School Without Walls
Encyclopedia
The School Without Walls is a small public magnet high school
in the Foggy Bottom
area of Washington, D.C.
It is colloquially referred to by students and faculty as "Walls." It is also well known as the top high school in the District of Columbia Public Schools
, and one of the best in the region.
The school is located on the George Washington University
campus, on G Street NW near 22nd Street NW. Founded in 1971, the School Without Walls was originally located on the 8th floor of 1411 K St., an office building in the heart of downtown D.C., just a block from the notorious 13th and K street area. In the fall of 1973 the school relocated to 10th and H Streets, N.W., where SWW shared space with the Webster Girls School program, a program for pregnant teens.
Today SWW provides an academic curriculum and encourages students to "use the city as a classroom." It is part of the DCPS
and draws students from all parts of the city. Any student interested in applying must follow an entrance procedure, involving a multiple choice test, a written essay, an interview, and a report of the applicant's standardized test
scores and grades from previous years. School Without Walls now has approximately 520 students and spans the 9th through 12th grades.
In August 2007, Walls was relocated to Capitol Hill in the Logan School building on G Street NE between Second & Third Streets NE (near Union Station
and adjacent to the Securities & Exchange Commission headquarters). This temporary home was used for two years while the original building was renovated. The Logan School was renovated—including a new roof and internal work—during the summer of 2007 to accept students. In August 2009, The School Without Walls moved back into the Grant School following an opening ceremony by Mayor
Adrian Fenty
, DCPS chancellor Michelle Rhee
and George Washington University
President Steven Knapp
.
Partnership, examined below, is one manner in which School Without Walls expands the curriculum of its students. Additionally, the school uses science labs at the University of the District of Columbia
, has a standing partnership with the Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson
law firm, and an informal journalism internship program with the George Washington University student newspaper, the GW Hatchet
. The school has in the past conducted classes at the United States Capitol
, the Corcoran Gallery of Art
, the National Aquarium
, the National Zoo, the Botanical Gardens and other academic resources available in the city. In doing so, it offers certain opportunities and privileges not common to other high schools.
provides classes free of charge to 100 of the 11th grade and above students. Students must qualify for courses by taking the GWU placement test. Also, 10th graders can apply to the newly established GW Early College Program, which allows the students to achieve an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts from the University. The program is done in the last two years of high school and when the students graduate, they not only get the degree but their high school diploma as well. The students are dually enrolled and have access to both the university and their high school. The program is tuition free and the students get to choose to stay at the university or transfer the degree to another college or university.
and beyond the Washington, D.C. area. Gilder Lehrman
provides visiting historians to serve as guest lecturers and seminar leaders. The Institute further assists with college-placement counseling and provides Walls students access to the Institute's contacts at colleges and universities. Students are given opportunities to interact with their peers enrolled in Gilder Lehrman programs and schools throughout the country. By providing supplemental resources books and materials, packages of documents replicated from the Gilder Lehrman Collection, traveling exhibits from the Institute's national program of exhibitions on specific themes in American history, and keepsake documents from the collection, as well as scholarship opportunities, Gilder Lehrman provides learning opportunities that might otherwise be unavailable.
In the 2004–2005 school year School Without Walls students took their first Gilder Lehrman
sponsored trip to Williamsburg
. This trip provided a first-hand look at colonial life in America. To enhance the study of the foundation of American democracy, a visit to the New York Historical Society gave students an opportunity to witness the influence of Alexander Hamilton
on American government. The class also takes a spring visit to Gettysburg
, Pennsylvania
to expand the study of American History and Culture into the American Civil War
period.
system in terms of graduation rate, average SAT
score, attendance rate and other academic benchmarks.
Walls was named a National Blue Ribbon School September 9, 2010, one of only 304 schools nationwide.
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes and honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools whose students achieve at very high levels or have made significant progress and helped close gaps in achievement, especially among disadvantaged and minority students.
Only two other DCPS schools have earned this distinction in the past three years: Murch and Noyes Elementary schools.
School Without Walls is also well known for having a 100% graduation rate, and 100% of the graduates are accepted into a four-year college.
