Newton North High School
2014-2015 School Profile
“Learning sustains the human spirit.”
457 Walnut Street
Newtonville, Massachusetts 02460
David Fleishman, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools 
CEEB Code = 221-555
www.newton.k12.ma.us
Guidance Office Phone: 617-559-6230
Guidance Office Fax: 617-559-6249
What makes Newton North unique?
Jennifer Price, Ed.D.
Principal
Beth Swederskas
Counseling Department Chair
6240
College Counselors
Melissa Hanenberger
Sarah Hoffman
Brad MacGowan, Ed.D.
4 digits
6347
6348
6349
School Counselors
Nancy Decoteau
Jerry Etienne
Matthew Ford
Belma Johnson
Michele Kennedy
Shani Leichter
Patrick Manning
Christine Potter
Thomas Sheehan
Kyra Slawski
Rachel Sturma
Beth Swederskas
Darby Verre
6275
6244
6234
6232
6236
6235
6231
6241
6242
6233
6351
6230
6245
Alison Malkin
6237
Prevention/Intervention Counselor
Lisa Reed
METCO Counselor
6416
Andrea Koenig
EDCO Program for
the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
617-552-7451
Patricia Niro
Records Office
Records Office Fax
6248
6257
6204
Nancy Batt
Registrar
6247
Janet Cottens
Data Center
6378
Phone: 617-559 - 4 digits listed above
Email: firstname_lastname@newton.k12.ma.us
For example: beth_swederskas@newton.k12.ma.us
• Truly comprehensive high school
• Rigorous Honors and Advanced Placement courses
• Extensive and significant Career and Technical Education Department
offers courses and cooperative learning experiences for the following
career pathways: Automotive Technology, Business, Carpentry and
Construction Technology, Culinary Arts, Drafting, Early Education and
Care, Graphics Communication, Design and Visual Communication,
Technical Theater, Technology / Engineering and Greengineering
• College and Career Center staffed by specialized college counselors
• Nationally ranked science, math and robotics teams
• Innovation Lab of Newton Public Schools that functions as a studentdriven, faculty-supported design lab for collaborative, educational
research and development
• Over 80 clubs and organizations including Model UN, improv and sketch
Comedy Groups, Ultimate Frisbee, and one of the first Gay/Straight Alliances in the country
• Impressive theater program provides study opportunities in acting,
directing, costuming and technical theatre. Produces 12-15 shows
annually; including plays, musicals, a full-length Shakespeare
production and a Playwright’s Festival featuring original student works
• Vast music department teaches theory, composition and improvisation.
Ten ensembles that perform 20-25 concerts annually both locally and internationally, winning statewide and national awards
• Highly successful athletic program includes more than 30 varsity sports
teams, including Division 1A 2013-2014 State Championships in Girl’s
Soccer and Boy’s Lacrosse
• National award-winning online newspaper and literary magazine
• Television studio where students learn all aspects of studio and field production
• Numerous travel, exchange and service programs to destinations
including China, France, Spain, Prague, Central America and New Orleans
• Demonstrated success at narrowing the Achievement Gap
• Special mentor program for our scholars of color, Dover Legacy
Scholars, and first generation families
• Strong commitment to English Language Learner and Special Education
programs
• Open campus policy for students in grades 10-12
City of Newton
Newton, a suburb of Boston, is a small city with a population of approximately
86,000. Its population is heterogeneous with a large proportion of academic, business and professional families. The citizens of Newton strongly support the public
schools. Newton’s excellent educational system attracts families from all over the
world. Our students come from many other states and more than 70 foreign countries and speak more than 30 languages. Our diverse city is further enhanced by
the METCO program, which brings students of color from Boston and the EDCO
program, which is a regional program for deaf and hard of hearing students.
This document can be found online at:
http://nnhs.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolprofile.pdf
School Facts
Total Enrollment: 2060
Class of 2015 Enrollment: 468
Total Faculty: 234
Average Class Size: 15.9
Teaching Faculty with
Advanced Degrees: 98%
Student : Faculty Ratio: 12.2:1
Accreditation: New England Association
of Schools and Colleges
Student Demographic Profile
African American or Black: 5.2%
American Indian: .09%
Asian: 12%
Hispanic or Latino: 8.41%
Multi-race, Non-Hispanic: 4.8%
White: 69.5%
Low Income: 16%

Explanation of Course Levels
Curriculum H/AP
• These course are Honors/Advanced Placement courses and
contain challenging material taught at an accelerated pace.
• Advanced Placement course are taught in the following
areas: American History, Art History, Italian, Biology,
Calculus AB & BC, Chemistry, Chinese, Comparative
Government, Computer Science, Economics, English,
European History, French, Latin, Physics, Psychology,
Spanish and Statistics.
• Due to the rigor of AP and Honors courses, we strongly
recommend that students take no more than three courses
at this level in one year. Most AP courses are only open to
seniors.
Advanced College Prep (ACP)
• These courses are challenging college preparatory courses.
