Maine School of Science and Mathematics
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The Maine School of Science and Mathematics is a Magnet school in Limestone, Maine , United States. Students from all over the state of Maine as well as some from other states and countries are enrolled in MSSM. Students at MSSM are offered a variety of courses that would not be offered at the schools in which they were previously enrolled. The MSSM is a boarding school with a dormitory for students. In 2007, US News named MSSM among the top one hundred public high schools in the United States. The school placed 35th in the ranking, based on factors such as "College Readiness", and how well the school served all of its students. The MSSM is a member of the NCSSSMST (National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology).
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[edit] Application
In order to attend the MSSM, students must complete: a) an application, including an essay, b) the SAT or PSAT, c) various placement assessments, and d) a final selection interview. Applicants generally come from Maine but not always. Students from Maine are required to pay only for room and board ($6,400 for 2007-08); students from outside of Maine incur increased fees ($23,500 for 2007-08).
[edit] Courses
Departments at the MSSM include Mathematics, Science, Humanities, and Computer Science and Information Technologies. Each contains its own faculty, both full-time and adjunct, with some teachers crossing over departmental boundaries when needed. The faculty is an eclectic group drawn from within Maine as well as across the country. They include award-winning educators having taught overseas, in public and private schools, in gifted and talented programs, in higher education, and at other magnet schools.
Courses at MSSM focus on math and science, but the school offers a broad range of college-level humanities courses. A number of courses are also designated as AP. Foreign language courses include Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese. Courses are scheduled in the evening in addition to the standard school day; in this way the school schedule mimics that of most colleges.
Math courses at MSSM include Intermediate Algebra, Advanced Math, Before Calculus, Calculus, Linear Algebra, Statistics, Differential Equations, and, formerly, Real Analysis.
Science courses include Physics, Chemistry, and Biology - all of which have honor's and advanced placement levels - as well as Astronomy, Anatomy & Physiology, Genetics, Geology, Environmental Science, and AP Psychology.
Computer Science courses include Introduction to Programming and Algorithms, Data Structures, Comparative Programming Languages, Web Design and Implementation, Directed Studies, and Computer Science Seminar. Computer Science Seminar students, researching in Computers and Human Interaction (CHI), coauthoring with their instructor, have presented refereed papers to professional, international conferences in New York City, NY, Washington, D.C., Barcelona, Spain, Honolulu, HI, and Quebec City, Canada. Over a four year period, seven conference papers have been successfully submitted and presented.
College-level Humanities courses vary from year to year, but there is an English focus in preparation for college. History courses are standard. Electives have included psychology and sociology.
A growing Fine Arts program includes theater, jazz band, and chorus with very successful student participation in regional and state competitions.
Although not all courses at MSSM are Advanced Placement courses, students can request an AP test for any subject which they feel able to test out of. Some MSSM students have tested out of two years of college courses in a given subject.
[edit] Teachers
The teaching load at MSSM is shared between both full and part-time faculty, some of whom are cross-appointed at other institutions such as the University of Maine at Presque Isle. Although not required to have a teaching certificate, most teachers have previous experience instructing at the high-school or college level. Teachers at the MSSM come from business and industry, the military, the professions, public and independent secondary education, and higher education. Many have garnered awards and recognition on the state, national, and international level.
The teachers at MSSM often go beyond what would be expected, to ensure their students are able to get the help they need, academically or otherwise. It is not uncommon to see a teacher in the dormitory on a Saturday night, and some can even be found talking to students over instant messenger. On field trips, many teachers help the Residential Intern staff (similar to a college Resident Assistant) by acting as chaperones and/or drivers.
[edit] J-Terms
Another characteristic of MSSM unlike other high schools is the "J-Term", which is short for "January term." In J-Terms students are able to engage in several academic activities, such as internships, trips, and classes. In the 2007-2008 school year, one offering was a trip to France.
J-Term courses are requirements for graduation from MSSM - all students must complete one per year of attendance. Past trip locations have included the Galapagos Islands, Ireland, China and Costa Rica.
