"Recent reports have emphasized the urgent need for American students to become better skilled in both science and math. We’re falling behind other countries. Our youngest students perform well on international tests, but by the end of elementary school, we’re losing out. Currently, China is graduating over two and a half times the number of engineers and computer science majors as the United States. In today’s shrinking world, it’s vital for both our economy and our national security that a new generation of students excels in these fields."

Senator Ted Kennedy (MA)

Although the conclusions of the visiting committee on the school’s adherence to the Commission’s Standards for Accreditation appear in various sections of this report [complete report available at MA Academy website: www.massacademy.org], the committee wishes to highlight some findings in the paragraphs that follow. These findings are not intended to be a summary of the report.

Teaching and Learning at the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science

The Commonwealth is truly fortunate to have this school of excellence that very clearly meets the needs of academically accelerated youth in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science is the only school in the state whose students attend a university fulltime as seniors in high school.

The unique partnership between the Academy and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) makes available a wide variety of services and resources for Academy students as they become actively engaged in their own education. Both the principal and director of the Academy are strong and proud champions of the uniqueness of this school, and they very enthusiastically showcase the positive impact of the Academy’s methods on teaching and learning. “The mission of the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science is to address the changing needs of the technologically advanced community of the 21st century by pioneering a new vision of mathematics and science education embedded within the liberal arts.” This mission statement is not a mere plaque on a wall or a statement emblazoned on a banner in a main lobby – it is a way of life at the Academy. From the moment one walks through the door, one knows this is a place where teaching is brought to very high levels, and learning is personal and authentic. They proclaim “a new vision of mathematics and science education embedded within the liberal arts.” In all classrooms visited and in all conversations with students and parents, this goal is put into practice on a daily basis. Phrases such as “actively engaged in their own education,” “interactive,” and “lifelong learning” may seem elusive at many schools where they are but ideals sought after well-intentioned practices. At the Academy, these very phrases are seen in action day in and day out. Some schools list academic expectations with the hope that some students may be able to achieve those expectations. At the Academy, students regularly demonstrate their abilities to think creatively, to present with exemplary skill, to use technology to support their learning, and to be problem-solvers. Indeed, at the Academy, the mission statement and expectations for student learning are real, observable, and alive.

With a total of just under 100 students in grades 11 and 12 (and senior students take all of their classes on campus at WPI), six faculty members, and two administrators, the small size of the school creates a true sense of community. The students who come to the Academy show great potential in areas such as math and science – potential that could not be fulfilled at their sending schools for a variety of reasons. Here, the commonality of giftedness brings these students together. The students understand each other’s abilities and challenges, and this contributes to a shared sense of purpose that could not be realized in a more traditional educational setting. Couple this with faculty members who are not only experts in their fields but also passionate about what they do on a daily basis, and you do, indeed, have a very special place where the emphasis is clearly on learning. Self-improvement is far more important than competition. Learning is of much greater value than high grades. The emphasis during the junior year at the Academy is on project-based, inquiry learning that concurrently fosters teamwork and independence. As seniors, these high school students are utilizing the skills and knowledge gained the previous year to succeed as a college student on campus at WPI. In both years, these students are challenged and supported by a caring, professional faculty.

All junior students take the same core courses with the exception of electives that are geared to an individual’s interests and talents. The core courses are advanced inquiry physics, mathematical modeling, humanities, STREAM (science, technology, research, engineering, and mathematics), Romance languages, computer science, and science and technical writing. In one of the small group meetings, a parent commented that the junior year, “pushes one to the limits, beyond a comfort zone, yet in a very supportive and encouraging environment where one gets to believe in oneself and one’s abilities.” Upon successful completion of this rigorous curriculum, senior students are then able to enroll fulltime at WPI and complete courses in science, math, and the humanities. The entire structure of the curriculum at the Academy emphasis depth of understanding over breadth of coverage and affords each student many opportunities to apply their newly acquired skills and knowledge to real-world applications. In small group discussions, students say that the rigor and very high expectations that they endure during their junior year become very worthwhile when they put that knowledge to use in STREAM A and STREAM B courses. This is a very concrete example of how students can move beyond acquiring knowledge to using knowledge. The curriculum at the Academy is specifically geared to zero in on the students’ special talents and skills.

