The Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering

Academy for Math, Science, and Engineering
Address
520 West Main Street
Rockaway, NJ, Morris 07866
Information
Type Magnet public high school
School district Morris County Vocational School District
Superintendent Jim Jencarelli
CEEB Code 310274
Director Cheryl Giordano
Principal Todd Toriello
Faculty N/A
Grades 9-12
Enrollment 90 (as of 2012-13)[1]
Student to teacher ratio N/A
Color(s)      Green
Website

The Academy for Math, Science, and Engineering is a four-year magnet public high school program intended to prepare students in Morris County for careers in Math, Science, and Engineering, as part of the Morris County Vocational School District. Referred to by its students as "the Academy," it is a joint endeavor between the Morris County School of Technology and the Morris Hills Regional High School District. The school is located on the campus Morris Hills High School in Rockaway, New Jersey, United States.[2] Organizations involved with the Academy include New Jersey Institute of Technology, County College of Morris, The Research & Development Council of New Jersey, Verizon, and the Morris / Sussex / Warren Workforce Investment Board.

Admission to the Academy is extremely competitive; twenty-six students are admitted each year. As of the 2012-13 school year, the school had an enrollment of 90 students.[1]

Awards, recognition and rankings

Schooldigger.com ranked the school as one of 16 schools tied for first out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (the school was not included in the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the language arts literacy (100.0%) and mathematics (100.0%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[3]

In 2005-06, the Academy averaged a 1982 combined SAT score, third highest of all public high schools statewide. The Academy was also tied for highest in SAT Mathematics (695).[4]

In 2015, the Academy was ranked its highest at 3rd in the nation by Newsweek, with an average SAT score of 2136, and an average AP score of 4.31. [5]

History

The Academy for Math, Science, and Engineering was created along with three other Academies by the Morris County School of Technology; 2015-16 marks the sixteenth year of the school's existence.

Campus

The Academy is located on the campus of Morris Hills High School, unlike the other academies within the Morris County Vocational School District, which are held on the Denville, NJ campus. The Morris Hills campus includes the Dr. James J. McNasby Technology Center, a small, modern building on the Morris Hills campus separate from the primary building that provides facilities for automotive shop, computer aided design lab (including a 3D printer), and a graphics workshop (including large plotters and screen printers). Students enrolled in the Academy attend classes in both buildings; the joint nature of the program allows students to enjoy normal interaction while engaging in a highly rigorous academic program.

Admissions

As part of the selection process, students must pass a rigorous examination and interview process to be accepted. All potential applicants take an entrance exam in either November–January. If they pass the first round of admissions, the applicant is called in for a personal interview. Admissions is based on entrance exam scores, standardized test results (seventh grade NJ ASK results), teacher recommendations, and the interview. Once admitted, the student is required to attend a two-week summer program. The program runs from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm and transportation is not provided. Students spend time in CAD, Math Analysis I, Physics 1, and Humanities classes.

Because of the workload and challenge of the curriculum, only one graduating class has had the full 26 possible members due to several drop-outs (who voluntarily leave the Academy) and fail-outs (who are forced to leave if they do not maintain at least a "C" average in all classes or fail two classes). The first graduating class in 2004 began with 24 students but only graduated 12. The second graduating class began with 21 students and graduated 14 students. The class of 2005 only graduated 14 students, having started with 21. The 2009 graduating class had lost 8 members in the first 2 quarters of their freshman school year, another at the end of their sophomore year, and another before the start of their senior year leaving it as the second-smallest class with 13 students. Meanwhile, the 2010 class has only 15 students in their graduating class. The 2011 graduating class has a full class size, making it perhaps the first full graduating class. Additionally, the 2012 graduating classes currently have 22 students each while the class of 2013 currently has 21 members.

All eighth grade students in Morris County are eligible to take the admissions test (the Accuplacer exam, offered by the College Board) only after getting specific teacher recommendations. Students must have completed or be enrolled in an Algebra 1 course at their middle school. The Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering is typically the most popular academy in terms of student interest as compared to the other academies offered by the Morris County Vocational School District; the selection process is thus particularly competitive. The Academy for Mathematics, Science and Engineering has one of the most rigorous and selective admissions processes in the state, with acceptance rates for the Academy typically in the teens or single-digits. The class of 2013's acceptance rate was 3%.

