Eleanor Roosevelt High School (Maryland)

Eleanor Roosevelt High School
Location
7601 Hanover Parkway, Greenbelt, MD
Information
Type	Public Magnet High School
Established	1976
School district	Prince George's County Public Schools
Principal	Reginald McNeill
Faculty	170+
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	2,743
Color(s)	Columbia Blue & White
Mascot	Raiders
Information	(301) 513-5400
Website	pgcps.org/~erhs/

Eleanor Roosevelt High School (ERHS), is a Maryland public magnet high school specializing in science, mathematics, technology, and engineering. The school was established in 1976 at its current location in Greenbelt, Maryland and is part of the Prince George's County Public Schools system. It was first high school named for former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

Eleanor Roosevelt was the county's first academic specialized high school for science and technology. The program has since expanded to two other centers, located at Charles Herbert Flowers High School, which serves the central region, and Oxon Hill High School, which serves the southern region. Roosevelt serves the northern region of the county. Each school is a four-year comprehensive high school with the Science and Technology Center serving as an alternative/specialized program. The Science and Tech program is not officially considered a "true" magnet program, as its purpose wasn't intended to serve in the way that a traditional magnet does. The program is the only one within in the system for which admission is through competitive examination only.

Roosevelt has an enrollment of 2,764 students (as of the 2008–2009 school year) in grades 9 through 12. Roosevelt reached an all-time enrollment high of approximately 3,200 students around the turn of the century due to its popular magnet program and Prince George's County's significant population increase. The enrollment has dropped slightly due to school boundary realignment throughout the county and the opening of the Flowers High School center.

Roosevelt is regarded as one of the most academically challenging high schools in the nation and has received numerous awards throughout its 34-year history including being a twice awarded National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence; a New American High School; a National School of Character; and receiving the Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement. Roosevelt was named #382 on America's Top 1,500 Public High Schools list for 2009, by Newsweek Magazine and was also recognized as a Silver Medal School by U.S. News & World Report, in 2008.

Several prominent figures have attended Eleanor Roosevelt, including Sergey Brin, one of the two founders of Google, R&B singers Mýa and Kenny Lattimore, as well as television personalities Gabrielle Christian and Martin Lawrence; including numerous sports personalities in American basketball and football.

Academics

Roosevelt is best known for its specialized Science and Technology (S/T) program, which has been in place since the school was first opened. Roosevelt is the S/T center for the northern part of Prince George's County, and admission is based on a competitive exam. Roosevelt is a member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology (NCSSSMST).

Roosevelt is the first of three specialized science and technology centers located in the Prince George's County Public Schools system. STP is an active member of the National Consortium for Specialized Secondary Schools of Mathematics, Science and Technology (NCSSSMST). The magnet operates as a "School-Within-A-School", which essentially means it's a separate school within another school, and only a portion of the students who attend the school are actually enrolled in the magnet program. The Science and Technology Center is a highly-competitive selective enrollment program, and students are admitted into the magnet through pre-admission testing, as well as a combination of grades earned in four subjects areas during seventh grade and the first quarter of eighth grade. The comprehensive program at ERHS is further divided into several smaller schools, or Career Academies, as part of the smaller learning communities initiative. Roosevelt was the first high school within the county to feature and successfully implement academy programs, and the strategy has since been expanded and implemented at several other area high schools.

ERHS has classes ranging from Japanese, child development, and television production to bio-organic chemistry, calculus, and a variety of technology courses. Roosevelt boasts eight different foreign language courses each with multiple levels of difficulty. Other programs include the QUEST/AOIT program and the Gilder-Lehrman American History Program.

ERHS instituted the Smaller Learning Communities program which includes the following academies: (1) Advanced Technology; (2) Arts & Communications; (3) Business & Computer Information Management; (4) Health & Bio-Sciences; and (5) Law, Global Affair, & Public Service. All of these programs are referred to as separate academies, but share common classes and teaching staff for the core high school class requirements.

ERHS also offers a large number of AP (advanced placement) courses which are open to all students. These courses include calculus, physics, chemistry, biology, U.S. history, world history, government, English literature and language, psychology, Latin, Russian, French, Italian, Spanish, and many more. In the 2005-2006, there was an enrollment of 1,585 in AP classes.

ERHS has a block schedule called a “hybrid schedule” which includes both double and single period classes. The school schedule also allows for five lunch periods. There are a total of eight periods in the regular schedule, plus a zero period which is offered at the beginning of the school day to assist seniors, juniors, and sophomores in taking extra courses, some of which would be AP. Single class periods convene for 45 minutes; double class periods convene for 95 minutes. This flexibility encourages academic achievement, as shown in the school’s consistently high HSA and AP scores.

