Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School
Encyclopedia
The Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School (usually referred to as the Parker Charter School or simply Parker) is a public charter school
in Devens
, Massachusetts
that serves students in grades 7 to 12. It was established in 1995 under the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993
, and currently serves 384 students from 40 surrounding towns in north central Massachusetts. As a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools
, a leading organization for education reform
, Parker is known for its nontraditional educational philosophy. The school takes its name from Francis Wayland Parker
, a 19th-century pioneer of the progressive school movement
.
. Started by area parents and teachers, it received its charter on March 15, 1994, opening for the 1995–1996 school year as an Essential School dedicated to the principles of the Coalition of Essential Schools. CES founder Ted Sizer
was involved in its founding, and he served as co-principal with his wife Nancy in the 1998–1999 school year. Every five years the school is reviewed by the state to see whether the school's charter should be renewed. Parker's charter was renewed in June 1999 and again in 2004. In 1999, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
selected Parker as a "candidate member school" for accreditation, and it was accredited in 2002.
Parker also is home to the Regional Teachers center (renamed the Theodore R. Sizer Teachers Center on the school's tenth anniversary in 2005). Teachers provide professional help to other teachers, give workshops, and take part in educational conferences. The Teachers Center has hosted hundreds of visitors to Parker from dozens of schools in other states and countries since September 2004. The New Teachers Collaborative is a program that allows beginning teachers to earn their teacher certification in one school year. In addition to Parker, NTC places teachers at Prospect Hill Academy
in Somerville
/Cambridge, Massachusetts
and Murdoch Middle Public and Innovation Academy Charter Schools in Chelmsford, Massachusetts
. Some NTC veterans go on to work in schools around the country, and many remain at Parker. The Teachers Center recently received a $500,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
. Through the Teachers Center, Parker spreads the essential school philosophy and aids both newly created schools that are looking for developmental help and well-established schools that are hoping to change, including Newton South High School
, Brighton High School, and Shortridge Academy
(Milton, NH).
As with all Commonwealth Charter Schools in Massachusetts, Parker receives its funding from the local aid accounts of its students' sending school districts. The Massachusetts Department of Education projects that $3,662,559 ($9,767 per pupil) will be withdrawn from the local aid accounts of sending towns in the 2007–2008 school year. Thanks to fiscal responsibility since its inception, the school had accumulated net assets of $2.5 million as of June 2007.
Because Massachusetts charter schools cannot receive state or local funding for facilities acquirement or improvement, Parker has had to find creative solutions to its housing issues. From its opening in 1995 to 2000, Parker was located in a former Army spy-training building leased from MassDevelopment, a semi-private base redevelopment authority. While this facility provided sufficient space, it had quirks such as a lack of windows, a cafeteria, or a gym. In 2000, the school moved to its current residence, a 1950s-era elementary school, also leased from MassDevelopment, until it was acquired in August 2007.
. The addition added 25030 square feet (2,325.4 m²) to the school's current 46000 square feet (4,273.5 m²), meeting all of the school's current space needs besides a larger gym. The total cost of moving, site preparation, and reconstruction was estimated to be between $1.5 and 2 million, for classrooms which would cost $8 million to build new. The "Classroom Campaign" raised the $1 million required by requesting that the Parker community donate money. $325,000 was given by the board of trustees and the Parker Essential Fund granted $51,000. Parents were expected to donate $350,000, alumni parents $225,000, and students, staff, graduates, and friends of the school, $50,000. As of June 2007, $800,000 had been raised towards the goal. The addition will result in only a small increase in enrollment to 375; the number of students is limited both by the school's philosophy and the charter, which limits the school to 400 students. On April 24, 2007, the Devens Enterprise Commission held a public hearing for the expansion request, at which questions about parking, traffic safety, and wetlands on the property were raised. The proposal was unanimously approved by the DEC on May 3, 2007, after the expansion plan was modified to show how additional parking requirements could be met on-site. Construction began in the summer of 2007 and was completed in April 2008.
