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Quick Facts about MATCH |
Mission: The MATCH Charter Public High School prepares inner-city Boston students to succeed in college and beyond - including those who have no family history of college attendance. Courage, discipline, and perseverance are our core values, and we reverse underachievement through a combination of innovation, relentless personal academic attention, and an old-fashioned "no shortcuts" ethic.
Background:
The MATCH School opened in September 2000 and serves 220 students, chosen by random lottery, in grades 9 through 12. We are a tuition-free, independent public school, and receive two-thirds of our operating support from the state. The rest must be raised privately.
Student Body:
- 63% African-American, 30% Hispanic, 3% Asian, and 4% White
- 73% live in poverty, as measured by eligibility for free/reduced price lunch; many in single-parent or non-parent households
- Most arrive at MATCH well behind grade level in math and reading
Key Results:
- 99% of the first four graduating classes - 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 - have been accepted into four-year colleges. Together they received approximately $2.75 million in four-year need-based grants and $800,000 in four-year loan commitments. Their selections include Boston College, Brown, Dartmouth, Duke, Georgetown, Notre Dame, Smith, and Spelman College
- For the third consecutive year, every MATCH student passed the 10th grade MCAS tests in English and Mathematics. MATCH also ranks #1 out of 341 high schools for the percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced on the math MCAS.
Recognition and Support:
- The MATCH School was ranked in the top 100 of out of more than 18,000 public high schools in the nation by the US News & World Report! Click here to read the article.
- The MATCH School is one of 8 charter high schools in the nation cited for outstanding results, out of over 400 reviewed by the US Department of Education. All eight schools were noted for "setting and aggressively pursuing high expectations," "achieving success in closing achievement gaps," and "meeting the needs of underserved students." (12/06)
- One of 53 charter schools named 2007 National Charter School of the Year by the Center for Education Reform.
- Recipient of Vanguard Award, for excellent math results, by MassInsight (2005)
- Selected as one of 25 good, cost-effective small schools by the KnowledgeWorks Foundation (2005)
- Named one of nine excellent urban high schools in Massachusetts by MassInc. (2004)
- One of just two individual schools to receive a major grant from the US Dept. of Education Office of Innovation in 2003 to bolster minority participation in Advanced Placement courses (2003)
- Selected by Hewlett Packard as one of the top 15 high-poverty schools in the country for a major grant (2003)
- Articles in publications including Wall Street Journal, CNN, NPR, New York Times, Boston Phoenix, Boston Herald, Boston Business Journal, Mass High Tech, Harvard Gazette, and Boston Globe
- Financial Support from Fidelity, Nellie Mae, Mifflin, Walton, Balfour, Hayden, and Peabody Foundations, Cabot Family Charitable Trust, and corporations such as Sun, Hewlett-Packard, CVS, Akamai, Wellington Management Company, Brown Rudnick, and TJX
What Makes the MATCH School Succeed?
Culture of Discipline and Learning:
A set of non-negotiable rules creates a consistent culture with a focus on academics. Faculty and staff know every student; families are an integral part of the school's work, and they receive a check-in phone call every week.
Rigorous Academics:MATCH's rigorous college preparatory curriculum covers traditional academic subjects. A "D" is not a passing grade, and there is no social promotion. All seniors take Advanced Placement classes and courses at Boston University, and all juniors take AP U.S. History.
MATCH Corps:The MATCH Corps is a group of 48 recent graduates from top colleges across the country who dedicate a year to improving the lives of MATCH students in exchange for a modest living stipend and housing in the school's third floor dormitory. Corps members prepare students for college success by providing them with 2 hours of personalized tutoring every day, received in addition to regular classes taught by experienced teachers.
Extended Academic Programming:All students in Grade 10 receive 100 hours of additional weekend math and English tutoring in preparation for the MCAS tets. Summer Academy, sponsored by M.I.T. and the Nellie Mae Foundation, pairs M.I.T. tutors with struggling MATCH students in Grades 10-12 and with all 70 incoming freshmen. |
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