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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I'm 6:54. I think they are building a school with a lot of strengths and which can support a wide range of student interests (I have a Basis high school student and a middle schooler).

The kids have to master a lot of science and math to graduate; they don't have to enter science fairs or take AP computer  science or AP engineering classes but those classes are offered. That's what I mean by not 'STEM.'

But the PP who said no Basis students were interning at the Smithsonian, NASA etc is just wrong. They already are. And more will.

Can they do more? Yes. Should they have kids who are entering big national science fairs by now? Maybe - if that's what the kids want. [b]The teachers are ready to support them when they do. 
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I've mentored several TJ students as a STEM professional, so I know that it's not an easy as "the teachers are ready to support them when they do."

For a group of elite STEM-oriented students at a HS to compete successfully in national science competitions, e.g. Siemens, Google and INTEL, admins must cultivate the supporting mentoring relationships needed to build students into strong competitors.  This must be done relentlessly, year in and year out, by teachers and mentoring/competition/academic paper publishing coordinators who aren't carrying a full teaching load.

The school also needs to work the mentoring time into the schedule. BASIS DC admins could study how TJ approaches the exercise.  TJ offers summer academics terms, to help kids dust off course requirements, freeing them up to focus on working with mentors during the spring and fall semesters, catering to the mentors' schedules. TJ also has parent leaders fundraise to support their mentoring program.  You want every parent with any kind of connection to the Smithsonians, NASA, NAS etc. asked to help build the mentoring network every semester, as at TJ, and to kick in some dough to make it happen. None of this appears to be happening at BASIS DC, other than piecemeal for a few kids.

The working assumption of the last few BASIS heads seems to have been that because their Arizona campus graduates tend to do brilliantly in college admissions, so, too, will most of their DC seniors, at least once those who've had the full "BASIS treatment" from 5th grade reach the finish line. Problem is, the Metro area applicant pool is one of the several most competitive in the country. BASIS isn't in Arizona anymore.

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By junior or senior year, a BASIS student can elect an independent study period to do just such a science project. BASIS students have done it in Arizona already -- so the flexibility in the curriculum and model is there and the science teachers in different parts of BASIS collaborate (see this story about a recent AZ BASIS graduate and Intel finalist who presented her project to President Obama. http://blog.basisindependent.com/bklyn/basis-scottsdale-student-acknowledged-by-obama-for-disease-fighting-research.

Building that kind of program takes some time, both for the school and the students to see what it's all about. And yes TJ and also Blair have built amazing programs, although they have vastly larger budgets and selective admissions going for them.

It's piecemeal in DC because there are ONLY a few kids in the high school at this point and not all of their interests are in science. Just 16 graduating seniors, 14-15 juniors and 45-46 sophomores, some of whom plan on graduating a year early.

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