Westford Academy is the public high school for the town of Westford , Massachusetts , United States. It was incorporated in 1792 and is one of the oldest public high schools in the United States .
84-448: Westford Academy (WA) was founded as a private school in 1792, "for children 'of any nation, age, or sex.'" As long as students could read the Bible and pay the required 9 shillings a term, both boys and girls were allowed to attend. WA became a public school in 1928 after a town meeting vote on April 30, 1928, when "[t]he residents of Westford agreed to purchase the “Westford Academy” from
168-486: A 3 or higher compared to 12.2% in 2003. Researchers have begun to question whether AP can maintain high academic standards while experiencing explosive growth. Research has shown that the most popular AP tests tend to have the lowest passing rates, a possible indication that less academically prepared students are enrolling in AP classes. Whether the AP program can serve large numbers of students without decreasing academic rigor
252-1058: A US federal court to seven counts of making threatening communications in interstate commerce. Appearing in the Sunday paper almost every week is The Boston Globe Magazine . As of 2018 , Veronica Chao is the editor, and contributors include Neil Swidey and Meredith Goldstein . Since 2004, the December issue features a Bostonian of the Year . Past winners include Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein (2004), retired judge and Big Dig whistleblower Edward Ginsburg (2005), governor Deval Patrick (2006), Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America founder and CEO Bruce Marks (2007), NBA champion Paul Pierce (2008), professor Elizabeth Warren (2009), Republican politician Scott Brown (2010), U.S. attorney Carmen Ortiz and ArtsEmerson executive director Robert Orchard (2011), Olympic gold medalists Aly Raisman and Kayla Harrison (2012), three people who were near
336-508: A blog made up of posts from the paper's opinion writers. In September 2011, The Boston Globe launched a dedicated, subscription-based website at bostonglobe.com. Starting in 2012, the Globe provided a printing and circulating service for the Boston Herald , and by 2013, was handling its rival's entire press run. This arrangement remained in place until 2018, ending after the acquisition of
420-415: A contract to be general manager of the paper for two years. He would serve as the first publisher of The Boston Globe until his death in 1921, and was succeeded by four of his descendants until 1999. Originally a morning daily, the Globe began its Sunday edition in 1877. A weekly edition called The Boston Weekly Globe , catering to mail subscribers outside the city, was published from 1873 until it
504-533: A coordinated campaign for newspapers nationwide to respond to President Donald Trump's "enemy of the people" attacks and " fake news " rants against the media by publishing locally produced editorial responses on Thursday, August 16. Within a couple of days, an estimated 100+ newspapers had pledged to join the campaign, jumping to roughly 200 a few days later. On August 13, the Radio Television Digital News Association and its Voice of
588-541: A group of WA students attending a varsity women’s basketball game allegedly made racist, insensitive and disparaging remarks to a black student on the Wayland High School team. 42°34′37.3″N 71°27′49.6″W / 42.577028°N 71.463778°W / 42.577028; -71.463778 Advanced Placement Advanced Placement ( AP ) is a program in the United States and Canada created by
672-565: A high school course to have the designation as offering an AP course, the course must be audited by the College Board to ascertain that it satisfies the AP curriculum as specified in the Board's Course and Examination Description (CED). If the course is approved, the school may use the AP designation and the course will be publicly listed on the AP Course Ledger. After the end of World War II ,
756-482: A practice ended by editor Thomas Winship in 1966. In March 1980, the Globe published an editorial about a speech by President Jimmy Carter , which included the accidental headline " Mush from the Wimp " during part of the press run, drawing national attention. Since 1981, the editorial pages of the Globe have been separate from the news operation, as is frequently customary in the news industry . Editorials represent
840-698: A prominent former Boston ad executive, to be CEO. As of January 2017 , Doug Franklin replaced Mike Sheehan as CEO, then Franklin resigned after six months in the position, in July 2017, as a result of strategic conflicts with owner Henry. In July 2016, the 815,000-square-foot headquarters in Dorchester was sold to an unknown buyer for an undisclosed price. The Globe moved its printing operations in June 2017 to Myles Standish Industrial Park in Taunton, Massachusetts . Also in June 2017,
924-474: A regional paper of national distinction. He served as editor until 1984, during which time the paper won a dozen Pulitzer Prizes , the first in the paper's history. The Boston Globe was a private company until 1973 when it went public under the name Affiliated Publications . It continued to be managed by the descendants of Charles Taylor. In 1993, The New York Times Company purchased Affiliated Publications for US$ 1.1 billion, making The Boston Globe
