Солтүстік-Батыс Жоғары Мектебі: Тарихы мен Ерекшеліктері

Northwestern High School is a public comprehensive and magnet high school located in Hyattsville, Maryland, United States, a suburb of Washington, D. C. It is part of the Prince George's County Public Schools system. Northwestern is located on Adelphi Road, less than a mile away from the University of Maryland, College Park. The school first opened in 1951. In 2000, the original building was demolished and replaced with the current facility, which has of land and a capacity of 2,700 students. Northwestern is the second largest high school in the state of Maryland when measured by total square footage. Northwestern is one of two schools in the county to host the Center for the Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) magnet program, which began at the school in the 2013 14 school year. The CVPA program is a four year specialized program that offers college prep and professional career prep study in the visual arts and performing arts. Admission to the program is through a competitive, two stage application process. Northwestern's CVPA program operates as a "school within a school" model, and is a replication of the program that has been in existence at Suitland High School since 1986. However, currently, Northwestern's program only draws students from a limited attendance area. In December 2009, Northwestern was recognized as a Silver Medal School among "America's Best High Schools" by U. S. News & World Report. In 2005, The Washington Post cited Northwestern as being the second highest ranking high school, among all district high schools, for students' scores on the nationally administered AP tests. Northwestern is accredited by the Commission on Secondary Schools, a division of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

Northwestern Senior High School was founded in 1951 as a public secondary school. It was the consolidation of three schools: Hyattsville, Greenbelt, and Mount Rainier High Schools. Beginning in the 1960s, several additions were built, in stages, including what was called the new art wing. By the year 2000, Northwestern consisted of a long main wing with three wings branching out. These were referred to as the A wing, B wing, and C wing. The cafeteria was located at the rear of the school on the second floor and attached to the C wing. The boys' gymnasium, girls' auxiliary gymnasium, and band, choir, and orchestra rooms were all located at the rear of the building. The C wing was accessible to the B wing by a long suspended enclosed bridge that could only be reached from the second floor. A large field located between wings B and C was dubbed "The Senior Courtyard." Originally reserved exclusively for seniors to converge during lunch, this courtyard was eventually opened to the entire student body. Northwestern was one of the few schools to allow students outside during lunch, as most schools didn't have the proper accommodations to allow this. The Justice Memorial Auditorium was part of the A wing, and was the final addition to the original building. The A wing was the only section of the old facility that had air conditioning. Northwestern was converted from a grades 10 12 "senior high school" to a grades 9 12 "high school" configuration in 1981.

By the mid 1990s, Northwestern was beginning to show its age. A plan to replace the structure with a brand new $45 million facility was proposed. Prince George's County Public Schools contracted the SHW Group LLP to design and build the new school. Construction began in late summer of 1998, with the new facility located directly behind the old building. Students attended classes in the old building while construction took place only yards away. The new school was physically connected to the old building at the rear (stage area) of the auditorium. The new building officially opened to students and staff in August 2000, just in time for the school year. It was the first new high school constructed in Prince George's County since Eleanor Roosevelt High School was completed in 1976. While it took two years to construct the new facility, the building was not actually fully finished until midway through the 2001–02 school year. Classes commenced at the new Northwestern before the former facility had been torn down. The large bus lot in front of the new building, and the main parking lot, had yet to be paved prior to the opening of the new building, because the old facility stood where these new areas were to be made. A few exterior portions of the new facility weren't finalized until 2002. Except for the auditorium, which was retained from the old building and was completely overhauled and transformed into the D Wing of the new school, the old Northwestern was razed while classes were ongoing in the new building. The main parking lot for the new school lies where the former facility once stood.

By the opening of the new building in 2000, Northwestern had over six computer labs and over 1,100 computers, the most of any high school in Maryland; each classroom had a bank of at least five computers with internet access. who graduated from Northwestern in 1954. The official building dedication ceremony was attended by Jane and Heather Henson (Jim's widow and daughter, respectively), as well as representatives from the Jim Henson Legacy, who had given Northwestern permission to rename the arts building after Henson. Northwestern currently houses an Evening High School for the northern half of the county, as well as a Saturday High School program. Northwestern also hosts the very popular Saturday run ISP Flea Market, sponsored by the school's International Studies Program.

At , Northwestern High School has a capacity of 2,700 students, a distinction that has since been given up to the Dr. Henry A. Wise, Jr. High School and the Seneca Valley High School. However, with its student capacity of 2,700, Northwestern is still the largest high school by capacity in Prince George's County, and the second largest in Maryland after Montgomery Blair High School. Northwestern's campus features three courtyards Sub School A was intended to be the "School of Fine, Creative, and Performing Arts"; Sub School B was to be the "School of Career and Consumer Education"; Sub School C was to be a general facility that housed mainly elective courses, in addition the school's main offices, security office, and health center; and Sub School D was to be "The School of Intensive and Specialized Instruction," which would house the school's honors and advanced placement program as well as the school's ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) program and Vocational Development (Special Education) program. When the original Health & Wellness Center was founded in the mid '90s in the old building, it was the first of its kind in PGCPS. Three other centers have since been established, more recently, in other area schools. The Health Center is located across from the Main Administrative Offices (Room C207) and combines the Health and Wellness Center and the Health Suite. The center provides basic health, counseling, education and prevention services for Northwestern students. Services include physical examinations, laboratory testing and treatment for infections and transmittable diseases, immunizations, gynecological care, dental care, and mental health counseling. All students, as well as the infants and toddlers of teen parents enrolled in the Adolescent Teen Parenting Program, are eligible to receive confidential primary health care services and treatment. Services are provided at no direct charge to students or parents/guardians, except when appropriate to bill enrollees' insurance companies or medical assistance.

