Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School

Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School
Location
123 Coles Street Jersey City, NJ 07302
Information
Type	Magnet Public high school
Established	1976
School district	Jersey City Public Schools
Principal	Edward Slattery
Vice principal	Alice Barone
Faculty	39 (on FTE basis)[1]
Grades	9 - 12
Enrollment	683 (as of 2009-10)[1]
Student to teacher ratio	17.51[1]
Color(s)	Brown and Yellow
Athletics conference	Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association
Nickname	Cougars
Publication	Cougar News
Website	School website

Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School (often dubbed Academic previous to its dedication, or as McNair) is a Magnet public high school located at 123 Coles Street in Jersey City, in Hudson County, New Jersey. The school is named in memory of Dr. Ronald E. McNair, the astronaut and scientist who died on the Space Shuttle Challenger. McNair is operated by the Jersey City Public Schools district. The principal is Edward Slattery and the vice principal is Alice Barone. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools since 1979.^[2]

As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 683 students and 39 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 17.51.^[1]

The school is particularly noted for its wide selection of Advanced Placement (AP) Courses, in addition to a standard curriculum that contains courses at the Honors level. 21 AP courses were offered in 2010, with 897 students taking exams and 83.8% of those taking the exams scoring 3 or higher, more than quadruple the statewide average.^[3] Most electives are regular, unweighted classes. From 2008 to 2010, 100% of the class has graduated and in 2010 a full 100% of the student body indicated that they planned to attend a four-year college,^[3] with many going to the top institutions of the country.

History

The school originally opened as Academic High School in 1976 on 70 Sip Avenue in Jersey City. The school also rented a space in a Ukrainian building on Bergen Avenue. Its name was also changed to honor the late astronaut in 1986. In 1997 the school moved to its new location on 123 Coles Street due to safety and spacing reasons.

Beginning in the 2004-05 school year, the incoming class size was increased from 140 students to 200.

In 2004, McNair Academic lost one of its most beloved teachers, Vincent Russo. The school's library was soon after renamed in his honor.

In May 2009, McNair lost Dr. Sara Solberg, a teacher of English, French, Shakespeare, and Mythology. Thanks to Donald Delo, the school opened a new stage in the Winter of 2010 named 'Sara's Stage' in her honor.

Achievements

The school has been highly praised. Notable achievements include:

• During the 2008-09 school year, Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education,^[4] the highest award an American school can receive.^[5][6]
• In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post, the school was ranked 1st in New Jersey and 52nd nationwide.^[7]
• 26th place in US News and World Report's November 29, 2007 issue listing the Best High Schools in the United States. McNair Academic High School was also named a Gold Medal School by US News and World Report for making the Top 100 list.
• The school was ranked 85th in Newsweek's 2009 ranking of the top 1,500 high schools in the United States and was the top ranked school in New Jersey, with 3.993 AP tests taken in 2008 per graduating senior and 80% of all graduating seniors passing at least one AP exam.^[8] The school was ranked 27th place in Newsweek's May 22, 2007, issue listing the Top Public High Schools in the United States; the school was ranked in 83rd place in the 2006 survey and 15th in the 2005 rankings.^[9]
• The title of "Star School" during the 2004-05 school year by the New Jersey Department of Education—the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve.^[10]
• For the 2005-06 school year, the school was one of 22 schools statewide selected as Governor’s School of Excellence Winners, an award given to schools that have demonstrated significant improvement over the previous two academic years.^[11]
• The school was the second-highest ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 322 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2010 cover story on the state's Top Public High Schools, repeating the second-place rank it held in the magazine's 2008 report.^[12] The school was ranked 1st in the magazine's 2006 rankings out of 316 schools included across the state.^[13]
• On November 30, 2007, McNair Academic was featured on News 12 New Jersey having ranked among the top 100 public high schools in the country.

