North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM) is a two-year, public residential high school located in Durham, North Carolina, US, that focuses on the intensive study of science, mathematics and technology. The school accepts rising juniors from across North Carolina and enrolls them through senior year. Though NCSSM is a public school, enrollment is limited, and applicants undergo a highly competitive review process prior to admission. NCSSM is a founding member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology (NCSSSMST) and a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina system.
History
Since its inception, NCSSM has been fully funded by the state, meaning no student is required to pay any tuition, room, board, or other student fees. This funding is supplemented by the NCSSM Foundation's private funding, which supports NCSSM's academic, residential, and outreach programs as well as providing funds for some capital improvements. In the past 25 years, the Foundation has raised in excess of $25 million in private support from corporations, foundations, alumni, parents and friends of NCSSM. A tuition fee was considered for the 2002â€"03 school year in the midst of a state budgetary crisis, but it was never implemented. In 2003, the NC Legislature approved a bill granting tuition costs for any university in the University of North Carolina System to all graduates of NCSSM, starting with the class of 2004, as an incentive to encourage NCSSM's talented students to stay in North Carolina. That bill was amended in 2005 to allow students to use additional tuition monies awarded to cover "costs of attendance." However, the tuition waiver has been phased out in the Appropriations Act of 2009 in the North Carolina Senate in order to balance the budget. The bill states that "No new recipients shall be funded after June 30, 2009." NCSSM has served as a model for 18 similar schools, many of which are now members of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology (NCSSSMST).
Academics
NCSSM students are not given a class rank and are encouraged to strive for their best rather than competing against other students. Although students previously were not given grade point averages (GPAs), the school currently provides GPAs on transcripts to simplify the college application process. The school consistently appears near the top of American high school rankings, most recently being ranked the 23rd best high school in the United States and the second best in North Carolina by Newsweek and being listed among The Washington Post's 2014 "top-performing schools with elite students." NCSSM students have consistently done extremely well in national academic competitions, and NCSSM's SAT scores are among the highest in the state of North Carolina. In 2013, it was 2034, second to the Early College at Guilford's 2051.
Demographics
During the 2013-2014 school year, NCSSM housed approximately 680 students. There were 346 seniors enrolled in the class of 2013. Currently, there are more females than males due to the larger number of female dormitory spaces. Approximately 56% of students are Caucasian, 26.6% are Asian American, 8.1% are African American, 5.5% are Hispanic, and 0.3% are Native American. The student population of NCSSM is designed to be a demographic reflection of the population of North Carolina as a whole; additionally, a certain number of slots are reserved for each congressional district.
Notable alumni
Adam Falk '83, President of Williams College
Maya Ajmera '85, Founder and President of The Global Fund for Children
Matt Welsh (computer scientist) '92, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science at Harvard University and author of several books
Rhiannon Giddens '95, member of the Grammy-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops
Scott Jacobson '95, comedy writer (Bob's Burgers) and four-time Emmy winner
Christina Hammock '97, NASA astronaut candidate of the class of 2013.
B. Scott '99, Internet Celebrity, TV personality and blogger
External programs
NCSSM also offers a variety of external programs focused on educating teachers and students outside of the school across North Carolina. The school offers workshops for strengthening K-12 math and science education. The programs focus on "teaching the teacher." These workshops focus particularly in science and mathematics education.
Extracurricular activities
NCSSM regularly does well in terms of academic events and certain sports. The school is known to place upwards of ten students a year in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science, and Technology. In 2006, Nicholas Tang and Sagar Indurkhya became national finalists in that year's Siemens Competition. NCSSM also regularly produces semifinalists in the Intel Science Talent Search and Intel Science and Engineering Fair.
In 2008, the NCSSM team won first place in the WorldQuest geography competition at the national level.
In 2010, NCSSM won first place at the 2010 National DOE Science Bowl Competition, and the students on the team got to meet Michelle Obama.
In 2011, for the first time in the school's history, all of the NCSSM varsity sports in the fall season won regional championships. Men's cross-country and men's soccer were state champions, while women's tennis and women's volleyball were state runners-up and a member of the women's diving team placed second at the 1A/2A state meet. Two girls from the women's golf team were also sent to the state championships match. The NCSSM men's cross-country team has won three straight state championships, and has boasted two straight individual state champions, Nicholas Walker and William Francis Kenny.
In 2016, music instructor Phillip Riggs was nominated for and won the GRAMMY Music Educator Award.
See also
- Alabama School of Mathematics and Science
- Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts
- Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
- Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities
- Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts
- Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
- Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics
- South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics
- Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science
References
External links
- North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics