Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School (often dubbed Academic previous to its dedication, or as McNair) is a

magnet A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, steel, nickel, ...

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

located at 123 Coles Street in

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.Hudson County Hudson County is the most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in ...

, United States. The school is named in memory of Dr. Ronald E. McNair, the

astronaut An astronaut (from the Ancient Greek (), meaning 'star', and (), meaning 'sailor') is a person trained, equipped, and deployed by a human spaceflight program to serve as a commander or crew member aboard a spacecraft. Although generally r ...

and scientist who died in the Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' disaster. McNair is part of the

Jersey City Public Schools The Jersey City Public Schools is a comprehensive community public school district located in Jersey City, in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. The district is one of 31 former Abbott districts statewide that were established pursuant ...

district. The school has been accredited by the

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (Middle States Association or MSA) was a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association that performed peer evaluation and regional educational accreditation, accreditation of public and priva ...

Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1979 and is under Probationary Accreditation status as of 2022.Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School

Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed February 2, 2022. As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 704 students and 49.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...

of 14.4:1. There were 226 students (32.1% of enrollment) eligible for

free lunch A free lunch is the providing of a meal at no cost, usually as a sales enticement to attract customers and increase revenues from other business. It was once a common tradition in saloons and taverns in many places in the United States, with th ...

and 62 (8.8% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Dr Ronald Mcnair High School

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance ...

. Accessed December 1, 2022. The school offers a wide selection of

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

(AP) Courses, in addition to a standard curriculum that contains courses at the Honors level. 21 AP courses were offered in 2010, with 897 students taking exams and 83.8% of those taking the exams scoring 3 or higher, more than quadruple the statewide average. Most electives are regular, unweighted classes. From 2008 to 2010, 100% of the class has graduated and in 2010 a full 100% of the student body indicated that they planned to attend a four-year college.Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School 2010 School Report Card

New Jersey Department of Education The New Jersey Department of Education (NJ DOE) administers state and federal aid programs affecting more than 1.4 million public and non-public elementary and secondary school children in the state of New Jersey. The department is headquartered ...

. Accessed June 22, 2011.

History

The school originally opened as Academic High School in 1976 at 70 Sip Avenue in Jersey City. The school also rented a space in a Ukrainian building at 16 Bentley Ave on Bergen Avenue. The school's name was changed to honor the late astronaut in 1996. In 1997 the school moved to its new location at 123 Coles Street, due to safety and spacing reasons. Beginning in the 2004–05 school year, the incoming class size was increased from 140 students to 200. In 2004, McNair Academic, the school's library was renamed in honor of teacher Vincent Russo. In May 2009, McNair lost Dr. Sara Solberg, a teacher of English, French, Shakespeare, and Mythology. The school opened a new stage in the Winter of 2010 named 'Sara's Stage' in her honor.

Achievements

The school has been highly praised. Notable achievements include: *During the 2008–09 school year, Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the

United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May 4, 1980, having been created after the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare was split into the Department ...

, the highest award an American school can receive. *In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", ''

The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...

'' ranked the school 61st in the nation among participating public high schools and 4th among schools in New Jersey. *In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', the school was ranked 1st in New Jersey and 52nd nationwide. *26th place in U.S. News & World Report's November 29, 2007 issue listing the Best High Schools in the United States. McNair Academic High School was also named a Gold Medal School by U.S. News & World Report for making the Top 100 list. *The school was ranked 85th in ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...

s 2009 ranking of the top 1,500 high schools in the United States and was the top ranked school in New Jersey, with 3.993 AP tests taken in 2008 per graduating senior and 80% of all graduating seniors passing at least one AP exam. The school was ranked 27th place in ''Newsweek's'' May 22, 2007, issue listing the Top Public High Schools in the United States; the school was ranked in 83rd place in the 2006 survey and 15th in the 2005 rankings. *The title of "Star School" during the 2004–05 school year by the

—the highest honor that a New Jersey school can achieve. *For the 2005–06 school year, the school was one of 22 schools statewide selected as Governor's School of Excellence Winners, an award given to schools that have demonstrated significant improvement over the previous two academic years. *The school was the 62nd-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in ''

New Jersey Monthly ''New Jersey Monthly'' is an American monthly magazine featuring issues of possible interest to residents of New Jersey. The magazine was started in 1976. It is based in Morristown. In addition to articles of general interest, the publication fe ...

'' magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology. The school had been ranked 2nd in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after also being ranked 2nd in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked the school second in the state in its 2008 report. The school was ranked 1st in the magazine's 2006 rankings out of 316 schools included across the state. *On November 30, 2007, McNair Academic was featured on

News 12 New Jersey News is information about current events. This may be provided through many different media: word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting, electronic communication, or through the testimony of observers and witnesses to events. New ...

having ranked among the top 100 public high schools in the country. *Schooldigger.com ranked the school as one of 16 schools tied for first out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (an increase of 236 positions from the 2010 rank) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the language arts literacy (100.0%) and mathematics (100.0%) components of the

High School Proficiency Assessment The High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA, pronounced "hess-pah" (/ˈhɛspə/) or sometimes just "H-S-P-A") was a standardized test that was administered by the New Jersey Department of Education to all New Jersey public high school students in ...

(HSPA). *In 2016, McNair Academic was ranked as the third-best high school in the state of New Jersey, 165th best STEM high school and 48th best high school in the country by '' U.S. News & World Report''. *The school was one of 18 schools statewide (and three public high schools) honored in 2018 by the

National Blue Ribbon Schools Program The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States Department of Education award program that recognizes exemplary public and non-public schools on a yearly basis. Using standards of excellence evidenced by student achievement measures, ...

run by the

, marking the second time the school was recognized by the program.

