High School: (grades 9 – 12) In their high school years, students confront the realization that they are becoming young adults, increasingly autonomous and increasingly responsible for their own choices and actions; not just at school but also in the world around them. We support and encourage our students in this transformation.
Students study a traditional, college-preparatory core curriculum of Literature and Language Arts, Social Science, Mathematics, Science and Foreign Language. This basic structure is reflected in student schedules from 9th – 12h grade and is enlivened and enriched by a broad offering of Sports, Arts and other Electives, the Workshop for Social, Economic, and Ecological Action, our Human Development Program, and our program of Independent Study. Class sizes do not exceed 20. In all disciplines we seek to give our young people the tools to become curious, inspired, critical and imaginative learners.
Graduation requirements at New Roads are more rigorous than high school graduation requirements at many other schools. We are aware of this. Although life at New Roads is fun, it is demanding. College admission is competitive. We encourage our students to proceed with passion: to challenge themselves both in and outside the classroom, academically and in other fields of endeavor. We do not offer Advanced Placement (AP) classes but rather offer students with demonstrated skill the opportunity to participate in our own Honors classes. Students who have demonstrated significant diligence and the desire to pursue an interest in greater depth may participate in a self-designed program of Independent Study, subject to acceptance of their specific proposal.
Grading in high school courses is traditional A through F, not because we believe this an optimal system, but because most colleges and universities still require assessment along these lines. Nonetheless, it is our hope that students will not be driven primarily by the exam, the grade, the number; our curriculum is not shaped by pursuit of these markers. Rather, at the end of each year, teachers ask students to prepare a final portfolio or demonstration that reflects, synthesizes, and applies the content and capacities students have developed throughout the year. Download Course Catalog Here (PDF)
The college admissions process plays an important role in our high school students’ educational journey and in their individual journeys of self-discovery. From the moment students arrive as freshman, they are immersed in a college-bound culture designed to help them identify and realize their own goals and aspirations. With the active guidance of our college counselors and academic deans, as well as the support of our faculty, one hundred percent of our graduates who desire to attend college gain entry to a college or university of their choice.
Our careful and attentive planning involves both parents and students in a collaborative process that spans their high school years and is embedded in course work and course selection. The formal college search and application process kicks off in the spring of our students’ junior year. Following individual family meetings, students meet regularly with our college counseling staff to identify programs, colleges and universities that closely match their talents, aspirations and capabilities. We continue to meet with and support our students throughout their senior year as they complete their college applications. Frequent, open communication among the students, parents, college counselors, and the colleges themselves is key to a successful admissions process.