ON THE OECD TEST FOR SCHOOLS, BASIS STUDENTS

RECENTLY OUTPERFORMED

STUDENTS IN EVERY EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM PARTICIPATING IN PISA, INCLUDING SHANGHAI,

THE WORLD LEADER

TABLE OF CONTENTS

01 A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

02 THE BASIS CHARTER MODEL

04 NATIONAL RANKINGS

06 A CULTURE OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

08 BASIS TEACHERS

10 THE BASIS ACADEMIC PROGRAM

20 CLUBS AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

22 AIMS RESULTS

24 DEMONSTRATED EXCELLENCE: AP TESTING

32 OECD TEST FOR SCHOOLS (BASED ON PISA)

34 COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE

36 BASIS GRADUATES: WHAT’S YOUR STORY?

40 SUPPORT BASIS

42 BASIS SCHOOLS EXPANSION

Olga V. Block & Michael K. Block, Ph.D. Founders, BASIS Schools

CEOs, BASIS.ed

Welcome!

01

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

I believe BASIS offers something many schools do not—a common sense solu-tion to the issues facing American K–12 education. As President and Chairman of the Board for BASIS Schools, Inc., I am involved with BASIS because I know it employs a model that works. BASIS establishes the elements essential to student success: high expectations, great teachers who are experts in their disciplines, and tension within the system to ensure teachers and students are driven toward success. With these fundamentals in place, BASIS charter schools have achieved phenomenal results.

American K–12 educational performance has been in decline relative to the rest of the world for the past four decades. While many other countries have improved students’ educational results dramatically in this time, results in the U.S. have remained stagnant. Today, the U.S. ranks in the bottom half of OECD (The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries for nearly every indicator of student performance. And it’s not because our children can’t learn. Rather, it’s because the system focuses on inputs like teacher certification, teacher tenure, class size, and social issues rather than the crucial output—how much students actually learn.

BASIS focuses on key factors that improve student learning and constantly monitors results to ensure learning is happening. First, BASIS raises the bar for student achievement constantly by offering a highly rigorous academic program and utilizing internationally recognized exams, such as the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) exams, to gauge student performance. Second, BASIS recruits, hires, and trains teachers who possess academic degrees in the disciplines they teach and use their content expertise to drive learning. Finally, BASIS holds students and teachers accountable for their results. Lower School students are required to pass comprehensive exams in all core subjects to demonstrate they have mastered grade-level material before being promoted, and Upper School students take AP exams which count toward their final course grades. Similarly, teachers are held account-able for the learning gains made by their students. Teaching contracts are reviewed on an annual basis, and teachers are rewarded for their students’ successes through merit-based salary supplements and bonuses.

BASIS not only offers a model for success, it also infuses competition into a system that would otherwise remain resistant to change. In the many communities where BASIS has opened new campuses over the past several years, schools and school districts have looked for new methods to entice students back into their programs, to improve their models, and change for the better.

There is no doubt that BASIS is making a significant impact, both for the thou- sands of students enrolled at BASIS campuses and for those who benefit from the increased competition BASIS brings to their communities. I am proud to be involved personally with this incredible educational community.

Craig R. Barrett, Ph.D. President and Chairman BASIS Schools, Inc./BDC, A Public Charter School, Inc./BTX Schools, Inc. Retired Chairman/CEO, Intel Corporation

02

THE BASIS CHARTER MODEL

BASIS charter schools educate students at an internationally competitive level, with BASIS students ready to compete with their top-performing peers in the world’s top school systems, like China, Finland, Singapore, South Korea, and Switzerland, among many others. BASIS Tucson’s and BASIS Scottsdale’s fifteen-year-old students proved this in their 2012 results on the OECD Test for Schools. These results place students learning via the BASIS Model above these acclaimed education systems and on par with Shanghai, the best in the world.

BASIS.ed built and manages the BASIS Model and utilizes the same BASIS Culture and BASIS.ed Curriculum in classrooms across all campuses. The culture-plus-curriculum building blocks are conducive to instilling a lifelong love of learning and respect for knowledge in students, to understand the importance of hard work and self-reliance as a path towards success, and to the discovery of individual strengths to be able to invent, design, and apply.

A WORLD COMPETITIVE CURRICULUMBASIS offers the type of education that students receive in the top school systems worldwide—the kind of education American children will need to compete in the global economy. The BASIS academic program is designed to help students develop academic and organizational skills, along with a deep knowledge base. Our goal is to motivate students to reach their highest academic potential and to prepare them for the demands of college and the workforce. Our curriculum is therefore consistent with the highest international academic standards. We chal-lenge our students and support them; they respond and challenge us right back.

INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED ASSESSMENTSThroughout the United States, many schools claim to offer rigorous college-preparatory education, but fail to offer data to validate their claims. At BASIS, we ensure that all students have mastered the material they will need for success in their future years, by implementing Comprehensive Exams and comprehensive external benchmarking systems, or Board Examination systems, like the College Board Advanced Placement (AP) program. The BASIS Upper School curriculum is, in fact, based on AP courses.

OPEN ENROLLMENT AND TUITION FREEBASIS schools are open-enrollment public charter schools that do not administer entrance examinations and do not charge tuition. Any student can attend. If there are more students interested in attending than a given campus can accommodate, a registration lottery determines admissions.

Sophie Fuller BASIS Flagstaff (2014)

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORTBEST HIGH SCHOOLS, NATIONAL RANKINGS

2014 #2 BASIS Scottsdale, #15 STEM school, #1 charter school #5 BASIS Tucson North, #3 STEM school, #3 charter school

2013 #2 BASIS Tucson #5 BASIS Scottsdale

2012 #6 BASIS Tucson

2011 U.S. News did not perform ranking

2010 #9 BASIS Tucson

2009 #13 BASIS Tucson

2008 #16 BASIS Tucson

THE WASHINGTON POSTAMERICA’S MOST CHALLENGING HIGH SCHOOLS

2014 BASIS Scottsdale is on the list of “Top-Performing Schools with Elite Students” #10 BASIS Tucson North

2013 BASIS Scottsdale and BASIS Tucson North are on the list of “Top-Performing Schools with Elite Students”

2012 #1 BASIS Tucson #5 BASIS Scottsdale

2011 #4 BASIS Tucson

NEWSWEEKAMERICA’S BEST HIGH SCHOOLS

2013 #3 BASIS Scottsdale #7 BASIS Tucson North

2012 #3 BASIS Scottsdale #5 BASIS Tucson

2011 #3 BASIS Tucson

2010 #6 BASIS Tucson

2009 #5 BASIS Tucson

2008 #1 BASIS Tucson

2007 #6 BASIS Tucson

2006 #3 BASIS Tucson

04

NATIONAL RANKINGS

NOTE: Eligibility requirements vary depending upon the ranking.

Caden Messner BASIS Chandler (2014)

05

06

A CULTURE OF ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

CREATING AND REINFORCING A BELIEF THAT LEARNING IS EXCITING, REWARDING, AND WORTHWHILEThe BASIS school culture makes high academic achievement and intellectual engagement the norm and allows students to realize their own great aca- demic potential. Teachers play an instrumental role in this high-achieving community. BASIS hires teachers who hold academic degrees in the discipline they teach, who are passionate about their subject matter, and who can convey their passion in a manner that gives students an overall sense that learning is exciting, rewarding, and worthwhile—and not just now, but for a lifetime.

