History of Benjamin Banneker High School Essays - Free Essays

History of Benjamin Banneker High School Essays - Free Essays Howard University College of Dentistry Dental Hygiene Department School Based Program Benjamin Banneker Academic High School Nicole Johnson 82409-406-01/Dental Health Education Methods Professor Dawn Smith 09/06/2015 School Based Program History of Benjamin Banneker High School Originally, Benjamin Banneker, in August 1981, opened its doors as an alternative public institution of secondary education. Named after the districts renowned surveyor on the six-man team, which helped design, the blueprints for Washington, DC. President Washington appointed Banneker, making him the first Black presidential appointee in the United States. Banneker provided aid in selecting the sites for the U.S. Capitol building, the U.S. Treasury building, the White House and other Federal buildings. Banneker is ranked number 2 with the districts public school system. The school is designed to provide students with a highly structured college preparatory program. The curriculum of the school affords opportunities for developing knowledge, skills needed for success in post-secondary experiences. Population and Demographics The primary purpose of Benjamin Banneker Academic High School is to serve those students of the District of Columbia who desire a highly structured four-year academic program of study beginning at the ninth grade level. The demographics of Benjamin Banneker are diverse in nature; a large percentage of the student population is labeled as black with a total number of students estimated at 450. 9th Grade10th Grade11th Grade12th Grade 1428897103 Student Selection The selection of each students focuses on factors such as; total record of academic achievement; grade level achievement reflected by standardized test scores; strong recommendations from the principal and supporting teachers and staff; and a student and parent interview. Experiences gained through this enrollment process will allow students to participate in a rigorous college preparatory curriculum. Once the selection committee has proposed a list of accepted students, the students must undergo placement testing. They must also attend the Benjamin Banneker Summer Institute prior to entering the academic school year. Curriculum The Benjamin Banneker Academic High School is one of the District's International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program sites and offers Pre-IB, Advanced Placement (AP) and its own summer institute as additional rigorous academic options. Students are supported by a variety of character building extracurricular activities. The intended curriculum is a college preparatory program, which includes the Advanced Placement (AP) and honors courses, that require twenty-six (26) Carnegie units for graduation and the International Baccalaureate Program (IB) requires twenty-eight and a half (28.5). Each student is also required to complete a minimum of 270 hours of volunteer service over a four-year period. In addition to high-level coursework in the core subject areas, the curriculum includes a unique philosophy course called Theory of Knowledge, a research project called the Extended Essay, and requirements in the areas of creativity, action and service. Health Care Curriculum The office of the State Superintendent of Education (OOSE) has mandated that each school have a health profile form that states the details of their wellness and fitness program. Banneker has one full time nurse, part time mental health clinician, as well as a full time qualified health teacher, who also serves as the physical education teacher. All, approx.450 students are required to complete the health education course at the school. According to the OOSE the following curriculum is offered as part of the required high school health education program: 1.Health Promotion and Disease Prevention - where the students comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention. 2.Access to and Evaluation of Health Information where the students demonstrate the ability to access and evaluate health information, products, and services. 3.Self-Management Skills where the students demonstrate the ability to apply self-management skills to enhance personal health and safety. 4.Analyzing Influences where the students demonstrate the ability to analyze the influence of family, culture, media, and technology on health and health behaviors. 5.Interpersonal Communication where the students demonstrate the ability to utilize interpersonal communication skills to enhance and protect health. 6.Decision-Making and Goal Setting where students demonstrate the ability to implement decision-making and goal-setting skills to enhance health. Also apart of their Wellness and Fitness program is the incorporation of the Brainfood program. Brainfood builds life skills and promotes healthy living to provide high school aged youth the opportunity to learn about cooking, nutrition, and community service. Brainfood encourages the youth to take healthy risks, learn new skills,