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C L A R K   M O N T E S S O R I   S C H O O L

2008-2009 High School Profile
SCHOOL CODE : 3 6 0 - 9 5 8
WEBPAGE : http://clark.cps-k12.org/

 5425 Winton Ridge Lane
Cincinnati, OH 45232
Ph: 513.363.7100
Fax: 513.363.7120

Rupa Townsend, Principal
Chris Collier, Assistant Principal
Marta Donahoe, Program Consultant

 Steffanie Gentile College Advisor
Phone: 513.363.7153
Email: gentils@cps-k12.org

THE SCHOOL

Clark Montessori, the first public Montessori high school in the nation, graduated its first class of 22 students in the spring of 2001. Students are admitted on a first come, first serve basis from the public and private Montessori elementary schools in the area. Clark has earned the highest possible rating, excellent, from the Ohio Department of Education. Clark has been identified by the William Gates Foundation as one of five model high schools in the United States.

MISSION

Our school's purpose is to seek not only the highest and most complete academic environment, but also to form a community that nurtures an atmosphere of caring and sets a thoughtful social climate. We strive to be a community of adults and teenagers who respect each other's deepest personal and human qualities.

COMMUNITY

The student population is representative of the socioeconomic and racial mix within the Greater Cincinnati area. Students residing outside the district pay tuition to attend Clark Montessori.

QUALITIES NURTURED

Students sign a school contract each year in which they promise to work to build community within the school, and to work collaboratively in teams with other students and faculty.

EDUCATION

Students learn to manage long-term projects including an intensive year-long research project in senior year. Students are coached in leadership skills such as group development, decision-making models, and conflict resolution. Students and teachers engage in an alternative assessment of the student's knowledge, such as self-evaluation of work based on clearly defined objectives, presentations, and cumulative portfolios. Clark's environment clearly acknowledges diversity and the adolescent need for greater autonomy. In this setting students succeed in learning and decision-making situations that minimize rote learning and encourage independence. This approach cultivates student ownership in his or her education. Clark’s well-designed academic program challenges students to work responsibly and perform well on standardized tests.

ACCREDITATION

Ohio Department of Education and Member of Ohio Association for College Admission Counseling

FACULTY

All teachers are certified by the state of Ohio, and depending on the specific position, have earned Montessori Certification or Montessori coursework as required by the school. There are 14 men and 14 women on the high school faculty and over 86% have a master’s degree or beyond.

ENROLLMENT

Clark currently has 679 students enrolled in grades 7-12. The student population is 44% Caucasian, 47% African-American and 9% a combination of Asian, Hispanic and multi-racial. Typically, in each class 30-50% of the graduates are first generation in their families to attend college.

Class of 2009 - 82
Class of 2010 - 105
Class of 2011 - 88
Class of 2012 - 123

THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM

The school year is comprised of two semesters, each lasting 18 weeks. The school day begins at 8:45 A.M. and ends at 3:45 P.M. Students attend eight periods a day which meet three times per week, and beginning in 2006-07, we have a block schedule two days a week. On block days, half of a student’s schedule is covered each day, extending class periods from 50 minutes to 105 minutes.

Clark students need a minimum of 24 credits for graduation. Teachers clearly communicate objectives to students to more actively engage them in taking responsibility to achieve the grades they choose to receive in each class.

GRADING SYSTEM

A traditional (A, B, C, D, F) four point grade system is used.
A  90 – 100
B  80 – 89
C  70 - 79
D  60 - 69
F    0 - 59

GRADE POINT AVERAGE

All courses are averaged for GPA. Students are not ranked because the class has fewer than 100 students. Both the weighted and unweighted GPA are listed on the transcript and are cumulative from the first semester of ninth grade. The weights for the GPA are as follows:

1.0 for Academic

1.5 for AA (Honors) and AP courses

INTERSESSION COURSES

In addition to traditional academic studies, each Clark student must complete eight two-week intensive field study courses. Each “intersession” course includes rigorous academic requirements paired with hands-on learning experiences, often including travel and/or community service. Subjects range from marine biology to early American literature to Appalachian culture and hiking. Each grade level has one required intersession and one elective field study. A listing of elective field studies is on the next page. Students receive .5 credit for each intersession, and passing all eight is required in order to receive a Clark diploma. The required intersessions are: Freshman Orientation (9 th grade), Community Service (10 th), Post secondary/College Prep & Tour (11 th), and Career Internships (12 th).

COMMUNITY SERVICE

200 hours (50 hours per year) of service with a social service agency outside regular school hours is required of each student

CLARK MONTESSORI HIGH SCHOOL

2007 - 2008 CURRICULUM

All core courses are honors level, denoted by “AA” on transcript. Beginning in 2006-07, we have a block schedule two (2) days a week. Half of a student’s schedule is covered each day, extending class periods from 50 minutes to 105 minutes.

* Required for Clark Montessori diploma

ENGLISH – 4 credits or 8 semesters required

* English AA - 9, 10, 11, 12 - integrated with Social Studies for a blocked schedule Humanities course to create greater depth in the curriculum.

Literary analysis and writing skills are emphasized. Also:

MATHEMATICS – 4 credits or 8 semesters required

SCIENCE – 4 credits or 8 semesters required

SOCIAL STUDIES – 4 credits or 8 semesters required

** Extended Essay AA and Theory of Knowledge AA combine for the Senior Project curriculum.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE – * 2 credits or a minimum of 4 semesters required
French I, II, III, IV
Spanish I, II, III, IV

FINE ARTS – * 1 credit or a minimum of 2 semesters required

** Dig Imag/Photogr reflects visual arts courses offered through Cincinnati Arts and Technology Center.

INTERSESSION COURSES (appears as EOP on transcript)

SENIOR PROJECT

Senior Project is a yearlong course for seniors at Clark Montessori. Students must pass Senior Project in order to graduate from Clark.
They complete research on a topic and write the Senior Paper (typically 15-20 pages typed) by the end of the first semester of senior year. They spend the third quarter editing the paper and the first part of the fourth quarter formally defending the project before Clark teachers and parent-student community.
Previous Senior Products include portfolios of photographs, paintings, sculpture, dance performance, and scientific experiments.
During Senior Project students become proficient in using a college library for research, organizing research information, evaluating different sources for accuracy and bias, developing a formal research paper to support a single thesis, incorporating non-written presentation aids into a research paper, and making an oral defense of one’s research.
The Senior Project courses appear on the transcript as Theory of Knowledge AA and Extended Essay AA. Both are honors level courses.

COLLEGE TEST SCORES Class of 2008 (82 students, scores below are averages)

SAT (Critical Reading) 553       SAT (Math) 427       SAT (Total) 1080

ACT (75 th percentile) 26        ACT (25 th percentile) 18       ACT (Median) 22

AP Results for 2005-2008 (2004-2005 was pilot year)
62 students completed 98 exams with 70% receiving a score of 3 or higher

2001, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 NATIONAL MERIT COMMENDED SCHOLAR
AND 2002, 2008 NATIONAL MERIT FINALIST

In 2008, Clark graduated 100% of its Seniors.
Since Clark’s first graduating class of 2001, 97% of the graduates have chosen to attend a post secondary educational institution.

CLARK MONTESSORI SENIOR COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES FOR THE CLASSES 2001-2008