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Home > Relocation Resources > Top U.S. High Schools > Townsend Harris
Townsend Harris
High school is a name used in some parts of the world, and particularly in North America, to describe the last segment of compulsory secondary education. It is preceded by primary education. High school is also the name used to describe the institution in which the final stage of compulsory education takes place. In the United States, high schools generally consist of grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, although the inclusion of grade 9 varies by school district.
Townsend Harris is a top high school situated in the United States. Townsend Harris High School is a public magnet high school for the humanities in the borough of Queens in New York City. Students and alumni often refer to themselves as Harrisites. Townsend Harris High School was refounded in 1984 thanks largely to the efforts of alumni of the original school, who had begun the process in 1980. Thomas Cunningham is the principal of the school.
The school is named for Townsend Harris, who besides his many diplomatic accomplishments had helped found the Free Academy of the City of New York, later to become City College, and was a strong proponent of free education. The high school is seen as a smaller and more humanities-centred alternative to the Specialized Science High Schools of New York City. Today approximately 7000 students compete for fewer than 300 seats in the freshman class each year on their middle school grades, standardized test scores and even attendance records.
In 2005 and 2006, the school had the highest percentage of students passing Regents exams of any high school in the city. There is also a rigorous physical education requirement, especially freshman gym, and a senior project required of students. A variety of electives and AP, Advanced Placement classes are also offered to students. Starting in 2004, AP World History became a mandatory subject and replaced the Regents-leveled course. Every subject requires students to execute at least one major project a year, with history classes requiring one per semester and English several per semester.
The Townsend Harris school aims on targeting the success of their students. The institution is renowned due to qualities like supportive learning environment, respected and enthusiastic staff and faculty members, and the capability to meet the needs of the community’s wide ranging requirements.
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