The Parker School addresses these problems with:
means that many young teachers start at Parker to intern and decide to stay. The teachers are also well-educated; as of 2006, about two-thirds of the school's faculty held advanced degrees, and 95.2% were designated Highly Qualified Teachers according to the No Child Left Behind Act
. However, as of 2008, only 65.8% are licensed in their teaching assignment, below the state average. Teacher turnover at Parker is usually perceived as being very high. However, in fact, on average over the past 10 years, 16% of teachers (about 9 out of 56 to 60 each year) have not returned annually, which is less than the 20% national average for public schools. The average years of service for teachers at Parker is 4.5 years, with an average teaching experience of 6.9 years. Some leave to take on leadership roles in other essential schools elsewhere in the country. Though Parker spends a greater percentage of its total funds on its teachers than any school in the state, Parker teachers are paid less than teachers at other local public schools, in part due to the lack of a teachers' union. This is usually perceived as being a reason for high teacher turnover, but according to a report by principal Teri Schrader, salary is not a significant factor in teacher turnover, with the vast majority of teacher departures being for other reasons.
Parker draws about 365 students from the surrounding area in north central Massachusetts. Students come to Parker because they (or their parents) are looking for a better education than the one provided by the local public schools. Applicants often fall into one of two categories: academically successful students frustrated by the lack of opportunity and challenge in the local public schools or students whose personalities, attitudes, or learning styles have proven to be incompatible with the mainstream public schools and are looking for an alternative.
Because Parker consistently receives enrollment applications at a level several times the number of openings available (there were 287 applications for 65 spots for the 2006–2007 school year), admission is by random lottery; some applicants are placed on a wait-list. (The exception is for siblings of current Parker students, who are guaranteed a spot.) Application is open to residents of 70 Massachusetts towns in 46 school districts, but, in practice, the student body is somewhat self-selecting. The school's isolated location in Devens
, a decommissioned army base in central Massachusetts, and the lack of school busing, mean that any student attending needs to have a ride to and from school. This makes it difficult for low-income students from nearby urban areas such as Lowell
and Leominster
to attend.
On its website, Parker claims that "the socioeconomic, ethnic, and educational characteristics of the student body closely reflect the general population of the region." While this is true to the extent that the surrounding area is mostly white, there are significant minority and low-income populations in the area that are not really represented. The student body is almost exclusively middle- to upper middle-class white: in the 2007–2008 school year, the student body was 92.6% white, 0.3% African-American, 4.5% multi-racial, 1.8% Hispanic, and 0.8% Asian. Only 0.3% of students came from low-income families and 10.6% had Special Education needs (IEP
), compared to 16.9% in the state.
Parker students generally perform well on educational achievement tests. On the Stanford Achievement Tests, students in the classes of 2009 and 2010 scored between the 80th and 90th percentiles nationally in various subjects, on average. Nearly all Parker students take the SAT
(Scholastic Aptitude Test), and the average score among the class of 2007 was 601 Critical Reading, 559 Math, 575 Writing, for a total average score of 1735, the 75th percentile nationally. Parker's 2006 average Critical Reading score of 607 (the school reports 619) ranked #7 in the state. On the 2007 MCAS
test, Parker 10th-graders ranked tied for #19 on English and tied for #45 on Math.
The legislative body is the Community Congress (CC), which meets every Wednesday for one hour. The CC is made up of one representative from each advisory in the school, and is led by three co-advisors and an alternate elected by the student body at the end of each school year. Within the CC, there are various groups that deal with different aspects of school government, including the STAF (Student Teacher Activity Fund) Committee, which distributes community-benefiting mini-grants; the Spirit Committee, which organizes dances and other school spirit activities; the Green Committee, which oversees recycling and works to make the school more environmentally friendly; and the Public Relations Committee, which writes a bi-weekly newsletter for the Friday Announcements.
