Anonymous wrote:There's an entrenched tradition on DCUM of BASIS parents jumping on threads claiming not only that the kids who leave "washed out," but asserting that if you left, well, you're a "hater" whose kid couldn't hack the curriculum. This year seems to be something of a turning point. As noted, Walls, JR and Latin got students into Ivy League schools, and other colleges admitting in the single digits, but not BASIS. The two excuses offered on this thread for lackluster college admissions is that, a) this year's senior class was unusually small and that, b) BASIS students gravitate toward merit aid at 2nd tier schools rather than shooting for top tier programs their families couldn't afford.

As the parent of a student who started in this year's graduating cohort and tried the HS, I'm not buying that the small class size was crux of the problem, or family finances either. I'm also not buying that a BASIS expansion to include K-4th grade will solve the problem eventually. What I'm seeing is that BASIS' top-down, one-size fits all approach to teaching and learning at the MS level has caught up with them at the HS level, along with management's tendency to burn out good teachers, weak facilities and subpar HS ECs. We might have stayed though HS, along with other families of strong students we got to know at BASIS, if the curriculum had offered us flexibility, if critical thinking skills and joy of learning had been emphasized, if humanities instruction had been stronger, if the teaching force had been more stable, and if our teen could have pursued serious HS ECs with classmates. There doesn't seem to be any sort of fix for what ails the BASIS HS in the works, no reckoning, no agenda for change.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's an entrenched tradition on DCUM of BASIS parents jumping on threads claiming not only that the kids who leave "washed out," but asserting that if you left, well, you're a "hater" whose kid couldn't hack the curriculum. This year seems to be something of a turning point. As noted, Walls, JR and Latin got students into Ivy League schools, and other colleges admitting in the single digits, but not BASIS. The two excuses offered on this thread for lackluster college admissions is that, a) this year's senior class was unusually small and that, b) BASIS students gravitate toward merit aid at 2nd tier schools rather than shooting for top tier programs their families couldn't afford.

As the parent of a student who started in this year's graduating cohort and tried the HS, I'm not buying that the small class size was crux of the problem, or family finances either. I'm also not buying that a BASIS expansion to include K-4th grade will solve the problem eventually. What I'm seeing is that BASIS' top-down, one-size fits all approach to teaching and learning at the MS level has caught up with them at the HS level, along with management's tendency to burn out good teachers, weak facilities and subpar HS ECs. We might have stayed though HS, along with other families of strong students we got to know at BASIS, if the curriculum had offered us flexibility, if critical thinking skills and joy of learning had been emphasized, if humanities instruction had been stronger, if the teaching force had been more stable, and if our teen could have pursued serious HS ECs with classmates. There doesn't seem to be any sort of fix for what ails the BASIS HS in the works, no reckoning, no agenda for change.

+1.

Anonymous wrote:There's an entrenched tradition on DCUM of BASIS parents jumping on threads claiming not only that the kids who leave "washed out," but asserting that if you left, well, you're a "hater" whose kid couldn't hack the curriculum. This year seems to be something of a turning point. As noted, Walls, JR and Latin got students into Ivy League schools, and other colleges admitting in the single digits, but not BASIS. The two excuses offered on this thread for lackluster college admissions is that, a) this year's senior class was unusually small and that, b) BASIS students gravitate toward merit aid at 2nd tier schools rather than shooting for top tier programs their families couldn't afford.

As the parent of a student who started in this year's graduating cohort and tried the HS, I'm not buying that the small class size was crux of the problem, or family finances either. I'm also not buying that a BASIS expansion to include K-4th grade will solve the problem eventually. What I'm seeing is that BASIS' top-down, one-size fits all approach to teaching and learning at the MS level has caught up with them at the HS level, along with management's tendency to burn out good teachers, weak facilities and subpar HS ECs. We might have stayed though HS, along with other families of strong students we got to know at BASIS, if the curriculum had offered us flexibility, if critical thinking skills and joy of learning had been emphasized, if humanities instruction had been stronger, if the teaching force had been more stable, and if our teen could have pursued serious HS ECs with classmates. There doesn't seem to be any sort of fix for what ails the BASIS HS in the works, no reckoning, no agenda for change.

