City on a Hill Charter Public School

MISSION: City on a Hill Charter Public School, a public high school in urban Boston, emphasizes academic achievement, citizenship, teacher leadership and public accountability. It seeks to graduate responsible, resourceful and respectful democratic citizens prepared to advance community, culture and commerce, and to compete in the twenty-first century. DESCRIPTION: City on a Hill Charter Public School is a high school in Boston that is determined to give each and every one of its students the academic skills they will need to succeed in college. Our school leaders, faculty and students are strongly committed and ready to dedicate the time, energy and hard work in order to achieve the school’s mission. At City on a Hill, as with all charter schools, students are admitted by a random lottery. The school, which is small by design, allows for a maximum enrollment of 280. Like all charter schools, City on a Hill is tuition-free, independent and open to all students in the city of Boston. Of these students, ages 14-18, close to 54 percent come from families that are living at or below the poverty line. Most are from single-parent households. IMPACT: MCAS Scores—In 2007, 100 percent of students passed the math and English sections of the MCAS on their first try. College—For the past six years, every graduate of City on a Hill has been accepted into college. Awards—In March 2005 the College Board awarded City on a Hill one of ten grants nationwide to start an AP program and it was named a Massachusetts Compass School in 2006 due to profound improvement in MCAS and other indicators of school performance.