Bard Academy at Simon's Rock is a private, co-ed

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...

for grades 9 through 10 located in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, USA. Students finish high school in two years, and after 10th grade, students have guaranteed admission to early college at Bard College at Simon's Rock. Students at Bard Academy are taught by the same professors as Bard College at Simon's Rock. Together the programs create a six-year course of study, consisting of three two-year programs: Bard Academy, the A.A. degree, and the B.A. degree. Students can enter at the Academy or A.A. sections. Some students transfer after the A.A. degree, while others stay for the B.A. Ian Bickford, a graduate of Bard College at Simon's Rock, is the founding dean of Bard Academy and was appointed provost of Bard College at Simon's Rock in 2016.

Two-year high school

Bard Academy is a new pedagogical model where students complete high school in two years. Then after high school, students earn an A.A. degree when the typical student would be graduating from high school. Bard Academy is accredited by the

New England Association of Schools and Colleges The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC) is a United States' regional accreditation association providing educational accreditation. NEASC serves over 1500 public, independent schools, and technical/career institution ...

, which means that it is not required to follow the

Common Core curriculum The Common Core State Standards Initiative, also known as simply Common Core, is an educational initiative from 2010 that details what K–12 students throughout the United States should know in English language arts and mathematics at the co ...

. Also, since early college admission is built into the curriculum, Bard Academy students typically don't take standardized tests or focus on college admission applications.

References

{{authority control Private high schools in Massachusetts Boarding schools in Massachusetts Schools in Berkshire County, Massachusetts