Anonymous wrote:^Why don't you start with the DC-CAS? Nearly one-quarter of Latin students fail, meaning that they can barely read or do arithmatic, although they land in the same MS classes as kids working at a college level. Are one-quarter of the 6th graders, those failing the CAS, prevented from advancing to 7th grade? Hardly, my sources tell me that the kept-back rate is not even 5%. My kid, no genius or nose to the grindstone type either, scored 95% and 100% on the 3rd and 4th grade CAS tests respectively. We checked out both Latin and BASIS but are heading to a private for 6th. No confidence in the system past elementary, where uber educated parents virtually run the best schools.

What is your beef with "uber educated" parents??? Would not educated parents be a benefit to the school?? I am still of the mind though that it is really the school's job to make itself a good school.

I averaged the scores; DC got a couple wrong in both English and math in 3rd grade, and none wrong in either section for 4th. What I learned from these results was that the test is absurdly easy, and that a failure rate of even 1/4 for middle school with hardly any academic tracking is bad news, no matter what the Latin boosters may claim on the subject of challenge for advanced learners.

Anonymous wrote:^Why don't you start with the DC-CAS? Nearly one-quarter of Latin students fail, meaning that they can barely read or do arithmatic, although they land in the same MS classes as kids working at a college level. Are one-quarter of the 6th graders, those failing the CAS, prevented from advancing to 7th grade? Hardly, my sources tell me that the kept-back rate is not even 5%. My kid, no genius or nose to the grindstone type either, scored 95% and 100% on the 3rd and 4th grade CAS tests respectively. We checked out both Latin and BASIS but are heading to a private for 6th. No confidence in the system past elementary, where uber educated parents virtually run the best schools.

Your child scored 95% and 100% on the entire CAS? Not sure that makes sense as scores are not given in that way? Math and literacy scores are separate.

^Why don't you start with the DC-CAS? Nearly one-quarter of Latin students fail, meaning that they can barely read or do arithmatic, although they land in the same MS classes as kids working at a college level. Are one-quarter of the 6th graders, those failing the CAS, prevented from advancing to 7th grade? Hardly, my sources tell me that the kept-back rate is not even 5%. My kid, no genius or nose to the grindstone type either, scored 95% and 100% on the 3rd and 4th grade CAS tests respectively. We checked out both Latin and BASIS but are heading to a private for 6th. No confidence in the system past elementary, where uber educated parents virtually run the best schools.

Anonymous wrote:^I doubt it. Been inside the BASIS DC building? The boosters have a fit when anybody points this out but, honestly, it looks and feels a bit like a jail. I attended a graduation ceremony for a niece at one of the Tuscon campuses, a green and pleasant place. The lack of outdoor space, athletic facilities and plans for a serious sports program here will remain a turn-off for many, as will the population pyramid issues, with around two-thirds of the kids dropping out along the way. I don't doubt that BASIS will do OK, given the dearth of halfway decent public middle-school options in the city coupled with Latin's attachment to social promotion, and allergy to tracking, but I'd be surprised if BASIS ever becomes really hot.

I see this written quite a bit about Latin and I don't really understand it. What exactly does it mean? I know for a fact that as my DD went through each grade at Latin that students have been left behind each year. How do parents even know that "social promotion" is going on? Is there a leak at the school adminstration level? I'm a fairly involved parent and I have no idea which students are failing to meet expectations and deserve to be left behind, but are instead moving forward. Where do you people get this info?

05:30, that'd be all fine and good if it were suburbia, or if real estate prices were cheap, or if charters had the benefit of taxpayer funded facilities as DCPS schools do.

05:30, have you been in many of the other charters? Many of them are even worse off than BASIS, some are still, after several years of operation, in cramped incubators colocated with other businesses.

^I doubt it. Been inside the BASIS DC building? The boosters have a fit when anybody points this out but, honestly, it looks and feels a bit like a jail. I attended a graduation ceremony for a niece at one of the Tuscon campuses, a green and pleasant place. The lack of outdoor space, athletic facilities and plans for a serious sports program here will remain a turn-off for many, as will the population pyramid issues, with around two-thirds of the kids dropping out along the way. I don't doubt that BASIS will do OK, given the dearth of halfway decent public middle-school options in the city coupled with Latin's attachment to social promotion, and allergy to tracking, but I'd be surprised if BASIS ever becomes really hot.

Anonymous wrote:TJ is the only school in the DC area to make top 10 in the US News & World Report top schools ranking. Two of the BASIS Arizona schools made the top 10 ranking, if their DC school holds to the same model and standards I wouldn't be surprised if they rate highly on the list in a few years's time as well.

I know this is a Latin thread and hate to hijack it, but I also believe this to be true about BASIS DC. I give it about 3-5 years and it will be the top MS/HS in DC. We are very happy at Latin and have no intentions on leaving, but if I had to do it again at this time I would chose BASIS. Unfortunately, I believe as BASIS gets better, Latin will start to decline as it loses the pool of "smart" kids to BASIS.

Anonymous wrote:I have heard very good things about St. Anselm's according to attorneys in my office it is better academically than Gonzaga within the Catholic system and a lot cheaper. Unfortunately there is not that I know of a sister school to St. Anselem. Stoneridge in Bethesda is the academic all start girls school within the Catholic system but not connect.

St. Anselm's tuition is 24K
Gonzaga tuition is 18K

Thier true sister school is not located in this area.

St. Anselm's parent here as well. It seems like a lot of the sisters of Abbey boys end up at Stoneridge.

I have heard very good things about St. Anselm's according to attorneys in my office it is better academically than Gonzaga within the Catholic system and a lot cheaper. Unfortunately there is not that I know of a sister school to St. Anselem. Stoneridge in Bethesda is the academic all start girls school within the Catholic system but not connect.

Anonymous wrote:^ We live near the Capitol South Metro station. Heading to St. Anselm's for middle and high school. Amen.

Hmm, OK. All boys school a stone's throw from Hyattsville. Is there an equivalent school for girls?

TJ is the only school in the DC area to make top 10 in the US News & World Report top schools ranking. Two of the BASIS Arizona schools made the top 10 ranking, if their DC school holds to the same model and standards I wouldn't be surprised if they rate highly on the list in a few years's time as well.

I'm not the one you asked but, jeez, TJ is one of the more reputable public high schools in the country. I have colleagues at an architecture firm who can easily afford St. Albans, Sidwell etc. (and their kids have been admitted) but have gone with TJ, or the Blair MoCo math magnet.

My spouse, who went to MIT and works at NASA, tells me that TJ sends at least half a dozen grads there annually, often more than any other school. She also says that in a given year, zero DC public schools grads are admitted. Maybe BASIS will change that within a decade. Doesn't sound like Latin will.