Disclosure :: This post is sponsored by BASIS Charter Schools.
BASIS Curriculum Schools Are Coming to Baton Rouge!
Five of the top ten public high schools in the nation, as ranked by US News & World Report, are BASIS Charter Schools! The mission of BASIS Charter Schools is to empower students to achieve at globally-competitive levels 
with a transformative K–12 academic program. We are thrilled to bring this program to Baton Rouge in fall 2018, learn more at our information sessions next week.
Our program provides a revolutionary, comprehensive liberal arts curriculum. Our courses are designed to challenge and inspire students become scientists, artists, writers, mathematicians, linguists, computer scientists, and engineers. Even in the early grades, the BASIS curriculum is designed to help students establish a deep foundation of disciplinary knowledge to fuel critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity.
BASIS charter schools take great pride in their internationally-benchmarked curriculum, from kindergarten to senior projects, the BASIS course of study is connected. Beginning in the primary grades, much of the curriculum is interdisciplinary, and the relevant connections students make across subjects expand critical thinking and problem solving skills that they carry for the rest of their lives. As students advance through the program, our teachers build upon the students’ understanding of connections between disciplines and how those connections affect the world.
The BASIS K-4 program has been developed to help prepare students for the rigorous curriculum in the Lower School (grades 5-7) and Upper School (grades 8-12). To ensure the best quality instruction, we have two teachers in each classroom: an experienced Lead Teacher and a Teaching Fellow, who has at least a bachelor’s degree and aspires to become a Lead Teacher. Our teachers focus equally on the social, emotional, physical, and academic development of their students.
One of these two instructors is a Learning Expert Teacher (LET). Their role is to make sure that students understand what they are being taught, and that every individual student is working to the absolute best of his/her personal ability. The LET travels with his/her students throughout the school day and is always there to aid in their scholastic development. LETs provide a high level of progress monitoring, parent communication and enrichment to all students and their families.
Each individual classroom also has a Subject Expert Teacher (SET). The SET has advanced subject area knowledge in the topic of study which they teach. They know the course material inside and out and can communicate that material effectively.
The synergy of the LETSET model facilitates a relatively rapid transition from instruction in foundational skills and knowledge to independent thinking and active learning in the primary grades. These teachers work together to help students make connections between disciplines through the reiteration of key concepts throughout the curriculum. This fosters the progression from acquisition to application of knowledge, and prepares students for the challenges and opportunities of the BASIS 5-12 program.
Students in grades 1-4 take the following courses: Humanities, Math and Science, Fine Arts (Visual Arts, Performance Arts, and Music), Connections, READ, Engineering & Technology, Mandarin, and Physical Education/Martial Arts.
This year, BASIS Charter Schools took five of the top ten spots in the 2017 U.S. News & World Report “Best High Schools” list: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 7th. These rankings are determined by data collected from more than 21,000 public high schools in the United States.
