Students at Boston's New Mission High School are celebrating a new school year with an academic rally to focus on Mass Insight Education's AP Stem and English program.
Michael Contompasis spent 42 years with Boston Public Schools. Now, he's with non-profit Mass Insight Education- working to improve student achievement by restructuring curriculum with programs like advanced placement.
Headmaster Naia Wilson has seen that culture change first-hand. A former engineer who transitioned to a career in education- she came to new mission with the goal of making it college preparatory.
Since New Mission joined the program in 2009, enrollment in AP classes has soared from 35 students to 120. Last year, 68 percent of seniors who took AP classes went on to attend a four-year college.
Senior Saned Diaz earned passing scores in all three AP courses she took last year. Now she is signed up for three more, including environmental science and statistics. She says the program is invaluable when it comes to critical thinking.
With the right resources, these students will add some much-needed brain power to the science and technology workforce.