The Street Law students recently won a city-wide mock trial, and arts students have won numerous awards for their artwork—including 2011's National Cherry Blossom Festival Youth Poster Contest.
scores in DCPS
with an average combined score of 1074.
The 2008-2009 street law team got to the final round of the D.C. mock trial tournament, losing to Bell Multicultural High School
. However, the 2010-2011 plaintiff team won the city-wide title against Duke Ellington at finals.
is composed of approximately 40 minority
students interested in pursuing a career in engineering
.
/ It's Academic
team competes in academic competitions.
The Recycling Club also works at this goal.
support to all faculty and students, runs a portal
http://www.swwtech.net/portal, manages the library computers, and provides numerous other tech-related services.
There are opportunities to create your own club, as well as join them, providing a community for a wide variety of interests.
The old facade was kept intact while the inside was renovated and remodeled to better fit the needs of Walls students. In addition, an entirely new building was added as an additional wing to accommodate the constantly increasing enrollment. The new Walls features science labs in the basement, bathrooms and teacher spaces on each floor, and plenty of huge windows and natural lighting. Each classroom has a Promethean board, only one example of the new technology installed in the building. The entire building has wireless internet access as well.
The area where there used to be a parking lot and tennis courts is now the site of South Hall, a new GWU dormitory. Both buildings are LEED
certified.
In August 2011, School Without Walls was forced to temporarily close, ironically because of damage sustained to the building's walls and roof during the earthquake
and Hurricane Irene
a few days later.
. Finishing first has been deemed nearly impossible as Woodrow Wilson High School has won for more than a decade.
Walls has many other sports programs; Tennis, soccer, crew, basketball, baseball, girl's volleyball, softball and skiing are all available. The Track and Field team is going to Penn Relay 2011. The softball team won citywide championships in 2011, beating out rivals from Wilson in the semifinals and Anacostia in the finals. The team had lost to both in the regular season, so the championship win came as a rewarding surprise.
Lacrosse was recently made available to School Without Walls, along with Ballou and Coolidge High Schools. Girls field hockey was also made available recently.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in the Foggy Bottom
Foggy Bottom
Foggy Bottom is one of the oldest late 18th and 19th-century neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. The area is thought to have received the name because its riverside location made it susceptible to concentrations of fog and industrial smoke, an atmospheric trait that did not prevent the neighborhood...
area of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
It is colloquially referred to by students and faculty as "Walls." It is also well known as the top high school in the District of Columbia Public Schools
District of Columbia Public Schools
District of Columbia Public Schools is the traditional public school system of Washington, D.C. in the United States.- Composition and enrollment :...
, and one of the best in the region.
The school is located on the George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
campus, on G Street NW near 22nd Street NW. Founded in 1971, the School Without Walls was originally located on the 8th floor of 1411 K St., an office building in the heart of downtown D.C., just a block from the notorious 13th and K street area. In the fall of 1973 the school relocated to 10th and H Streets, N.W., where SWW shared space with the Webster Girls School program, a program for pregnant teens.
Today SWW provides an academic curriculum and encourages students to "use the city as a classroom." It is part of the DCPS
District of Columbia Public Schools
District of Columbia Public Schools is the traditional public school system of Washington, D.C. in the United States.- Composition and enrollment :...
and draws students from all parts of the city. Any student interested in applying must follow an entrance procedure, involving a multiple choice test, a written essay, an interview, and a report of the applicant's standardized test
Standardized test
A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a...
scores and grades from previous years. School Without Walls now has approximately 520 students and spans the 9th through 12th grades.
In August 2007, Walls was relocated to Capitol Hill in the Logan School building on G Street NE between Second & Third Streets NE (near Union Station
Union Station (Washington, D.C.)
Washington Union Station is a train station and leisure destination visited by 32 million people each year in the center of Washington, D.C. The train station is served by Amtrak, MARC and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail services as well as by Washington Metro subway trains and local buses...
and adjacent to the Securities & Exchange Commission headquarters). This temporary home was used for two years while the original building was renovated. The Logan School was renovated—including a new roof and internal work—during the summer of 2007 to accept students. In August 2009, The School Without Walls moved back into the Grant School following an opening ceremony by Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Adrian Fenty
Adrian Fenty
Adrian Malik Fenty was the sixth, and at age 36, the youngest, mayor of the District of Columbia. He served one term—from 2007 to 2011—losing his bid for reelection at the primary level to Democrat Vincent C. Gray...
