Bergen County Academies

The Bergen County Academies (BCA), commonly referred to as Bergen Academies or as the Academies due to its seven academic and professional divisions, is a tuition-free public magnet high school located in Hackensack, New Jersey that serves students in the ninth through twelfth grades from Bergen County, New Jersey.[3]

Bergen County Academies
Location
Bergen County Academies
Bergen County Academies
Bergen County Academies
200 Hackensack Avenue
Hackensack, NJ 07601

United States
Coordinates40.902203°N 74.034742°W / 40.902203; -74.034742
Information
TypePublic magnet high school
Established1991
School districtBergen County Technical Schools
NCES School ID3401470[1]
PrincipalRussell Davis
Faculty95.8 FTEs[1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,098 (as of 2018–19)[1]
Student to teacher ratio11.5:1[1]
Color(s)     Black
     Vegas Gold
     White[2]
Athletics conferenceBig North Conference
Team nameKnights[2]
WebsiteSchool website

Founded in 1991, BCA was named as one of the 23 highest performing high schools in the United States by The Washington Post.[4] BCA is a National Blue Ribbon School, a member of the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools, home of eleven 2020 Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholars including two Finalists, and a Model School in the Arts as named by the New Jersey Department of Education.[5][6][7]

As of the 2018–19 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,098 students and 95.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.5:1. There were 35 students (3.2% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 21 (1.9% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

Admission to BCA is highly selective, as the school typically accepts about 15% of students who apply each year through a process that includes middle school transcripts, letters of recommendation, an entrance test, and an interview by a panel of faculty.[5] The school's strengths are its academics, extracurricular activities, and notable faculty. While offering some 14 AP courses, BCA does not focus on them. Led by a faculty of which 20% hold PhDs, students at BCA enjoy courses that often surpass AP courses in technical rigor and creativity.

For the Class of 2020, the average SAT was 1492 and the average ACT was 33.[5] The only colleges or universities in the United States with higher average SAT scores than BCA, given the numbers released by US News in 2019, are MIT and Cal Tech.[8] The average SAT score at BCA is higher than those of The University of Chicago, Harvey Mudd, WUSTL, Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Columbia, Carnegie Mellon, and Vanderbilt.

Awards and rankings

In 2015, Bergen County Academies was one of 15 schools in New Jersey, and one of 9 public schools, to be recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School in the exemplary high performing category by the United States Department of Education.[9][10] In the same year, Newsweek ranked BCA 5th out of the top 500 public schools in America in 2015 and 4th in New Jersey.[11]

Inside Jersey magazine ranked BCA 1st in its 2014 ranking of New Jersey's Top Performing High Schools. In the same year, The Daily Beast ranked BCA 15th in the nation among over 700 magnet and charter schools, 2nd among the 25 Best High Schools in the Northeast, and 1st among schools in New Jersey.[12] The Washington Post designated BCA as one of 23 top-performing schools with elite students intentionally excluded from its list of America's Most Challenging High Schools "because, despite their exceptional quality, their admission rules and standardized test scores indicate they have few or no average students."[13]

Academics

BCA is divided into seven academic and professional divisions which are often referred to by their single-word nicknames or acronyms. However, BCA is treated as a single high school within the district and the state. BCA has an extended school day from 8:00 AM to 4:10 PM. The day starts with a 4-minute Information Gathering Session (IGS) followed by 27 modules (commonly referred to as "mods") that last 15 minutes each.

There are 18 academic departments at BCA: Biology, Business, Chemistry, Culinary Arts, Engineering, English, Health/PE, History, Journalism, Mathematics, Music, Physics, Studio Arts and Graphic Communications, Technology, Theater Arts, Senior Experience, Visual Arts, and World Languages. All academies require four years of English Language, mathematics, social studies, and physical education, as well as three years of science and world language.[3] All students take three years of projects and clubs, with clubs placed at the last three mods on Wednesday. Seniors participate in Senior Experience,[14] an internship program through which seniors work and learn for the full business day each Wednesday instead of reporting to school. In addition, 40 hours of community service are required for graduation.[3]

While offering some 14 AP courses, BCA does not emphasize them. BCA gives its teachers great freedom in curriculum design to adequately engage the intellectual capacity of the student body. Thus, courses often surpass AP courses in technical rigor and creativity. Such courses include Series Hybrids and Electric Vehicles, Civil Engineering and Architecture, Cybersecurity, Digital Electronics, Optics and Lasers, Modern Optical Physics, Advanced Problems in Music Theory, Comparative Asian Cultures, Microscopy, Forensic Science, Foundations of Nanotechnology, Interactive Design, Stagecraft, Medical Microbiology, Bioengineering, Markets & Trading, Zoology, Acting Methods, Bioethics, Anatomy and Physiology, Organic Chemistry, Macroeconomics and International Economics, Advanced Business Topics, Entrepreneurship, and Culinology.