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#17328587468871008-414: A sample size of over 90,000, replicated these results and also showed that non-AP students performed with equal levels of academic achievement as AP students who did not take their course's AP exam—even after controlling for over 70 intervening variables. This led the authors to state that AP participation "is not beneficial to students who merely enroll in the courses..." Some researchers have questioned
1092-503: A score of 175 to Andover's 625. In 2021 the WA team lost in the Qualifying Round with a score of 800 to AMSA 's 940. In 2004, Westford Academy math teacher Rosemarie Pumo pled guilty to distributing heroin to her students and was incarcerated at MCI-Framingham . Two years later, "Stony Brook middle school teacher... Jessica Palkes faced charges of heroin possession. She pleaded not guilty at
1176-479: A specific set of AP tests, depending on the subject they wish to study there. In addition, completing AP courses helps students qualify for various types of scholarships. According to the College Board, 31 percent of colleges and universities look at AP experience when making scholarship decisions. Beginning with the May 2011 AP Exam administration, the College Board changed the scoring method of AP Exams. Total scores on
1260-509: A statement explaining, "While there may be a lack of clarity around the true origin of the mascot, there is no ambiguity that Westford Public Schools must be a welcoming place for all students and families... And if our mascot is preventing students from feeling like this is their school district or their community, then we obviously have more work to do." On November 22, 2021, the Westford School Committee unanimously voted to change
1344-581: A story about two cancer patients, and Barnicle was forced to resign. Columnist Jeff Jacoby was suspended by the Globe in 2000 for failing to credit non-original content used in his column. In 2004, the Globe apologized for printing graphic photographs that the article represented as showing U.S. soldiers raping Iraqi women during the Iraq War from a city councilor's presentation before they were verified. The photos had already been found by other news organizations to be from an internet pornography site. In
1428-614: A subject may be more signal of interest or academic potential than achieving the label of "Advance Placement" student. The Boston Globe The Boston Globe, also known locally as the Globe , is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts . The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes . The Boston Globe is the oldest and largest daily newspaper in Boston and tenth-largest newspaper by print circulation in
1512-652: A wholly owned subsidiary of The New York Times ' parent. The Jordan and Taylor families received substantial The New York Times Company stock, but by 1999 the last Taylor family members had left management. Boston.com , the online edition of The Boston Globe , was launched on the World Wide Web in 1995. Consistently ranked among the top ten newspaper websites in America, it has won numerous national awards and took two regional Emmy Awards in 2009 for its video work. The Boston Globe has consistently been ranked in
1596-475: Is a matter of debate within the education field. University faculty, such as former professor and high school teacher John Tierney, have expressed doubts about the value of a passing AP score. Students who receive scores of 3 or 4 are being given college credit at fewer universities. Academic departments also criticise the increasing proportion of students who take and pass AP courses but are not ready for college-level work. Researchers have since 2010 studied
1680-456: Is different, but most require a minimum score of 3 or 4 to receive college credit. Typically, this appears as a "CR" grade on the college transcript, although some colleges and universities will award an A grade for a 5 score. Some countries, such as Germany, that do not offer general admission to their universities and colleges for holders of an American high school diploma without preparatory courses will directly admit students who have completed
1764-640: Is historically one of the most successful athletic teams at WA. In 2017, the Westford Academy Girls Soccer team made it to the Division 1 state championship game, losing in double overtime to Wachusett , 2–1. In 2020, the team defeated rival Concord-Carlisle to advance to the DCL championship, but lost in the final against Newton South 2–0. Both the girls and boys swimming and diving teams are highly competitive programs, with particular dominance attained by
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#17328587468871848-570: Is the Boston Herald , whose circulation is smaller and is shrinking faster. The newspaper is "one of the nation's most prestigious papers". In 1967, The Boston Globe became the first major paper in the U.S. to oppose the Vietnam War . The paper's 2002 coverage of the Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal received international media attention and served as the basis for the 2015 American drama film Spotlight . Since February 2023,
