Prospect Hill Academy

Prospect Hill Academy Charter School
Alala

Prospect Hill Academy
Address
50 Essex Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
United States of America
Information
School type Public, Charter school
Established 1996 (1996)[1]
Upper School Principal and Collegiate Institute Director Danny Wilcox and Chris Douglas
Upper Elementary Principal Erin Moulton
Head of school Jed F. Lippard
Early Childhood Principal Nancy Alach
Staff 173[2]
Teaching staff 98[3]
Grades K-12
Enrollment 1139
 • Kindergarten 88
 • Grade 1 89
 • Grade 2 89
 • Grade 3 82
 • Grade 4 97
 • Grade 5 96
 • Grade 6 99
 • Grade 7 96
 • Grade 8 96
 • Grade 9 93
 • Grade 10 83
 • Grade 11 73
 • Grade 12 48[4]
Classes 407
Student to teacher ratio 11.7:1[3]
Sports Baseball, Basketball, Cheerleading, Cross-country, Soccer, Softball, Track, Volleyball[5]
Accreditation NEASC
National ranking 499 (2013 U.S. News and World Report)[6]
Average SAT scores 492 reading
484 math
477 writing
1453 total (2014-2015)[7]
Budget 16000 per pupil (2013 estimate) [8]
MCAS % proficient and advanced ELA: 100
Math: 94
Science: 76 (Grade 10 Spring 2012)[9]
Website http://www.prospecthillacademy.org/

Prospect Hill Academy Charter School (PHA) is K-12 college preparatory public charter school located on three campuses in Somerville, Massachusetts and Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school was founded in 1996 by a diverse group of community members with the mission to prepare each student for success in college, to inspire a lifelong love of learning, and to foster responsible citizenship.[1]

PHA serves over 1,100 students from diverse racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds.[1] 64% of the students come from low-income families as defined by federal guidelines. 86% are from minority backgrounds.[4]

After three consecutive silver medals, in 2012, Prospect Hill Academy earned a Gold Medal designation by US News and World Report placing it among the top 2% of all American high schools.[6]

Campuses

Prospect Hill Academy is located on three campuses in Somerville, Massachusetts and Cambridge, Massachusetts:[10]

  1. The Early Childhood Campus, serving grades K-3, is located at 15 Webster Avenue, Somerville, Massachusetts, in Union Square (Somerville)
  2. The Upper Elementary Campus, serving grades 4-6, is located at 17 Franklin Street, in East Somerville, Massachusetts
  3. The Upper School Campus, serving grades 7-10, is located in two buildings at 50 and 54 Essex Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, near Central Square (Cambridge)
  4. The Collegiate Institute, serving grades 11-12, is located at 54 Essex Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts, near Central Square.

Curriculum

Collegiate Institute Curriculum

As the name implies, collegiate institute students undertake a college preparatory curriculum. English classes focus on American literature and identity in the 11th grade, then short stories, and the social contract in the 12th grade, with a required senior thesis. Prospect Hill's science offerings include physics. Electives include AP English, AP Spanish Language, AP United States History, AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Statistics, and Anatomy and Physiology.[11][12] Additional courses are offered in Spanish, Computer Science, and the Fine and Performing arts.[13]

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

Prospect Hill Academy is a member of the Massachusetts Charter School Athletic Organization.[14] Sports offerings include soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, cheerleading, cross-country running, and track.[5]

Clubs and publications

Upper School clubs have included the Art Club, Chess Club, EPICS, Gay Straight Alliance, Junior State of America, Knitting, Sign Language, Video Production, and the Yearbook as well as athletic clubs such as Dance club, Boys Fitness, and Girls Fitness. In the Fall of 2012 clubs included: Fundamentals of Art, Dance Club, 9th Grade Choir, HAIRitage, Hip Hop 101, Self Defense, Pumped Up Kicks, and Drum Line[15] Upper Elementary clubs include: the drama club, the Improv Olympics club, the newspaper club, the dance club, the ski and snowboard club, the flag football club, and the basketball club.[16]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Prospect Hill Academy: About Us". Prospect Hill Academy. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  2. ↑ "Prospect Hill Academy Charter School Staffing Data by Race, Ethnicity, Gender by Full-Time Equivalency". Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  3. 1 2 "Prospect Hill Academy Charter School Teacher Data". Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  4. 1 2 "Prospect Hill Academy Charter School Enrollment Data". Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  5. 1 2 "Athletics: Teams and Schedules". Prospect Hill Academy Charter School. Retrieved 2011-05-06.
  6. 1 2 "Prospect Hill Academy Charter School in Cambridge, MA Best High Schools US News". U.S. News & World Report. 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  7. ↑ http://profiles.doe.mass.edu/state_report/sat_perf.aspx
  8. ↑ "Prospect Hill Academy Charter School Annual Report 2011-2012" (PDF). Prospect Hill Academy Charter School. 2012. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  9. ↑ "Prospect Hill Academy: MCAS Tests of Spring 2012 Percent of Students at Each Performance Level for Prospect Hill Academy". Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  10. ↑ "Campus Information". Prospect Hill Academy Charter School. Retrieved 2011-06-09.
  11. ↑ "Prospect Hill Academy: News >> Eleventh Grade Course Descriptions". Prospect Hill Academy. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
  12. ↑ "Prospect Hill Academy: News >> Twelfth Grade Course Descriptions". Prospect Hill Academy. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
  13. ↑ "Prospect Hill Academy: Academic Program >> Collegiate Institute >> Academics & Curriculum". Prospect Hill Academy. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
  14. ↑ "Athletics: History of the Massachusetts Charter School Athletic Organization (MCSAO)". Prospect Hill Academy Charter School. Retrieved 2011-05-06.
  15. ↑ "Upper School Campus: Enrichment Opportunities: After School Clubs". Prospect Hill Academy Charter School. Retrieved 2013-05-16.
  16. ↑ "Upper Elementary Campus: Clubs and Activities". Prospect Hill Academy Charter School. Retrieved 2011-05-06.

External links

Coordinates: 42°22′01.47″N 71°06′02.46″W / 42.3670750°N 71.1006833°W / 42.3670750; -71.1006833

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