Biotechnology High School
Encyclopedia
Biotechnology High School is a comprehensive magnet
public high school
in Freehold Township
, New Jersey
, operating as part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District
(MCVSD).
Its curriculum boasts a rigorous science course which consists of eight different science classes over four years, designed to prepare students to pursue further education in biotechnology
. Emphasis is placed on research, laboratory skills, critical thinking, problem solving, technology, and teamwork. Over 90% of the 2009 graduates selected college majors in the life sciences. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Commission on Secondary Schools since 2005.
The school opened in September 2005 and consisted exclusively of an initial freshman class of 60 students, eight teachers, and two other faculty members. As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 301 students and 24 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.54.
As of April 2007, it became an official International Baccalaureate Organization
school, offering the IB Diploma Programme
. Most of the courses taken in the junior and senior years are IB courses, which are comparable to Advanced Placement (AP) courses. In their junior year, students declare for either IB Chemistry or IB Physics concentration which requires two full years of study.
On October 29, 2010, the school was featured in an Asbury Park Press
special feature "A Day in the life of Biotechnology High School", and goes into the classroom to examine the day-to-day life of some of the students.
. In September 2010, Biotechnology High School entered into a partnership with Monmouth University
, which allows graduates to enter into the University's bachelor of science
program, in addition to allowing students to participate in research projects with MU faculty.
In 2011, Biotech was ranked 25th out of more than 27,000 U.S. high schools by Newsweek, using a six component rating system: graduation rate (25%), college matriculation rate (25%), AP/IB tests taken per graduate (25%), average SAT
/ACT scores (10%), average AP/IB scores (10%), and AP courses offered per graduate (5%). It was ranked 18th for average SAT scores (2008-2010) and 26th for number of AP/IB tests given per graduate in 2010. 2009-2010 average SAT scores were 654 reading, 674 math, and 680 writing.
certification and features:
, a student wishing to attend Biotechnology High School must apply in a competitive admissions process. Only those who possess high 7th grade final scores and 8th grade first semester scores (based on the core subjects, mathematics
, English
, science
, and history
), and achieve high scores in an admission exam that encompasses language arts literacy and mathematics
, as compared to others applying, will be offered admission. Monmouth County students may only apply to one of the five MCVSD schools, so they must consider their application choice carefully.
Paperwork must also be submitted in the admissions process, including an application that is received upon visiting the school during a designated open-house day. The application includes a short writing task that is not considered in the admissions process.
, 160 credit-hours are required to graduate.
. These are referred to as sister school
s.
Magnet school
In education in the United States, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities as school zones that feed into certain schools.There are magnet schools at the...
public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Freehold Township
Freehold Township, New Jersey
Freehold Township is a Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 36,184. Freehold Township was first formed on October 31, 1693, and was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21,...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, operating as part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District
Monmouth County Vocational School District
The Monmouth County Vocational School District is a vocational public school district in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, serving the need to provide area students with relevant skills to implement technology and to develop as lifelong learners.As of the 2007-08 school year, the...
(MCVSD).
Its curriculum boasts a rigorous science course which consists of eight different science classes over four years, designed to prepare students to pursue further education in biotechnology
Biotechnology
Biotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
. Emphasis is placed on research, laboratory skills, critical thinking, problem solving, technology, and teamwork. Over 90% of the 2009 graduates selected college majors in the life sciences. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
Commission on Secondary Schools since 2005.
The school opened in September 2005 and consisted exclusively of an initial freshman class of 60 students, eight teachers, and two other faculty members. As of the 2009-10 school year, the school had an enrollment of 301 students and 24 classroom teachers (on an FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.54.
As of April 2007, it became an official International Baccalaureate Organization
International Baccalaureate Organization
The International Baccalaureate , formerly the International Baccalaureate Organization , is an international educational foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and founded in 1968. IB offers three educational programmes for children ages 3–19.The organization's name and logo were changed...
school, offering the IB Diploma Programme
IB Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for students aged 16–19that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva by...
. Most of the courses taken in the junior and senior years are IB courses, which are comparable to Advanced Placement (AP) courses. In their junior year, students declare for either IB Chemistry or IB Physics concentration which requires two full years of study.