As of Fall 2013, Northwestern High School has an enrollment of approximately 2,217 students. The demographics of the student body (as of 2009) were 96.5% minority, of which 44.2% were African American/Black, including those from African or Caribbean nations; 45.04% Hispanic; 6.8% Asian; and 3.4 Caucasian. About 400 students are "Limited English Proficient" (LEP) or ESOL and over 200 are in Special Education. Certain academies have specific requirements that students must satisfy in order to apply. The admissions procedure for the CVPA magnet program is a competitive and selective audition only entrance process. Students vying for a spot have specific audition requirements.

Hyattsville is fed directly by Hyattsville Middle School and Nicholas Orem Middle School, both in Hyattsville. Elementary schools which feed into Northwestern include Carole Highlands, César Chávez, Chillum, Edward M. Felegy, Hyattsville, Lewisdale, Mount Rainier, Rosa L. Parks, Ridgecrest, Riverdale, Thomas S. Stone, and University Park. About 400 students are "Limited English Proficient" (LEP) or ESOL and over 200 are in Special Education. which includes four years of English; three years of mathematics, science, and social studies (U. S. History, L/S/N Government, and World History are required); one credit in fine arts and Foundations of Technology; and a half credit of Personal Fitness (Physical Education) and Health. Students choose from a variety of "completer electives," as well as a combination of ways they can earn those elective credits. Two credits of a foreign language (of the same language) are required, as well as three credits of miscellaneous electives. Optionally, a student may elect to complete two credits in Advanced Technology Education and three credits in miscellaneous electives. As another option, a student can complete a state approved technology program and any remaining credits in electives. Northwestern students enrolled in the School of Business Management have a variety of completer courses to choose from. Academy of Finance electives include Introduction to Financial Services 1/2; Banking & Credit; Business Law; College Accounting; Introduction to Investment & Insurance; Financial Planning; International Finance; Economics & World of Finance; Computer Applications; and Advanced Accounting. Academy of Business Management electives include Entrepreneurship 1 and Entrepreneurship 2 courses. Other completer courses available to students in both academies include Principles of Business Administration; Financial Management; and Accounting 1. Northwestern students enrolled in the PLTW Academy of Engineering can choose from a variety of completer courses such as Introduction to Engineering Design; Principles of Engineering; Digital Electronics; Civil Engineering & Architecture; and Engineering Design & Development. Advanced Placement foreign language offerings include AP French Language 5, AP Italian Language and Culture, AP Japanese Language and Culture, AP Spanish Language 5, AP Spanish Literature 6. for students who were enrolled in a middle school Science, Mathematics, and Technology Magnet Program, primarily serving students from the magnet at Nicholas Orem Middle School. The educational programs within the magnet were also open to all attendance area students at Northwestern. The magnet included differentiated instruction and a competency based curriculum, and served as an educational partnership linking the personnel and resources of the University of Maryland, College Park and Northwestern. Students had access to Pre Advanced Placement courses and AP Government at the ninth grade level; major emphasis on analytical writing in English classes, computer intensive mathematics classes; scientific research in trigonometry and calculus classes; and a host of other magnet exclusive instructional methods.

Northwestern has three groups of 12th grade students who have an abbreviated class schedule. Most of these students take two classes per day before leaving school. These groups include released time students, marketing work study students, and COE/Government Connection Work Study students. A career academy operates as a "school within a school" model, that provides a college preparatory curriculum with a career related theme. The curriculum organizes instruction in academic subjects around an industry or career theme and enables students to fulfill requirements for college entrance in addition to acquiring work related knowledge and skill. All students are provided a core set, or curricula, and experiences in the ninth and tenth grades. Ninth graders become a part of the Ninth Grade Academy to provide greater structure and focus with the goal of enhancing basic skills and preparing them for more intensive study after their selection of a career academy by the end of sophomore year. During eleventh and twelfth grades, students are exposed to more specific or specialized instruction and participate in various work based learning experiences. Since all students take a core foundation of academic courses, career pathways overlap enough to allow the flexibility to change academies, if interests change or new knowledge and skills are acquired. Northwestern has identified nearly a dozen career clusters, organized around broad career fields. Of those career clusters, Northwestern has implemented four sub schools. Each wing at Northwestern hosts at least one sub school and one or more academy programs. The various programs are:

====The Jim Henson Center for the Visual and Performing Arts Academy and provides content in the fields of electronics, biotechnology, aerospace, civil engineering, and architecture. Students in the Academy of Engineering take specialized courses specific to the academy, such as Principles of Engineering, Introduction to Engineering Design, and Digital Electronics. Specialization courses include Computer Integrated Manufacturing, Biotechnical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Architecture, Aerospace Engineering, and Capstone Course: Engineering Design and Development.

Northwestern also houses the Naval Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (NJROTC) Academy of Military Science. Program highlights include a focus on academics, including United States military history; exploration of national security issues; the study of meteorology and astronomy; communications and advanced technologies employed by the armed services; navigation and survival skills; healthy lifestyles and physical fitness; organizational skills and financial management; career exploration in a wide variety of fields (both military and nonmilitary); and the foundations of responsible leadership. Cadets learn and develop leadership skills and application of military courtesies and customs as they complete each year of their NJROTC programs.

The Jim Henson Center for the Visual and Performing Arts Academy is a selective specialized program, and students are only admitted to the program through a competitive audition process.

Students who want to continue their musical training can audition for placement into either guitar, piano, or voice (choral) majors. Within each major, students receive advanced level instruction via private lessons, as well as their participation in larger ensembles. In school juried assessments of students' level of development in sensing, playing, and performing, are required as a component of being a vocal music major. Students also have a chance for exposure to music technology and composition, through an arts integration approach. Vocal Music majors take a required "zero period" Applied Music course, which incorporates advanced private voice lessons.