Standards

General admittance is based on a consensus of PSAT scores, academic performance from the 6th through 8th grades, extracurricular activities, and teacher recommendations. With the primary goal of diversity through affirmative action, the school's enrollment is based on a quota of 25% White, 25% Black, 25% Hispanic, and 25% Other (mostly Asian).^[14]

The school enforces a business-type dress code (though not a school uniform) for both students and teachers^[15] The basic protocols dictated the following:

• Sneakers and shorts are permitted only in physical education classes.
• Boys are required to wear slacks, button-down collared shirt, and tie for the entire school year, complemented by a suit jacket. A V-neck sweater during the autumn and winter seasons is permissible.
• Females are advised to wear appropriate, unrevealing business attire. Pants or skirts above the knee are not allowed. Open-toe shoes are permitted only for the months of September–October and May–June.

Students are also required to fulfill 50 mandatory community service hours. They must also maintain a final grade of 70 or higher on all of their courses. If a student has a failing final grade in one course, he or she must go to summer school in order to pass the course. If a student receives a failing final grade in two or more courses, he or she cannot re-enroll in the school the following school year, and must instead attend his or her local public or private high school.

Athletics

The McNair Cougars compete in the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association (HCIAA), which includes 22 private and parochial high schools in Hudson County. The league operates under the supervision of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).^[16]

School programs

Beyond McNair's own internal visual and performing arts programs, McNair also works closely with the Visual and Performing Arts program at the Henry Snyder High School, where McNair students may choose to apply into 4-year arts intensives, and Rutgers University, where students take ITV courses.

Every year McNair's Science Research students face stiff competition at the various levels of competition, such as Hudson County Science Fair, Junior Science and Humanities Competition, Siemens Westinghouse, and the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

The school's Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (Junior ROTC) program (referred to as the Cougar Battalion) is the school's largest student-run program, and has received numerous honors throughout its existence. The drill team in the program is one of the best in the eastern region of the U.S., consistently placing in numerous events. Students have qualified for drill competitions at the local, regional, and, in 2005, the national level. In 2005 the Cougar Battalion renewed its Honor Unit with Distinction star, earning a score of 99.97%. In 2006 the Cougar Battalion Drill team won Second Place overall in the Unarmed Division, and third Place in the Armed Division in the U.S. Army Cadet Command Eastern Region Championship. Cadets participate actively in community service projects, fundraisers, and host a plethora of battalion events throughout the school year. In 2007 the Cougar Battalion re-earned its Honor Unit With Distinction Star receiving a perfect score of 100.00%, making it one of the two schools on the East Coast to earn such a score. In 2008 and 2009, the unarmed portion of the drill team qualified for Masters Level Nationals and attended. During the 2010-2011 school year, the Cougar Battalion again received a gold star representing an Honor Unit with Distinction scoring high with a 99%.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed June 21, 2011.
2. ^ Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Secondary Schools. Accessed June 22, 2011.
3. ^ ^{a b} Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School 2010 School Report Card, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 22, 2011.
4. ^ U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools Program: 2008 Schools, United States Department of Education. Accessed September 23, 2008.
5. ^ "CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department", Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
6. ^ "Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test", The Washington Post. September 29, 2005. "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
7. ^ Mathews, Jay. "The High School Challenge 2011: Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School", The Washington Post. Accessed July 22, 2011.
8. ^ Staff. "The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,500 top U.S. high schools", Newsweek, June 8, 2009. Accessed June 10, 2009.
9. ^ "The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,200 top U.S. schools", Newsweek, May 22, 2007. Accessed May 24, 2007.
10. ^ New Jersey Department of Education Star School Award recipients, accessed May 23, 2006
11. ^ Snapshots of 2005 Governor’s School of Excellence Winners, accessed July 25, 2006.
12. ^ Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, September 2010. Accessed September 16, 2010.
13. ^ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
14. ^ School profile, Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School. Accessed February 28, 2011. "Maintaining a balanced student body of 25% African-American, 25% Caucasian, 25% Hispanic, and 25% representing other groups, McNair Academic is a unique multicultural tapestry."
15. ^ Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School: Student / Parent / Teacher Handbook 2002 - 2003 (PDF) p. 21. Accessed July 10, 2006.
16. ^ Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed July 15, 2007.

External links

• Official site of school
• Governor's School of Excellence Winners for 2005 - McNair is in the list of winners.
• Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School's 2009–10 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
• Data for the Jersey City Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics
• Official site of McNair Academic High School Army JROTC Cougar Battalion

Coordinates: 40°43′35″N 74°02′50″W / 40.726467°N 74.047095°W / 40.726467; -74.047095