By TENZIN DORJEE
Malden High School offers many programs for students to attend, not just during the school year, but during the summer time as well. These programs challenge and support the foundation of students’ educations and help further them in their academics.
One such program is the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System program led by mathematics teacher Katy Kwong. The program began in 1999, but did not become as important until 2003, when MCAS became necessary to pass for graduation. This program was designed to “help raise the passing number [of students],” Kwong explained.
The program is available not just in the summer, but is offered during the school year as well. The program is free of charge and available to students that “will be taking [the MCAS and had] failed” their last recent one. This program is also helpful for the appeal process for students who don’t pass the MCAS by senior year, as if the student shows they tried their best and attended the program, the requirement of MCAS for them can be waived. Kwong has been a coordinator for the program since about 2004 as well as a tutor and as of this year became in charge of the whole operation as she now writes the grants that are received from the state of the commonwealth of Massachusetts that help fund this ingenious program.
Another program to help students academically is Summer Math Enrichment program that is currently spearheaded by math teacher Nick Lippman, who has coordinated it for the last four years, but the program itself has been running for over 10 years ever since it was founded by retired math teacher Christine Nagle.
The summer course is very intensive and teaches students at a very fast pace a school year’s worth of math in a single month. To attend the course students have to pay a tuition cost of $260, if not a MHS student, and $235 if they are one. Lippman recommends that students be “motivated and independent,” but adds they “don’t have to be the strongest math student.” The course offers Algebra 1 & 2 and Geometry, all (except algebra 1, which is not leveled) at college preparatory and honors levels. The purpose of the program is help students get ahead in the school year to come. Though, some lucky, hard-working pupils, if able to obtain around an 85 and is seen to be able to understand all the material taught throughout the course, can obtain a credit for the course and move onto an upper class for the school year to come.
These programs have helped the academic career of many of Malden High School’s students for many years and will continue to do in the years on.
