Collegiate Institute - Grades 11-12

The Collegiate Institute prepares students for a successful transition to college, careers, and responsible living by providing a balance of challenging, relevant coursework, authentic learning experiences, and strong relationships with students and families. By actively engaging in interdisciplinary studies, leadership opportunities, and restorative practices, Collegiate Institute scholars take ownership of their learning through advocacy, choice, and increased independence, graduating with the capacity to succeed both individually and collaboratively, and practice habits of mind that support the pursuit of lifelong learning and growth.

The Collegiate Institute academic program is purposefully designed to both prepare our students for success in college and to inspire a genuine interest in and love of learning. It is the goal of our academic program to bring these aspects of our mission together in the daily lives and daily learning of our students. Furthermore, it is our hope to integrate learning opportunities and field trips as well as community service experiences that promote responsible citizenship and participation by our students in their communities.

We offer a rigorous curriculum in English, Math, Spanish, Social Studies, Science, Physical Education, Fine Arts, Performing Arts/Music, and Computer Science. Current courses include:
Our academic program also recognizes that students possess a variety of learning styles, process information at different rates, and desire to pursue different interests. While the school addresses the needs of struggling students in a variety of ways, it also focuses on ensuring that all students are challenged to reach their fullest potential. Best practices such as differentiating instruction, leveling of courses (particularly in Spanish and in Math) and student choice provide students with opportunities to define and pursue their own interests, to learn material beyond the requirements of the curriculum, and to advance in subjects in which they are particularly talented.

 

In 11th grade, students begin to make all of the choices when selecting their courses, and in every grade, within the courses students take, teachers allow for choice as students complete projects and other written assignments. A combination of papers and projects, including conducting student interest-based inquiry experiments and writing lab reports, writing original poems about race and identity, examining fingerprints to solve mysteries at hypothetical crime scenes, and developing one’s own company based on a student-identified need, are all used to engage students in their learning.

 

The Graduate Portfolio is an opportunity for students to gather their best work from four academic domains (research, inquiry, creative expression, and analysis), as well as reflect on their social-emotional development, in order to demonstrate to themselves, their peers, their teachers, and their families that they are ready for college. In addition to completing this portfolio, all seniors will be required to present and defend their portfolio to a panel of evaluates. Students must complete a proficient portfolio and defense in order to graduate.

 

Student portfolios are digital and must include the following elements:

To prepare for the graduate portfolio defense, students present one portfolio eligible assessment at a Grade-Level Exhibition Night to which parents and community members are invited. Students have many choices to make regarding the focus exhibition, and each project presented at an Exhibition Night is evaluated by the faculty as well as outside judges. Judges include subject-matter experts, Trustees of the Board, families, teachers, and select community members. Students are evaluated according to a rubric which incorporates content measures as well as presentation skills.

 

In addition to providing a solid academic foundation, we also ensure that all students experience a balance in education that mirrors that of a college. By the time students graduate from Prospect Hill Academy, they are not only ready for the academic challenges and have clear academic interests and passions because they have been allowed to explore on their own already, they also are prepared with the college readiness and social emotional skills necessary to persevere through college. All 11th and 12th graders take a College Prep Class once per week throughout the entire school year and are paired with a College Counselor who supports them through the college and financial aid application process. Our Counselor:Student ratio is approximately 1:36, a ratio unmatched in most public schools.

 

Each student is provided a Chromebook to which they are responsible for during their time in the Collegiate Institute. Students are expected to be prepared with their device in every class and teachers have incorporated one-to-one technology use into the curriculum.