The CC's counterpart, the Justice Committee (JC) is also formed of one member from each advisory, and meets on Wednesday for an hour. The main purpose of the JC is to mediate minor disputes between members of the Parker community (more serious cases are dealt with by the principal). The JC also oversees the election for co-advisors.
and has been home to several student bands over the years, most notably The Demons of Stupidity, Schmendrique, and Crevice. Several times a year, students and teachers showcase their music and poetry skills at Café Wednesday. There are usually about two play productions a year. Parker also has a Destination ImagiNation
team; a Parker team went to the Global Finals in 2005 and 2006. Other groups include a Mock Trial
team and a rocket club that reached the 2006 and 2007 national finals of the Team America Rocketry Challenge
. In the past, there was a math team that participated in the Worcester County Mathematics League
. Parker mock trial made it to the state semi finals in 2010.
, track and field
, soccer, basketball
, baseball
, and softball
and is a member of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association
. There is a $200 fee to participate in a sport. About half of the student body participates in at least one sport. The Girls Varsity Basketball team has been especially successful, having a record of 118-41 in its seven seasons and making the state tournament each year, and other teams have seen marked improvement. Still, athletics take on a uniquely Parker attitude, emphasizing teamwork, self-improvement, and other ideals compatible with the Ten Common Principles. In the words of one senior athlete, it's not "OK, let's go to the pep rally."
colleges and the local University of Massachusetts
schools and state colleges. Graduates in the past have matriculated at elite schools such as Brown
, Dartmouth
, Tufts
, Cornell
, Williams
and Haverford
. There have also been a couple of students to matriculate to some of the United States Service Academies, such as West Point
, and the Air Force Academy
.
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
in Devens
Fort Devens
Fort Devens is an active United States military installation in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It was named after jurist and Civil War general Charles Devens. The nearby Devens Reserve Forces Training Area is...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
that serves students in grades 7 to 12. It was established in 1995 under the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993
Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993
The Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 is legislation passed in Massachusetts mandating several modern educational reforms over a 7-year period. The reforms included the introduction of charter schools and the standardized test, the MCAS. It is based on Outcomes Based Education.- External...
, and currently serves 384 students from 40 surrounding towns in north central Massachusetts. As a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools
Coalition of Essential Schools
The Coalition of Essential Schools is an organization created to further a type of whole-school reform originally envisioned by founder Ted Sizer in his book, Horace's Compromise. CES began in 1984 with twelve schools; it currently has 600 formal members.-Horace's Compromise:Horace's Compromise...
, a leading organization for education reform
Education reform
Education reform is the process of improving public education. Small improvements in education theoretically have large social returns, in health, wealth and well-being. Historically, reforms have taken different forms because the motivations of reformers have differed.A continuing motivation has...
, Parker is known for its nontraditional educational philosophy. The school takes its name from Francis Wayland Parker
Francis Wayland Parker
Francis Wayland Parker was a pioneer of the progressive school movement in the United States. He believed that education should include the complete development of an individual — mental, physical, and moral...
, a 19th-century pioneer of the progressive school movement
Educational progressivism
Progressive education is a pedagogical movement that began in the late nineteenth century and has persisted in various forms to the present. More recently, it has been viewed as an alternative to the test-oriented instruction legislated by the No Child Left Behind educational funding act...
.
History
Parker was one of the first charter schools created under the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993
The Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 is legislation passed in Massachusetts mandating several modern educational reforms over a 7-year period. The reforms included the introduction of charter schools and the standardized test, the MCAS. It is based on Outcomes Based Education.- External...
. Started by area parents and teachers, it received its charter on March 15, 1994, opening for the 1995–1996 school year as an Essential School dedicated to the principles of the Coalition of Essential Schools. CES founder Ted Sizer
Ted Sizer
Theodore Ryland Sizer was a leader of educational reform in the United States, the founder of the Essential school movement and was known for challenging longstanding practices and assumptions about the functioning of American secondary schools...
was involved in its founding, and he served as co-principal with his wife Nancy in the 1998–1999 school year. Every five years the school is reviewed by the state to see whether the school's charter should be renewed. Parker's charter was renewed in June 1999 and again in 2004. In 1999, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. is the U.S. regional accreditation association providing educational accreditation for all levels of education, from pre-kindergarten to the doctoral level, in the six-state New England region. It also provides accreditation for some...
selected Parker as a "candidate member school" for accreditation, and it was accredited in 2002.