1932-596: Is the largest in the state, with over 400 members. The club is open to all WA students, grades 9–12, who are enrolled in at least one business class for each school year of their participation. As the WA Ghostwriter reported in 2020, "For over ten years, WA DECA has had significant successes at both district, state and international level conventions. They competed in 30 events and have 39 qualifiers for ICDC, DECA’s international conference (USA and Canada), where competitors who achieved top 5 in their events at states compete on
2016-629: The Philadelphia Bulletin , to form the Associated Newspapers syndicate. In the early 1900's Charles H. Taylor was responsible for making the Globe the most used Newspaper in New England. He went into greater details regarding social movements such as the Women's Suffrage Movement . While other competitors such as The Boston Post did not shine as much light on these social movements. In
2100-402: The 1940 Massachusetts gubernatorial election , the Globe correctly projected the re-election of Republican incumbent Leverett Saltonstall , using methods first established by Taylor; rival The Boston Post called the race incorrectly for Democrat Paul A. Dever . In 1955, Laurence L. Winship was named editor, ending a 75-year period of the role being held by the paper's publishers. In
2184-534: The 2020 presidential election , but has sometimes endorsed Republicans in state and local elections, such as Charlie Baker for governor. Describing the political position of The Boston Globe editorial page in 2001, former editorial page editor Renée Loth told the Boston University alumni magazine: The Globe has a long tradition of being a progressive institution, and especially on social issues. We support woman's rights; We are pro-choice; we're against
2268-623: The Advanced Placement , Honors, College Prep, and Foundations level. Westford Academy is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). On October 9, 2008, Westford Academy was honored as a Blue Ribbon School . "The No Child Left Behind-Blue Ribbon Schools Program is an award that honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior, or that have demonstrated dramatic gains in student achievement... satisfying
2352-504: The Boston Marathon bombing , Dan Marshall, Natalie Stavas, and Larry Hittinger (2013), Market Basket employees (2014), and neuropathologist Ann McKee (2017). On October 23, 2006, The Boston Globe announced the publication of Design New England: The Magazine of Splendid Homes and Gardens . The glossy oversized magazine was published six times per year. The magazine ceased publication in 2018. The Globe uses "editor" as
2436-540: The College Board . AP offers undergraduate university-level curricula and examinations to high school students. Colleges and universities in the US and elsewhere may grant placement and course credit to students who obtain qualifying scores on the examinations. The AP curriculum for each of the various subjects is created for the College Board by a panel of experts and college-level educators in that academic discipline . For
2520-928: The DCL (Dual County League) which is part of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) and offers a number of athletic opportunities for students. Westford Academy Girls Varsity Ice Hockey team also allows girls from the Littleton High School to join the team. Westford also teams up with Littleton for their Crew Team. Sports teams include cheerleading , soccer , golf , field hockey , football , swimming & diving , basketball , ice hockey , gymnastics , alpine skiing , indoor track , wrestling , Nordic skiing , women's ice hockey , track and field , lacrosse , tennis , softball , baseball , fencing , crew , and volleyball . Westford Academy Girls Soccer (WAGS)
2604-690: The Ford Foundation created a fund that supported committees studying education. The program, which was then referred to as the "Kenyon Plan", was founded and pioneered at Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, by the then-college president Gordon Chalmers . The first study was conducted by four prep schools—the Lawrenceville School , Phillips Academy , Phillips Exeter Academy , and St. Paul's School —and three universities— Harvard University , Princeton University and Yale University . In 1952 they issued
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2688-616: The Globe in January 1884, hired by Charles H. Taylor. Source: In 1998, columnist Patricia Smith was forced to resign after it was discovered that she had fabricated people and quotations in several of her columns. In August of that year, columnist Mike Barnicle was discovered to have copied material for a column from a George Carlin book, Brain Droppings . He was suspended for this offense, and his past columns were reviewed. The Boston Globe editors found that Barnicle had fabricated