TEACHING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITYWhile support and engagement from parents can play a vital role in students’ success, students who rely on micromanagement and supervision from their parents are more likely to struggle in college than students who learn to hold themselves accountable for setting and meeting their own academic goals. BASIS strikes the correct balance by encouraging parents to support their children’s education while still allowing students autonomy to build the skills and personal responsibility they will need to succeed in college and beyond.

BASIS actively teaches students to be well organized and to take responsibil-ity for their education, beginning in 5th grade. Instead of posting homework assignments online, BASIS teachers announce assignments during class. This teaches students to be responsible for knowing due dates, understanding assignments, and completing homework on time.

Starting in 6th grade, students are required to pass comprehensive examina-tions in each core subject to progress to the next grade level. Comprehensive exams ensure that students are prepared to move onward to more advanced material. Knowing they will be held accountable for information dissemi-nated in class and via homework, students take their education seriously and learn quickly to “own it.”

As students progress through grade levels, they become models for younger students and help create a culture of positive and purposeful peer support.

07

BASIS FACTS

› In the Lower School grades,

teachers focus on helping stu-

dents build organizational skills,

proper note-taking techniques,

and good study habits. They

encourage students to ask

questions if they don’t under-

stand a lesson and to attend

teacher-student hours for one

on one tutoring.

› BASIS does not publish home-

work assignments online.

Students are expected to

keep track of assignments

in a communication journal,

or assignment notebook.

› To guarantee students have

mastered grade-level material,

BASIS administers comprehen-

sive exams in all core subjects

in 6th and 7th grade. Students

prepare for these examinations

by taking precomprehensive

exams in the middle of the

school year and by complet-

ing special final review units

incorporated into each subject.

› Students must pass all their

core courses, as well as the

comprehensive exams for the

core courses before being

promoted to the next grade

level. Students who do not pass

all their comprehensive exams

on the first attempt are given

a second chance to pass the

exams before the start of the

next school year.

TEACHING GOOD STUDY HABITS AND PROVIDING SUPPORTThe academic program at BASIS charter schools is among the most accelerated in the country. Student success, therefore, is linked inextricably to good study habits. BASIS believes these skills must be taught and practiced. Students in the lower school learn how to take notes, manage their time, and organize their work. Teachers actively oversee the progress of their students and identify those who they believe might ben- efit from additional support. All students may attend tutoring sessions with their teachers, or participate in peer tutoring, if they would like increased one-on-one time to help reach their aca demic goals.

BUILDING WORK ETHICBASIS aims to teach students that success is the result of hard work. Whether a student is at the top of the class or struggling to keep pace with the demands of the BASIS cur-riculum, every BASIS student is encouraged to improve and to reach for his or her highest academic potential. Our teachers have a great work ethic and yearn to pass that along to our students.

(photos - left to right) Danica Pietzrak, BASIS Flagstaff (2014) Joseph Grams, BASIS Mesa (2014) Runali Hatalkar, BASIS Chandler (2014) Chukwunonso Emeka, BASIS Mesa (2014)

08

BASIS TEACHERSRECRUITING EXPERT TEACHERSBASIS cultivates expert teachers by hiring individuals who possess deep knowledge in the disciplines they teach, providing them with a large degree of autonomy in determining how to best achieve student learn-ing gains and holding them accountable for their results. Hiring teachers with subject matter expertise is especially important at BASIS because teachers play a critical role in curriculum development and syllabi design and in the management of each. Of course, we also hire people who love the classroom and disseminating what they know to students.

Prospective BASIS teachers undergo an interview process with veteran BASIS teachers and managers. Upon being selected as top canddates, prospective teachers are asked to teach a demonstration lesson in front of BASIS students. This portion of the hiring process demonstrates whether the applicant is knowledgeable in the subject and capable of conveying difficult material to young, bright, eager students. It is also fundamental that the applicant demonstrates a natural connection with students and a robust ability to master and adjust quickly to new and demanding situations.

TRAINING TEACHERS FOR SUCCESSAfter teachers are hired at a BASIS charter school, they attend a comprehensive summer training session to prepare for the challenges and opportunities of teaching in a BASIS classroom. During training, veteran faculty members share their knowledge of classroom manage-ment techniques, teaching methods, and pedagogical research and data with new teachers. The goal is to expose BASIS teachers to various instructive approaches and strategies and allow our new professionals to determine which disposition will work best for them. The support and insight, of course, is an ongoing process through the academic year.

HOLDING TEACHERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR RESULTSBASIS teachers are highly-respected for their vision and insight into the individual needs of their students. Instead of micromanaging teachers, BASIS holds teachers accountable for their results, which is the value that they add to their students’ education. This generates an environ-ment in which creative individuals thrive and remain passionate about their work—and pass that passion through the convivial classroom atmosphere to their students.

Nissa Kubly, Art Teacher Isabella Steidley BASIS Scottsdale (2014)

09

RETAINING AND REWARDING EFFECTIVE TEACHERSInstead of rewarding teachers simply for the number of years they have spent in the classroom, BASIS uses merit pay to compensate them for the learning gains their students make. Through our Annual Teacher Fund, BASIS raises private dollars to award merit-based bonuses to high-performing teachers (see page 40).

In addition to Annual Teacher Fund bonuses, BASIS teachers are also rewarded for their students’ success on AP exams. Each BASIS graduate completes at least six AP exams by the time they graduate, and AP teachers receive a bonus for every student who earns a score of 4 or 5 out of 5 on an AP exam.

2013–14 BASIS SCHOOLS ACADEMIC TEACHING FACULTYRefers to all teaching faculty as of October 2013 with the exception

of Physical Education teachers.

100%BACHELOR’S

DEGREE

59%MASTER’S DEGREE

11%DOCTORATE

DEGREE

Stella Xu BASIS Tucson (2014)

10

THE BASIS ACADEMIC PROGRAM

BASIS PRIMARY SCHOOL ACADEMIC PROGRAM AND CURRICULUMThe BASIS Primary School academic program is designed to invite young students to ask questions, learn the basics, understand how to organize themselves, and prepare them for the more-advanced curriculum of the BASIS Lower and Upper Schools. Primary school students are instructed in humanities, math and science, Mandarin, art, music, drama, and physical education. They also participate in a much-loved course called “Connections”, which brings all their studies together. Connections gives students the opportunity to apply all their new knowledge to specific scenarios designed to promote critical thinking and problem solving.

Aside from the curriculum, the innovation of our Primary School program is our unique approach to instruction. There are two professional teachers with the children at any given time. One of them is a Learning Expert Teacher, with a background in Elementary Education. The other, the Subject Expert Teacher, has a background in the specific subject he or she teaches. Students also acquire the extremely important skills of time management, personal organization, and prioritization from all their teachers.

The school day is structured to mirror the Lower School (5–7) and the Upper School (8–12.) The students rotate from class to class as a group; however, a Learning Expert Teacher assigned to each group rotates with them, staying with the children throughout the day. As the children and the Learning Expert Teacher move from class to class, they encounter different Subject Expert Teachers in each classroom for each subject.

Bhavya Chand BASIS Chandler (2014)

12

THE BASIS LOWER SCHOOL PROGRAMCurriculum (Grades 5–7) The BASIS curriculum for grades 5–7 is consistent with the highest interna-tional academic standards, and is designed to help students develop academic and organizational skills that prepare them for the demanding BASIS Upper School academic program and for college-level achieve-ment. By introducing high-level content standards in lower-grade levels, we ensure that students are exposed to these crucial concepts early and often and have mastered the material by the time they enroll in Honors and AP-level courses.