Parker also is home to the Regional Teachers center (renamed the Theodore R. Sizer Teachers Center on the school's tenth anniversary in 2005). Teachers provide professional help to other teachers, give workshops, and take part in educational conferences. The Teachers Center has hosted hundreds of visitors to Parker from dozens of schools in other states and countries since September 2004. The New Teachers Collaborative is a program that allows beginning teachers to earn their teacher certification in one school year. In addition to Parker, NTC places teachers at Prospect Hill Academy
Prospect Hill Academy
Prospect Hill Academy Charter School is K-12 college preparatory public charter school located on three campuses in Somerville, Massachusetts and Cambridge, Massachusetts...
in Somerville
Somerville, Massachusetts
Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
/Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
and Murdoch Middle Public and Innovation Academy Charter Schools in Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Chelmsford is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts in the Greater Boston area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 33,802. The Census Bureau's 2008 population estimate for the town was 34,409, ranking it 14th in population among the 54 municipalities in...
. Some NTC veterans go on to work in schools around the country, and many remain at Parker. The Teachers Center recently received a $500,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is "driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family"...
. Through the Teachers Center, Parker spreads the essential school philosophy and aids both newly created schools that are looking for developmental help and well-established schools that are hoping to change, including Newton South High School
Newton South High School
Newton South High School is one of two public high schools in the city of Newton, Massachusetts, the other being Newton North.-Mission statement:Newton South High School, a community of students, parents, faculty, and staff,...
, Brighton High School, and Shortridge Academy
Shortridge Academy
Shortridge Academy is a year-round residential secondary school in Milton, New Hampshire which employs the Positive youth development model. Shortridge Academy is a coeducational therapeutic school for teenagers with problems such as low self-esteem, poor decision making, sexual promiscuity,...
(Milton, NH).
As with all Commonwealth Charter Schools in Massachusetts, Parker receives its funding from the local aid accounts of its students' sending school districts. The Massachusetts Department of Education projects that $3,662,559 ($9,767 per pupil) will be withdrawn from the local aid accounts of sending towns in the 2007–2008 school year. Thanks to fiscal responsibility since its inception, the school had accumulated net assets of $2.5 million as of June 2007.
Because Massachusetts charter schools cannot receive state or local funding for facilities acquirement or improvement, Parker has had to find creative solutions to its housing issues. From its opening in 1995 to 2000, Parker was located in a former Army spy-training building leased from MassDevelopment, a semi-private base redevelopment authority. While this facility provided sufficient space, it had quirks such as a lack of windows, a cafeteria, or a gym. In 2000, the school moved to its current residence, a 1950s-era elementary school, also leased from MassDevelopment, until it was acquired in August 2007.
Classroom Campaign
To remedy the lack of space at its current location, Parker recently purchased and installed a 13-classroom $50,000 modular addition obtained from the Wachusett Regional School DistrictWachusett Regional School District
Wachusett Regional School District was founded in 1955 and comprises the Massachusetts towns of Holden, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, and Sterling.-Holden:Wachusett Regional High SchoolDavis Hill Elementary SchoolDawson Elementary School...
. The addition added 25030 square feet (2,325.4 m²) to the school's current 46000 square feet (4,273.5 m²), meeting all of the school's current space needs besides a larger gym. The total cost of moving, site preparation, and reconstruction was estimated to be between $1.5 and 2 million, for classrooms which would cost $8 million to build new. The "Classroom Campaign" raised the $1 million required by requesting that the Parker community donate money. $325,000 was given by the board of trustees and the Parker Essential Fund granted $51,000. Parents were expected to donate $350,000, alumni parents $225,000, and students, staff, graduates, and friends of the school, $50,000. As of June 2007, $800,000 had been raised towards the goal. The addition will result in only a small increase in enrollment to 375; the number of students is limited both by the school's philosophy and the charter, which limits the school to 400 students. On April 24, 2007, the Devens Enterprise Commission held a public hearing for the expansion request, at which questions about parking, traffic safety, and wetlands on the property were raised. The proposal was unanimously approved by the DEC on May 3, 2007, after the expansion plan was modified to show how additional parking requirements could be met on-site. Construction began in the summer of 2007 and was completed in April 2008.
