The Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science (KAMS) is a two-year, residential, early-entrance-to-college program for U.S. high school juniors and seniors who are academically talented in the areas of mathematics and science. Located on the

Fort Hays State University Fort Hays State University (FHSU) is a public university in Hays, Kansas. It is the fourth-largest of the six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents, with a total enrollment of approximately 15,100 students. History FHSU ...

campus in

Hays, Kansas Hays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States. The largest city in northwestern Kansas, it is the economic and cultural center of the region. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 21,116. It is ...

, students concurrently complete their last two years of high school while earning over 60

college credit A credit is the recognition for having taken a course at school or university, used as measure if enough hours have been made for graduation. University credits United States Credit hours In a college or university in the United States, student ...

History

The Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science was established by legislative action in 2006 by the

Kansas Legislature The Kansas Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. It is a bicameral assembly, composed of the lower Kansas House of Representatives, with 125 state representatives, and the upper Kansas Senate, with 40 state senators. ...

. The establishment of this program stemmed from national concern regarding anticipated shortages of students who would be sufficiently well prepared in mathematical and scientific problem solving. Recognizing that American youth would need to compete in an increasingly technological global society, Kansas is the 16th state to create alternative educational programs that would attract students to the fields of

mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

and

science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

as well as offer young students an accelerated education in these areas of study.

, part of the

Kansas Board of Regents The Kansas Board of Regents is a body consisting of nine members that governs six state universities in the U.S. state of Kansas. In addition to these six universities, it also supervises and coordinates nineteen community colleges, five technic ...

system, was chosen to host the Academy after an extensive bid process. After finding a home, a planning committee worked to develop and shape the Academy including securing resources, hiring staff, promoting the Academy throughout the state, and recruiting students. In August 2009, KAMS opened its doors to the first class of 26 students.

Academics

Admissions process

Information Sessions throughout the state and a Preview Day on the FHSU campus occur in the fall, and completed applications are asked to be completed by December 15. KAMS uses criteria such as ACT/SAT scores, cumulative GPA, class rank, teacher evaluations, personal interviews, essays, and short answer questions in its admissions process to select high school sophomores who are most likely to succeed in an academically challenging environment. KAMS currently selects approximately 40 Kansas students per class.

Curriculum

KAMS students are expected to earn over 60 college

credit hours The Carnegie Unit and the Student Hour are strictly time-based references for measuring educational attainment used by American universities and colleges; the Carnegie Unit assesses secondary school attainment, and the Student Hour, derived from the ...

over the two-year academic program. Students must complete both years to successfully complete the program. Courses are taught by

doctoral A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''li ...

level professors at Fort Hays State University. Courses include the subject areas of

calculus Calculus, originally called infinitesimal calculus or "the calculus of infinitesimals", is the mathematical study of continuous change, in the same way that geometry is the study of shape, and algebra is the study of generalizations of arithm ...

geometry Geometry (; ) is, with arithmetic, one of the oldest branches of mathematics. It is concerned with properties of space such as the distance, shape, size, and relative position of figures. A mathematician who works in the field of geometry is c ...

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to Applied science, practical discipli ...

, English/communication, history, leadership, and a unique global

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

course that all students take together. Students may also be able to take elective courses (such as band, music, theater, foreign language, etc.) as long as the required core

curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...

is met.

Research requirement

All KAMS students are required to engage in a research project to successfully complete the program. Students are exposed to various research opportunities both on the FHSU campus and nationwide. Students select their topic and are assigned a mentor in the spring of their junior year. Work is completed throughout the rest of their KAMS experience culminating in a research paper and display presentation at the end of their senior year.

Student life

Residential living

As a residential program, students live in Custer Hall on the FHSU campus that has been designated for Academy students. They live alongside Academy of Mathematics and Science (AMS) students, a program which offers out-of-state and international high school students an opportunity to attain a high school diploma and an Associate of General Studies in Science degree from FHSU. Males and females live on separate wings. The building and wings themselves require key and swipe card access to gain admittance. Students must check in and out of campus whenever leaving. Professional staff live in residence with the students to supervise them while they are out of class, as well as provide developmental and social programming.

Civic engagement

KAMS students are expected to be involved and give back to their community, as well as the state of Kansas at large. Volunteering and community service is an important aspect to being a KAMS student. Group events as well as individual efforts are vital to success as KAMS.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kansas Academy Of Mathematics And Science Educational institutions established in 2006 Fort Hays State University Gifted education Public high schools in Kansas Schools in Ellis County, Kansas Public boarding schools in the United States Boarding schools in Kansas 2006 establishments in Kansas