On October 29, 2010, the school was featured in an Asbury Park Press
Asbury Park Press
The Asbury Park Press is a daily newspaper in Monmouth and Ocean counties of New Jersey and has the third largest circulation in the state...
special feature "A Day in the life of Biotechnology High School", and goes into the classroom to examine the day-to-day life of some of the students.
Awards and recognition
In 2010, Biotechnology High School was categorized as a "Public Elite" by NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
. In September 2010, Biotechnology High School entered into a partnership with Monmouth University
Monmouth University
Monmouth University is a private university located in West Long Branch, New Jersey, United States.Founded in 1933 as Monmouth Junior College, it became Monmouth College in 1956, and later Monmouth University in 1995 after receiving its charter....
, which allows graduates to enter into the University's bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
program, in addition to allowing students to participate in research projects with MU faculty.
In 2011, Biotech was ranked 25th out of more than 27,000 U.S. high schools by Newsweek, using a six component rating system: graduation rate (25%), college matriculation rate (25%), AP/IB tests taken per graduate (25%), average SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
/ACT scores (10%), average AP/IB scores (10%), and AP courses offered per graduate (5%). It was ranked 18th for average SAT scores (2008-2010) and 26th for number of AP/IB tests given per graduate in 2010. 2009-2010 average SAT scores were 654 reading, 674 math, and 680 writing.
Administration
- Linda Eno - Principal Eno (RN, Ed.D.) is a former pre-medical teacher at the AAHSAcademy of Allied Health & ScienceThe Academy of Allied Health and Science , established in 1996, is a small magnet public high school located in Neptune Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The school is currently one of five career academies offered by the Monmouth County Vocational School District...
. - Biotech's faculty includes four teachers holding doctorates in their fields from graduate schools such as UNC Chapel Hill and Princeton University. Other staff members hold bachelor's and masters degrees, many from Rutgers-New Brunswick.
Architecture
The Biotechnology High School facility was completed in December 2005 and cost approximately $16.9 million to construct. Designed by The Thomas Group, the building consists of two floors which account to more than 76,000 total square feet and can hold a maximum student population of 280. It meets all requirements for LEEDLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
certification and features:
- Two dedicated biotechBiotechnologyBiotechnology is a field of applied biology that involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and other fields requiring bioproducts. Biotechnology also utilizes these products for manufacturing purpose...
labsLaboratoryA laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
with state-of-the-art equipment - General-purpose labs for biologyBiologyBiology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, chemistryChemistryChemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
and physicsPhysicsPhysics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic... - Hookups for alternative fuelAlternative fuelAlternative fuels, known as non-conventional or advanced fuels, are any materials or substances that can be used as fuels, other than conventional fuels...
vehicles - An Energy StarEnergy StarEnergy Star is an international standard for energy efficient consumer products originated in the United States of America. It was first created as a United States government program during the early 1990s, but Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and the European Union have also adopted...
compliant EPDMEPDM rubberEPDM rubber , a type of synthetic rubber, is an elastomer which is characterized by a wide range of applications. The E refers to ethylene, P to propylene, D to diene and M refers to its classification in ASTM standard D-1418. The M class includes rubbers having a saturated chain of the...
roof
Admission criteria
Like all career academies in the Monmouth County Vocational School DistrictMonmouth County Vocational School District
The Monmouth County Vocational School District is a vocational public school district in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, serving the need to provide area students with relevant skills to implement technology and to develop as lifelong learners.As of the 2007-08 school year, the...
, a student wishing to attend Biotechnology High School must apply in a competitive admissions process. Only those who possess high 7th grade final scores and 8th grade first semester scores (based on the core subjects, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, and history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
), and achieve high scores in an admission exam that encompasses language arts literacy and mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, as compared to others applying, will be offered admission. Monmouth County students may only apply to one of the five MCVSD schools, so they must consider their application choice carefully.
Paperwork must also be submitted in the admissions process, including an application that is received upon visiting the school during a designated open-house day. The application includes a short writing task that is not considered in the admissions process.