Assessment (Grades 6–7) Comprehensive Examinations: To ensure students grasp grade-level material, all 6th and 7th grade BASIS students are required to pass com-prehensive exams in all core subjects at the end of the year. Students prepare for these examinations by taking precomprehensive exams in the middle of the school year and by completing final review units incorporated into each subject.

BASIS FACTS

› When students come to BASIS in 5th grade, they start with nine

separate classes, including Intro to Science, Physical Geography,

Math (Math 8/7 or Algebra 1), English, Latin, Classics, Art, P.E.,

and Music.

› In 6th grade, BASIS students begin taking Biology, Chemistry, and

Physics as separate subjects, like many top-performing peers in

European and Asian countries.

› In 7th grade, students have the option to continue with Latin

or take a modern foreign language, such as French, Mandarin,

or Spanish.

› All BASIS students will complete Algebra 1 by the end of 7th grade;

many will have completed Algebra 2 or Pre-Calculus.

› In 5th grade, students take both Music and Art classes that focus

on singing, basic music theory/history, drawing, painting, charcoal,

pottery, listening skills, and teamwork.

› In 6th grade, student take fine arts, introducing them to the role of

the arts in society. Students choose a focus in art, music, or theatre.

› In 7th grade, students may choose from a variety of elective courses,

such as Theatre, Art (2D and 3D), Music (Choir and Piano), Yearbook,

P.E., and academic electives.

GRADE 5 GRADE 6 GRADE 7

MATH* Math 8/7 or Algebra 1

Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, or Algebra 2

Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus A, or Pre-Calculus AB

ENGLISH English English English

SCIENCE Physical Geography and Intro to Science

Biology, Chemistry, and Physics

Biology, Chemistry, and Physics

SOCIAL SCIENCE*

Classics U.S. History World History 1, and Critical and Logical Thinking

FINE ARTS Music and Art Fine Arts (Music, Art, or Drama focus)

Available as Elective

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Physical Education Physical Education Available as Elective

FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Latin Latin French, Latin, Mandarin, or Spanish

ELECTIVE No Elective No Elective Fine Arts, P.E., or Other Elective

* This represents the standard course sequence for BASIS campuses operated by BASIS Schools, Inc. The course sequence for affiliated BASIS campuses may vary in compliance with state or district standards.

NOTE: During their first several years of operation, new schools will implement modified course and assessment requirements for students in Grade 6 and higher.

5th grade students who are enrolled in Algebra 1 are required to take a comprehensive exam for the course.

CURRICULUM TABLE (GRADES 5–7)

GRADE 6 GRADE 7

English English

Biology Biology

Chemistry Chemistry

Physics Physics

Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, or Algebra 2

Algebra 1 or Algebra 2

U.S. History World History 1

Latin Foreign Language

ASSESSMENT TABLE

13

Caleb King BASIS Scottsdale (2014)

Hannah Schmidt, Kathryn Bastien, Karrina Heinstein, Annika Jackson, Abigail Rohy BASIS Scottsdale (2014)

14

THE BASIS UPPER SCHOOL PROGRAMCurriculum (Grade 8) BASIS considers 8th grade a transitional year for students who have com-pleted the BASIS Lower School Program (grades 5–7) and are preparing to enter high school. Our 8th grade students continue to build their already broad knowledge with a wide variety of exacting coursework, comprised of a full year of introductory level economics and an opportunity to enroll in advanced electives, including Environmental Science, Computer Science, and Psychology, which are aligned with the AP curriculum.

The Learning Enrichment Program (LEAP): Although BASIS provides a rigorous and accelerated program for all students, some students are ready to move even faster in certain disciplines. To provide these students the chance to proceed and to develop further in the accelerated nature of the BASIS program, we provide LEAP courses in select 8th grade core disciplines: mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology, and English. LEAP students must apply for entry to each course, obtain a recommendation from a teacher in that particular subject, and maintain an acceptable overall academic record.

Assessment (Grade 8) Comprehensive Exams: To ensure students grasp grade-level material, all BASIS students in Grade 8 are required to pass comprehensive exams at the end of the year. The subjects for “comps” include English, mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, history, and foreign language.

BASIS FACTS

› 8th grade students earn Upper School credit for Algebra 2 or Pre-

Calculus, World History II, and Economics.

› 8th grade students take Chemistry, Biology, and Physics a total of nine

hours per week.

› 8th grade students may choose from general elective offerings in Fine

Arts, Music, P.E., or advanced elective courses, such as Environmental

Science, Computer Science, or Psychology, which will prepare them

for success on AP exams.

COMPREHENSIVE EXAMS GRADE 8

MATH Algebra 2

ENGLISH English

SCIENCE Biology, Chemistry, and Physics

HISTORY** AP World History Exam

ECONOMICS Economics

LANGUAGE French, Latin, Mandarin, or Spanish

ASSESSMENT TABLE

GRADE 8

MATH Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus A, Pre-Calculus AB, Pre-Calculus B, AP Calculus AB, or AP Calculus BC

ENGLISHEnglish, LEAP English Language,* or LEAP English Literature*

SCIENCEBiology or LEAP Biology,* Chemistry or LEAP Chemistry,* and Physics or LEAP Physics*

SOCIAL SCIENCEWorld History II** and Economics (Macro and Micro)

FOREIGN LANGUAGEFrench, Latin, Mandarin, or Spanish

ELECTIVEUpper School Fine Arts Elective (Band, Chorus, Digital Photography, Strings, Drama, etc.), P.E. Elective, or Advanced Elective option*** (Art History, Music Theory, Environmental Science, Computer Science, Art Studio [2D, 3D, Design])

CURRICULUM TABLE

* Students must petition the School Director for approval; the course may not be offered every year.

** Curriculum is based on the AP World History Course and represents the standard course sequence for BASIS campuses operated by BASIS Schools, Inc. The course sequence for affili-ated BASIS campuses may vary in compliance with state or district standards.

*** Students must petition the School Director for approval; the curriculum is based on the AP course for the subject; students have the option to take the AP exam for the course subject.

15

Lauren Farrier BASIS Peoria (2014)

16

BASIS UPPER SCHOOL PROGRAMCurriculum (Grades 9–11) The BASIS Upper School offers an accelerated science and liberal arts program that is among the most versatile and rigorous in the country. The curriculum prepares students to work hard to reach their academic poten- tial, offers the assurance of comprehensive benchmarking and expert teaching, and holds students accountable for their own success. Students build a strong base of knowledge and are challenged to think critically about that knowledge and how to apply it constructively and creatively. The innovation in the BASIS Upper School curriculum is that we set precise exit criteria and then work through the academic program to set formidable yet reachable checkpoints throughout the Upper School grades.

Assessment (Grades 9–11) AP Board Examination Program: BASIS Upper School students take the AP exams as final exams for many of their courses. The AP exams act as an external benchmark to demonstrate that students have mastered the material in the BASIS core curriculum. The innovation in using AP tests as final exams also holds our teachers and students accountable for achievement at the very highest levels. AP exams are accepted in most four-year colleges and universities in the U.S., as well as in more than sixty other countries.

BASIS FACTS

› Unlike most schools that offer AP courses and exams, the BASIS Upper

School curriculum is AP-based, meaning all students are required to

take AP courses and exams as a part of the core curriculum.

› All BASIS students are required to take six AP exams by the time they

graduate.

› AP exams also count as final exams for AP courses. This helps ensure

BASIS is successful in holding students to the highest standards.

› BASIS covers the cost of AP exams for all students to ensure that every

student has access to academic opportunities and success.