2772-423: The Globe moved its headquarters to Exchange Place in Boston's Financial District . In July 2022, James Dao, a senior editor with 30 years of experience at The New York Times, was named the editorial page editor, succeeding Bina Venkataraman. In November 2022, The Boston Globe announced that NPR news chief Nancy Barnes would replace Brian McGrory as editor. From September 1, 2022, to August 31, 2023,
2856-592: The Herald by Digital First Media . In February 2013, The New York Times Company announced that it would sell its New England Media Group , which encompasses the Globe ; bids were received by six parties, including John Gormally, then-owner of WGGB-TV in Springfield, Massachusetts , another group included members of former Globe publishers, the Taylor family, and Boston Red Sox principal owner John W. Henry , who bid for
2940-625: The Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild 's annual play festival. Since 2009, WATA has entered the Theater at the Mount Youth Awards at Mount Wachusett Community College , which celebrate excellence and achievement in high school musical theatre. In 2013 WATA's production of Evita won for "Best Overall Production" and in 2017 WATA's production of Spring Awakening won Best Musical. The Westford Academy chapter of DECA
3024-496: The Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting . On April 2, 2009, The New York Times Company threatened to close the paper if its unions did not agree to $ 20 million of cost savings. Some of the cost savings include reducing union employees' pay by 5%, ending pension contributions, ending certain employees' tenures. The Boston Globe eliminated the equivalent of 50 full-time jobs; among buy-outs and layoffs, it swept out most of
3108-440: The Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal in 2001–2003, especially in relation to Massachusetts churches. The Boston Globe was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for their work and the work of other staff, one of several the paper has received for its investigative journalism, and their work was dramatized in the 2015 Academy Award-winning film Spotlight , named after the paper's in-depth investigative division. The Boston Globe
3192-605: The Verizon Innovative App Challenge... [the] app... helps children learn chemistry using a 3D simulator... [and] creates 3D simulations of equipment, different chemicals and reactions that occur in chemistry experiments, such as simulating flame tests and adding together chemicals in a beaker... Westford Academy received a $ 20,000 grant accumulated from winnings of both the regional and national competition to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs in school.." Westford Academy participates in
3276-709: The editor has been Nancy Barnes . The Boston Globe was founded in 1872 by six Boston businessmen who jointly invested $ 150,000 (equivalent to $ 3,815,000 in 2023). The founders included Eben Dyer Jordan of the Jordan Marsh department store, and Cyrus Wakefield of the Wakefield Rattan Company and namesake of the town of Wakefield, Massachusetts . The first issue was published on March 4, 1872, and sold for four cents (equivalent to $ 1.02 in 2023). In August 1873, Jordan hired Charles H. Taylor as temporary business manager; in December, Taylor signed
3360-533: The 1955–56 school year, it was nationally implemented in ten subjects: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, English, History, French, German, Spanish, and Latin. The College Board , a non-profit organization based in New York City, has run the AP program since 1955. From 1965 to 1989, Harlan Hanson was the director of the Advanced Placement Program. It develops and maintains guidelines for
3444-604: The 2008–2009 school year due to lack of funding. However, the Italian Language and Culture test was again offered beginning in 2011. Starting July 2013 AP allowed students for the first time to both view and send their scores online. The number of AP exams administered each year has seen a steady increase over the past decade. In 2003, 175,860 English Language and Composition exams were administered. By 2013, this number had risen to 476,277, or an increase of 171%. Such an increase has occurred in nearly all AP exams offered, with
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3528-987: The 2023 exam cycle showing the number of participants, the percentage who obtained a score of 3 or higher, and the mean score. Students generally need a score of 3 or higher to receive credit or benefit. The College Board estimates that about 2/3 of students enrolled in an AP course take the course's AP test. On the other hand, a study of University of California system students found that only about 55% to 60% of AP students took their course's exam. One 2014 study of math and science AP courses showed that participation rates were 52.7% for AP Chemistry, 53.6% for AP Physics, 57.7% for AP Biology, and 77.4% for AP Calculus. A 2017 study found similar participation rates (49.5% for AP Chemistry, 52.3% for AP Physics, 54.5% for Biology, and 68.9% for Calculus). History exams were found to have slightly higher participation rates (57.9% for AP European History, 58.5% for AP World History, and 62.8% for AP U.S. History), and 65.4% of AP English students took either