• They require that students have high interest, strong
academic skills and the capacity to do independent work.
Graduating Class of 2014
Enrollment: 455 students
TOTAL to Post-Secondary Education: 92.3%
Attending Four-Year Colleges: 84.3%
Attending Two-Year Colleges: 5.4%
Gap Year: 2.0%
Other, including Employment and Military: 5.7%
College Prep (CP)
• These courses generally cover the same topics as Advanced
College Prep courses and prepare students for college.
• Smaller classes, a more structured environment and in some
cases, team teaching allows for more individual attention.
Please note:
Course Distribution Requirements
A student must earn at least 100 credits to
graduate (at 5 credits per full year course).
The credits must include:
English:
Biological Science:
Physical Science/Chemistry:
History and Social Sciences:
United States History:
Mathematics:
Fine, Performing &
Technical Arts
Physical Education:
20
5
5
10
5
10
5
5
Standard Science course sequence is:
Physics
Grade 9:
Chemistry
Grade 10:
Biology
Grade 11:
Science Elective
Grade 12:
Newton North Course Catalog
http://nnhs.newton.k12.ma.us/course_catalog.pdf
• Some elective courses do not carry a level.
• Students may take courses in all three curriculum levels
during the same year. Considerable work outside of class
is required at each level. In all levels, students develop
appropriate skills to work effectively in the subject area.
• While world language is not required, most students
complete two years or more of the one of the following
languages: Spanish, Chinese, French, Italian and Latin.
Alternative Options for Seniors
Seniors have two unique and rigorous Capstone spring term options.
• CAPS Research (SYP) is a significant 2nd semester project which includes extensive independent research,
critical evaluation from faculty and peers, a lengthy paper,
and a final presentation to a panel of judges.
• CAPS Internships (SPARC) is a second semester
opportunity to do a focused supervised internship based on
a career interest.
Class of 2014 College Admission Test Scores
Grade Point Average
SAT Scores
Newton North does not report numerical rank in class;
however, a weighted GPA is calculated on a 5.0 scale.
• Each student’s weighted grade point average for grades 10 and 11 is
reported to colleges.
Mean: Critical Reading
581
Math
597
Writing
574
Number of Seniors taking SAT Reasoning Test: 451
Number of Seniors taking SAT Subject Test: 213
• Only courses that have an assigned curriculum level are used in calculating the GPA.
SAT Subject Test
Literature
US History
World History
Math Level I
Math Level II
Chemistry
Physics
Ecological Biology
Molecular Biology
French I
Italian I
Chinese w/ Listening
Spanish I
• Summer school courses are not calculated in the GPA.
• Students must have 25 credits in leveled courses to earn a GPA.
Please note some transfer students do not have a Newton North GPA.
Records Office Class
of N2015
Newton orth HHistogram
igh School 457 Walnut Street Newtonville, MA 02460 Telephone (617) 15,
559-­‐6257 September
2014
# Taking Test
49
99
25
72
102
73
11
25
62
11
7
5
16
Mean
670
693
662
641
719
663
659
669
682
673
681
750
686
Total
Class Size
GPA Histogram: Class =
of 469
2015 NumberSeptember of students
= 443
29, included
2014 Spring 2014 Advanced Placement Tests
395 students sat for 766 exams in 21 subjects
92% of exam scores were 3 or better
% with
# Taking
3
or higher
Test
AP Test
Total Class Size = 468 Number of Students Included = 443 106 91 77 50 22 22 5% 5% 44 31 7% 11% 21% 24% 17% 10% Weighted Grade Point Average Grade
Table of Weights
Curriculum Level
CP
ACP
H
Computing the Weighted GPA 1. For each leveled course, multiply the weight of the final grade by the credit value. A
4.0
4.5
5.0
A-­‐
3.7
4.2
4.7
2. Divide the total in #1 by the total credits for courses being Weighted
Computing the Weighted GPA
B+
3.3 Grade
3.8 Point
4.3 Average
included. The result is the weighted GPA. B
3.0
3.5
4.0
1.
For each leveled course, multiply the
Table 3.2
of Weights
3. Marks in grade 9 are not included. Only courses which have B-­‐
2.7
3.7
weight
of the final grade by the credit
Grade
Curriculum
Level
C+
2.3
2.8
3.3
been assigned a curriculum level are used in calculating the GPA. value.
C
2.0
2.5
3.0
CP ACP H/AP
4. Students must have taken at least 25 credits of leveled courses C-­‐
1.7
2.2
2.7
2. Divide the total in #1 by the total credits
at NNHS to be included in the histogram. A
4.0
4.52.3 5.0
D+
1.3
1.8
for courses being included. The result is
DA-
1.0
1.5
2.0
3.7
4.2
4.7
5. Achievement othe
f 5.0 is possible, however it is extremely rare. weighted
GPA.
D-­‐
0.7
1.2
1.7
B+
3.3
3.8
4.3
FB
0.0
0.0
• Marks in Grade 9 are not included.
