The Sturgis Charter Public School is a charter school located in Hyannis, Massachusetts. The school received its charter in February of 1998 and opened in September for the 1998-1999 academic year with 162 freshman, 15 faculty and staff, a newly renovated facility, and a $1.2 million budget. Sturgis currently has approximately 350 students and 40 faculty and staff. For its first six years, the school was known as Sturgis Charter School.

In 2004, the Sturgis board changed the school's name to "Sturgis Charter Public School," in keeping with a public relations initiative of the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association (formerly the Massachusetts Charter School Association). According to the enabling legislation for Massachusetts charter schools, a "charter" school is by statutory definition a public school. Sturgis determined that many people were unaware of this, and thus added the "Public" for clarity.

In May 2007, Sturgis was ranked 55th in the nation in Newsweek magazine's ranking of "The complete list of the 1,300 top U.S. schools".^[1]

In December of 2007, US News & World Report came out with its list of the top high schools in America based on methodology developed by Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services. The list included 43 Massachusetts high school, but Sturgis was not one of them. (http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/high-schools/2007/11/29/americas-best-high-schools.html)

This follows criticism published in the Cape Cod Times that Sturgis made Newsweek's list through manipulation of its numbers and non-compliance with state law regarding physical education requirements. (http://capecod.planetdiscover.com/?keywords=Zac+Bissonnette&submit.x=0&submit.y=0&submit=Search)

Initially approved to serve 540 students, Sturgis trustees in recent years have twice voted to down-size.

Sturgis and The International Baccalaureate

In 2004, the Sturgis Charter Public School became an International Baccalaureate World School, offering the Diploma Program (DP) to students in the 11th and 12th grades, along with an intensive "pre-IB" program in the 9th and 10th grades. Sturgis is one of six high schools in Massachusetts that offer the IB Diploma Program.^[2]

Students who elect to take the full IB Diploma Program complete a rigorous course of studies in six groups. Courses are offered at the Higher Level (HL) and Standard Level (SL) All students at Sturgis are required to take IB courses during their junior and senior years, however are not obligated to attempt the full diploma, or even write the IB exams in the classes they elect; the IB Diploma is earned by students who choose to pursue it. To earn the full IB Diploma, students must complete at least three (but no more than four) higher level courses and three (or two if four HL courses are taken) standard level courses. Courses typically take two years to complete, though some standard level classes can be completed in one with summer work and extra study. The diploma also requires students to complete a Theory of Knowledge (ToK) course, compose an extended essay (research paper) of 4,000 words on a topic of the candidate's choice, and complete 150 hours of Creativity, Action, and Service.

IB Courses Currently Offered at Sturgis

The following are a list of courses at Sturgis that satisfy the requirements for each IB Group:

• Group 1: Primary Language (English HL/SL)
• Group 2: Second Language (Spanish SL, Latin SL/HL, and French SL/HL)
• Group 3: Individuals and Societies (History SL (Primarily History of Europe Since 1900), History of Europe HL, Information Technology in a Global Society HL/SL, Psychology SL)
• Group 4: Experimental Sciences (Biology HL/SL, Physics SL/HL, and Environmental Systems SL)
• Group 5: Mathematics (Mathematics HL (Applied Calculus and Differential Equations), Mathematics SL (Calculus), Math Studies SL (Statistics))
• Group 6: Fine and Performing Arts (Art HL/SL, Music SL/HL, Drama HL/SL)

At the conclusion of each course, students earn a grade between 0 and 7. A total of 24 points must be earned to complete the diploma. These points come from adding up all course marks, as well as up to an additional three points for the combined grades of both the Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay. The IB stipulates that no final grade can be a 1 to complete the diploma, and no more than one final grade can be a 2 (even though it is still theoretically possible to earn 24 points even with 1s or 2s.)

Diploma and acceptance by universities

Students who fulfill all these requirements earn the IB Diploma, which is recognized by colleges and universities worldwide. Additionally many schools in the United States and abroad grant credit for students who receive exceptional marks (usually a 5, 6, or 7) in higher and occasionally standard level courses, in the same way institutions grant credit for Advanced Placement exams.

Students who opt not to complete the diploma but who complete and pass some exams can receive certificates, and in some cases earn college credit.

Diploma and graduation requirements

While students attending Sturgis have the opportunity to receive the IB Diploma, they must also complete the following requirements to receive their Sturgis High School Diploma:

• 4 credits of English
• 4 credits of Math
• 4 credits of Lab Science
• 4 credits of History
• 6 credits of Foreign or Classical Languages (4 years of one, and at least 2 of another)
• 2 credits of Art Appreciation, Music Appreciation, Chorus, or Drama
• 2 credits of Other Electives (ToK, Psychology, additional languages, independent studies, and college courses at Cape Cod Community College all qualify for elective credit.)

Total of 26 Credits for Graduation (28 are Possible)

In some ways, the Sturgis Diploma requirements limits what courses students can take, since there are some courses that would fulfill the IB Diploma Program requirements (such as Information Technology in a Global Society fulfilling a Group 3 course) that would not fulfill a specific Sturgis requirement other than an elective.

Extracurricular activities

• There are several school clubs and other extracurricular activities available at Sturgis. Some of the most prominent school clubs include: Student Council, Mock Trial, a ski club, Film Club, a Model United Nations club, GSA, several choruses and a string ensemble. There is also an award-winning Chess Team.

• Sports at Sturgis include: Boys and Girls soccer, Field Hockey, Cross Country, Boys and Girls Basketball, Cheerleading, Boys and Girls Tennis, Lacrosse, Golf, and Baseball.

References

External links

• Sturgis Charter Public School
• National Center for Educational Statistics data for Sturgis Public School