Anonymous wrote:There's an entrenched tradition on DCUM of BASIS parents jumping on threads claiming not only that the kids who leave "washed out," but asserting that if you left, well, you're a "hater" whose kid couldn't hack the curriculum. This year seems to be something of a turning point. As noted, Walls, JR and Latin got students into Ivy League schools, and other colleges admitting in the single digits, but not BASIS. The two excuses offered on this thread for lackluster college admissions is that, a) this year's senior class was unusually small and that, b) BASIS students gravitate toward merit aid at 2nd tier schools rather than shooting for top tier programs their families couldn't afford.

As the parent of a student who started in this year's graduating cohort and tried the HS, I'm not buying that the small class size was crux of the problem, or family finances either. I'm also not buying that a BASIS expansion to include K-4th grade will solve the problem eventually. What I'm seeing is that BASIS' top-down, one-size fits all approach to teaching and learning at the MS level has caught up with them at the HS level, along with management's tendency to burn out good teachers, weak facilities and subpar HS ECs. We might have stayed though HS, along with other families of strong students we got to know at BASIS, if the curriculum had offered us flexibility, if critical thinking skills and joy of learning had been emphasized, if humanities instruction had been stronger, if the teaching force had been more stable, and if our teen could have pursued serious HS ECs with classmates. There doesn't seem to be any sort of fix for what ails the BASIS HS in the works, no reckoning, no agenda for change.

Anonymous wrote:There's an entrenched tradition on DCUM of BASIS parents jumping on threads claiming not only that the kids who leave "washed out," but asserting that if you left, well, you're a "hater" whose kid couldn't hack the curriculum. This year seems to be something of a turning point. As noted, Walls, JR and Latin got students into Ivy League schools, and other colleges admitting in the single digits, but not BASIS. The two excuses offered on this thread for lackluster college admissions is that, a) this year's senior class was unusually small and that, b) BASIS students gravitate toward merit aid at 2nd tier schools rather than shooting for top tier programs their families couldn't afford.

As the parent of a student who started in this year's graduating cohort and tried the HS, I'm not buying that the small class size was crux of the problem, or family finances either. I'm also not buying that a BASIS expansion to include K-4th grade will solve the problem eventually. What I'm seeing is that BASIS' top-down, one-size fits all approach to teaching and learning at the MS level has caught up with them at the HS level, along with management's tendency to burn out good teachers, weak facilities and subpar HS ECs. We might have stayed though HS, along with other families of strong students we got to know at BASIS, if the curriculum had offered us flexibility, if critical thinking skills and joy of learning had been emphasized, if humanities instruction had been stronger, if the teaching force had been more stable, and if our teen could have pursued serious HS ECs with classmates. There doesn't seem to be any sort of fix for what ails the BASIS HS in the works, no reckoning, no agenda for change.

Anonymous wrote:There's an entrenched tradition on DCUM of BASIS parents jumping on threads claiming not only that the kids who leave "washed out," but asserting that if you left, well, you're a "hater" whose kid couldn't hack the curriculum. This year seems to be something of a turning point. As noted, Walls, JR and Latin got students into Ivy League schools, and other colleges admitting in the single digits, but not BASIS. The two excuses offered on this thread for lackluster college admissions is that, a) this year's senior class was unusually small and that, b) BASIS students gravitate toward merit aid at 2nd tier schools rather than shooting for top tier programs their families couldn't afford.

As the parent of a student who started in this year's graduating cohort and tried the HS, I'm not buying that the small class size was crux of the problem, or family finances either. I'm also not buying that a BASIS expansion to include K-4th grade will solve the problem eventually. What I'm seeing is that BASIS' top-down, one-size fits all approach to teaching and learning at the MS level has caught up with them at the HS level, along with management's tendency to burn out good teachers, weak facilities and subpar HS ECs. We might have stayed though HS, along with other families of strong students we got to know at BASIS, if the curriculum had offered us flexibility, if critical thinking skills and joy of learning had been emphasized, if humanities instruction had been stronger, if the teaching force had been more stable, and if our teen could have pursued serious HS ECs with classmates. There doesn't seem to be any sort of fix for what ails the BASIS HS in the works, no reckoning, no agenda for change.