, DCPS chancellor Michelle Rhee
Michelle Rhee
Michelle A. Rhee is a public figure involved in the American education system. She was chancellor of the Washington, D.C. public schools from 2007 to 2010...
and George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
President Steven Knapp
Steven Knapp
Steven Knapp is the current president of the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., having assumed office in August, 2007. He is the 16th president of the university, succeeding Stephen Joel Trachtenberg. Previously, he was the provost and dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at the...
.
Distinctive Features
School Without Walls attempts to provide strict learning environment. The George Washington UniversityGeorge Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
Partnership, examined below, is one manner in which School Without Walls expands the curriculum of its students. Additionally, the school uses science labs at the University of the District of Columbia
University of the District of Columbia
The University of the District of Columbia is a historically black, public university located in Washington, D.C. UDC is one of only a few urban land-grant universities in the country and a member of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
, has a standing partnership with the Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP is a law firm founded in New York City in the early 20th century that has grown into an international law firm with offices in New York City, Washington, DC, London, Paris, Frankfurt, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The firm has 468 attorneys worldwide...
law firm, and an informal journalism internship program with the George Washington University student newspaper, the GW Hatchet
GW Hatchet
The GW Hatchet is an independent student newspaper at The George Washington University. Founded in 1904, it is the second-oldest newspaper in the District of Columbia, behind only The Washington Post...
. The school has in the past conducted classes at the United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
, the Corcoran Gallery of Art
Corcoran Gallery of Art
The Corcoran Gallery of Art is the largest privately supported cultural institution in Washington, DC. The museum's main focus is American art. The permanent collection includes works by Rembrandt, Eugène Delacroix, Edgar Degas, Thomas Gainsborough, John Singer Sargent, Claude Monet, Pablo...
, the National Aquarium
National Aquarium in Washington, D.C.
The National Aquarium, Washington, D.C. is an aquarium in Washington D.C. It is located in the Herbert C. Hoover Building , which is bounded by 14th Street NW on the east, 15th Street NW on the west, Pennsylvania Avenue NW on the north, and Constitution Avenue NW on the south.-History:The National...
, the National Zoo, the Botanical Gardens and other academic resources available in the city. In doing so, it offers certain opportunities and privileges not common to other high schools.
George Washington University Partnership
George Washington UniversityGeorge Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
provides classes free of charge to 100 of the 11th grade and above students. Students must qualify for courses by taking the GWU placement test. Also, 10th graders can apply to the newly established GW Early College Program, which allows the students to achieve an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts from the University. The program is done in the last two years of high school and when the students graduate, they not only get the degree but their high school diploma as well. The students are dually enrolled and have access to both the university and their high school. The program is tuition free and the students get to choose to stay at the university or transfer the degree to another college or university.
Gilder Lehrman Initiative
Beginning in their sophomore year, students attend trips to sites in AnacostiaAnacostia
Anacostia is a historic neighborhood in Washington, D.C. Its historic downtown is located at the intersection of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue It is the most famous neighborhood in the Southeast quadrant of Washington, located east of the Anacostia River, after which the...
and beyond the Washington, D.C. area. Gilder Lehrman
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, founded in New York by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman in 1994, was set up to promote the study and love of American history.The Institute serves teachers, students, scholars, and the general public...
provides visiting historians to serve as guest lecturers and seminar leaders. The Institute further assists with college-placement counseling and provides Walls students access to the Institute's contacts at colleges and universities. Students are given opportunities to interact with their peers enrolled in Gilder Lehrman programs and schools throughout the country. By providing supplemental resources books and materials, packages of documents replicated from the Gilder Lehrman Collection, traveling exhibits from the Institute's national program of exhibitions on specific themes in American history, and keepsake documents from the collection, as well as scholarship opportunities, Gilder Lehrman provides learning opportunities that might otherwise be unavailable.