Rosemary Hauser BASIS Scottsdale (2014)

GRADUATING CLASS 2011 2012 2013

AP EXAMS PER STUDENT 8.7 9.8 9.7

AVERAGE SCORE ON AP EXAMS

3.6 3.8 3.6

AP EXAMS PASSED 79% 89% 84%

GRADUATING WITH AP EXCELLENCE**

65% 81% 73%

AP PROFILE TABLE

GRADE 9–11

MATH Pre-Calculus A, Pre-Calculus B, Pre-Calculus AB, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, and Post AP (e.g., Differential Equations, Game Theory, and Category Theory)

ENGLISHHonors Language, Honors Literature, Honors English, AP English Language, AP English Literature, Post AP English, and Post AP Humanities

SCIENCEHonors Biology, Honors Chemistry, Honors Physics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics B, AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, AP Physics C: Mechanics, Post AP Biology, Post AP Chemistry, and Post AP Physics

HISTORY/SOCIAL SCIENCEAP U.S. Government and Politics, AP European History, and AP U.S. History

FOREIGN LANGUAGEFrench, Latin, Mandarin, Spanish, AP French, AP Latin: Virgil, AP Chinese, AP Spanish, Post AP French, Post AP Latin, Post AP Mandarin, and Post AP Spanish

ELECTIVEDigital Photography, Art, Theater, Music, P.E., AP Art History, AP Music Theory, AP Environmental Science, AP Economics: Macro & Micro, AP Computer Science A, AP Psychology, AP Statistics, and AP Art Studio [2D, 3D, and Design Portfolio)

CURRICULUM TABLE

* Refers only to campuses with graduating classes in 2011, 2012, and/or 2013. (BASIS Oro Valley, BASIS Scottsdale and BASIS Tucson North).

** Students graduate with the distinction of AP Excellence by passing (obtaining a score of 3 or higher) an AP exam in each of the core AP disciplines.

17

GRADUATION OPTIONS

The highest honor with which a BASIS student can graduate is Graduation with High Honors and AP Excellence.

EARLY GRADUATION BASIS students have the option to graduate at the end of 11th grade after completing all of the required courses for BASIS graduation.

GRADUATION Students graduate if they complete all of the courses required for BASIS graduation.

GRADUATION WITH HONORS

Students earn the distinction of graduating with Honors if they pass the required Capstone courses during the first two trimesters of 12th grade.

GRADUATION WITH HIGH HONORS

Students earn the distinction of graduating with High Honors if they pass the required Capstone courses and earn a passing mark on the Senior Project.

GRADUATION WITH AP EXCELLENCE

Students may also graduate with the added distinction of AP Excellence by obtaining a score of 3 or higher on an AP exam in each of the core AP disciplines: math, English, science, and social science.

18

BASIS UPPER SCHOOL PROGRAMCurriculum (Grade 12) Courses offered by the typical high school stop at the AP level—after all, AP courses are meant to be substitutes for introductory-level college courses. However, the advanced nature of the BASIS curriculum allows us to offer a variety of even more rigorous courses to our students. The final academic challenge at BASIS is therefore not AP exams; instead, students are able to enroll in Capstone courses.

Capstone Courses: 12th grade Capstone courses transition our students from student-centered learning to independent learning. Capstone students take courses like Category Theory, Organic Chemistry, Quantum Mechanics, Differential Equations, and Game Theory. These courses delve into advanced material and are roughly equivalent to upper-level college courses. The result is that BASIS students enter college prepared to excel in intermediate-level college work, at the very least.

The Senior Project: A BASIS education results in students who are highly engaged, inquisitive, and autonomous learners—and who want to see their know-how in action. The Senior Project is therefore the culmination of the BASIS high school experience. Following three and a half years of intensive college preparation, BASIS seniors are ready to spend the final semester of their high school careers applying what they have learned to an independent project that explores their personal path of learning and future course of study. Students embark on a mentor-guided program of academic inquiry—one with limitless possibilities and unbounded questions to be answered and explored—in science, public policy, or social or business-related issues, among many others. Senior Projects vary from apprenticeships in university-level research laboratories, to high-quality internships in businesses and corporations across the nation, to field work in the U.S. and abroad.

2014 BASIS CHARTER SCHOOLS SENIOR PROJECTS

BIOLOGY• Cosmetics With A Side of Infertility• Creating an On-Demand Switch for the P21 Gene • Engineering a Better Tracking System

for Small Mammals• Kinesiology and Muscle Development

Relationship Between Sports • Making Penguins Speak Chinese • Music Therapy and Autism:

Reaching through the Barrier One Note at a Time• Shattering an African Rice Species• Tackling Concussions One Hit at a Time:

mTBI Biomarkers

BUSINESS & ECONOMICS • Effective Female Leadership - Challenges,

Tactics, and Success• Internet Society, Social Media, and Business • The Startup Process:

Website Development and Mobile Apps• An Analysis of Offshoring and Outsourcing

in the Global Market• Beast of the Far East: An Analysis of Factors

Behind Singapore’s Economic Success• Going Public: What’s In Stock for Sprouts?• Power Generation Technologies and Financing

COMPUTER SCIENCE• Mind Over Matter: A Lesson to Remember• Solving an Age-Old Problem:

An Examination of Robotic Assistance

CULINARY ARTS • The Formation of Recipes• You Are What You Eat: What’s on Singapore’s Plate?

EARTH SCIENCE• Critical Discourse Analysis:

Glaciers and Pascua Lama• Farm to Table Food• Farming in the Desert: Are Bugs Our Achilles Heel?• Sustainability Strategies for University of Arizona

Students

EDUCATION • A Comparison of the U.S. and Mexican College

Application Processes• Elementary Math and Science Education• Learning How to Teach Music

ENGINEERING • Characterization of Effects on Laser Efficiency

and Yield• Copper Metallization for Thin, Silicon

Heterostructure Solar Cells• Graphics Cards and their Scientific Application• Human-Computer Interaction• Rocket Design and Fabrication• The Engineering/Design Process: Is it Worth It?• Volatilis Cinere:

A New Application of Model Rocketry

LITERARY THEORY • Graffiti, Dipinti and Twitter:

From Ancient Walls to Digital Walls• Carl and Rachel’s Literary Adventure:

Writing a Novel• Drawing for Children is Not Child’s Play• How It’s Made: Novel Edition

MATHEMATICS• Data Analytics and the Modern World:

Big Data and Big Problems• Mathematical Modeling: Maximizing Efficiency• Sprouting Growth: The Future of Predictive Analytics

MEDICINE • A Comparison of Geriatric Dentistry in India

and the United States• Burn Trauma Treatment Methodologies• Effectiveness of Robotic Surgery for Bladder

Cancer Treatment• Interleukin-6 in Bone Metastasized Cancer

and Cancer Pain• Isolating Circulating Tumor Cells through

Microfluidic MicroChannels• Leukemia and Human Growth Hormone• Life After Surgery:

A Study on Post-Operative Depression• Lipid and Carbohydrate Metabolism:

The Management of Chronic Disease• Medical Science Education and Health Literacy• MLH1 Gene and Cancer• Pictures of the Mind: How Alzheimer’s Develops• RNA granules and their connection to ALS,

TDP-34 and glia cells in the neuromuscular junction• Sepsis Associated Kidney Injury and Multiple