3.0
3.50.0 4.0
N
0.0
0.0
0.0
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
DF
N
2.7
2.3
2.0
1.7
1.3
1.0
0.7
0.0
0.0
3.2
2.8
2.5
2.2
1.8
1.5
1.2
0.0
0.0
3.7
3.3
3.0
2.7
2.3
2.0
1.7
0.0
0.0
• Only courses which have been
assigned a curriculum level are used
in calculating the GPA.
• Students must have taken at least 25
credits in leveled courses at NNHS
to be included in the Histogram.
• Achievement of 5.0 is possible,
however, it is extremely rare.
Art History
Biology
Calculus AB
Calculus BC
Chemistry
Chinese Lang & Culture
English Lang & Comp
English Lit & Comp
European History
French Lang & Culture
Government & Politics
Italian Lang & Culture
Latin Vergil
Music Aural Sub Score
Music Non-Aural Subscore
Music Theory
Physics
Psychology
Spanish Language & Cult.
Statistics
US History
13
134
66
53
80
15
18
17
25
20
25
22
12
17
17
17
36
56
17
44
96
100
94
86
98
80
100
94
100
100
100
92
100
100
94
94
100
97
98
100
90
96
Overall Score Distribution
5 = 45%
3 = 18%
1 = 1%
4 = 32%
2 = 5%
ACT Scores for Class of 2014
Number of Students taking ACT: 191
Subject
English
Mathematics
Reading
Science
Composite
Mean
25.8
26.1
25.9
25.0
25.8
Class of 2014 National Merit Scholarships
Scholarships: 11 Finalists: 13
Semi-Finalists: 14
Letters of Commendation: 38
College matriculations of two or more Newton North High School students
for the three most recent graduating classes (2012, 2013, 2014)
University of Alabama
American University
Amherst College
Arizona State University
University of Arizona
Assumption College
Babson College
Bard College
Barnard College
Bates College
Becker College
Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology Bentley University
Berklee College of Music
Binghamton University
Boston College
Boston University
Brandeis University
Bridgewater State University
University of British Columbia
Brown University
Bryant University
Bryn Mawr College
Bucknell University
Bunker Hill Community College
University of California at San Diego
University of California at Santa Barbara
Carnegie Mellon University
Case Western Reserve University
Champlain College
College of Charleston
University of Chicago
Clark University
Clemson University
Coastal Carolina University
Colby College
Colby-Sawyer College
University of Colorado at Boulder
Colorado College
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia University
Connecticut College
University of Connecticut
Cornell University
The Culinary Institute of America
Curry College
Daniel Webster College
Dartmouth College
Dean College
University of Delaware
University of Denver
DePaul University
Dickinson College
Drexel University
Duke University
Elon University
Emerson College
Evergreen State College
Fairfield University
Fitchburg State University
Fordham University
Framingham State University
Franklin and Marshall College
Franklin Pierce University
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
Gallaudet University
The George Washington University
Georgetown University
Gettysburg College
Gordon College
Hamilton College
Hampshire College
University of Hartford
Hartwick College
Harvard University
Haverford College
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hofstra University
Indiana University at Bloomington
Ithaca College
Johns Hopkins University
Johnson & Wales University
Kalamazoo College
Keene State College
Lasell College
Lehigh University
Lesley University
Macalester College
University of Maine
Maryland Institute College of Art
University of Maryland, College Park
Massachusetts Bay Community College
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Mass. Coll. of Pharmacy & Health Sci.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
University of Massachusetts, Boston
University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
University of Massachusetts, Lowell
McGill University
Merrimack College
Miami University, Oxford
University of Miami
University of Michigan
Middlesex Community College
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Ida College
Muhlenberg College
University of New England
University of New Hampshire
New Mexico State University
New York University
Newbury College
Nichols College
North Carolina State University
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Norwich University
Oberlin College
Occidental College
Ohio State University
Ohio University
Pace University
Pennsylvania State University
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
Plymouth State University
Providence College
Quinnipiac University
Reed College
Regis College
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rhode Island School of Design
University of Rhode Island
Rice University
University of Richmond
Rochester Institute of Technology
Roger Williams University
Sacred Heart University
Saint Mary’s College of California
Saint Mary’s College of California
Saint Michael’s College
Salem State University
Sarah Lawrence College
Siena College
Simmons College
Skidmore College
Smith College
University of South Carolina
University of Southern California
Southern New Hampshire University
St. John’s University
Stanford University
Stonehill College
Stony Brook University
Suffolk University
Swarthmore College
Syracuse University
Temple University
University of Texas, Austin
University of Toronto
Towson University
Trinity College
Tufts University
Tulane University
Union College
Vanderbilt University
Vassar College
University of Vermont
Villanova University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University
University of Virginia
Washington University in St. Louis
Wellesley College
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Wesleyan University
Western New England University
Westfield State University
Wheaton College (MA)
Wheelock College
Whitman College
College of William and Mary
Williams College
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester State University
Yale University