3612-586: The 2024 testing season, exams cost $ 98 each, though the cost may be subsidized by local or state programs. Financial aid is available for students who qualify for it; the exam reduction is $ 36 per exam from College Board plus an additional $ 9 rebate per fee-reduced exam from the school. There may be further reductions depending on the state. On April 3, 2008, the College Board announced that four AP courses—French Literature, Latin Literature, Computer Science AB, and Italian Language and Culture—would be discontinued after
3696-531: The AP English Language or AP English Literature exam. This study found that for "core AP subjects (i.e., no arts or language subjects)", the overall test participation rate was 60.8%. In February 2014 College Board released data from the previous ten years of AP exams. College Board found that 33.2% of public high school graduates from the class of 2013 had taken an AP exam, compared to 18.9% in 2003. In 2013 20.1% of graduates who had taken an AP test achieved
3780-508: The AP Psychology exam seeing a 281% increase over the past decade. In 2022, the most taken AP exam was English Language and Composition with 520,771 students and the least taken AP exam was Italian Language and Culture with 2,194 students. In the 2022–2023 school year, College Board launched a pilot AP African American Studies course. The course is currently acknowledged credit at about 75 colleges and universities. AP exams begin on
3864-562: The First Amendment Task Force encouraged its 1,200 member organizations to join the campaign, while other media organizations also helped spread the call to action. Even as some right-leaning outlets portrayed the Globe ' s campaign as an attack on the president, rather than his rhetorical attacks on the Fourth Estate , some newspapers got a head start, releasing content on August 15, while 350 newspapers participated in
3948-649: The Ghosts, the run came to an end in the state semifinal, with eventual state champ Springfield Central downing Westford by the final of 61-45." The following year the Girls Basketball team once again made it to the Division 1 Central finals, losing to Wachusett 54–47. On January 27, 2018, both the Girls and Boys basketball teams were invited to play at the Good Sports TD Garden Invitational. "Each member of
4032-405: The Globe ' s combined print and digital circulation for weekdays increased by 2.7%, to 346,944, and for Sundays it rose by 1.3%, to 408,974. There are more than 245,000 digital-only subscriptions, an increase of about 10,000 since February 2022. Starting with the Sunday edition in 1891, and expanded to weekday editions in 1913, each lead editorial in the Globe was signed "Uncle Dudley",
4116-482: The Grey Ghost mascot that received over 500 signatures. In September 2021, as a response to the aforementioned petition receiving substantial attention, a WA student started another Change.org petition to Save the Grey Ghost mascot that received over 1,000 signatures. The Westford community remains divided over the issue of whether or not to change the mascot. In September 2021, Superintendent Dr. Christopher Chew released
4200-587: The Trustees of the academy." A group of trustees has been retained to this day, and they bestow scholarships upon graduating seniors at an annual ceremony in May. There have been four Westford Academy buildings: In October 2019, Westford celebrated the 225th anniversary of Westford Academy. Students at Westford Academy are required to take courses in English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education, and Foreign Language in order to graduate. Courses are offered at
4284-747: The U.S. Department of Education’s criteria for being 'in the top 10 percent of all schools on state assessment scores in both reading (language arts or English) and mathematics, regardless of their demographics.'" In their 2021 rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked WA as #27 in Boston Metro Area High Schools, #30 in Massachusetts High Schools, and #754 in their National Rankings. In 2021, Boston Magazine ranked WA as #13 on their list of "Best Public High Schools in Boston". In 2014 four WA students won "the title 'Best in Nation' in
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#17328587468874368-722: The Westford Academy boys and girls basketball teams dealt with the excitement of playing in the home of the Boston Celtics... The boys fell to Algonquin, 71-53, while the WA girls lost a heartbreaker to Wachusett, 45-41." Each year, the Westford Academy Booster Club organizes a charity basketball game against members of the New England Patriots including famous players such a Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski . The WA Nordic ski team "perennially finishes in