Philosophy
Parker's nontraditional educational philosophy is based on the ideas espoused by Sizer and the CES laid out in the Common Principles. Sizer's objections to mainstream public schools include:- Time wasted going from classroom to classroom.
- Elective courses which distract resources, time, and energy from the core curriculum.
- The inflated importance of sports.
- Unidirectional lecturing of teacher to student.
The Parker School addresses these problems with:
- Block scheduling: Three two-hour blocks a day with the integrated subjects "Arts and Humanities" and "Math, Science and Technology," as well as shorter "Wellness" and Spanish classes. Division III classes are one hour long and more focused on specific content areas.
- A common core curriculum: There are no electives until the student enters Division III (roughly equivalent to grades 11 and 12). Every student takes the same core curriculum through Divisions I and II (grades 7-10). Spanish is the only language offered at Parker. The core curriculum contributes to a sense of unity among the student population.
- A "teacher as coach" philosophy: Students address teachers by their first names, and every written assignment and oral presentation has an intensive draft and revision process so the student can interact with the teacher as much as possible. A result of this is that work is not graded in the traditional way at Parker. Work is commented on extensively and compared to a rubric of standards for a given "division". The bulk of teacher feedback is usually given with the aim of aiding further revision rather than as a final assessment of the student (see below)
- Depth over breadth: At Parker one does not find any survey courses like "US History." Rather, the teachers of Arts and Humanities will choose a few issues of American history to discuss in depth that year (19th century Immigration, Vietnam War, etc.), and then use the tools of a variety of disciplines (art, history, literature) to explore that same topic in greater depth than any one discipline alone would do.
- Advancement based on achievement: There is no social promotion from one grade to the next from year to year; nor are there traditional letter grades. Rather, student work is assessed based on whether it meets the standard and students move between divisions when they assemble a portfolio of work proving that they can produce work that meets the standards of that division (typically after 1½–2½ years). Work that does not yet meet standards is assessed as "incomplete", "just beginning" or "approaching" the standard and students are expected to revise their work continually to show improvement. When students have completed a portfolio of "meets" or "exceeds" work, they complete a "gateway" presentation highlighting their learning and showing they are ready to move forward.
- The advisory system: Advisories (equivalent to "homerooms" in traditional schools) are designed to create close relationships between students and teachers. Advisories have roughly twelve students. Each advisory has a faculty advisor at the head, and for fifteen minutes at the beginning and end of each day, advisories meet to connect and reflect together and discuss the events of their personal lives. An hour a week on Wednesdays is also dedicated to advisory time, usually spent in non-academic activities.
Faculty
Parker employed about 44 full-time equivalent teachers in the 2006–2007 school year; the average class size is 15 students and the student to teacher ratio is 8.3 to 1. Parker teachers tend to be young, and the school's relationship with the Harvard Graduate School of EducationHarvard Graduate School of Education
The Harvard Graduate School of Education is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University, and is one of the top schools of education in the United States. It was founded in 1920, the same year it invented the Ed.D...
means that many young teachers start at Parker to intern and decide to stay. The teachers are also well-educated; as of 2006, about two-thirds of the school's faculty held advanced degrees, and 95.2% were designated Highly Qualified Teachers according to the No Child Left Behind Act
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States Act of Congress concerning the education of children in public schools.NCLB was originally proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office...
