2009 No Child Left Behind - Blue Ribbon Schools Program
Type of School: (Check all that apply) / [ ]Elementary / []Middle / [X]High / []K-12 / []Other
[]Charter / []Title I / [X]Magnet / []Choice
Name of Principal: Dr. Evan Glazer
Official School Name: Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology
School Mailing Address:
6560 Braddock Road
Alexandria, VA 22312-2206
County: United States State School Code Number*: 300
Telephone: (703) 750-8300 Fax: (703) 750-5010
Web site/URL: http://www.tjhsst.edu/E-mail:
I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2 (Part I - Eligibility Certification), and certify that to the best of my knowledge all information is accurate.
Date
(Principal‘s Signature)
Name of Superintendent*: Dr. Jack Dale
District Name: Fairfax County Public Schools Tel: (571) 423-1075
I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2 (Part I - Eligibility Certification), and certify that to the best of my knowledge it is accurate.
Date
(Superintendent‘s Signature)
Name of School Board President/Chairperson: Mr. Daniel G Storck
I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements on page 2 (Part I - Eligibility Certification), and certify that to the best of my knowledge it is accurate.
Date
(School Board President‘s/Chairperson‘s Signature)
*Private Schools: If the information requested is not applicable, write N/A in the space.
Original signed cover sheet only should be mailed by expedited mail or a courier mail service (such as USPS Express Mail, FedEx or UPS) to Aba Kumi, Director, NCLB-Blue Ribbon Schools Program, Office of Communications and Outreach, US Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave., SW, Room 5E103, Washington, DC 20202-8173.
The signatures on the first page of this application certify that each of the statements below concerning the school‘s eligibility and compliance with U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) requirements is true and correct.
1. The school has some configuration that includes one or more of grades K-12. (Schools on the same campus with one principal, even K-12 schools, must apply as an entire school.)
2. The school has made adequate yearly progress each year for the past two years and has not been identified by the state as “persistently dangerous” within the last two years.
3. To meet final eligibility, the school must meet the state’s Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirement in the 2008-2009 school year. AYP must be certified by the state and all appeals resolved at least two weeks before the awards ceremony for the school to receive the award.
4. If the school includes grades 7 or higher, the school must have foreign language as a part of its curriculum and a significant number of students in grades 7 and higher must take the course.
5. The school has been in existence for five full years, that is, from at least September 2003.
6. The nominated school has not received the No Child Left Behind – Blue Ribbon Schools award in the past five years, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, or 2008.
7. The nominated school or district is not refusing OCR access to information necessary to investigate a civil rights complaint or to conduct a district-wide compliance review.
8. OCR has not issued a violation letter of findings to the school district concluding that the nominated school or the district as a whole has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes. A violation letter of findings will not be considered outstanding if OCR has accepted a corrective action plan from the district to remedy the violation.
9. The U.S. Department of Justice does not have a pending suit alleging that the nominated school or the school district as a whole has violated one or more of the civil rights statutes or the Constitution‘s equal protection clause.
10. There are no findings of violations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in a U.S. Department of Education monitoring report that apply to the school or school district in question; or if there are such findings, the state or district has corrected, or agreed to correct, the findings.
PART II - DEMOGRAPHIC DATAAll data are the most recent year available.
DISTRICT (Questions 1-2 not applicable to private schools)
1. Number of schools in the district: / 137 / Elementary schools19 / Middle schools
3 / Junior high schools
21 / High schools
16 / Other
196 / TOTAL
2. District Per Pupil Expenditure: 13407
Average State Per Pupil Expenditure: 10584
SCHOOL (To be completed by all schools)
3. Category that best describes the area where the school is located:
[ ] Urban or large central city
[ ] Suburban school with characteristics typical of an urban area
[ X ] Suburban
[ ] Small city or town in a rural area
[ ] Rural
4. 3 Number of years the principal has been in her/his position at this school.
6 If fewer than three years, how long was the previous principal at this school?
5. Number of students as of October 1 enrolled at each grade level or its equivalent in applying school only:
Grade / # of Males / # of Females / Grade Total / Grade / # of Males / # of Females / Grade TotalPreK / 0 / 7 / 0
K / 0 / 8 / 0
1 / 0 / 9 / 250 / 207 / 457
2 / 0 / 10 / 242 / 205 / 447
3 / 0 / 11 / 236 / 212 / 448
4 / 0 / 12 / 246 / 208 / 454
5 / 0 / Other / 0
6 / 0
TOTAL STUDENTS IN THE APPLYING SCHOOL / 1806
6. Racial/ethnic composition of the school: / 1 / % American Indian or Alaska Native
41 / % Asian
2 / % Black or African American
3 / % Hispanic or Latino
0 / % Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
47 / % White
6 / % Two or more races
100 / % Total
Only the seven standard categories should be used in reporting the racial/ethnic composition of your school. The final Guidance on Maintaining, Collecting, and Reporting Racial and Ethnic data to the U.S. Department of Education published in the October 19, 2007 Federal Register provides definitions for each of the seven categories.
7. Student turnover, or mobility rate, during the past year: 0%
This rate is calculated using the grid below. The answer to (6) is the mobility rate.
(1) / Number of students who transferred to the school after October 1 until theend of the year. / 0
(2) / Number of students who transferred from the school after October 1 until the end of the year. / 11
(3) / Total of all transferred students [sum of rows (1) and (2)]. / 11
(4) / Total number of students in the school as of October 1. / 1804
(5) / Total transferred students in row (3)
divided by total students in row (4). / 0.006
(6) / Amount in row (5) multiplied by 100. / 0.610
8. Limited English proficient students in the school: 0%
Total number limited English proficient 0
Number of languages represented: 0
Specify languages:
9. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: 1%
Total number students who qualify: 27
If this method does not produce an accurate estimate of the percentage of students from low-income families, or the school does not participate in the free and reduced-price school meals program, specify a more accurate estimate, tell why the school chose it, and explain how it arrived at this estimate.