The Science and Technology Center

The Science and Technology Center at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, is a highly challenging four-year curriculum which provides broad pre-college academic experiences with content and application focused on science, mathematics, and technology. The program is offered at three centers within the Prince George’s County Public Schools system, with the program at Roosevelt serving the Northern geographic area of the county. Transportation is provided for all students. Students are admitted into the program in either ninth or tenth grade. Approximately 1,000 students are enrolled in the magnet. Admission into the Science & Tech program is contingent upon three criterion, with all criterion weighed equally. The criterion are:

• Grades from four quarters of 7th grade and the first quarter of 8th grade (or four quarters of 8th grade and first quarter of 9th grade) in math, science, English, and social studies
• A standardized reading comprehension test
• A standardized numerical test

All of these are factored into a final score. Each test is normally 40 minutes in length and has approximately 40 questions. The math test covers arithmetic, basic middle school math skills, and simple algebra. The verbal test consists of reading comprehension. 225-250 students with the top scores are admitted to Roosevelt's Science and Technology Program. The next 60 students are placed on a waiting list. All interested 8th and 9th grade students who are residents of Prince George's County are eligible to apply for admission to the Science and Technology Program.

Students enrolled in the magnet take extra courses in science, mathematics, and technology. In the eleventh grade (junior year), students must have chosen a focus area: (1) Physics, (2) Biology, (3) Engineering, or (4) Science and Engineering Exploration. All seniors in the magnet complete a full-year research course called, "Research Practicum".

The QUEST/AOIT Programs

Quality Education in Science and Technology (QUEST) and the Academy of Information Technology (AOIT) program, began in 1991 with a target population of 50 sixth-grade African American males. The program currently serves more than 400 students in grades 7-12. Admission to the QUEST/AOIT Program is highly competitive. More than 250 students apply for 64 seats. Ninth grade students must complete a rigorous two-week summer program to be admitted into the program. A major objective of the program is to provide under-represented groups who have not gained admission into the Science and Technology Center at Eleanor Roosevelt an opportunity to be successful in a rigorous math and science curriculum.

The QUEST/AOIT program is a highly structured four-year academic program. Of twenty-eight possible credits, a student is required to obtain a minimum of 12 credits in specific mathematics, pre-engineering, technology, science, and research courses. In grades nine and ten, the program consists of common experience courses for all students. In grades eleven and twelve, each student selects course work from one of four focus areas. Students are expected to be enrolled in a full schedule of seven classes per day during the entire four-year program. External experiences are possible and encouraged, but must be a direct extension of, or enrichment of, the QUEST/AOIT Program. Seniors complete a research project, similar to a master's thesis. Many students conduct their research at facilities in the Washington D.C. area, such as the National Institutes of Health, the University of Maryland, The Catholic University of America, and NASA. Since the first QUEST/AOIT class of 1997, one hundred percent of the students who completed the QUEST/AOIT program entered a four-year school of higher education.

The program was expanded to include females and other minorities. QUEST consists of a two-week summer program, fall and spring classroom activities, and tutoring during the school year. The major focus of the program is in two phases.

• to foster interest in science through hands-on laboratory experiences;
• enhance students' math skills;
• monitor academic progress of participants throughout the year;
• provide rigorous instruction in science and math.

The program receives more than 600 applications from elementary and middle school students each year to participate in the summer program. There are presently 225 students participating in the summer program. Of that number, more than 160 middle school students participate in the fall and spring sessions. The summer program is a major component of the QUEST program. The overall objectives of the program are to:

• provide academic support;
• increase critical thinking skills in English, math, science and engineering;
• get students excited about Science and Technology through a hands-on approach;
• assist students and parents with future educational planning;
• discuss the perceptions of minorities outside of Roosevelt who may feel that a career in Science and Technology is unobtainable;
• monitor academic progress;
• increase the number of minorities who take the S/T entrance exam.

The program focuses on computer technology, as suggested by its name, Academy of Information Technology. In 1999, Eleanor Roosevelt High School was one of twelve high schools selected nationwide to pilot this type of academy. The goal of this curriculum offered in grades 9-12, is to give students a broad perspective on technology and its applications, recognizing that students will use technology in various disciplines during college and in their careers. Currently, there are more than 230 students in the Academy of Information Technology. The graduating class of 2005 had mean grade point average of 3.3 and a mean SAT score of 1140. Several of the students entered college in the fall of 2005 on full scholarships.

Athletics

The Eleanor Roosevelt Athletic progam is arguably one of the best in the state, enjoying success in many different sports.

The basketball teams are perennial county contenders, with the boys team winning the 4A South Region Title in 3 of the past 5 years. They last won the 4A State Championship in 2002. The program has produced former NBA player Eddie Basden, current NBA player Delonte West, and current University of Kentucky player Darnell Dodson. The girls basketball team has dominated county play in recent years. They won five straight 4A State Championships from 2005-2009 and have sent players to various Division I programs including Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Dayton, George Washington, and Duquense. Every player in the starting lineup for the 2008-2009 team earned some type of basketball scholarship.

The football team is also a regional powerhouse, year in and year out they are a contender in the very competitive 4A South league. The team has won one state title and in 2004 produced the number one recruit in the nation, Derrick Williams who played at Penn State. The program has sent players to schools such as Illinois, Buffalo, Boston College, Maryland, and Florida.

The track teams are consistently some of the best in the state, especially the girls teams who over the past 20 years have been inarguably the best team in state. In 2007 they broke through at the Penn Relays winning two Penn Relay Championship of America events and they followed that up with another win in 2008.