Anonymous wrote:The point is that plenty of BASIS students still leave along the way, at least 40% per cohort. Cohorts start with roughly 135-150 kids in 5th and wind up with around 50-80 seniors. Contrary to popular belief, most of the kids who leave before high school don't go because they can't handle BASIS rigor. They bail because their families are searching for greener pastures. Where are all these haters? If we're not convinced that a K-4th grade problem would change much of anything, we're haters?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I suspect this practice (of purposely using BASIS for a year) is fairly uncommon. I think it’s lousy behavior but rare enough not to worry about.

Far more common, though, are parents who take a leap of faith that their relatively lackluster students who needed tutoring in elementary will somehow succeed at BASIS. Such kids inevitably don’t. But typically have their morale and self-confidence damaged over one to several years of challenging middle school before departing for their IB DCPS schools, mediocre privates, where ever. It’s unfortunate.

Then the parents come onto DCUM to bash the school (as if having a gym and library would have led to their kid’s success at BASIS).

You guy sound like parents of 5th, 6th or 7th graders. The reality is dozens of kids who were succeeding at BASIS depart after 8th grade. They invariably move on to schools with better facilities and more stable teaching forces. Success as BASIS is less important to some families than the fun of a strong school music, drama or varsity sports program, a language program that teaches past the AP level, a parent community supporting an active PTA or whatever else. Some of the students who stay for HS do not do so by choice. We know half a dozen BASIS 8th graders who would be leaving for Walls this year if they'd been admitted. BASIS certainly has its strengths, but its weak facilities, narrow focus on AP success and high teacher turnover keep it back, especially at the HS level. We're hoping that BASIS is able to set up a K-4th grade program with strong facilities not far from the original campus in the hopes that old BASIS could take advantage of the facilities at the new BASIS, particularly a gym, outdoor space and a stage.

Do you just make stuff up?

"The reality is dozens of kids who were succeeding at BASIS depart after 8th grade"

Audited enrollment for BASIS DC 8th grade last year was 92.
Audited enrollment for BASIS DC 9th grade last year was 78.

That means that a total of 14 kids left after 8th grade.

You have no idea why they left. Some went to Walls, Banneker, private, etc. Some moved out of the area. Some were struggling and decided to go to their local high school. Some were athletes and wants a school with a better program in their sport of choice.

Every year, including this year, many BASIS parents turn down a Walls slot to stay at BASIS. How does that factor in your imagined analysis?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I suspect this practice (of purposely using BASIS for a year) is fairly uncommon. I think it’s lousy behavior but rare enough not to worry about.

Far more common, though, are parents who take a leap of faith that their relatively lackluster students who needed tutoring in elementary will somehow succeed at BASIS. Such kids inevitably don’t. But typically have their morale and self-confidence damaged over one to several years of challenging middle school before departing for their IB DCPS schools, mediocre privates, where ever. It’s unfortunate.

Then the parents come onto DCUM to bash the school (as if having a gym and library would have led to their kid’s success at BASIS).

You guy sound like parents of 5th, 6th or 7th graders. The reality is dozens of kids who were succeeding at BASIS depart after 8th grade. They invariably move on to schools with better facilities and more stable teaching forces. Success as BASIS is less important to some families than the fun of a strong school music, drama or varsity sports program, a language program that teaches past the AP level, a parent community supporting an active PTA or whatever else. Some of the students who stay for HS do not do so by choice. We know half a dozen BASIS 8th graders who would be leaving for Walls this year if they'd been admitted. BASIS certainly has its strengths, but its weak facilities, narrow focus on AP success and high teacher turnover keep it back, especially at the HS level. We're hoping that BASIS is able to set up a K-4th grade program with strong facilities not far from the original campus in the hopes that old BASIS could take advantage of the facilities at the new BASIS, particularly a gym, outdoor space and a stage.

Do you just make stuff up?

"The reality is dozens of kids who were succeeding at BASIS depart after 8th grade"

Audited enrollment for BASIS DC 8th grade last year was 92.
Audited enrollment for BASIS DC 9th grade last year was 78.

That means that a total of 14 kids left after 8th grade.

You have no idea why they left. Some went to Walls, Banneker, private, etc. Some moved out of the area. Some were struggling and decided to go to their local high school. Some were athletes and wants a school with a better program in their sport of choice.

Every year, including this year, many BASIS parents turn down a Walls slot to stay at BASIS. How does that factor in your imagined analysis?