Organ Dysfunction Syndrome• The Correlation between Macular Thickness

and Age of the Eye

19

CLUBS AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY OPTIONS

Acting for the Camera 1

Art Club

Art Society

Badminton

Band

Basketball

Biotech Club

Board Game Club

Bogglers

Brazilian Soccer Club

Chess Club

Chinese Club

Comedy Club

Cricket

CSI Investigation

Dodgeball

Drama Club

Enviroclub

eSports

Fencing

Filmmaking Club

Flag Football

Floor Hockey

Foosball Club

French Club

Guitar

Hiking Club

Improvisation Club

International Club/ Model UN

Journalism

Juggling Club

Junior High Cross Country

Junior Varsity Cross Country

Lacrosse

Latin Society

Leadership Program

Literary Arts Magazine

Math Counts

Minecraft Club

Music

National Honor Society

National Junior Honor Society

Newspaper

Orchestra

Philosophy Club

Physics Olympiad

Piano

POWER

Puppet Club

Quizbowl

Recycling and Environmental Community Service Club

Red Cross Club

Renewable Energy

Robo-Rocketry

Rock Climbing Club

Science Bowl

Soccer

Spanish Club

Spelling Bee Club

Strings

Tennis

The Web Dev Club

Theatre

Toastmasters

Tri-M

Typing Club

United Students of BASIS Society

Volleyball

WordMasters

Yearbook

20

CLUBS AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIESEach BASIS charter school offers a wide array of clubs and extracurricular activities—and each school’s offerings are aligned with the desires and talents of students on that campus. Thousands of BASIS students, each year, partake in and explore their interests outside of the classroom. Some of our extracurricular activities are the same every year, but some arise organically, just like the minor variations in the daily happenings in our schools, even those merely miles from one another. Our students are the lifeblood of our campuses, and just as they fill our classrooms with aptitude and intellect, their focus on activity before and after school thrums with ardent effort, nuanced attention, and well-earned success.

Emma Witham BASIS Tucson North (2014)

21

22

2013 AIMS MATHPERCENT EXCEEDING | BASIS VS. AZ

GRADE 5

GRADE 6

GRADE 7

GRADE 8

HIGH SCHOOL

0 20 40 60 80 100%

2013 AIMS MATHPERCENT PASSING | BASIS VS. AZ

GRADE 5

GRADE 6

GRADE 7

GRADE 8

HIGH SCHOOL

0 20 40 60 80 100%

2013 AIMS WRITINGPERCENT EXCEEDING | BASIS VS. AZ

GRADE 5

GRADE 6

GRADE 7

HIGH SCHOOL

0 20 40 60 80 100%

2013 AIMS WRITINGPERCENT PASSING | BASIS VS. AZ

GRADE 5

GRADE 6

GRADE 7

HIGH SCHOOL

0 20 40 60 80 100%

AIMS RESULTSThe Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards, or AIMS, is a Standards Based Assessment administered by the state of Arizona Department of Education. The exam is administered to students in all Arizona public schools, including charter and district schools. AIMS measures student proficiency of the Arizona Academic Content Standards in writing, reading, mathematics, and science, and is required by state and federal law.

BASIS Arizona

23

Source: Arizona Department of Education (2013). AIMS Data.

2013 AIMS SCIENCEPERCENT EXCEEDING | BASIS VS. AZ

GRADE 8

0 20 40 60 80 100%

HIGH SCHOOL

2013 AIMS SCIENCEPERCENT PASSING | BASIS VS. AZ

GRADE 8

0 20 40 60 80 100%

HIGH SCHOOL

2013 AIMS READINGPERCENT EXCEEDING | BASIS VS. AZ

GRADE 5

GRADE 6

GRADE 7

GRADE 8

HIGH SCHOOL

0 20 40 60 80 100%

2013 AIMS READINGPERCENT PASSING | BASIS VS. AZ

GRADE 5

GRADE 6

GRADE 7

GRADE 8

HIGH SCHOOL

0 20 40 60 80 100%

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DEMONSTRATED EXCELLENCE: AP TESTINGADVANCED PLACEMENT RESULTSThe College Board’s AP exams® are formulated as a means of assessing college readiness. Exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5. A score of 3 points or higher indicates that a student is capable of completing introductory level col-lege coursework successfully. Students who score 3 points or higher are granted placement and/or credit at about 90% of four-year colleges and universities in the U.S., according to The College Board.

While most American schools allow only top-performing students to take AP courses and AP exams beginning in 10th or 11th grade, BASIS charter schools require all students to participate in AP courses and testing beginning in 9th grade. Our academic program involves students taking a minimum of eight AP courses and at least six AP exams during their high school tenure, with these exams counting as final exams in a given course. Despite being younger and in lower grade levels, BASIS students perform exceedingly well on AP exams when compared with their peers across the country.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT PERFECTIONIn the autumn of 2013, BASIS schools celebrated with BASIS Scottsdale sopho-more student Young Han Kim for earning a perfect score on an AP exam.

Kim, known as Eric to his friends, family, and BASIS teachers, was just a freshman at the time of the test in May 2013 and one of 104,612 students who took the AP® Calculus BC Exam. Of those students, just eleven received perfect scores, and this includes answering every multiple-choice question correctly, as well as receiving maximum scoring on each of the essays in the free-response section of the exam.

Eric obviously received the top score of 5 on this AP test, something that was earned on only 14.3% of the 3,938,100 total AP exams taken in 2013. Eric’s math teachers at BASIS were extremely proud of his incredible accomplishment, as were his classmates and the entire BASIS community.

Eric also became something of a local television star after receiving his score, as several Phoenix-area news outlets ran profiles on him. Besides being an excellent student—particularly in mathematics—Eric is also an excellent singer and musician, among other pursuits.

Source Graph (right): The College Board (2013), AP Data.

DISCLAIMER: AP® is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

ART HISTORY

0 20 40 60 80 100%

BIOLOGY

CALCULUS AB

CALCULUS BC

CHEMISTRY

CHINESE LANGUAGE & CULTURE

COMPUTER SCIENCE A

MACRO-ECONOMICS

MICRO-ECONOMICS

ENG. LANGUAGE & COMPOSITION

ENG. LITERATURE & COMPOSITION

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE**

EUROPEAN HISTORY

FRENCH LANGUAGE & CULTURE

GERMAN LANGUAGE & CULTURE

COMPARATIVE GOV. & POL.

U.S. GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

PHYSICS B

PHISICS C: MECHANICS

PSYCHOLOGY

SPANISH LITERATURE & CULTURE

SPANISH LANGUAGE & CULTURE

STATISTICS

U.S. HISTORY

WORLD HISTORY**

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2013 AP RESULTSTEST TAKERS SCORING 3 OR HIGHER (%) | BASIS* VS. GLOBAL

BASIS*

Global

*Based on the results for mature BASIS Schools: BASIS Oro Valley, BASIS Scottsdale, BASIS Tucson North.

**Majority of BASIS test takers were 8th grade students.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) SCHOLAR AWARDSBASIS students earn AP Scholar® distinctions at a higher rate than any other school in the state of Arizona. In 2013, there were 148 AP Scholars, 95 Scholars with Honor, 263 Scholars with Distinction, and 78 National AP Scholars among BASIS students.

In addition, BASIS Tucson North senior Kirk Hendricks earned the esteemed distinction of AP State Scholar. Each year, one male and one female high school student in each of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia is named as an AP State Scholar. The state scholars must earn scores of 3 or higher on the greatest number of AP exams, and then the highest average score (at least 3.5) on all AP Exams taken. Kirk took nineteen AP exams, with an average score of 4.68.

AP SCHOLARSGranted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams.

AP SCHOLARS WITH HONORGranted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.

AP SCHOLARS WITH DISTINCTIONGranted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.

NATIONAL AP SCHOLARSGranted to students in the US who receive an average score of at least 4 on all AP exams taken and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.