4452-776: The cost. The state of Florida reimburses school districts for the exam costs of students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses. The Los Angeles Unified School District , the Montebello Unified School District , the Hawaii Department of Education , New York City Department of Education , and the state of Indiana subsidize Examination fees in subjects of math, science, and English, and the Edmonds School District in suburban Seattle currently subsidizes Advanced Placement fees of students who enroll in
4536-418: The death penalty; we're for gay rights. But if people read us carefully, they will find that on a whole series of other issues, we are not knee-jerk. We're for charter schools ; we're for any number of business-backed tax breaks. We are a lot more nuanced and subtle than that liberal stereotype does justice to. James Dao became the editorial page editor in 2022. In August 2018, the editorial board launched
4620-454: The event on August 16. From August 10 to 22, approximately 14 threatening phone calls were made to Boston Globe offices. The caller stated that the Globe was the "enemy of the people" and threatened to kill newspaper employees. On August 30, California resident Robert Chain was arrested by an FBI SWAT team and charged with a single count of making a threatening communication in interstate commerce. In May 2019, Chain pleaded guilty in
4704-599: The final to Methuen. In 2019, the WA Baseball team lost on a walkoff in the Division 1 North quarterfinal to rival Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School with a final score of 9–8. Between 1956 and 1958, Westford Academy's mascot was the Black Knights. "The 1959 yearbook specifically stated that WA teams would no longer use the symbol after the 1958 season... The familiar Grey Ghost — and associated maroon and gray colors — were adopted and applied starting in 1959... This change
4788-704: The forefront of American journalism. Time magazine listed it as one of the ten best US daily newspapers in 1974 and 1984, and the Globe tied for sixth in a national survey of top editors who chose "America's Best Newspapers" in the Columbia Journalism Review in 1999. Under two editors, Martin Baron and then Brian McGrory , the Globe shifted away from coverage of international news in favor of Boston-area news. Globe reporters Michael Rezendes , Matt Carroll, Sacha Pfeiffer and Walter Robinson , and editor Ben Bradlee Jr. were instrumental in uncovering
4872-605: The free school lunch program. Some school districts, such as Fairfax County Public Schools , will fully cover the cost of a limited number of exams, after which point the student must pay. In addition, some school districts offer free tests to all students enrolled in any Advanced Placement class. There are currently 40 courses and exams available through the AP Program. English History and Social Sciences Math and Computer Science Sciences World Languages and Cultures Capstone Below are statistics from
4956-583: The girls program in recent years. As the Boston Globe reported, "the Grey Ghosts [girls team has] strung together six consecutive undefeated seasons, winning eight of the last nine MIAA Division 1 titles... [the Boys] hoisted the Division 1 trophy in 2015 and have finished in the top six every year since 2011." In 2017, the WA girls basketball team won both DCL title and the Division 1 Central title, "unfortunately for
5040-431: The government 60 days' notice that it intended to close the paper. Despite the cuts helping to "significantly [improve]" its financial performance by October of that year, the Globe 's parent company indicated that it was considering strategic alternatives for the paper, but did not plan to sell it. As of 2010, the Globe hosted 28 blogs covering a variety of topics, including Boston sports , local politics, and
5124-604: The grade cutoffs for that year's exam, which determine how the Composite Scores are converted into the final grades. During the process, a number of reviews and statistical analyses are performed to ensure that the grading is reliable. The overall goal is for the grades to reflect an absolute scale of performance which can be compared from year to year. Some colleges use AP test scores to exempt students from introductory coursework, others use them to place students in higher designated courses, and some do both. Each college's policy
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#17328587468875208-538: The head researcher, Phillip M. Sadler, stated in an interview that "research shows that they don't appear to have learned anything during the year, so there is probably a better course for them." Two other studies compared non-AP students with AP students who had not taken their course's AP exam, had taken the AP exam but did not pass it, or had passed the AP exam. Like Sadler's study, both found that AP students who passed their exam scored highest in other measures of academic achievement. The largest study of this sort, with
5292-467: The highest title; other newspapers may call this role editor-in-chief . The role of editor was held by three people in the earliest years of the paper, then from 1880 to 1955 by the publishers. The extended period of a publisher-editor ended in 1955, when Laurence L. Winship was named editor by publisher William Davis Taylor. Winship became the paper's top editor following the death of James Morgan, longtime de facto executive editor. Morgan had joined
