Academics
Northwest has approximately 460 students, in grades 6-12, 16% of whom are from outside the United States. There is a dormitory for students in the international program two blocks west of the main Summit building. Tuition for 2009-2010 is $24,415 - $26,225. For International students, the tuition may vary depending on the country students come from.
Literature, art history and history are taught in a combined program called Humanities, in a lecture and discussion format. All high school students take a three-year Humanities core program, one year each of Physical Science, Biology, and Chemistry, and a minimum of three years each of mathematics and a foreign language. Students take two fine art classes each year, and must satisfy distributional requirements (at least one class each of theater, visual art, music, and dance). Fine Arts classes are taught by practicing professionals in the field. Seniors are required to take one advanced seminar in writing, philosophy or literature, and one in the social studies—such as an introductory law seminar, post-colonial studies, Latin American studies, Asian studies, and women's studies. Students are expected to complete two senior projects in their social studies seminar: volunteer activity with a political campaign during the first two months of the year, and a written thesis during the second half of the year. Seniors are also expected to continue a full academic course load, with 2-3 courses from the mathematics, science, or language departments and at least one arts course.
Students are responsible for the day-to-day maintenance of the school through the Environment program, whereby 15 to 20 minutes of time are set aside three days per week for students to clean and maintain the school. Larger-scale maintenance projects are handled by the school's single janitor and a small maintenance staff.
Notable is the school's Martin Luther King Day, organized by students. The day is spent commemorating the struggle for equal rights, human rights and other issues of social justice. Seasonal festivals include ArtsFest, a yearly arts exposition; and Winterfest, the school's celebration of the sciences. A weekly community meeting brings the school together for discussions and performances.
The school's policy on behavior is "courtesy and common sense", and requires all members of the NWS school community to treat each other with mutual respect. When a student commits a severe disciplinary infraction, he or she is said to have "initiated the process of withdrawal from the community."
Entrance to Northwest is based on the Independent School Entrance Examination (ISEE), reference letters, and a parental application. Students are not required to write any essays in order to gain admission. Aid is only offered to local students and admission is not "need-blind". There are no long term goals to institute a "need-blind" admissions policy.
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Famous quotes containing the word academics:
“Our first line of defense in raising children with values is modeling good behavior ourselves. This is critical. How will our kids learn tolerance for others if our hearts are filled with hate? Learn compassion if we are indifferent? Perceive academics as important if soccer practice is a higher priority than homework?”
—Fred G. Gosman (20th century)
“Almost all scholarly research carries practical and political implications. Better that we should spell these out ourselves than leave that task to people with a vested interest in stressing only some of the implications and falsifying others. The idea that academics should remain “above the fray” only gives ideologues license to misuse our work.”
—Stephanie Coontz (b. 1944)