Research is available to students in all academies: the independent research opportunities offered allow students to compete in science fairs on local to international levels as well as submit papers for publication.

Students of all academies participate in various studio and performing arts courses. The BCA Concert and Chamber Choirs have won excellent ratings and awards at local and national competitions under Dr. Patrick D. Finley. The instrumental performance program has offered other features, including an opportunity for students to play with the North Jersey Philharmonic, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and the New Jersey Guitar & Music Society. The music program was founded by BCA's current music director, Michael Lemma. The school features two studio art labs, one of which is a visual arts lab with compositing and printing equipment that trains students in graphic communication and print media.[15] The theatre department puts on plays and musicals each year.

Academy for the Advancement of Science and Technology (Science | AAST)

AAST was founded on a charter school framework in 1992 with the mission of preparing students for careers in math and science by promoting a problem-solving, project-based, technical learning environment.[3] AAST has departed from this model and has since adopted a more standard college-preparatory curriculum. The roots of the program can be seen in its unique science curriculum, which emphasizes and integrates chemistry, biology, and physics, as well as its hallmark Wednesday lab rotation for the first two years. Much of the AAST model, including the 6-mod project period on Wednesday, has been adopted by the other academies.

Academy for Business and Finance (Business | ABF)

ABF is the only academy in which most students participate in the full IB Diploma Programme. Students in ABF take courses in economics, marketing, management, business law, management information systems, and business ethics. BCA was certified to offer the IB Diploma Programme in January 2004[16] and is one of only 17 schools in New Jersey to offer the IB program at the high school level.[17]

Academy for Culinary Arts and Hospitality Administration (Culinary | ACAHA)

Founded in 1997 and originally called the Academy for Culinary Arts (ACA), ACAHA represents a culinary vocational program that was reworked to give students a more academic focus. Originally grouped with APT and AVAGC as "career" academies, ACAHA was set apart from the college prep programs of AAST, ABF, AEDT and AMST. After being reorganized into the academic, college-prep academies, the name changed to the present name in 2002 to reflect the new curriculum. Head instructor Mary Beth Brace has been recognized as Advisor of the Year for SkillsUSA and has received attention for her devotion as a baking and culinary arts instructor. Chef John Branda, who worked in the food service industry for 30 years, was the saucier at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and co-owner of an upscale Fair Lawn, New Jersey restaurant.[18]

Academy for Engineering and Design Technology (Engineering | AEDT)

This academy's core curriculum is similar to that of AAST, but provides more room for courses in electronics and design. The program encourages students to take part in competitions such as "BattleBots IQ." Students in AEDT take courses such as Digital Electronics, Principles of Engineering, Introduction to Engineering Design, and Electrical Engineering.

Academy for Medical Science Technology (Medical | AMST)

Students in AMST have more required biology courses than other academies, which include Medical Science Seminar, Biotechnology Lab, Advanced Topics in Medicine, and Anatomy and Physiology. AMST is mainly for students who are more interested in pursuing a career in the medical field and have common interests in all sciences. Students in AMST will be given chances to use state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment to conduct experiments relating to medicine. AMST focuses more on biology and chemistry than other academies, and places students on the path towards pursuing a career in the medical field which requires all the basic knowledge and skills taught throughout the courses in this academy.

Academy for Technology and Computer Science (CompSci | ATCS)

ATCS has a focus on the world of computers and the Internet. Its students are well-prepared for careers such as computer programming, software engineering, and other computer- and engineering-related professions. The updated curriculum focuses on software development with Python and Java, and introduces students to computational theory. However, students also have the opportunity to take courses in C, Assembly, Web Development, and more. ATCS is the progenitor of hackBCA, the first ever high school hackathon, drawing major corporate sponsorship and hundreds of high school students to the school in a 24-hour hacking event.