Instructional practices at the Academy are very student-centered. There is a clear connection between how the faculty teaches and how such practices align with the school’s mission. These practices can best be summed up as project-based, interactive, and collaborative. Within their self-study, the faculty comment that, “The mission and expectations, the professionalism and experience of the faculty and administration, and the high caliber students all combine to create a culture of excellence at the Academy. In this environment, curriculum and instruction continually and naturally evolve to best meet the needs of the students.” Each week, the faculty dedicates time to talk about student learning and their craft of teaching. They examine ways to improve how they teach to best meet the needs of all students. As one parent so appropriately commented during a small group meeting, “These are not just teachers – they are educators.” By continually undergoing a process of self-reflection and keeping the emphasis truly on student learning, the faculty at the Academy represents the best of their profession.

“The Academy relies very minimally on traditional ‘paper and pencil’ assessment, and believes that authentic assessments, such as presentations and exhibitions, are much more valuable in measuring success and determining growth over time.” When the visiting team spent Sunday evening examining student work, this statement had a very clear meaning for each member of that team. Assessments are varied to allow for varied learning styles of each student. Assessments are frequent so the teacher can track progress over time. Students are given a wide latitude in the ways they can demonstrate their learning – and this gives further meaning to that section of the mission statement that proclaims that they are “a community of learners committed to…lifelong learning by providing the subjects, tools, skills, and strategies for students to actively engage in their own education.” The team commented very specifically that assessments at the Academy clearly indicate what Benjamin Bloom was referring to in his Taxonomy of Educational Objectives when citing application and synthesis; namely, that students are given multiple opportunities to solve problems by applying acquired knowledge in different ways, and to arrive at new patterns or ways of looking at situations.

Support of Teaching and Learning at the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science

Why is the Academy so successful in its endeavors? Why do students achieve to such high levels? In part, this can be attributed to the small size of the school – less than 100 students in two grades, and six to seven faculty members, led by a very capable principal and a very passionate director. But there are other contributing factors to the school’s success: a daily and weekly schedule that is based on student and teacher needs rather than programmed bells or bus routes; time built into that schedule for professional dialogue among the teachers; very low student-to-teacher ratio that contributes so obviously to personalization; and a genuine sense of community that strikes one clearly as soon as one walks through the doors of 85 Prescott Street. It is not just one or two things that contribute to the uniqueness of the Academy – it is the chemistry of many things that make this a special place for teaching and learning.

How are teachers and students supported in their work? It is important that the reader understand that enacted legislation by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts laid the foundation for this unique school. Further, the partnership between the Academy and Worcester Polytechnic Institute made available to all students and all faculty members a wealth of resources and services that could only be the envy of any other high school in any part of this country. In addition, the autonomy was masterful that was given to the school’s administrators to mold a program that would help students foster belief in their abilities, generate a need to work collaboratively with like-minded students, and eventually equip those same students with a strong sense of independence and self-advocacy over a two-year period so they could compete with or surpass freshmen college students. WPI is to be commended for its commitment to the success of the Academy. And the Academy is to be commended for its fulfillment of the commitment to provide “excellence and innovation in teaching practice,” and “providing a model for schools in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” This visiting team would go so far as to say a model for schools in the United States.

There is a very genuine and obvious sense of community at the Academy. Continued funding by the legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts makes this dream a reality. If any legislature should question the worth of such an investment – spend a day at the Academy. WPI’s investment in the continuation of this venture is large. Not all graduates of the Academy go on to be students at WPI – but they go on to higher education and they are very successful. That is why WPI stays on as a partner. The parents of the students speak extremely highly of the positive impact the Academy has had on their children. When the visiting team first met with parents and learned of a Parent Support Group (PSG), the team was under the impression that that group provided support to the school in ways such as fundraising or recruiting. The team was pleased to learn that the PSG provides support to each other. They help parents “let go” so their children can realize their potential. They are yet another element contributing to that sense of community that is the Academy - where learning is what matters.

All of the faculty and administrators should be extremely proud of the hard work that was put into the self-study. It is an honest, and at times even modest, reflection of their strengths and areas needing improvement. The visiting team hopes that this report will provide a balanced view – ample recognition for the many things that are done so well at the Academy coupled with recommendations for improvement. These recommendations should be worded in such a way that the school community members working together working can compile the information in the visiting team’s report and the school’s own statement of needs for improvement to synthesize an effective plan for continued school improvement. The school community as a whole then evolves into creative thinkers and effective problem-solvers.