5376-449: The impact of the Advanced Placement program on students' academic achievement. An early study published in AP: A critical examination of the Advanced Placement program found that students who took AP courses in the sciences but failed the AP exam performed no better in college science courses than students without any AP course at all. Referring to students who complete the course but fail the exam,
5460-552: The international level." Westford Academy has a FIRST Tech Challenge team called "Ghost Robotics". Ghost Robotics is a school-sponsored team open to all WA students. In 2022, the team won the Massachusetts State Championship at Natick High School . The WA High School Quiz Team competed in WGBH 's High School Quiz Show in 2014, 2019, and 2021. In 2019 WA lost in the Qualifying Round to multi-year champion Andover with
5544-1046: The mascot from the Grey Ghosts to the Ghosts. Westford Academy offers a number of clubs and extracurriculars including: A World of Difference ( ADL program), Anime Club, Asian Culture Club, Beyond Words (literary magazine), Book Club, Chess Club, Cirrus Outdoor Adventure Club, Colorguard, Dance Club, Entrepreneurship Club, Equestrian Club, French Club, German Club, Ghostwriter (Student Newspaper), Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA), HOSA , Human Rights Club, International Club, Investment Club, Jazz Band, Jewish Student Union (JSU), Junior State of America (JSA) , Latin Club, Marching Band , Math Team, Mock Trial, Model UN , Museum Club, Outing Club, Programming Club, SADD & Herren Project, Science Team, Ski Club, Smash Club, Spanish Club, Speech and Debate Team, Troubadors, WA Acapella, WA Friends/Best Buddies, and Women in STEM. Westford Academy Theater Arts (WATA) puts on four main stage and four black box productions each year. WATA has won eight state championships (2008, 2010–2015, 2019) at
5628-468: The multiple-choice section are now based on the number of questions answered correctly. Points are no longer deducted for incorrect answers and, as was the case before, no points are awarded for unanswered questions. However, scoring requirements have also been increased. Starting with the May 2013 AP Examination Administration, the College Board launched an Internet-based score reporting service. Students can use their 2013 AP Number or Student Number (if one
5712-599: The nation as of 2023. Founded in 1872, the paper was mainly controlled by Irish Catholic interests before being sold to Charles H. Taylor and his family. After being privately held until 1973, it was sold to The New York Times in 1993 for $ 1.1 billion, making it one of the most expensive print purchases in United States history . The newspaper was purchased in 2013 by Boston Red Sox and Liverpool F.C. owner John W. Henry for $ 70 million from The New York Times Company , having lost over 90% of its value in 20 years. The chief print rival of The Boston Globe
5796-416: The next decade, the Globe rose from third to first in the competitive field of what was then eight Boston newspapers. In 1958, the Globe moved from its original location on Washington Street in downtown Boston to Morrissey Boulevard in the Dorchester neighborhood. In 1965, Thomas Winship succeeded his father as editor. The younger Winship transformed the Globe from a mediocre local paper into
5880-410: The official view of The Boston Globe as a community institution. The publisher reserves the right to veto an editorial and usually determines political endorsements for high office. The Globe made its first political endorsement in 1967, supporting Kevin White in that year's Boston mayoral election . The Globe has consistently endorsed Democratic presidential candidates, such as Joe Biden in
5964-493: The paper through the New England Sports Network , which was majority owned by Fenway Sports Group and the Boston Bruins . However, after the NESN group dropped out of the running to buy the paper, Henry made his separate bid to purchase the Globe in July 2013. On October 24, 2013, he took ownership of the Globe , at a $ 70 million purchase price, and renamed the venture Boston Globe Media . On January 30, 2014, Henry named himself publisher and named Mike Sheehan,
6048-508: The part-time employees in the editorial sections. However, early on the morning of May 5, 2009, The New York Times Company announced it had reached a tentative deal with the Boston Newspaper Guild, which represents most of the Globe 's editorial staff, that allowed it to get the concessions it demanded. The paper's other three major unions had agreed to concessions on May 3, 2009, after The New York Times Company threatened to give
6132-542: The report General Education in School and College: A Committee Report which recommended allowing high school seniors to study college-level material and to take achievement exams that allowed them to attain college credit for this work. The second committee, the Committee on Admission with Advanced Standing, developed and implemented the plan to choose a curriculum. A pilot program was run in 1952 which covered eleven disciplines. In