Academy for Visual and Performing Arts (Visual/Theater/Music | AVPA)

AVPA is unique for being subdivided into three divisions: Visual, which focuses on combining skill and passion into one cohesive movement; Music, which requires students to take AP music theory and digital music classes, as well as master a focused voice/instrument; and Theatre, which stages all plays at the school and has resources similar to and sometimes better than Broadway plays. Depending on their focus, students in AVPA take classes in drawing, painting, and printing, acting and stagecraft, music theory, digital recording, musicianship and present a formal Senior Recital.[15]

Clubs and extracurricular programs

Model United Nations

BCA has a successful Model United Nations team that runs its own Model UN conference.[19] The BCA Model UN team has won Best Delegation at numerous conferences, including those hosted by Yale University, Princeton University, the George Washington University, and New York University. The BCA Model UN team has also earned many individual delegate awards.[20]

Debate

BCA's debate team competes in both the varsity and junior varsity levels of debate. BCA's policy debate program finished first in Bergen County in 2005–2006, beating Tenafly High School and the Dwight-Englewood School.

Mock Trial

BCA's Mock Trial team was undefeated for part of the 2011–2012 season and runs frequent practices to prepare for each trial.

JSA

BCA hosts an accomplished Junior State of America (JSA) chapter. It won Chapter of the Year for the Mid-Atlantic State in the 2011–2012, 2014–2015, 2016–2017, and 2018–2019 school years, and was home to the Mid-Atlantic Statespersons of the Year in 2014–2015 and 2016–2017. It meets as a Wednesday club and also attends and hosts JSA conventions.

Math Team

The Math Team is open to all academies, but is known as "AMST Math Team" for historical and logistical reasons.

With over 150 students from grades 12 and below in participation, Math Team is the largest extracurricular team at the Academies. The late Joseph Holbrook, chair of the math department, was the team's coach from its founding until his January 2010 death. In line with the school's original philosophy, Holbrook created a model for mathematics education that was directed at solving non-standard problems, without concerning traditional time restraints and curricula. Students are encouraged to come to practices and participate with the team in high school math competitions such as the AMCs, AIME, USAMO, Mandelbrot, Harvard–MIT Mathematics Tournament, and ARML. The team often ranks within the top ten in competitions it enters, competing against other top magnet schools as well as teams representing entire states and regions.

In 2008, the team won first place in Division B at the Princeton University Mathematics Competition, an annual competition attended routinely by the team. The school routinely has 10+ students qualifying for the USAMO (United States of America Mathematical Olympiad), with a student winning the competition in 2012.[21] The school captured first place at the 2009 ARML Local competition, another routine annual competition. In 2015, student Ryan Alweiss competed on the American team at the International Math Olympiad, helping the US win the competition for the first time since 1994 with a 98th percentile score of 31.[22]

Quiz bowl

BCA's junior varsity and varsity quiz bowl teams qualified to compete in the National History Bowl in 2013,[23] and several individuals competed in the National History Bee.[24][25]

BattleBots

BCA's BattleBots IQ team, known as the Titanium Knights,[26] won the 2006 national heavyweight championship in the high school division with the robot E2V2,[27] and won two other awards for another 120-pound robot, Knightrous. In previous years, the team has won second, third, and fourth place titles in BBIQ, and affiliated student teams have won numerous awards in Northeast Robotics Club events.

Amnesty International

BCA is home to a large Amnesty International student group that leads schoolwide events and attends local, regional, and national conferences on human rights.[28]

Other national competitions

BCA students participate in many other competitions nationwide, such as DECA, SkillsUSA, FBLA-PBL, and Health Occupations Students of America.

Sports

BCA shares its sports program with the Bergen County Technical Schools in Teterboro and Paramus. The boys' teams, called the Bergen Tech Knights, and the girls' teams, the Bergen Tech Lady Knights,[2] compete in the Big North Conference, following a reorganization of the Northern New Jersey sports leagues by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.[29] In the 2009–2010 school year, the school competed in the North Jersey Tri-County Conference, which was established on an interim basis to facilitate the realignment.[30] Before the realignment, Bergen Tech had been placed in the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League (NNJIL) at the start of the Fall 2006 athletic season. With 1,605 students in grades 10–12, Bergen Tech is classified by the NJSIAA for most sports as North I Group IV for athletic competition purposes.[31]

Numerous sports are offered for boys and girls, including basketball, bowling, golf, lacrosse, soccer, track, tennis, and volleyball. For boys, offerings also include football. As of the 2008–2009 school year, wrestling was discontinued. During the 2007–2008 school year, a varsity fencing team was initiated by parents along with the Athletic Department.