Source: http://professionals.collegeboard.com/k–12/awards/ap-scholar

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2013 AP SCHOLARSBASIS STUDENTS AS A PORTION OF ALL AP SCHOLARS IN AZ

8–12 GRADE STUDENTS

AP SCHOLARS

NATIONAL AP SCHOLARS

STATE AP SCHOLARS

0.4%

5.6%

AP SCHOLARS w/DISTINCTION

14.5%

AP SCHOLARS w/HONOR

8.6%

22.3%

50.0%

2013 AP SCHOLARSPERCENT OF ALL AP TEST TAKERS EARNING AP SCHOLAR AWARDS BASIS VS. GLOBAL

BASIS

Global

AP SCHOLARS

10.3

NATIONAL AP SCHOLARS

STATE AP SCHOLARS

10.1

AP SCHOLARS w/DISTINCTION

18.3

6.6

AP SCHOLARS w/HONOR

6.6

4.4

5.4

1.1

0.1 0

Source: The College Board Report for AP Data (2013).

MERIT AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONSBASIS graduates earn a great deal of scholarship awards and money, based on their academic achievement throughout their high school careers. BASIS works tirelessly for our students to succeed in our classrooms and on exams, both for the sake of acquiring knowledge, and as a way to light the path of learning for the next academic challenge.

We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our students and fully advise and assist them as they embark on the process of applying to colleges and universities. In fact, we use it as a learning and teaching opportunity, and one of great import. Of course, we are also always extremely proud when our students earn awards and scholarships, which provide a great deal of significance as their next academic quest begins to take shape.

National Merit Scholarship Approximately 1.5 million students participate in the Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT)/NMSQT). Roughly 1% of high school seniors nationwide receive recogni-tion as a National Merit Finalist; in 2013, more than 10% of BASIS seniors earned that same recognition.

BASIS Scholarship Money Awarded: In 2013, BASIS graduates applied more than $2,600,000 in merit scholarships to the colleges they chose to attend. Additionally, 2013 BASIS grads each earned an average of $138,572 in merit aid, combining for a total of $14,392,656 in earned scholarship money.

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COMMENDED SCHOLARS

SEMIFINALISTS FINALISTS HISPANIC FINALISTS

NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

13.3%

2%

13.3%

1%

10.6%

0.9%

5.3%

0.3%

0.9%

0.1%

BASIS

U.S.

2013 NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS

BASIS VS. U.S.

*Refers only to BASIS schools with graduating classes in 2013 (BASIS Oro Valley, BASIS Scottsdale, and BASIS Tucson North).

Source: National Merit Scholarship Corporation (2013).

MERIT AID

TOTAL MERIT AID EARNED BY ALL 2013 BASIS GRADUATES

$14,392,656

AVERAGE MERIT AID EARNED BY EACH 2013

BASIS GRADUATE

$138,572

GROWTH IN AP PASSING POINTSA score of 3, 4, or 5 (on a scale of 1 to 5) merits a “pass” in the AP examination system. Our AP Passing Points list is the sum of the value of each passing score, measured across all BASIS students taking AP exams. The BASIS academic program continues to evolve and offers an ever-widening range of students the opportunity to take AP courses and exams, beginning in 8th grade and lasting through the high school years. The impres-sive growth in our AP Passing Points is evidence of our AP success.

MEETING THE CAMBRIDGE AND OXFORD UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS CRITERIAIn keeping with the BASIS mission to ensure that our graduates are among the world’s best pre- pared students for higher education, we have compared our seniors against admissions criteria at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. Both Oxford and Cambridge define their “typically successful applicant” in terms of the number of 5s (the highest possible score) they earn on AP exams. At Oxford, successful applicants have at least three scores of 5; at Cambridge, successful applicants have at least five scores of 5. Among the 2013 graduates of BASIS Tucson North and BASIS Scottsdale, 45% fit the criteria of a typically successful Oxford applicant and 32% fit Cambridge’s criteria.

One 2014 BASIS graduate knows firsthand that he meets the University of Oxford admissions cri-teria. Pavan Shah, a student at BASIS Chandler, was accepted to study Biomedical Sciences at Oriel College at the University of Oxford. Pavan was selected as one of two students total, to be admitted to enter the Biomedical Sciences program at Oriel College, and was one of just 35 students, out of hundreds of applicants, to be admitted to study Biomedical Sciences at Oxford. Typically, the University of Oxford has only approximately forty spots in its freshman class for undergraduate students coming from the U.S. Pavan’s accomplishment is tremendous, and all of his BASIS Chandler teachers, as well as the entire BASIS community, are very proud of him.

DISTRICT/CHARTER* GRADE POINTS

BASIS SCHOOLS A 161

BENSON UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT A 161

VAIL UNIFIED DISTRICT A 157

CATALINA FOOTHILLS UNIFIED DISTRICT A 155

QUEEN CREEK UNIFIED DISTRICT A 154

CAVE CREEK UNIFIED DISTRICT A 153

HIGLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT A 151

ARIZONA AGRIBUSINESS & EQUINE CENTER HIGH SCHOOLS A 150

BALL CHARTER SCHOOLS A 150

EDUPRIZE SCHOOLS A 150

2013 TOP SCHOOL DISTRICT & CHARTER HOLDER RANKINGSBASED ON ARIZONA’S A-F LETTER GRADE ACCOUNTABLE SYSTEM THAT MEASURES STUDENT GROWTH (50%) AND ACADEMIC OUTCOMES (50%)

2013 BASIS GRADUATES MEETING CAMBRIDGE & OXFORD

ADMISSIONS CRITERIA

CAMBRIDGE OXFORD

27.1%

37.4%

31

*Districts and Charter holders were required to operate multiple school sites to qualify.

Source (graph - left): College Board® (2008–2013). Source (graph - right): calculated based on AP data provided by the College Board® (2013). Source (table): Arizona Department of Education (2013).

AP PASSING POINTS

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

1000152

12421857

3818

5332

1104189 258 338

948 1535

10151684

2496

3445

6512

10869

Passing Points

Enrollment

Test Takers

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OECD TEST FOR SCHOOLS (BASED ON PISA)The BASIS mission is to offer American students the type of education that students receive in top-performing school systems around the world. BASIS Tucson North and BASIS Scottsdale were two of 105 U.S. high schools that participated in a 2012 pilot program of the OECD Test for Schools—based on the highly respected Program for International Student Assessment exam, or PISA.

The OECD Test for Schools is a school-level assessment tool that measures critical thinking skills and how well 15-year-olds can apply their knowledge of reading, math, and science to real-world problems. PISA is unique in that it assesses a student’s ability to think critically, reason, solve prob-lems, and communicate their thoughts in a compelling way. The standardized test is taken by more than a half-million students worldwide and it also enables participating schools to benchmark their results against other educational systems and countries around the world that participate in PISA.

The results of the pilot showed that BASIS.ed students outperformed students in every country that participated in the 2009 PISA, scoring in the top 1% of the world’s schools in reading and math and the top 5% in science:

“…In 2012, teenagers at two Arizona BASIS schools took a special new version of the PISA test… The results were breathtaking. The average BASIS student not only outperformed the typical U.S. student (by nearly three years in reading and science and four years in math) but outscored the average student in Finland, Korea, and Poland, as well. These kids even did better than the average student from Shanghai, China, the nation that ranked number one in the world…”

Amanda Ripley (Simon & Schuster, 2013). The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way

Further, the PISA test shows what a vast number of teachers, parents, and analysts already know: that a large percentage of American middle class high schools have not kept pace with schools from the same socioeconomic backgrounds in a vast number of high-performing or even average-performing countries. The outstanding results from BASIS charter school students, however, were a bright light—a true exception to this finding.

