College-Bound:
The Springfield Renaissance School Announces 100 Percent of First Graduating Class Accepted to a College or University
Students have received more than $2.0 million in scholarships and grants
SPRINGFIELD, MA. (June 10, 2010) –The Springfield Renaissance School, an Expeditionary Learning school, has become the first public high school in the City of Springfield to see 100 % of its senior class accepted into college
On June 1st, after the final student shared her admissions news with Principal, Stephen Mahoney, he announced over the loud speaker, “Today it is true, The Springfield Renaissance School is now the first public high school in Springfield to have 100% of its graduates be admitted to college! The founding senior class has worked hard and they deserve this honor!“. The 77 seniors have been admitted into both two and four year colleges, and are expected to enter the doors of colleges and universities around the nation armed with over 2.0 million dollars in scholarships and grants in the fall of 2010. To date, more than 60 colleges or universities have admitted Renaissance students. The schools include UMass Amherst, Hampshire College, Tufts University, Westfield State College, Macalester College, and Wheelock College, among others.
The Springfield Public school district reported that the high school graduation rate for the 2008-2009 school year was 54.5%, with only 52% of those graduates attending college in the fall.
During the months January through May, Dr. Mahoney called off seniors’ names as they received their first admissions letters. Admissions announcements continued for nearly two months. The college admission ‘graffiti wall’ is littered with the signature of each college-bound senior, along with pictures and admissions letters. This is a ritual enacted each time a senior brought their first admissions letters into school.
Springfield Renaissance School principal, Dr. Stephen Mahoney, states, “Our students’ academic achievements have re-established the concept of ‘citizen-scholars’. It gives me tremendous hope for the future of our city, our state, and our nation.”
The students at The Springfield Renaissance School have a rigorous college prep curriculum where they delve deeply into core content during ‘Learning Expeditions’, which are in-depth studies that can span a whole semester. “These expeditions allow us to teach the state and national standards in a way that is relevant and interesting to the students. The depth of our studies and the connection to real-world problems helps the students understand why we are learning what we are learning”, says Aurora V. Kushner, a founding high school science teacher. “Our students are ready to go into college and beyond, as they have already sat at the table with local decision-makers, sharing their learnings and their ideas.” In all learning at the school, there is a focus on critical thinking, problem solving and strong habits of work.
The school will hold its first graduation on June 15th at 6 pm in Symphony Hall in Springfield, MA.
Contact
Dr. Stephen Mahoney
The Springfield Renaissance School, Principal
1170 Carew Street Springfield, MA 01104
phone: 413 750-2929
email: mahoneys@sps.springfield.ma.us
The College Road Trip Never Ends