Basis Oro Valley tops Washington Post's national rankings

A charter school, Basis Oro Valley took the top honor in its first year of eligibility, just five years after opening its doors, unseating the American Indian Public Charter School in Oakland, California, which held the spot for two years.

“Rankings such as these allow us to publicly recognize and share the level of dedication that our teachers and students bring to academic achievement,” said Basis Oro Valley Head of School Michelle Mason. “We could not be more proud of them, and are thrilled to receive national recognition.”

It is one of seven Tucson-area schools that made the Washington Post list, which ranked more than 2,300 campuses nationally.

Also cracking the top 10 were: No. 5 Accelerated Elementary and Secondary Schools, and No. 6 Basis Tucson North.

The Tucson Unified School District’s University High School fell from No. 28 last year to No. 37 in 2015.

Catalina Foothills High School was ranked 1,088th, followed by Sonoran Science Academy at 1,130 and Ironwood Ridge High School at 1,563.

In compiling the list, the Washington Post took the total number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests given at a school each year and divided by the number of seniors who graduated in May or June.

This year, just 11 percent of the approximately 22,000 U.S. public high schools managed to reach that standard and earn placement on the list.

The academic accomplishments of Basis and University High School have consistently been recognized at the national level by not only the Washington Post but U.S. News & World Report as well.

“It’s great to be recognized and it’s a tribute to the work students and teachers put in every single day,” said University High Principal Dean Packard.