Academy for Science and Design

42°47′17″N 71°31′15″WThe Academy for Science and Design (ASD) is a Blue-ribbon public charter school located in Nashua, New Hampshire, United States. It has been consistently ranked as among the top high schools in the United States, as well as the #1 school in the state of New Hampshire.[3] ASD concentrates on providing a STEM-based education. The academy is tuition-free for New Hampshire residents. However, the limited space available for new students makes a lottery system necessary. All applicants who are eligible for the lottery (who completed the application requirements by the deadline) are drawn and this order is used to create the waiting list each year. The school is physically located in Nashua, but is a New Hampshire public school and all New Hampshire students are eligible to apply for enrollment. Nashua students are not given priority over students from any other New Hampshire towns.

Academy for Science and Design
Address
9 Townsend West

Nashua
,
(Hillsborough County)
,
New Hampshire
03063

United States
Information
School typePublic, charter school
Established2007 (2007)
DirectorJennifer Cava
Teaching staff
  • 6–8: 19.5 (FTE) (2018–19)[1]
  • 9–12: 10.6 (FTE) (2018–19)[2]
Grades5–12
Number of students
  • 6–8: 291 (2018–19)[1]
  • 9-12: 241 (2018–19)[2]
Student to teacher ratio
  • 6–8: 14.92 (2018–19)[1]
  • 9–12: 22.74 (2018–19)[2]
Websiteasdnh.org

ASD opened in September 2007 and is currently serving 525 students from over 40 New Hampshire communities in grades 5 through 12. The academy offers a science, technology, engineering and math oriented curriculum beginning with algebra, integrated biology and chemistry, and physics in grade 7.[4]

History

The establishment of the school was approved in March 2006.[5] Its establishment was sponsored by Daniel Webster College.[6][7] The school opened for the 2007-08 academic year.[8] During the 2011-12 year, grade 6 was added to the school. Prior to the 2012-13 school year, ASDNH moved from its original location in Merrimack, New Hampshire, to its current location in Nashua, expanding the size of the student body.[9] On October 3, 2014, Dr. Scott F. Bobbitt donated $30,000 for the construction of a full chemistry lab, now officially named the Bobbitt lab after its donator.[10][11] In 2015, the Academy for Science and Design was ranked the 50th best high school in America by Newsweek.,[12] and rose to 44th in 2016.[13] It is currently ranked as the best high school in New Hampshire. On September 28, 2017, ten years after opening for their first year, the school won the National Blue Ribbon Schools award.[14]

In the 2023-2024 school year, the Academy for Science and Design opened at their new location at 9 Townsend West in Nashua after a delay of 3 weeks, due to fire safety concerns, on the 18th of September.

Curriculum

The academy's goal is to be internationally competitive. Algebra 1, Experimental Physics, and Integrated Biology and Chemistry are taught beginning in grade 7. Chemistry and biology are taught as a three-year course referred to as "Integrated Biology and Chemistry" or "IBC". Beginning in the 2018-2019 year, the course previously known as "IBC III" became known as "Chemistry Honors" to minimize confusion, and the course titled "IBC II" is now known as "Biology Honors"[15] Starting in 2012, world history (now known as "Social Studies") and language arts are taught as a package course titled "Humanities". Technology and design are taught in dedicated courses as "Technology Design" and "Technology Applications in Society". Information technologies are integrated throughout the curriculum. In addition to the course load, the students are required to complete 150 community service hours as well as a junior internship comprising approximately 100 hours in the specialty that they have chosen. Student projects emphasize research skills and engineering. German, Latin, and Spanish are offered as the initial foreign languages.[16]

Recently, in the 2023-2024 school year, the academy started a new 5th grade program similar to their 6th grade program.

Achievements

See also

References
  1. "Search for Public Schools - Academy for Science and Design Charter (M) (330004000678)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  2. "Search for Public Schools - Academy for Science and Design Charter (H) (330004000684)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
  3. "Academy for Science and Design (ASD) in Nashua, NH". US News. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  4. "Mission - Academy for Science and Design". Archived from the original on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2014-09-24.
  5. "Charter Schools Advance In N.H.", James Vaznis, Boston Globe, March 19, 2006
  6. "Business", Concord Monitor, July 22, 2007
  7. "DWC announces sponsorship of premier NH charter school" Archived 2008-09-14 at the Wayback Machine, Daniel Webster College, January 21, 2006
  8. "For '07, top education stories were Hottel, contract, Good Friday", Nashua Telegraph, December 27, 2007
  9. "Merrimack charter school expanding to Nashua with more students, staff - NashuaTelegraph.com". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2014-09-24.
  10. "Nashua dentist helps create chemistry lab at Academy for Science and Design". The Cabinet Press. 31 October 2014. Archived from the original on 7 December 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  11. "Nashua Community Involvement". October 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2015.
  12. "America's Top High Schools 2015". Newsweek. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  13. "America's Top High Schools 2016". Newsweek. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  14. "Home". asdnh.org. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  15. "Course Registration". Received by Anonymous, Course Registration, 23 Mar. 2018.
  16. "Academy for Science and Design Program of Studies 2014-2015". Academy for Science and Design. Archived from the original on 24 September 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2014.
  17. "Community Update". 8 February 2014.
  18. "Nashua, Hollis schools take top three spots in Mathcounts - Cabinet.com". Archived from the original on 2015-07-29. Retrieved 2015-08-20.
  19. "ASD team takes top billing" Archived 2012-04-05 at the Wayback Machine, Merrimack Journal, April 1, 2011
  20. "Nashua team to represent NH at Destination ImagiNation global finals - New Hampshire".
  21. "ASD in Nashua excels at technology conference - NashuaTelegraph.com". www.nashuatelegraph.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
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