Curriculum
All students at Biotechnology High School study under a rigorous curriculum that includes eight mandatory laboratory science classes. All students enter the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program upon starting junior year, at which point they declare for either an IB Physics or an IB Chemistry concentration. All students must take a biology course each four years, in addition to at least one more science class. Four years of humanities is also taught. In all career academies in the Monmouth County Vocational School DistrictMonmouth County Vocational School District
The Monmouth County Vocational School District is a vocational public school district in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, serving the need to provide area students with relevant skills to implement technology and to develop as lifelong learners.As of the 2007-08 school year, the...
, 160 credit-hours are required to graduate.
Clubs
Along with the rigorous coursework, Biotech offers many clubs. Unlike normal high schools, club meetings are held during the students' lunch period. All the clubs at BTHS promote their specialty through concerts, plays, art shows, events, fundraisers, charities, and "spirit" days. Students can also participate in sports in their home high school.- Yearbook
- Key ClubKey ClubKey Club International is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. It is a student-led organization whose goal is to teach leadership through serving others. Key Club International is a part of the Kiwanis International family of service-leadership programs...
- Arts Club (merging Drama and Art Club from 2010)
- Music Club
- Fitness Club
- Dance Club
- CROSS (Christian Club)
- National Honor SocietyNational Honor SocietyThe National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
(NHS) - Student Government Association (SGA)
- Academic Team
- Junior State of AmericaJunior State of AmericaThe Junior State of America is an American non-partisan student-run youth organization. It is also the largest high school student-run organization in the country...
(JSA) - Science Competition Club
- Science League
- Math Club
- Environmental Club
- FFANational FFA OrganizationThe National FFA Organization is an American youth organization known as a Career and Technical Student Organization, based on middle and high school classes that promote and support agricultural education...
- Technology Student Association (TSA)
- Class of 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
Monmouth County Vocational School District
There are four other career academies in the Monmouth County Vocational School DistrictMonmouth County Vocational School District
The Monmouth County Vocational School District is a vocational public school district in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, serving the need to provide area students with relevant skills to implement technology and to develop as lifelong learners.As of the 2007-08 school year, the...
. These are referred to as sister school
Sister school
The term sister school has several meanings:*a definite financial commerce between two colleges or universities*two schools that have a strong historical connection...
s.
- Marine Academy of Science and TechnologyMarine Academy of Science and TechnologyThe Marine Academy of Science and Technology is a coeducational four-year magnet public high school located in Sandy Hook, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade. The school offers learning in all subjects, specializing in marine technology...
(MAST) in Sandy HookSandy Hook, New JerseySandy Hook is a barrier spit, approximately 6.0 miles in length and varying between 0.10 and 1 miles wide in Middletown Township in Monmouth County, along the Atlantic Ocean coast of eastern New Jersey in the United States. The barrier spit encloses the southern entrance of Lower New York Bay... - Academy of Allied Health & ScienceAcademy of Allied Health & ScienceThe Academy of Allied Health and Science , established in 1996, is a small magnet public high school located in Neptune Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The school is currently one of five career academies offered by the Monmouth County Vocational School District...
(AAHS) in Neptune TownshipNeptune Township, New Jersey-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 27,690 people, 10,907 households, and 6,805 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,366.8 people per square mile . There were 12,217 housing units at an average density of 1,485.4 per square mile... - Communications High SchoolCommunications High SchoolCommunications High School is a four-year magnet public high school and career academy as part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District in New Jersey. CHS is located in Wall Township next to Wall High School. The school opened in 2000 with its first freshman class, and graduated its first...
(CHS) in Wall TownshipWall Township, New JerseyWall Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 26,164.Wall Township was formally incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 7, 1851... - High Technology High SchoolHigh Technology High SchoolHigh Technology High School, or HTHS, founded in 1991, is a four-year Magnet public high school located in Lincroft, New Jersey, operated as a cooperative effort between the Monmouth County Vocational School District and Brookdale Community College...
(HTHS) in LincroftLincroft, New JerseyLincroft is a part of Middletown Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the Lincroft census-designated place had a population was 6,135.-Geography:Lincroft is located at ....
External links
- Biotechnology High School (official site)
- Monmouth County Vocational School District
- Data for the Monmouth County Vocational School District, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...