Academy-Based Model Planned As Minnie Howard Campus Opening Nears

ALEXANDRIA, VA — As the Minnie Howard Campus project nears completion to expand high school capacity, Alexandria City High School has announced a new academy-based academic program for the 2024-2025 school year.

Alexandria City High School already offers several academy programs and will expand on these in the next school year. The expansion of academies will allow an estimated 4,600 high school students to join small learning communities. The academies opening in the next school year will be Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Academy; Business and Government Academy; Education, Liberal Arts, and Human Services Academy; Visual, Performing and Applied Arts Academy; Global Studies Academy; and General Studies Academy. According to Alexandria City Public Schools, the academies will help students prepare for life, colleges and career with "an engaging curriculum, project-based learning and an emphasis on community partnerships."

"We are excited to expand our instructional program with the academy model, as it will provide students an instructional experience that is rooted in their interests," said Executive Principal Alexander Duncan. "Not only that, but the academy experience will prepare students to be lifelong learners exploring 21st century career paths and interests."

The educational programming redesign has been led by Duncan, high school administrators, Alexandria City Public Schools' chief academic officer Pierrette Finney, Carmen Sanders, executive director of instructional support in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Leadership and consultants from Learner Centered Collaborative.

“The Academies and Pathways give students the opportunity to study areas of interest and passion, while also fulfilling courses required for graduation like English, social studies, science and math," said Sanders. "The smaller learning communities will form through elective courses aligned with an academy’s pathway, advisory and theme-based study in core content classes. The internal high school planning teams are working to make this happen through the master schedule process and staff professional learning offerings."

The Minnie Howard Campus is being renovated to provide space for an 1,600 more students, which represents the high school enrollment growth projection for the next five to 10 years. In 2019, the School Board chose renovating the Minnie Howard Campus instead of an option to build a completely new high school to accommodate growing student enrollment.

The existing Minnie Howard campus has 9th grade students, but the renovated campus will enroll students from grades 9 to 12. The school district is aiming to have the renovated campus open for the 2024-2025 school year, when the new academy-based programming will launch.