| The
Academy of American Studies, Queens, NY
http://www.academyofamericanstudies.com/
Principal: Ellen Sherman
Founding Principal: Michael Serber
School Phone #: 718-433-2556 0r 2557
GLI Coordinator: Mark Solkoff
Founded by the New York City Board of Education in partnership
with the Gilder Lehrman Institute
Number of students enrolled: 598
Attendance rate: 93%
Cohort from 2002 who graduated by 2006 - 90%
Graduates with Regents/Advanced Regents endorsed diplomas
- 95%
Graduates who were accepted to higher education - 100%
Graduates who went on to higher education - 99%
Number of applications for freshman class (150 open
seats) - 3,000
 |
| (From left to right) Isabel Garcia
points to a list of college acceptances for the
class of 2006, students in a museum studies class
put together an exhibition, and history teacher
Joshua Yang prepares for class. |
American history is alive and thriving at the Academy
of American Studies, founded in 1996 by the Gilder Lehrman
Institute of American History as the first history high
school in the nation. The Institute has since established
31 history high schools or intensive history programs
within high schools in in 11 states and the District
of Columbia. Students at these schools “major” in history,
taking up to four years of American history instead
of one as is the norm in many high schools. They analyze
original documents, take trips to historic sites like
Gettysburg and Independence Hall, and spend an entire
year, instead of a few weeks, concentrating on one era
in history.
At the Academy, freshmen study the Revolutionary War,
the founding fathers, slavery, and the reform movements
of the 1800s, while sophomores focus on the Civil War,
Reconstruction, and the balance of the nineteenth century.
Juniors concentrate on the twentieth century and the
structure of American government. Seniors conduct independent
research and write a 10-15 page thesis on a history
topic of their choice.
“Our mission is to prepare our students for tomorrow’s
challenges by providing insights into America’s rich
history,” says Academy principal Ellen Sherman.
It's a recipe that works. New York magazine
has twice named the school as one of the best in the
city. The Academy boasts a 90 percent graduation rate.
All seniors who apply to college are accepted by at
least one; 97 percent enroll in college. Some 83 percent
of students who take the advanced placement U.S. history
exam score a grade of three or higher on a five-point
system, and several sophomores have been finalists in
an annual Civil War Essay Contest sponsored by the Gilder
Lehrman Institute.
|