Athletic achievements for the Bergen Tech Knights and Bergen Tech Lady Knights include:

  • In 2006, the football team reached the playoffs before losing to Randolph High School 29–0.[32] In the same year, the boys' soccer team advanced to the state tournament, winning in the first round before losing to Memorial High School in the semifinal game.[33]
  • The tennis team and baseball team advanced to the playoffs in 2009, with the tennis team continuing on to the semifinals after winning sectionals.[34][35]
  • In 2014, the baseball team made it to the North I Group IV state tournament as the last seed. They would become the first team in program history to pass the first round of the state tournament with a 3–2 victory over first-seeded Wayne Valley High School. The team also reached the finals of the NJTAC state tournament before losing to Passaic Tech.
  • In 2017 and 2018, the women's fencing team won back-to-back New Jersey State championships. During those seasons, the women's fencing team came in first overall in the state-wide Santelli Tournament. Both men's and women's fencing teams boast New Jersey state champions in their respective individual weapons categories.

Campus and facilities
Bergen County Academies auditorium entrance

The Bergen County Academies is located on the John Grieco Campus of the Bergen County Technical Schools District in Hackensack. The school occupies a sprawling main building which runs along Hackensack Avenue as well as a nearby Environmental Science Center (ESC) building.[36]

Bloomberg Terminal

A dedicated Bloomberg workstation lets students conduct independent financial markets analysis and research. The option to earn a Bloomberg Certification is also available through tutorials. BCA is one of the few high schools in the country to have access to this technology.[37]

Nanotechnology Lab

First opened in May 2008, the Nanotechnology Lab offers one scanning electron microscope and one transmission electron microscope to experienced faculty and students, especially those conducting research in the natural sciences.

Stem Cell Lab

The stem cell research laboratories are foundational to BCA's research program, which enables students to work as scientists.

Optics Lab

The optics research lab provides two optical tables and significant amounts of optical equipment for students to execute research in optics and quantum optics.

Studio Art Lab

The school features two studio art labs. One of the studios is a visual arts lab equipped with compositing and printing equipment to train students in graphic communication and print media.

Academy Grill

The school has a restaurant-grade kitchen for teaching culinary arts. The Academy Grill serves as a laboratory for those taking culinary arts or hospitality administration classes.

Video Lab

The Video Lab broadcasts inside the school, featuring workstations, professional cameras, and a bluescreen.

Auditorium

The theatre arts and music departments produces plays, concerts, and musicals each year in an auditorium adjoining the main building that seats 1,200. It is regularly rented to outside professional groups.

Athletics

The school's baseball field, football field, track, and parking for students and visitors are located behind the academic buildings.

History

The school is considered the brainchild of John Grieco and began as a single academy, "The Academy for the Advancement of Science and Technology" (AAST), which shared the current campus with the Bergen County Technical High School now located in Teterboro. The first group of AAST students was inducted in 1992 for the graduating class of 1996.[3]

In 1997, additional academies opened on the campus: the Academy for Business and Computer Technology (ABCT), the Academy for Engineering and Design Technology (AEDT), and the Academy for Medical Science Technology (AMST). The following year saw the opening of three career institutes, renamed a year later to become academies: the Academy for Culinary Arts (ACA), the Academy for Power and Transportation (APT), and the Academy for Visual Arts and Graphic Communications (AVAGC). Soon, all seven programs began focusing on college preparation, adopting a liberal arts curriculum with a focus on their respective fields.

In 2001, a dispute initiated by the Bergen County School Administrators' Association focused on what Paramus Superintendent Janice Dime called "elitism." Several sending districts threatened to withdraw funding from the school. In response, the Bergen County Technical Schools agreed to increase the transparency of the admissions process and enter into talks with a number of sending districts.

In 2002, APT was eliminated. ABCT was split into the Academy for Business and Finance (ABF) and the Academy for Telecommunications and Computer Science (ATCS). In 2012, ATCS turned its attention away from Telecommunications towards Computer Science, and was rechristened the Academy for Technology and Computer Science. ACA added hotel administration to its coursework and became the Academy for Culinary Arts and Hospitality Administration (ACAHA). AVAGC expanded its scope to include performing arts and became the Academy for Visual and Performing Arts (AVPA).[38] The school itself also changed its name numerous times, from "Bergen County Regional Academies" to "Bergen Academies" to "Bergen County Academy" and to the present "Bergen County Academies."

