BASIS Independent Schools strive to raise the standard of student learning to the highest international levels. At the heart is a belief in never underestimating student potential and cultivating an environment of joyful learning. No one believes this more than Head of School Hadley Ruggles at BASIS Independent Brooklyn. She will quickly tell you engaged, independent students produce exceptional results in the classroom and beyond in the real world. She now proudly makes sure that belief is consistently put into practice at our Brooklyn campus.
From Educator to Leader
Ms. Ruggles was drawn to BASIS.ed schools nearly a decade ago by the commitment to put student
learning first and the respect afforded to teachers to use their own methods to make children want to learn more. She joined the BASIS Scottsdale faculty as an English teacher, and soon realized the power of BASIS.ed's approach. “Our students do not just meet but exceed international benchmarks,” said Ms. Ruggles. “We attribute that to our Subject Expert Teachers in the classroom bringing a passion to instruction and our accelerated curriculum that challenges students.”
Ms. Ruggles quickly distinguished herself as a leader. She was appointed Head of School at the flagship BASIS Scottsdale campus, which has been consistently ranked as one of the very best schools in the nation and world since opening in 1998.
“At BASIS Scottsdale, I saw critical thinking and logical reasoning brought to life 
across all classrooms; logic informed sciences and math as well as writing. The reasoning learned early in logic class—paired with a strong academic knowledge base—ultimately inform Senior Projects that allow students to explore any questions that spark their interest.”
The Senior Project and Network Effect
BASIS Independent Schools' High School program culminates in a three month off-site, independent Senior Project that is both proposed and constructed by the students, under the guidance of faculty advisors and external specialists. The Senior Project allows students to demonstrate independent scholarship, individual accountability, disciplinary mastery and a familiarity with problem solving. The idea is to prepare graduates to be leaders in college and beyond.
“Our Senior Project is all about the gift of time," said Ms. Ruggles. "What would you do if you could study anything with the counsel of an excellent teacher and expert advisor? I look forward to seeing what our first class of seniors take on for their projects as we build out our high school, and we certainly plan on celebrating the results to inspire students across all grades.”
Growing BASIS Independent Brooklyn
“Here in Brooklyn we have families from so many cultural backgrounds and professions, and you feel
that in the classroom," commented Ms. Ruggles. "It strengthens our community and broadens our perspective. I have no doubt that will also inform our Senior Projects, and the prospect of that is quite thrilling.”
Find out more about about recent Senior Projects across our network in the video "The BASIS.ed Difference Senior Projects 2016."
Given many years leading BASIS.ed schools, Ms. Ruggles summed up her thoughts on how the network consistently cultivates academic excellence demonstrated in measures as varied as test scores to Senior Projects: “We take the best of the creativity and questioning seen in the American model of education and pair it with the drive, discipline of the best international schools. We preparing critical thinkers who thrive in an environment that values informed thought and collegiality, and where different perspectives are challenged and tested.”
Join us at our upcoming Information Sessions in Brooklyn to see for yourself what all the buzz is about!