn't seem to account for the fact that the IB programs are the equivalent of 5-6 APs. The Challenge Index seems like an oversimplistic, easily skewed metric, not really useful for much of anything.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I notice the Challenge Index goes by total number of exams taken divided by final graduates, which is not actually a true or representative metric of how many AP exams the average student actually takes, it's a metric that could be greatly skewed by many different factors. Also, in looking at the Challenge Index site, I am puzzled to not see indices for many other area schools which put a heavy emphasis on AP exams, like TJ which has students taking a comparable number of APs to Basis.

I recall that TJ is not included because it is an application school. Whereas BASIS is general admission (as long as there is space available, any child that wants to attend may do so without prior screening).

I don't think that's valid, as application-based and test-in schools are included in the list, for example SWW, St. Anselms and Montgomery Blair.

Didn't know that. Weird. Doesn't seem like SWW should be in the index.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I notice the Challenge Index goes by total number of exams taken divided by final graduates, which is not actually a true or representative metric of how many AP exams the average student actually takes, it's a metric that could be greatly skewed by many different factors. Also, in looking at the Challenge Index site, I am puzzled to not see indices for many other area schools which put a heavy emphasis on AP exams, like TJ which has students taking a comparable number of APs to Basis.

I recall that TJ is not included because it is an application school. Whereas BASIS is general admission (as long as there is space available, any child that wants to attend may do so without prior screening).

Yes, but School Without Walls is included and they are test in school.