10. Students receiving special education services: 1%
Total Number of Students Served: 23
Indicate below the number of students with disabilities according to conditions designated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Do not add additional categories.
4 / Autism / 0 / Orthopedic Impairment0 / Deafness / 1 / Other Health Impaired
0 / Deaf-Blindness / 6 / Specific Learning Disability
3 / Emotional Disturbance / 3 / Speech or Language Impairment
4 / Hearing Impairment / 0 / Traumatic Brain Injury
0 / Mental Retardation / 0 / Visual Impairment Including Blindness
0 / Multiple Disabilities / 0 / Developmentally Delayed
11. Indicate number of full-time and part-time staff members in each of the categories below:
Number of StaffFull-Time / Part-Time
Administrator(s) / 6 / 0
Classroom teachers / 109 / 12
Special resource teachers/specialists / 17 / 0
Paraprofessionals / 7 / 0
Support staff / 36 / 1
Total number / 175 / 13
12. Average school student-classroom teacher ratio, that is, the number of students in the school divided by the Full Time Equivalent of classroom teachers, e.g., 22:1 16 :1
13. Show the attendance patterns of teachers and students as a percentage. Only middle and high schools need to supply dropout rates. Briefly explain in the Notes section any attendance rates under 95%, teacher turnover rates over 12%, or student dropout rates over 5%.
2007-2008 / 2006-2007 / 2005-2006 / 2004-2005 / 2003-2004Daily student attendance / 97% / 97% / 97% / 97% / 97%
Daily teacher attendance / 95% / 95% / 95% / 95% / 95%
Teacher turnover rate / 7% / 16% / 13% / 7% / 9%
Student dropout rate / 0% / 0% / 1% / 1% / 0%
Please provide all explanations below.
14. For schools ending in grade 12 (high schools).
Show what the students who graduated in Spring 2008 are doing as of the Fall 2008.
Graduating class size / 454Enrolled in a 4-year college or university / 98 / %
Enrolled in a community college / 1 / %
Enrolled in vocational training / 0 / %
Found employment / 0 / %
Military service / 0 / %
Other (travel, staying home, etc.) / 1 / %
Unknown / 0 / %
Total / 100 / %
PART III - SUMMARY
Recognized by US News & World Report as the #1 Public High School in America in 2007 and 2008, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) is the product of a partnership forged between the business community and Fairfax County Public Schools to improve education in science, mathematics, and technology. This unique Fairfax County Public school offers a comprehensive program that focuses on the science, mathematical, and technological fields. The core skills and values infused throughout the curriculum emphasize and focus on critical inquiry and research, problem solving skills, intellectual curiosity, and social responsibility. As the regional magnet Governor’s School for Science and Technology in Northern Virginia, the school serves applicants from seven different participating school districts. Of the 454 students in the Class of 2009, 143 are National Merit Semi-Finalists, 9 are National Achievement Semi-Finalists, 13 National Hispanic Scholars, and an additional 216 are National Merit Commended students.
All courses are taught at the gifted, honors, AP, or post-AP level. The rigorous college preparatory curriculum provides students with the opportunity to achieve in all disciplines, with an emphasis on the sciences and the technology of applied sciences. In 2008, 3227 AP Exams were taken by TJ students where 98% of our students earned a score of 3, 4, or 5. All students are required to work toward a 26 credit ‘TJ Diploma’ that exceeds the state requirements for Virginia’s Advanced Studies Diploma that requires students to earn 24 credits.
Since its very first graduating class in 1985, student research has played an essential role in learning at TJHSST. Requirements for the Thomas Jefferson High School Diploma include the completion of an original engineering or experimental research project in one of the school’s 13 on-campus laboratories. The research laboratories are: astronomy, chemical analysis, computer-assisted design, computer systems, energy systems, industrial automation and robotics, life sciences and biotechnology, microelectronics, neuroscience, oceanography, prototyping and engineering materials, optics and modern physics, and communications systems research. Selected students can also conduct their research project offsite through a Mentorship at a government, corporate, or university research laboratory. Students are supervised by mentors -- accomplished scientists, engineers and other technical professionals working at these agencies. Scientific laboratory mentorships are often comparable to university undergraduate research courses. As a result of these research efforts, in 2009, Thomas Jefferson had 15 students recognized as Intel Science Talent Search semifinalists, more than any other school in the country. Selected outstanding research projects are published in Thomas Jefferson’s annual student produced research journal, TEKNOS, winner of numerous national awards.
In addition to the seven periods where students take academic classes, students are required to also participate in an activities period that is included in the instructional day. Affectionately referred to as “8th period”, this additional period of the day affords students the ability to seek out academic support and/or enrichment while also providing them the opportunity to participate in any of the over 150 clubs and activities pertaining to (but not limited to) diversity, academic competition, outreach, service, and more. For example, groups of students will leave campus to tutor at local elementary and middle schools, and other groups will organize a special hands-on science day to inspire younger students. Another group recently raised over $40,000 to purchase and install solar panels on the school’s rooftop to help TJHSST become more ‘green’. Some student efforts starting in 8th period have transitioned into the school’s main curriculum, such as in engineering. Over recent years, students constructed a CubeSat satellite in partnership with Orbital Corporation which is scheduled to be launched in Fall 2009.