Arlington’s Wakefield High School has received national recognition for turning its students — many of whom face economic and language barriers — into academically charged individuals.
The school was one of three honored this week with a $25,000 Inspiration Award from the College Board for student achievement in advanced classes.
“We are looking for America’s most improved high schools — schools that were not doing so well a few years ago and had a big turnaround,” said Jennifer Topiel, a College Board spokeswoman.
The improvements at Wakefield have meant more graduates going to college and passing Advanced Placement tests that give them early college credits. Students at all other levels have also revved up their performance.
In the 2001-02 school year, 57 percent of Wakefield’s seniors went on to a two- or four-year college. By 2005, that number had increased to 83 percent. More than 220 students were enrolled in Advanced Placement courses and took 359 AP exams in the 2002-03 school year. Two years later, 286 students took 470 exams and passed 51 percent of the time — a rate higher than the national average of 49 percent.
In addition to offering more advanced classes, Wakefield created support programs and study workshops to encourage students at all academic levels to challenge themselves with more rigorous courses, said Michael Grill, Wakefield’s AP coordinator.
Using those programs, the school was able to increase the number of minority students taking the advanced classes to better reflect the student body. Blacks and Hispanics make up 28.5 percent and 44 percent, respectively, of the student population. The AP population is 20.8 percent black and 38.1 percent Hispanic, Grill said.
“It is the whole school philosophy that all students should be taking the most advanced courses that they are capable of succeeding in,” said Principal Doris Jackson, who added that special-education students and English as a Second Language students are moving into the mainstream and taking more difficult classes as well.
Wakefield Statistics
» There are roughly 1,400 students in the school from more than 120 countries.
» Students at the school speak more than 100 languages.
» 58 percent of students qualify for the federal free lunch program.
» 70 percent of the school population is from a minority group.
