Newport News Public Schools

Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) is the branch of the government of Newport News, Virginia that operates the city's system of public schools. As of October 2015, NNPS had an enrollment of 29,805.^[1] The district employs about 4,700 people, including approximately 2,630 teachers and teacher assistants.^[2]

Organization

Like all public K–12 school systems in Virginia, NNPS is legally classified as a school division. While Virginia school divisions operate in largely the same manner as school districts in the rest of the United States, they have one key difference from their counterparts in other states—they have no taxing authority. NNPS, like all other school divisions in the state, must rely on its associated local government for the bulk of its funding.

NNPS is run by an eight-member School Board of elected officials. Seven of the eight are elected in a ward voting system, while the eighth is selected at-large from the entire city. The policies of the School Board are implemented by a superintendent.

Schools

The schools of NNPS are divided into the three standard levels of American primary and secondary education. As of 2015, the Newport News Public Schools division educates approximately 29,400 children in 5 early childhood centers, 24 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, 5 high schools, 1 middle/high combination school, and 9 program sites.^[3]

Magnet Programs

Newport News Public Schools offers elementary, middle and high school students the chance to focus in such areas as environmental science, communication and performing arts, aviation, global studies, and math, science, technology and engineering through a variety of magnet and specialty program options. These include:

The Aviation Academy, located at the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, teaches high school students with an emphasis on engineering, particularly in the field of aviation. The academy also offers students a Pilot Ground School course.^[4]

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program teaches students with an emphasis on international learning. Students at Warwick High School can apply to enter a two-year IB program. They must have completed algebra, a year of a foreign language, and an advanced integrated language-arts class, all with grades of at least B; recommendations from teachers; and at least a 3.0 grade point average. The programs are offered in conjunction with the International Baccalaureate.^[5]

A complete listing of magnet programs in the Newport News Public Schools division can be found on the NNPS Magnet Program Directory

Non-Traditional Programs

NNPS offers several programs that differ from a traditional educational curriculum. These include:

The Point Option program offers a unique opportunity for students to experience teaching and learning in a non-traditional way. It also offers students of ability and determination a "second chance" to recapture credits and/or to accelerate their graduation in order to enter the workforce or post-secondary education.^[6]

The Enterprise Academy, an alternative school for students who have been suspended or expelled from their schools or have spent time in correctional facilities, places an emphasis on business.^[7]

Awards and recognition

Newport News Public Schools earned a 2015 Programs That Work Award from the Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition for its iSTEM Innovation Institute, a series of instructional courses for teachers. Selected as one of 10 programs from across the state to receive the award in recognition of its impact on STEM education, the iSTEM (Instructional Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Innovation Institute is a series of four classes (one per semester) which build progressively from introducing the foundations of STEM and real-world applications, to STEM instruction across content areas.^[8]

The Governor's STEM Academy at Heritage High School and Newport News Shipbuilding's Career Pathways program earned the third place Career Pathways Partnership Excellence Award from the National Career Pathways Network in October 2014. The award emphasizes the importance of career guidance and advising, and providing work-based learning opportunities for students.^[9]

Two NNPS high schools were listed among the Washington Post's Most Challenging High Schools list for 2015. Warwick was ranked 27th and Woodside was 66th in the state for offering students a challenging, rigorous curriculum. Both schools moved up in the state ranking this year.^[10]

References

External links

• Newport News Public Schools (Official site)
• Directory of Newport News Schools
• Newport News Public Schools Telecommunications Center (Official site for NNPSTV)

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