Achievement
SCI HIGH EARNS B+ IN NEW STATE GRADING SYSTEM
In 2011, Sci High reached a record high of 106.4 on the state-assessed School Performance Score, based on graduation rates, student achievement test scores and attendance. This is a 25 point growth from the SPS score assessed in 2010, ranking Sci High 3rd in terms of academic growth amongst all high schools in the city of New Orleans.
Read the research brief Surveying the Public High School Landscape in New Orleans by The Cowen Institute to learn more about New Orleans high schools.
TEST SCORES RISE
Sci High students continue to progress, as measured by scores on standardized tests.
- 6 Sci High's 2011 ranking in city of New Orleans amongst public high schools.
- 11 Total number of percentage points that scores posted by Sci High students in math and science increased from 2009 to 2010 on the Graduate Exit Exam.
- 7 The number of percentage points Sci High students ranked above the average of the 25 high schools in the city in passing the math portion of the 2011 Graduate Exit Exam.
- 18 The number of percentage points Sci High students increased to passing scores of Good or Mastery on the English portion of the End of Course Exam.
Impressive improvement
At the beginning of the 2006-2007 school year, 14% of the Sci High entering freshman class read at grade level. By the end of the students' sophomore year, dedicated teachers, reading integrated across the curriculum and an atmosphere of high expectations had increased that number for the same group to 58%.
THE VIRTUAL ADVANTAGE
Virtual Academy was launched at Sci High in summer 2010 to help students who needed to re-take classes due to poor grades and to give talented students enhanced opportunities.
The courses ranged from English and French to world history and biology. Students were largely successful, with a passage rate of 94%.
At $300/course, the approach is a resource-effective solution for adding advanced topics to the curriculum. For example, Porea plans to offer Mandarin Chinese and other courses the students express interest in taking.
A Sci High staff member and tutor is present in every classroom, in addition to a virtual teacher whom students can call to discuss the material they are taking. The virtual teacher also monitors progress through bi-weekly phone calls, assigns lessons and grades the student's coursework.
Sherman Williams, an 11th grade student spoke about his experience, "At first it was funny taking a class and not having a regular teacher. I took English II over the summer and made a B. It made me want to take Biology in the fall because I could learn at my own pace."
About Sci High
The New Orleans Charter High School for Science and Mathematics provides a rigorous, laboratory-based education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to traditionally under-served high school students in Orleans Parish. It is among the very few open-admissions science and math high schools in the country. No test scores or prior GPA are required. We actively recruit students whom selective schools might turn away, and we commit to improving their achievement. The goal is to prepare students—traditionally under-served by the public school system—for college and career success. In service of that mission, Sci High imparts the skills of disciplined thinking, the spirit of inquiry, the persistence of intellectual curiosity, and the habits of organization, hard work and personal responsibility. Extensive electives promote advanced in-depth study in physics, psychology, astronomy, calculus and creative writing. After-school programs range from spoken word poetry and flag football to rocketry and robotics. Our students are also the key to the growth of the New Orleans economy through the next generations. They can compete globally, but they are likely to conduct their professional lives locally—going to our universities and building their careers as part of the educated work force that will drive our city's future.
Fast facts about the Foundation for Science and Math and Sci High »
History
In 1993, Sci High began as a half-day special program open to all Orleans Parish high school students. The concept came from collaboration between a SUNO professor and two Tulane professors; Barbara MacPhee was school principal. Then in October, 2005, a mere 60 days after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and when only four other high schools were open, The Advocates for Science and Mathematics Education, Inc., applied for and were granted a Type III charter by the Orleans Parish School Board. Responding to the new environment, the original half-day program became a full-day high school, offering all the subjects required for graduation and TOPS Scholarship eligibility.