Notable alumni
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References
  1. School data for Bergen County Academies, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 1, 2020.
  2. Bergen County Technical High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed February 11, 2016.
  3. Admissions, Bergen County Academies. Accessed November 15, 2016.
  4. Mathews, Jay. "Top-performing schools with elite students", The Washington Post, April 4, 2014. Accessed April 9, 2016.
  5. Class of 2020 Profile, Bergen County Academies. Accessed October 16, 2019.
  6. "2020 Regeneron STS Finalists". Society for Science & The Public. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  7. "2020 Regeneron STS Scholars". Society for Science & The Public. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  8. "10 Colleges With the Highest SAT Scores". US News. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  9. 2015 National Blue Ribbon Schools All Public and Private, National Blue Ribbon Schools Program. Accessed November 14, 2016.
  10. Mueller, Mark. "Which N.J. schools were named National Blue Ribbon schools?", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, September 29, 2015. Accessed November 14, 2016. "Fifteen New Jersey schools have been recognized by the federal government as National Blue Ribbon Schools, a designation that celebrates excellence in academics or progress in closing the achievement gap among groups of students.... Each of the 15 New Jersey schools was chosen for the 'exemplary high performing' category, which weighs state or national tests, high school graduation rates and the performance of subgroups of students, such as those who are economically disadvantaged."
  11. "America's Top High Schools 2015". Newsweek. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  12. "25 Best High Schools in the Northeast: 2. Bergen County Academies", The Daily Beast. Accessed November 21, 2014.
  13. Mathews, Jay. "Top-performing schools with elite students", The Washington Post, April 4, 2014. Accessed November 21, 2014. "These top-performing schools, listed in alphabetical order, were excluded from the list because, despite their exceptional quality, their selective admission rules and standardized test scores indicate they have few or no average students."
  14. Senior Experience, Bergen County Academies. Accessed July 16, 2007.
  15. AVPA Main, Bergen County Academies. Accessed July 16, 2007.
  16. Bergen County Academies, International Baccalaureate Organization. Accessed May 24, 2007.
  17. Find an IB World School—results, International Baccalaureate Organization. Accessed June 6, 2019.
  18. "Leader Newspapers Top Stories". Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  19. C, KF. "The 150 Best High School Model UN Teams in North America 2013-2014". Best Delegate. Best Delegate. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  20. "BCA Past Awards". BCA Model UN. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  21. "Awards Presented to 2012 USAMO Winners".
  22. "International Math Olympiad". IMO Foundation. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  23. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 14, 2014. Retrieved December 10, 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  24. "Overall Standings". Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  25. "Overall Standings". Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  26. BCA Makerspace, Bergen Academies. Accessed July 18, 2017.
  27. 2006 Results for BattleBots IQ Archived December 10, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  28. Clubs, Bergen Academies. Accessed July 18, 2017
  29. League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2019-2020, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed April 29, 2020.
  30. New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association League Memberships – 2009-2010, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, backed up by the Internet Archive as of July 24, 2011. Accessed August 14, 2017.
  31. General Public School Classifications 2015-2016, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, as of December 15, 2015. Accessed December 12, 2016.
  32. 2006 Football Tournament - North I, Group IV, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed April 23, 2007.
  33. 2006 Boys Soccer Tournament - North I, Group IV, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed April 23, 2007.
  34. 2005 Boys Team Tennis - North I, Group IV, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed April 23, 2007.
  35. 2005 Baseball - North I, Group IV, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed April 23, 2007.
  36. Auditorium Archived January 11, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Bergen County Academies. Accessed December 2, 2012.
  37. Profiles/ABFIB_2016.pdf Academy for Business & Finance / International Baccalaureate Programme Class of 2016 Profile, Bergen County Academies. Accessed July 18, 2017.
  38. Home Page, Bergen County Academies Parent Partnership Organization. Accessed July 18, 2017.
  39. Stainsen, Laura Adams. "Shakira Barrera fights her way onto the hit Netflix show Glow", The Record (Bergen County), August 8, 2018. Accessed August 12, 2019. "Raised in Englewood, Barrera attended St. John The Evangelist School in Leonia and Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, where she studied theater."
  40. McKay, Martha. "Bergen teen claims win in global race to unlock iPhone -- Tech whiz cracks code tying it to AT&T network", The Record (Bergen County), August 24, 2007. Accessed February 11, 2016. "'"I've lived and breathed that phone for the last two months,' said Hotz, a Bergen County Academies grad who won a prestigious $20,000 Intel science fair prize this year for a device that projects a 3-D image."
  41. Adely, Hannan; and Dazio, Stefanie. "Bergen County Academies teacher accused of sending explicit emails to student", The Record (Bergen County), April 14, 2015. Accessed January 9, 2017. "DeWitt developed programs to teach students scientific methods and research, said Sachin Jain, a 1998 Bergen Academies graduate."
  42. "Once-touted novel has uncertain future", Arizona Republic, April 28, 2006, accessed April 23, 2007. "Weems, who taught literature to Viswanathan when she was a junior at Bergen County Academies in New Jersey, remembered her as a gifted student and as the winner of a number of writing contests."
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