BASIS Tucson “Tops” Another National Ranking
June 21st, 2011 - 2:28pm
TUCSON, AZ, June 20, 2011 - BASIS School, Inc. is proud to announce that BASIS Tucson has been named among America's Best High Schools by yet another national ranking. Newsweek magazine, which published a new ranking this year, named the school 3rd out of over 1,000 public high schools across the country. Moreover, BASIS Tucson was the top ranked open-enrollment school according to the Newsweek ranking; the #1 and #2 ranked schools are both magnet schools with selective admissions.
BASIS Tucson has been a fixture on the Newsweek rankings, earning a top ten spot every year since 2006. But this year's Newsweek ranking is different. The old Newsweek ranking relied on the "Challenge Index," which measured the rigor of schools' academic programs by calculating the number of Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate or Cambridge tests taken at the school in relation to the number of graduating seniors. That ranking migrated to The Washington Post this year and named BASIS Tucson 4th among all public high schools.
The new Newsweek ranking relies on different methodology which was "designed to highlight public schools that excel at fostering a positive and effective learning environment, as well as preparing students for college," according to Newsweek. The methodology for calculating each school's 2011 Newsweek score "is comprised of six components: graduation rate (25%), college matriculation rate (25%), AP tests taken per graduate (25%), average SAT/ACT scores (10%), average AP/IB/AICE scores (10%), and AP courses offered (5%)" according to Newsweek.
"BASIS Tucson students and teachers should take great pride in this accomplishment," says Julia Toews, Head of School for BASIS Tucson. "Our students don't just take difficult tests and courses, they excel at them. In 2010, more than 80% of our students, grades 9-12 passed an AP exam, and they did so because they and their teachers worked really hard all year. This ranking is really a reflection of the hard work of both groups, and a clear sign of the great potential that exists in Arizona."
BASIS Schools operates six schools in Arizona, BASIS Tucson, BASIS Scottsdale, and BASIS Oro Valley, as well as BASIS Chandler, BASIS Flagstaff, and BASIS Peoria which will open this August. BASIS Tucson, BASIS Schools' flagship campus, was the only BASIS School eligible for inclusion in this year's Newsweek ranking. BASIS Scottsdale will first be eligible for inclusion in the ranking next year.
"BASIS Tucson's academic model has proven to be highly successful, having earned the school top rankings in Newsweek, US News & World Report and The Washington Post. Our goal is to make this same high quality education available to more students throughout the state and nation in the coming years," says Nick Fleege, New School Development Director for BASIS Schools.
To learn more about BASIS Schools, please visit www.basisschools.org.
Press release taken from BASIS Schools.
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