. However, as of 2008, only 65.8% are licensed in their teaching assignment, below the state average. Teacher turnover at Parker is usually perceived as being very high. However, in fact, on average over the past 10 years, 16% of teachers (about 9 out of 56 to 60 each year) have not returned annually, which is less than the 20% national average for public schools. The average years of service for teachers at Parker is 4.5 years, with an average teaching experience of 6.9 years. Some leave to take on leadership roles in other essential schools elsewhere in the country. Though Parker spends a greater percentage of its total funds on its teachers than any school in the state, Parker teachers are paid less than teachers at other local public schools, in part due to the lack of a teachers' union. This is usually perceived as being a reason for high teacher turnover, but according to a report by principal Teri Schrader, salary is not a significant factor in teacher turnover, with the vast majority of teacher departures being for other reasons.
Principals
- James Nehring (1996–1998)
- Theodore and Nancy Sizer (1998–1999)
- Gregg Sinner (1999–2001)
- Teriann Schrader (2001–2010)
- Diane Kruse (Interim Principal 2010-2011)
- Todd Sumner (2011–Present)
Students
Because Parker consistently receives enrollment applications at a level several times the number of openings available (there were 287 applications for 65 spots for the 2006–2007 school year), admission is by random lottery; some applicants are placed on a wait-list. (The exception is for siblings of current Parker students, who are guaranteed a spot.) Application is open to residents of 70 Massachusetts towns in 46 school districts, but, in practice, the student body is somewhat self-selecting. The school's isolated location in Devens
Fort Devens, Massachusetts
Devens, Massachusetts is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is the successor to Fort Devens, a military post that operated from 1917 to 1996. The area...
, a decommissioned army base in central Massachusetts, and the lack of school busing, mean that any student attending needs to have a ride to and from school. This makes it difficult for low-income students from nearby urban areas such as Lowell
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
and Leominster
Leominster, Massachusetts
Leominster is a city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the second-largest city in Worcester County, with a population of 40,759 at the 2010 census. Leominster is located north of Worcester and west of Boston. Both Route 2 and Route 12 pass through Leominster. Interstate 190,...
to attend.
On its website, Parker claims that "the socioeconomic, ethnic, and educational characteristics of the student body closely reflect the general population of the region." While this is true to the extent that the surrounding area is mostly white, there are significant minority and low-income populations in the area that are not really represented. The student body is almost exclusively middle- to upper middle-class white: in the 2007–2008 school year, the student body was 92.6% white, 0.3% African-American, 4.5% multi-racial, 1.8% Hispanic, and 0.8% Asian. Only 0.3% of students came from low-income families and 10.6% had Special Education needs (IEP
Individualized Education Program
In the United States an Individualized Education Program, commonly referred to as an IEP, is mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act...
), compared to 16.9% in the state.
Testing
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...
(Scholastic Aptitude Test), and the average score among the class of 2007 was 601 Critical Reading, 559 Math, 575 Writing, for a total average score of 1735, the 75th percentile nationally. Parker's 2006 average Critical Reading score of 607 (the school reports 619) ranked #7 in the state. On the 2007 MCAS
MCAS
MCAS can mean:*The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System *Matricula Consular de Alta Seguridad a.k.a...
test, Parker 10th-graders ranked tied for #19 on English and tied for #45 on Math.
Student government
The role of the student government is laid out in the Parker Constitution, which was created in the first month of the school's operation. Parker strives to follow the tenth Common Principle of the Coalition of Essential Schools, democracy and equity; students are able to be involved as much as teachers and parents in the decision making processes of the school. This is manifested in frequent community discussions about important topics, in the two student representatives to the Board of Trustees, and in the two student representative bodies.The legislative body is the Community Congress (CC), which meets every Wednesday for one hour. The CC is made up of one representative from each advisory in the school, and is led by three co-advisors and an alternate elected by the student body at the end of each school year. Within the CC, there are various groups that deal with different aspects of school government, including the STAF (Student Teacher Activity Fund) Committee, which distributes community-benefiting mini-grants; the Spirit Committee, which organizes dances and other school spirit activities; the Green Committee, which oversees recycling and works to make the school more environmentally friendly; and the Public Relations Committee, which writes a bi-weekly newsletter for the Friday Announcements.