In the 2013–14 academic year, 15-year-old students at four BASIS charter schools took the OECD Test for Schools: BASIS Chandler, BASIS Oro Valley, BASIS Scottsdale, and BASIS Tucson North (results not available at time of publication). In the coming years, students at additional BASIS campuses will take the exam when those campuses meet the threshold for the requisite number of 15-year-old students.

MATH READING SCIENCE

33

GLOBAL COMPARISON 2009 PISA RESULTS AND 2012 OECD TEST FOR SCHOOLS RESULTS | BASIS VS. OTHER EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS

Source: OECD, “How Your School Compares Internationally: OECD Test for Schools (Based on PISA)–Pilot Trial, BASIS Scottsdale”, http://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisa-basedtestforschools, 2012.

Lily Parish BASIS Oro Valley (2013)

34

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCEUpon completing our accelerated, rigorous academic program, BASIS graduates are prepared to enter some of the nation’s and the world’s most distinguished colleges and universities. In fact, many of our graduates enter col-lege as first or even second semester sophomores and continue the academic success they began at BASIS.

2013 BASIS GRADUATES COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES

• Princeton University• Harvard College• Columbia University• Columbia/Sciences

Politiques• Stanford University• University of Chicago• Duke University • Dartmouth College• John Hopkins Univ.• Brown University• Cornell University• Univ. of Notre Dame• Emory University• Georgetown University• University of California,

Berkeley• Carnegie Mellon Univ.• University of California,

Los Angeles• Tufts University • University of North

Carolina, Chapel Hill• Brandeis University• New York University• Georgia Institute of

Technology• Case Western Reserve

University• Pennsylvania State

Univ.• Univ. of California, Davis• University of California,

San Diego• Boston University• Lehigh University• Rensellaer Polytechnic

Institute• University of California,

Santa Barbara• University of Illinois-UC• Northeastern University• Univ. of California, Irvine• University of California,

Irvine – Honors• George Washington

University

• University of Washington, Seattle

• Fordham University• Univ. of Connecticut• Syracuse University• Purdue University• Michigan State Univ.• American University• Baylor University• Clark University • Stevens Institute of

Technology• University of California,

Santa Cruz• University of Colorado,

Boulder • Auburn University• Florida State – Honors• University of Denver• Drexel University• Loyola University• North Carolina State

University• Illinois Institute of

Technology• University of Oregon• University of California,

Riverside• University of Dayton• University of Arizona• University of Arizona

– Honors• Colorado State Univ.• Seton Hall University• University of Arkansas• Hofstra University• New School• Arizona State University• Howard University• Arizona State University

- Barrett Honors• St. Johns University• University of Alabama• University of Alabama

– Honors• University of Wyoming

• Azusa Pacific Univ.• Kent State University• Northern Arizona Univ.• Northern Arizona

University – Honors• University of

Massachusetts Boston• McGill University• University of British

Columbia• Rose-Hulman Institute

of Technology• Amherst College• Swarthmore College• Bowdoin College• Middlebury College• Pomona College• Carleton College• Davidson College• Haverford College• Harvey Mudd College• Grinnell College• Colgate University• Smith College• Bates College• Macalester College• Oberlin College• Bryn Mawr College• Colorado College• Barnard College• Kenyon College• Bard College• Mount Holyoke Coll.• Occidental College• SOKA University• Skidmore College• College of Wooster• Illinois Wesleyan Univ.• Lewis and Clark Coll.• Reed College• St. Mary’s College• Allegheny College• New College of Florida• Bennington College• Hampshire College

• Coe College• San Diego Christian

College• Sarah Lawrence Coll.• Carrol College• Creighton University• Trinity University• Fairfield University• Gonzaga University• Mills College• Seattle University• Chapman University• Rochester Institute of

Technology• Ithaca College• University of Portland• California Polytechnic

State University• Emerson College• College of Charleston• University of Redlands• Evergreen State Coll.• Univ. Puget Sound• California State

University, Fullerton• King’s College• Humboldt State Univ.• San Francisco State

University• Univ. of New Haven• Caldwell College• Grand Canyon Univ.• Montana Tech• Boston University• CAP 21• Imperial (UK)• Keele University• New York University,

Shanghai• Univ. of Washington

– Honors• University of Maryland

35

Hyun Jun BASIS Tucson North (2014)

36

BASIS GRADUATES: WHAT’S YOUR STORY?The BASIS academic program is among the best in the country when it comes to preparing students for the intense study required at the upper levels of college. BASIS keeps tabs on our graduates as they venture off into the wide world of higher education and the workforce.

Alum Story #1ARIANNA TUOMEY BASIS Tucson North, Class of 2013 University of California, San Diego | Human Biology, Pre-Med Emphasis

My parents were always quite focused on my academics. As such, they always searched for the best schools they could find for me. In spring of 2006, they discovered BASIS Tucson after hearing about it from their friends. After visiting the open house, all three of us decided it was the right place for me to begin 6th grade (there was no 5th grade at that point). Each year was hard work, but I ultimately had a lot of fun due to my friends, after-school drama, and the end of the year projects. The Lower School at BASIS is all about preparing you for the Upper School, because there is a significant difference between the two. Though the workload in the BASIS Upper School is hefty and sometimes extremely difficult, I am very pleased with my decision to stay throughout senior year.

I am now in my first year at the University of California, San Diego as a Human Biology major with a pre-med emphasis and I am grateful for all that I learned at BASIS. My first quarter at UCSD, I received Provost Honors (our equivalent to a Dean’s List), a feat I never could have accomplished without the preparatory work I did at BASIS. While going through it, my friends and I didn’t see the bigger picture, only that our 5 AP courses were a copious amount of work. Now I see that if I had gone to any other high school, it would not have been as easy for me to be accepted to and thrive in college.

A large part of what makes the BASIS system work and what made me enjoy school so much is the teachers. All of my teachers in my 7 years at BASIS were extremely dedicated to what they do and many of them are experts in their field. As a student, it is much easier to concentrate in class when your teacher is engaging and actually cares about his or her students. Our teachers cared so much that they would let us eat lunch and do homework in their rooms, or help us with any problems we had—be it with school or our personal lives. I recently applied to be an Orientation Leader at UCSD and my college counselor and 9th/12th grade English teacher, Ms. Fulford, was more than willing to write me an excellent letter of recommendation. Forming lasting relationships with high school teachers is not something many people can do, but because of BASIS, I can say that I have.

What I would say to incoming BASIS students is this: it’s going to be hard, very hard and you might want to give up. You might want to go to an easier school where you don’t take AP classes. My advice to you is don’t give up. Staying at BASIS is 100% worth the work and you will not regret it when you’re breezing through your college courses thinking, “Wow, this is just like what I did in 11th grade!” I constantly think that. In my humani-ties class, we are currently reading The Odyssey, which is a book we read in 9th grade at BASIS.

Also, be sure to take advantage of the amazing extracurriculars at BASIS! You can choose electives and after school activities to cater to your interests. I had many friends who did sports, were presidents of the Environmental Community Service Club, Science Bowl, etc. I myself was Vice President of French Society (we put on the annual Masquerade Ball), in women’s choir, and was a Camp Counselor during the Oregon Trip Project. Some of my favorite memories from high school happened in after-school theatre and the theatre elective, which I participated in every year from 6th grade to senior year. Due to my experience with theatre at BASIS and our wonderful director Mr. Johnson, I have decided to declare a theatre minor at UCSD. There is so much to take advantage of and not only will it make your college applications look amazing, you’ll have so much fun. I love BASIS Tucson North and all the people there; I am so happy my parents and I chose this school and though I love my university, I truly miss BASIS every day.