The cross country teams have also been very consistent with the girls team winning three straight state championships from 2004-2006, with a close second place finish in 2008.

The girls swimming team won the state title in it's second year of existence in 2008.

The girls soccer team is perenially one of the best in the state. They won three region titles in a row from 2006-2008.

The softball team is consistently good and in both 2007 and 2008 they upset the favored Bowie Bulldogs in the region final after losing to them in the regular season.

The baseball team is a county power and a force to be reckoned with on the state level. The baseball program made it to the state semifinals numerous times only to be thwarted each and every time until they broke through in 2007. In the State semifinal game they beat the Quince Orchard Cougars behind a strong offensive outburst and solid pitching from Sean Swetnam. In the state final Swetnam pitched a gem and they defeated Sherwood 8-1, finally bringing coach Andrew Capece the illusive state title. They continued their success in 2008 by once again reaching the state semi-finals, but Angel Martinez was the hard luck loser in a 7-5 loss to eventual State Champion Sherwood. Overall since 2006 the Raiders have won all but one 4A South Region title.

School/Class Colors

Eleanor Roosevelt High School's track and football fields after the first and second blizzards of 2010, in which the schools colors are visible from the distant scoreboard and reserved parking titles.

The school colors are Columbia blue and white. Each class is assigned one of four colors during their freshmen year. In order, these are purple, green, orange, and yellow. When a class graduates, their color is transferred to the incoming freshmen. For example, 2010 is green, 2011 is orange, 2012 is yellow, 2013 is purple, and so on. There is both a fall and spring spirit week which ends with the Homecoming and Spring Fling Dances. Both spirit weeks have Crazy Day on Wednesday, Theme Day on Thursday, and Class Color Day on Friday. Monday and Tuesday change each time around. There is an overarching theme for the spirit week which then fits into Theme Day. For example, in the spring of 2008 the theme was Musicals, the freshman had Hairspray, the Sophomores had Chicago, the juniors had The Wiz, and the seniors had Grease. In the fall there is a Pep Rally and in the spring there is Class Night, which is similar to Pep Rally but is a contest between the classes. Two of the key factors in determining the winner of Class Night are the girl's powder puff football games and the boy's powderpuff performances. The boy's performances consist of various forms of dancing, acting, and stepping.

Accolades & Achievements

Roosevelt has received numerous prestigious academic awards throughout its thirty-four year history. The school is a rare two-time awarded National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence for 1991 and 1998; a 1991 and 1998 Maryland Blue Ribbon School; a 1999 New American High School; a recipient of the 2002–2003 national Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement; and was named a 2002 National School of Character by the Character Education Partnership. Eleanor Roosevelt is regarded as one of the most academically challenging high schools in the nation, and for years has consistently ranked as the highest performing school in Prince George's County, averaging the highest combined SAT score in the county of 1570 out of 2400. Roosevelt also has more students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses---with more students receiving a passing score of three or higher---than any other high school in the county. Roosevelt was recently named #382 on America's Top 1,500 Public High Schools list for 2009, by Newsweek Magazine and was also recognized as a Silver Medal School by U.S. News & World Report, in 2008.

Notable Students and Alumni

• Sergey Brin (1990), Co-founder and President of Technology of Google
• Dayan 'Jack' Li (2007), Winner of 2007 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
• Chris Adler (1993), American film actor
• Tom Brownscombe (1985), 1985 Maryland High School Chess Champion
• Derrick Burgess (1996), Professional football athlete
• Don Champion (2000), Television personality and newsman
• Gabrielle Christian (2002), American film and television actress
• Bridget Cross (1988), singer, musician (Velocity Girl, Air Miami, Unrest, Fugazi, [1])
• Rob Davis (1986), professional football athlete
• Kimberly Estrada (1988), American film and television actress (Heroes, Lost, Deal or no Deal, [2])
• Jared Gaither (2004), professional football athlete
• Myla Goldberg (1989), American author (Bee Season, Wickett's Remedy)
• Mýa Marie Harrison (1996), musical entertainer
• Derrick Harvey (2004), professional football athlete
• Bill Heiser (1991), soccer athlete (FIFA U-16 World Championship 1989, Parade Magazine All-American team member)
• Charles Hill (1998), professional football athlete
• Sports Junkies, John Auville and J.P. Flaim (both 1988), radio personalities
• Vinita Kailasanath (2000), Jeopardy! College Championship Winner 2001
• Christopher C. King ('88) Telecom Analyst, Forbes List 2007, Best Stock Analyst List [3]
• Lasan Kromah (2009) basketball player for George Washington University
• Kenny Lattimore (1985), singer
• Martin Lawrence (1984), comedian, actor
• Jermaine Lewis (1992), professional football athlete
• Jenna Norwood (1984), documentary filmmaker, healthy lifestyle advocate
• Justin Ross, (1994), member of Maryland House of Delegates
• John Turner (1986), professional basketball athlete
• Delonte West (2001), professional basketball athlete
• Derrick Williams (2005), professional football player

External links

• Eleanor Roosevelt High School
• Eleanor Roosevelt High School: Band Website (award-winning instrumental music program)