6216-459: The second Monday in May and last ten school days. AP tests are scored on a 1 to 5 scale as follows: The multiple-choice component of the exam is scored by computer, while the free-response and essay portions are scored by trained Readers at the AP Reading each June. The scores on various components are weighted and combined into a raw Composite Score. The Chief Reader for each exam then decides on
6300-417: The spring of 2005, the Globe retracted a story describing the events of a seal hunt near Halifax , Nova Scotia , that took place on April 12, 2005. Written by freelancer Barbara Stewart, a former New York Times staffer, the article described the specific number of boats involved in the hunt and graphically described the killing of seals and the protests that accompanied it. In reality, weather had delayed
6384-683: The teaching of higher-level courses in various subject areas. In addition, it supports teachers of AP courses and supports universities. These activities are funded through fees required to take the AP exams. In 2006, over one million students took over two million Advanced Placement examinations. Many high schools in the United States offer AP courses, though the College Board allows any student to take any examination regardless of participation in its respective course. Therefore, home-schooled students and students from schools that do not offer AP courses have an equal opportunity to take AP exams. As of
6468-449: The time, but the incident prompted Westford town officials to call for drug testing of newly hired teachers -- a program that is currently in place." In January 2020, a student executing the outlet challenge, a viral internet challenge which emerged over the TikTok social media platform , led to a building evacuation after smoke was noticed leaving power outlets. On January 28, 2022,
6552-641: The top half of the Mass. Bay West League and [from 2013-2017] both the boys’ and girls’ programs have finished in the top 10 at the state team championships." In 2020, the boys Alpine ski team won the Mass Bay West League title. In 2015, the Softball team entered the North Division 1 softball tournament as the 19th seed. "Westford advanced to the final after defeating No. 5 seed Revere, 4-2," but ultimately lost in
6636-500: The validity of Advanced Placement scores or Advanced Placement as an effective form of positive reinforcement . It is argued that the pursuit of extrinsic reward is not an accurate reflection of intrinsic interest in course material. Many other criteria should also be employed to judge a student including standardized test scores, research experience, breadth and the level of courses taken, and academic-related extracurriculars performance. Writing honors thesis or semi-independent research in
6720-483: The war, eventually becoming the U.S. Ambassador to Hong Kong in the Ulysses S. Grant administration. His exploits were turned into a television show in the late 1950s that was apparently popular with Westford Academy students of the time, who chose Mosby's nickname as the replacement nickname during a contest to replace the school's former one: the Black Knights." In 2020, a WA alumni started a Change.org petition to Replace
6804-492: Was absorbed by the Sunday edition in 1892. In 1878, The Boston Globe started an afternoon edition called The Boston Evening Globe , which ceased publication in 1979. By the 1890s, The Boston Globe had become a stronghold, with an editorial staff dominated by Irish American Catholics . In 1912, the Globe was one of a cooperative of four newspapers, including the Chicago Daily News , The New York Globe , and
6888-419: Was indicated) along with a College Board Account to access current and previous years' exam scores. This system can also be used to send scores to colleges and universities for which a four-digit institutional code is assigned. Recognizing that the cost could be an impediment to students of limited means, a number of states and municipalities independent of the College Board have partially or fully subsidized
6972-534: Was related to new, differently colored uniforms. Research suggests the ghost was inspired by the title of a popular TV series at the time, ' The Gray Ghost' ". Beginning in 2019, there has been controversy concerning the mascot. "The original Grey Ghost was Colonel John Mosby, a Confederate officer who led a partisan cavalry unit known as Mosby's Rangers during the Civil War. Mosby was fiercely loyal to Virginia, but also disliked slavery, becoming involved in politics after
7056-566: Was the paper that allowed Peter Gammons to start his Notes section on baseball, which has become a mainstay in many major newspapers nationwide. In 2004, Gammons became the 56th recipient of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award for outstanding baseball writing, given by the BBWAA ; he was honored at the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 31, 2005. In 2007, Charlie Savage , whose reports on President Bush 's use of signing statements made national news, won
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