Honors Academy

HOW DOES ENROLLMENT WORK?

Beginning in Spring 2023, students will be identified and enrolled in the Honors Academy using STAR and MCAS data. There is no application process. Parents/guardians may, however, choose to appeal if they would like their child considered through analysis of additional criteria, or may opt out if they wish for the child to not be enrolled.

Appeal and opt out forms will become available after the initial decision notices are sent later this spring.

WHAT WILL THE PROGRAM LOOK LIKE?

Currently, the Honors Academy focuses on ELA and Math as student achievement in ELA and Math pervades all other courses. It is in these courses that students learn the critical thinking, writing, problem solving and communication skills that will influence their ability to succeed in Science, Social Studies and Language courses. Certainly, we will continuously evaluate and adjust this program to better meet the needs of our students.

In Honors ELA, students will read advanced grade-level texts and complete a discovery project. In Honors Math, students will apply problem solving and math concepts to real-world problems. In grade 8, students will take Algebra I, which is a ninth-grade course at BHS.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

• Students in TAG at Angelo will automatically be enrolled in both Honors Academy Math and Honors Academy ELA.
• Students who received a Math MCAS score of 490 or above or are Meeting/Exceeding expectation in Star Math testing, will be enrolled in Honors Academy Math.
• Students who received an ELA MCAS score of 490 or above or are Meeting/Exceeding expectation in Star Reading testing, will be enrolled in Honors Academy ELA.
• Students who are enrolled in Honors Academy ELA will also be enrolled in the study of a classical or foreign language.

Will Honors Academy students need to reapply each year?

Once accepted into the program, students will not need to reapply.

Is the program at Plouffe Middle School different than what is offered at other schools?

No. All middle schools and the Davis K-8 School will offer students an equally rigorous and challenging program, as well as potential admittance to the National Junior Honor Society. This is in line with the district’s commitment to equity and to offering more uniform programming at all our middle schools. While we understand that Plouffe Middle School was previously home to the middle school IB program, that program was replaced with the Middle School Honors Academy offered at all other schools.

I have a sibling who is entering grade 7 or 8 at a middle school outside of my zone. Can I still go to a middle school that is inside my school zone?

Yes. In fact, students who are accepted to the Middle School Honors Academy will automatically be assigned to an in-zone middle school. We have heard from several families whose children would want to remain with their friends who will also be going to the in-zone school.

Having said that, if a parent/guardian would prefer that their child attend the same out-of-zone school as their sibling, they would have the opportunity to appeal their placement after receiving their assignment letter. Sibling preference is considered a compelling reason for submitting an appeal. If an appeal were approved in this scenario, the child's parents/guardians would be responsible for providing transportation to the rising sixth grader.

It is highly unlikely that the district would be able to overturn a placement for any other reason. While we understand that some parents might have preference for one middle school over another based on their current understanding of the programs offered at one school, we want to reiterate that the Honors Academy is going to be uniform across all schools and no one middle school's program will be better than any other.

HOW WILL THIS CONNECT TO THE NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY?

Each middle school has its own chapter of the National Junior Honor Society. This requires consistent by-laws, an advisor, and a five-member Faculty Council. There will be student officers and an annual induction ceremony.

Each school’s chapter will determine one service project for the year. These chapter projects should fulfill a need within the school or community, have administrative support, be appropriate and educationally defensible, be well planned, organized and executed. 

HOW WILL THIS CONNECT TO THE HONORS, ADVANCED PLACEMENT, AND INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAMS AT BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL?

A goal of our district has been to increase participation in the AP and IB courses at BHS. This would likely increase enrollment at the high school level. And, because of the rigor of these middle school Honors classes, students would be better prepared for the rigor of the high school courses.

Will I be kicked out of the program if I am doing well in one of my Honors Academy courses, but struggling in the other?

The overall goal of this new program is to encourage students to challenge themselves. We do not want any of our students to feel that they will be punished or face removal from the program if they need additional academic support. In short, we will seek to help students who are struggling and would benefit from extra help.