The CC's counterpart, the Justice Committee (JC) is also formed of one member from each advisory, and meets on Wednesday for an hour. The main purpose of the JC is to mediate minor disputes between members of the Parker community (more serious cases are dealt with by the principal). The JC also oversees the election for co-advisors.
Extracurricular activities
Parker has numerous clubs and activities, which meet either during "choice block," a weekly 1-hour period for which students sign up for an activity of their choosing, or after school. Parker has a student jazz bandJazz band
A jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth...
and has been home to several student bands over the years, most notably The Demons of Stupidity, Schmendrique, and Crevice. Several times a year, students and teachers showcase their music and poetry skills at Café Wednesday. There are usually about two play productions a year. Parker also has a Destination ImagiNation
Destination ImagiNation
Destination ImagiNation Inc. or DI is a creative problem solving organization for youth and adults. Destination ImagiNation's educational goals are to foster creative and critical thinking, to develop teamwork, collaboration and leadership skills, and to nurture research and inquiry skills...
team; a Parker team went to the Global Finals in 2005 and 2006. Other groups include a Mock Trial
Mock trial
A Mock Trial is an act or imitation trial. It is similar to a moot court, but mock trials simulate lower-court trials, while moot court simulates appellate court hearings. Attorneys preparing for a real trial might use a mock trial consisting of volunteers as role players to test theories or...
team and a rocket club that reached the 2006 and 2007 national finals of the Team America Rocketry Challenge
Team America Rocketry Challenge
The Team America Rocketry Challenge is an annual American model rocketry competition for students in grades 7 to 12 sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry. The competition began in 2003 as a way to mark the 100th anniversary of flight, but due...
. In the past, there was a math team that participated in the Worcester County Mathematics League
Worcester County Mathematics League
The Worcester County Mathematics League is a high school mathematics league composed of 32 high schools, most of which are in Worcester County, Massachusetts...
. Parker mock trial made it to the state semi finals in 2010.
Athletics
Despite Ted Sizer's objection to the overemphasis of the role of sports in public high schools, athletics have become an important part of the Parker identity over time. The school now fields teams in cross countryCross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, soccer, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
and is a member of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association
Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association , comprising 365 high schools in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, is an organization that sponsors activities in more than thirty sports. The MIAA is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations , which writes the rules...
. There is a $200 fee to participate in a sport. About half of the student body participates in at least one sport. The Girls Varsity Basketball team has been especially successful, having a record of 118-41 in its seven seasons and making the state tournament each year, and other teams have seen marked improvement. Still, athletics take on a uniquely Parker attitude, emphasizing teamwork, self-improvement, and other ideals compatible with the Ten Common Principles. In the words of one senior athlete, it's not "OK, let's go to the pep rally."
Life after Parker
In the 2006–2007 school year, the graduation rate was 91.1% (100% when including those who would require an extra year to graduate), and 93% planned to attend a four-year college. Among the first three graduating classes, 93% enrolled in four-year colleges, and 85% of those earned a bachelors degree within five years, well above the national average. The tendency is towards small liberal artsLiberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
colleges and the local University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
schools and state colleges. Graduates in the past have matriculated at elite schools such as Brown
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, Dartmouth
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, Tufts
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
, Cornell
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, Williams
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
and Haverford
Haverford College
Haverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
. There have also been a couple of students to matriculate to some of the United States Service Academies, such as West Point
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
, and the Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
.
Notable alumni
- Lauren Mafera (born 1989), main vocalist of the girl group IQIQ (girl group)IQ was an American teenage pop and hip hop girl group. The group consisted of sisters Sadiea and Nyla Williams, Gicelle Valerio and Lauren Mafera, all from Lunenburg, Massachusetts. Mikayla Campbell is from Fitchburg, Massachusetts left the group in 2007, Mafera as her replacement...