BASIC Independent McLEAN

BASIC Independent McLEAN is one of the top private schools in the United States. It was opened in 2016 in Tysons Corner, Northern Virginia, near Washington, DC. The campus covers 11 acres. It is designed with a uniquely strong curriculum in mind. Students have access to state-of-the-art science classrooms and labs, classrooms for art, theater, two playgrounds and athletic fields, 10 preschool classrooms, etc.

The school offers the BASIC program, which is recognized as one of the best academic programs in the United States. Graduates are successfully admitted to top colleges and universities around the world.

In addition to academics, BASIS Independent McLean offers a wide variety of extracurricular clubs, activities, and sports, with nearly 80% of students actively participating in at least one, and over 50% participating in two or more. Students are consistently successful in many extracurricular activities, including winning championships in math, sports, Latin, etc.

BASIC Independent McLEAN School is consistently ranked in regional and state rankings:

• #1 - Best Private High Schools in Virginia;
• #1 - Best Private College Preparatory High Schools in Virginia;
• #1 - Best Private K-12 High Schools in Virginia;
• #2 - Best high schools for STEM in Virginia;
• #7 - Best private high schools for college prep in America;
• #10 - Best private K-12 schools in America;
• #12 - Best high schools for STEM in America;
• #29 - America's Best Private High Schools.

BASIC Independent McLEAN School offers K-12 education in a K-12 format - from the earliest years through 12th grade.

The Discovery Blocks of Learning Early Learning Program offers an impressive array of courses that promote early numeracy, literacy and awareness of ideas and themes that will emerge in later years. Children learn through developmentally appropriate games, music and exploratory activities that help make high-level material more accessible. Discovery learning blocks include:

• Social adjustment;
• emotional development;
• self-care skills;
• language and literacy;
• math;
• expressive arts: visual arts, music and drama;
• physical development;
• Chinese language;
• world discovery;
• STEM Discovery, etc.

The unique two-teacher model involves two teachers per classroom, each with a deep knowledge of effective pedagogy and experience in delivering engaging lessons. Both an early learning teacher and an early learning researcher are present in students' classrooms throughout the year. Subject teachers may substitute for the early learning teacher in "specialty" courses such as Chinese and PE.

These two teachers work together to help students make vital connections both in and out of the classroom.

The elementary school program offers children a unique learning experience as they begin to fully embrace the various disciplines and their interrelationships.

This program is distinguished by its unique emphasis on the interrelationships between different areas of knowledge, as well as the partnership of teachers present in each classroom. Students have a separate subject area teacher (SET) for each core class paired with a learning expert teacher (LET) who shapes the learning environment as they move from one SET class to the next. Students in grades 5 move independently through the building and classrooms, learning specific SET subjects for each grade level.

The curriculum in these years is focused on the humanities and sciences and their interrelationships. In grades 1-3, science and science are studied together, and the humanities block includes topics such as history, culture, civics, reading comprehension, and writing.

Some time is devoted to the arts, with students attending 85-minute art and music classes each week. Pupils can also study subjects such as engineering and Chinese. The weekly Connections course introduces students to scenarios that require them to apply their knowledge in new, unexpected ways to find solutions.

In 4th and 5th grade, students have separate classes in those subjects instead of the core math and science course. This is also true for English and history.

Core concepts and skills within subjects are "spiraled" or redirected at all grade levels, with each reintroduction increasing in complexity and reinforcing what has been learned previously.

At BASIS, middle school is a time to build strong foundational knowledge in a wide range of subjects and to develop the independence and discipline students need for a successful future.

Subject teachers with deep expertise in their chosen field lead each class and use their passion for their subject to inspire students to succeed in one of the most comprehensive and advanced high school programs in the world. As students manage a full schedule (including many extracurricular activities) and move from class to class, they are taught strategies for successful time management and self-organization.

Students follow a rigorous schedule in all core subjects, including three separate concurrent science classes (biology, chemistry, and physics), a world language, and a logic course. They may choose an elective beginning in 6th grade and a world language option in 7th grade and above. The spiral of the curriculum is important in these grades, especially the deeper review of science concepts each year as students prepare to enter honors level or Advanced Placement® (AP) courses beginning in 9th grade.

The final years are designed for active preparation for college. Most courses are taken at the Advanced Placement (AP) level. At BASIC Independent McLEAN, all students take 6 courses at this level, as well as exams and independent research projects.

The final year of BASIS Independent is the bridge from traditional classroom learning to the application of knowledge in a real-world context. By this time, most students have already taken Advanced Placement® (AP®) courses and completed graduation requirements. Thus, this year is designed to be the culmination of their entire educational experience through three elements: daily college counseling courses, Capstone and post-AP courses at the college level, and the Senior Project, a unique opportunity to pursue their own research interests independently.

Tuition for the 2024-2025 school year at BASIC Independent McLEAN School:

• Toddlers: $27,750;
• PreK-1 and PreK-2: $31,100;
• Kindergarten through 4th grade: $35,200;
• Grades 5 - 12: 36 800$.