Extracurricular activities

Although it is not allowed for there to be an activity that only Academy students can participate in, Academy Students are responsible for founding many of Morris Hills High School's activities, such as the Astronomy Club which was formed in 2006 by the members of the class of 2009. There is also an Academy Physics club which consists of the five Freshman academy students with the highest first marking period average. Members of the Academy Class of 2013 established the Morris Hills chapter of the Junior State of America, and members of the Academy Class of 2017 established the Morris Hills chapter of the Science Olympiad. Since some clubs meet from 7:30 to 8:00, there may be problems in attending the meetings due to the extended school day for Academy students (which begins at 7:18 to allow for the Z-Block course, versus the 8:05 time for Morris Hills Students).

Students, if they wish, can play sports with other students in Morris Hills High School.

Curriculum

Academy students must accumulate 170 credits to graduate. Students must also abide by multiple requirements of the Morris Hills curriculum. For example, students must take 3 quarters of physical education and 1 quarter of health (worth 1.25 credits). In addition, students must take at least 1 year of a foreign language, 1 year of fine arts class, 2 practical arts classes, and 1 class that involves computer proficiency.

All courses denoted "Academy" are taught at the honors level and are taught to only students of the Academy. These courses are often more rigorous than their counterparts taught to Morris Hills students. All courses denoted "AP" represent courses under the Advanced Placement program offered by the College Board. These courses are taught to a mixed group of students from both the Academy and Morris Hills, with the notable of exception of freshman year AP Physics 1.

Freshman Year:

Sophomore Year:

Junior Year:

Senior Year:

The Academy curriculum utilizes the Physics First approach, in which freshmen take an introductory physics course (AP Physics 1) rather than the traditional biology course offered to most high school freshmen. The Academy is able to do this because all Academy students are required to enter freshman year having completed an Algebra I course, and because the basic trigonometry necessary in physics is taught to students at the beginning of their Geometry course. Additionally, further topics in trigonometry are rearranged to be taught earlier in the Algebra II/Pre-Calculus curriculum through special cooperation between the Physics and Mathematical Analysis instructors. The Physics First approach, while not commonly utilized because most high school freshmen lack the required mathematical background, emphasizes concepts in Physics in the instruction of Chemistry and concepts of Chemistry in the instruction of Biology.

Senior Year internships have been done with: Picatinny Arsenal, Novartis, Smith Aero-Space, Century Flight School, Telcordia, Mount Olive Soccer Club, Granite Financial Corporation, Alcatel-Lucent, St. Claire’s Hospital, Pfizer, Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine (jointly administered by Rutgers University and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey), Automatic Data Processing, Inc., Cisco Systems, Morris County Parks Commission, Madison Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Parsippany Volunteer Ambulance Squad,and the Research and Development Council of New Jersey

As a result of the high level courses, students earn college credits while in high school. There is a range of 3-53 college credits earned by graduating seniors. Most of these credits are earned through courses approved by the New Jersey Institute of Technology (all graduates are awarded an official college transcript) and/or by achieving high scores on Advanced Placement exams.

References

  1. 1 2 School Data for Academy For Mathematics Science And Engineering, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 19, 2015.
  2. ↑ Academy for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering 2014 Report Card narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 7, 2015. "The Academy is a collaborative effort between Morris County Vocational School District and Morris Hills Regional School District and is located at Morris Hills High School in Rockaway, New Jersey."
  3. ↑ New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2010-2011, Schooldigger.com. Accessed February 22, 2012.
  4. ↑ 2005-06 School Test Score Rankings, The Star-Ledger. Accessed June 19, 2007.
  5. ↑ , Newsweek.com. Accessed August 19, 2015.

External links

Coordinates: 40°53′27″N 74°31′45″W / 40.8908°N 74.5292°W / 40.8908; -74.5292

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