Alum Story #2ANDREW SHABILLA BASIS Scottsdale, Class of 2010 ASU Barrett Honors, Chemical Engineering

Since graduating from BASIS, I have been attending ASU Barrett Honors College and studying chemical engineering—which has allowed me to conduct a lot of hands-on lab work. I am involved with ASU’s “Science is Fun” program where I am part of a team that travels to elementary, middle, and high schools to speak and show students how fun science really is. We teach them about learning science from a different perspective, and making learning science fun. I enjoy working with kids, and showing them a different way of looking at science.

Right now, I’m in my last semester of work to earn my degree, and working as a consultant to the lab I first worked in when started at ASU. I’m also excited to be focusing my research in a different direction —reverse osmosis membranes—while actively interviewing for chemical engineering jobs.

I was recently asked how to describe myself. I would say inquisitive, strong willed, loyal, and hard working.

Next up for me is finding a Technical Engineering job—and in ten years, I’d hope to have a Masters in Engineering, and working to advance public well-being, via the field of environmental engineering.

When I think of my BASIS experience, I think of teachers who are actively interested in the success of their students. Regarding my AP science courses and exams, I would say that the material gave me a very good foundation—I still use what I learned in all my AP science courses today. I have no regrets about my BASIS academic experience—although I would say I loved hearing teachers teach from their own professional experience, and it would be great if teachers (at BASIS and everywhere) did a lot more of that. When I think of how I was challenged at BASIS, I would say it’s just the right amount—neither

too much nor not enough. It wasn’t quite like the challenge I faced when I entered the engineering program at the university level—but it taught me how to deal with challenge and the benefit of chal-lenge. I like challenge. BASIS prepared me for it.

I was able to skip many of the 100 level/pre-requisite courses in college, mostly because BASIS gives a broader experience in science—emphasizing biology, chemistry, and physics instead of limiting focus on science as one general area or course. The emphasis on English language and writing (while I didn’t always care for it at the time) was really a big help at the college level. Being able to write coherently and effectively convey the intended message is very helpful. BASIS gave me the foundation needed to pursue my chemical engineering study, and future career in that field.

If I had to deliver advice to my younger self, when I started my BASIS schooling, I would say, first, don’t sweat the tests so much. And even though you think homework, tests, etc., are all a big pain, in the grand scheme of things it is actually a very powerful tool for your future. It’s not always what you learn but who you become when you learn.

Finally, I was also recently asked to describe one of my most memorable BASIS moments. I guess I would say there were many great moments, but getting to “hang-out” with “D-Mose” when not in the class- room was excellent.*

*The 2010 seniors affectionately referred to Diane Moser, the founding Director and Head of School of BASIS Scottsdale, as “D-Mose”. Her guidance and support forged a friendship that exists to this day.

Harsh Patel BASIS Flagstaff (2014)

39

Lauren Traasdahl BASIS Mesa (2014)

40

SUPPORT BASIS

Public funding is often insufficient to support excellence. For BASIS to continue providing a world-class education to all who choose this program, we must rely on the support of our parents, community members, local businesses, and foundations to meet our funding needs.

THE ANNUAL TEACHER FUNDThe Annual Teacher Fund helps BASIS recruit, retain, and reward high-performing teachers. With private contributions from BASIS parents and community members, BASIS rewards teachers for student learning gains through merit-based bonuses. As a charter school, BASIS receives less state and local funding per student than traditional public schools, making it unfeasible to pay faculty much more than the average teacher salary without the help of the Annual Teacher Fund.

THE NEW SCHOOLS DEVELOPMENT FUNDAfter fifteen years of operating two now nationally ranked schools and following the beginning of an expansion process that has opened eight more excellent BASIS charter schools in Arizona since 2010, BASIS continues to grow, with hopes of offering a world-class education to even more students. The New Schools Development Fund covers the costs associated with starting new schools, thus continuing our mission to raise the standards of American K–12 education to internationally competitive levels. Plus, in the future, we would like to have the capability to identify and support local levers of change to create a charter-friendly environment in additional states.

STARS TUTORING PROGRAMRecognizing that incoming BASIS students come from all levels of academic prepared-ness, BASIS created the STARS Tutoring Program to support students in achieving grade level readiness. STARS not only introduces BASIS expectations and school culture to pre-enrolled students, but also helps prospective students to develop the core compe-tencies necessary for long-term academic success at BASIS.

EXTRACURRICULARS FOR ALLAny additional programs or activities that are scheduled before and after the Instructional Program, during weekends, and during the Summer Term not covered by state funding, are funded through a student fee associated with each activity. To provide greater access to these programs and activities for all BASIS students, BASIS has created a fund to defray the program costs for families unable to pay the student fee.

SENIOR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT FUNDA BASIS education cultivates students who are highly engaged, inquisitive, and autonomous learners. The Senior Project is the culmination of the BASIS high school experience. After three-and-a-half years of intensive academic college preparation, BASIS seniors are ready to spend the final months of their high school careers applying what they have learned in previous years to an independent project that explores their individual path of learning and future course of study. Students embark on a mentor-guided program of academic inquiry with limitless possibilities. Senior Projects vary from internships in university level research laboratories to fieldwork abroad. This program has been firmly established in our legacy schools, but additional funding is required for scholarships and to continue rolling out Senior Projects in our newer schools.

42

BASIS SCHOOLS EXPANSIONSince BASIS Tucson opened in 1998, followed by BASIS Scottsdale in 2003, the charter schools managed by BASIS.ed have grown to serve more than 7,500 students on twelve campuses, including ten in Arizona, one in Washington D.C., and one in San Antonio, Texas.

The first BASIS charter primary school opened in 2013 in Tucson, extending the reach of the now-renowned academic program to younger students. These students have proven just as eager as their older counterparts to learn from smart teachers who love teaching.

BASIS.ed continues to manage our successful BASIS charter schools and will manage several new charter schools in the 2014–2015 academic year. In addition to the unending focus on charter schools, BASIS.ed’s Independent School Division is also now man-aging applications and admissions for BASIS Independent Brooklyn and BASIS Independent Silicon Valley, both opening in 2014.

The mission of BASIS.ed and BASIS charter schools has always been, and will always be, to raise the standards of American education to the highest international levels.

In many places, that is attainable via the charter school model. But in other locations, a private school is a better fit. The private school gives BASIS.ed the opportunity to expand access for more students. BASIS.ed will continue in its efforts to provide an outstanding, world-class education to the maximum number of students, no matter where they live.

©2014 BASIS Schools, Inc. All rights reserved.

BASIS™ is a trademark or registered trademark of BASIS Schools, Inc. BASIS Educational Group, Inc., BDC A Public Charter School, Inc., BTX Schools, Inc., and BASIS Independent Schools, LLC.

www.basisschools.org

BASIS SCHOOLS, INC.

BASIS Ahwatukee BASIS Chandler BASIS Flagstaff BASIS Mesa BASIS Oro Valley BASIS Oro Valley Primary BASIS Peoria BASIS Phoenix BASIS Phoenix Central BASIS Prescott BASIS Scottsdale BASIS Tucson North BASIS Tucson K–6

ASSOCIATED SCHOOLS

BASIS San Antonio BASIS San Antonio North BASIS Washington D.C.