Standards

General admittance is based on a consensus of PSAT scores, academic performance from the 6th through 8th grades, extracurricular activities, and teacher recommendations. With the primary goal of diversity through affirmative action, the school's enrollment is based on a

quota Quota may refer to: Economics * Import quota, a trade restriction on the quantity of goods imported into a country * Market Sharing Quota, an economic system used in Canadian agriculture * Milk quota, a quota on milk production in Europe * Indi ...

of 25%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 25%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...

, 25%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

, and 25% Other (mostly

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

). The school enforces a business-type

dress code A dress code is a set of rules, often written, with regard to what clothing groups of people must wear. Dress codes are created out of social perceptions and norms, and vary based on purpose, circumstances, and occasions. Different societies an ...

(though not a

school uniform A school uniform is a uniform worn by students primarily for a school or otherwise an educational institution.They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries. An example of a uniform would be requiring button-down shir ...

) for both students and teachers. The basic protocols dictate the following: *Sneakers and shorts are permitted only in physical education classes. *Boys are required to wear slacks, button-down collared shirt, and tie for the entire school year, complemented by a suit jacket. A V-neck sweater during the autumn and winter seasons is permissible. *Females are advised to wear appropriate, unrevealing business attire. Pants or skirts above the knee are not allowed. Open-toe shoes are permitted only for the months of September–October and May–June. Students are also required to fulfill 50 mandatory

community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performed ...

hours. They must also maintain a final grade of 70 or higher on all of their courses. Students with a failing final grade in one course must go to summer school in order to pass the course. Student receiving a failing final grade in two or more courses cannot re-enroll in the school the following school year and must instead attend a local public or private high school.

Athletics

The McNair Academic CougarsDr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School

New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) is an association of hundreds of New Jersey high schools that regulates high school athletics and holds tournaments and crowns champions in high school sports. State championsh ...

. Accessed October 20, 2020. compete as part of the

Hudson County Interscholastic League The Hudson County Interscholastic League (formerly known as the Hudson County Interscholastic Athletic Association) is a New Jersey high school sports association operating under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Asso ...

, which is comprised of public and private high schools in Hudson County.Member Schools

. Accessed November 18, 2020. The conference operates under the supervision of the

(NJSIAA). With 510 students in grades 10–12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group II for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 486 to 758 students in that grade range. The girls' cross country team has won the North II Group I state sectional championships in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2017, and 2018.NJSIAA Sectional Cross Country Championships

. Accessed October 20, 2020. The boys' cross country team has won the North II Group I state sectional championships 2011 and 2012. The girls' spring track and field team has won North II Group I state sectional championships in 1999 and 2007.Spring Track and Field Sectional Championship History

. Accessed June 30, 2016. The boys' spring track and field team won the North II Group I state sectional championships in 2007. Junior class member Leslie Njoku won the 2006 state All Group (aka NJ Meet of Champions) 400m hurdle title with a time of 59.48 and won the 400m Hurdle title at the Nike Outdoor Nationals with a time of 59.28. The boys track team won the indoor state championship in Group I in 2017.

School programs and clubs

Beyond McNair's own internal visual and performing arts programs, McNair also works closely with the Visual and Performing Arts program at the

Henry Snyder High School Academy of the Arts at Henry Snyder High School is a four-year performing arts public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades, located in the Greenville section of Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, operating as part o ...

, where McNair students may choose to apply into four-year arts intensives. Every year McNair's Science Research students face stiff competition at the various levels of competition, such as Hudson County Science Fair, Junior Science and Humanities Competition, Siemens Westinghouse, and the

Intel International Science and Engineering Fair The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) is an annual science fair in the United States. It is owned and administered by the Society for Science, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. Each May, more tha ...

. In 2022 Class of 2025 student Shreeya Shankerdas founded a club at McNair dedicated to the

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

superhero

Kamala Khan Kamala Khan is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker, writer G. Willow Wilson, and artists Adrian Alphona and Jamie McKelvie, Kamala is Marvel's first ...

(aka

Ms. Marvel Ms. Marvel is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was originally conceived as a female counterpart to Captain Marvel. Like Captain Marvel, most of the bearers of the Ms. M ...

), who is herself a native of Jersey City. The club's name, the Coles Kamala Korps, was taken from the fictional Jersey City school attended by the character, which in turn was inspired by McNair itself. Shankerdas commented, "When I first heard about Ms. Marvel being this brown teenage girl, I thought it was really cool that we’re finally represented. On top of that, we were represented in the Marvel Universe, and I thought that was really cool, because it’s a big company."

Administration

Core members of the school's administration are: *Thomas Macagnano, Principal *Monica Patel, Vice Principal

Notable alumni

Joseph Trapanese Joseph Trapanese (born 1984) is an American composer, arranger, and producer. He works in the production of music for films, television, records, theater, concerts, and interactive media. Early life and education Raised in Jersey City, New Jers ...

(born 1984), composer.

In popular culture

The high school that

Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics ...

superhero

goes to is named "Coles Academic High School," which is loosely based on McNair Academic.

References

External links

School webpage
*
Data for the Jersey City Public Schools

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macnair Academic 1976 establishments in New Jersey Educational institutions established in 1976 High schools in Jersey City, New Jersey Magnet schools in New Jersey Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools Public high schools in Hudson County, New Jersey