In the 2004–2005 school year School Without Walls students took their first Gilder Lehrman
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, founded in New York by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman in 1994, was set up to promote the study and love of American history.The Institute serves teachers, students, scholars, and the general public...
sponsored trip to Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
. This trip provided a first-hand look at colonial life in America. To enhance the study of the foundation of American democracy, a visit to the New York Historical Society gave students an opportunity to witness the influence of Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was a Founding Father, soldier, economist, political philosopher, one of America's first constitutional lawyers and the first United States Secretary of the Treasury...
on American government. The class also takes a spring visit to Gettysburg
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
to expand the study of American History and Culture into the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
period.
Academic Achievements
School Without Walls takes pride in consistently ranking among the top schools in the DCPSDistrict of Columbia Public Schools
District of Columbia Public Schools is the traditional public school system of Washington, D.C. in the United States.- Composition and enrollment :...
system in terms of graduation rate, average SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
score, attendance rate and other academic benchmarks.
Walls was named a National Blue Ribbon School September 9, 2010, one of only 304 schools nationwide.
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes and honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools whose students achieve at very high levels or have made significant progress and helped close gaps in achievement, especially among disadvantaged and minority students.
Only two other DCPS schools have earned this distinction in the past three years: Murch and Noyes Elementary schools.
School Without Walls is also well known for having a 100% graduation rate, and 100% of the graduates are accepted into a four-year college.
The Street Law students recently won a city-wide mock trial, and arts students have won numerous awards for their artwork—including 2011's National Cherry Blossom Festival Youth Poster Contest.
SAT Scores
School Without Walls has the highest combined SATSAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
scores in DCPS
District of Columbia Public Schools
District of Columbia Public Schools is the traditional public school system of Washington, D.C. in the United States.- Composition and enrollment :...
with an average combined score of 1074.
Creative Expressions
The Creative Expressions club is a gathering of about 30 students with a variety of artistic interests. Similar to their Drama Club, Creative Expressions allows students to engage in various forms of the arts.Drama Club
The School Without Walls Drama Club is composed of students interested in acting. They participated in the Folger Library Shakespeare Festival, acting out scenes from the play The Color Purple. In the Spring of 2010, they will put on Romeo and Juliet. The Drama Club also has the opportunity to act out plays written by the Playwriting class, or join the Acting classes held at SWW.Street Law
This is a class where concepts of law are taught to students by a senior George Washington University School of Law student and a practicing attorney ending with a city wide mock trial. The 1992 School Without Walls Mock Trial Team won the city wide competition and went on to compete at the National Competition in Wisconsin. This was also the year Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson partnered with School Without Walls.The 2008-2009 street law team got to the final round of the D.C. mock trial tournament, losing to Bell Multicultural High School
Bell Multicultural High School
Bell Multicultural High School is a public school located in the neighborhood of Columbia Heights in Washington, D.C., United States. Bell Multicultural is a part of the District of Columbia Public Schools. , the principal is Maria Tukeva....
. However, the 2010-2011 plaintiff team won the city-wide title against Duke Ellington at finals.
Men Of Strength (MOST)
'Men Can Stop Rape mobilizes male youth to prevent men's violence against women. We build young men's capacity to challenge harmful aspects of traditional masculinity, to value alternative visions of male strength, and to embrace their vital role as allies with women and girls in fostering healthy relationships and gender equity.'Sister Action Sister Strength
Also known as SASS, this club is an initiative by the DC Rape Crisis Center to encourage adolescent girls to explore relationships and issues that are important to them as women in an open and accepting environment.National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
The School Without Walls chapter of the National Society of Black EngineersNational Society of Black Engineers
National Society of Black Engineers , founded in 1975 at Purdue University, is one of the largest student-run organizations in the US, centered on improving the recruitment and retention of African-American engineering students.-History:...
is composed of approximately 40 minority
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
students interested in pursuing a career in engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
.
Science Bowl / It's Academic
The Science BowlScience Bowl
Science Bowl is a high school and middle school academic competition, similar to Quiz Bowl, held in the United States. Two teams of four students each compete to answer various science-related questions. In order to determine which student has the right to answer the question, a buzzer system is...
/ It's Academic
It's Academic
It's Academic is a televised academic quiz competition for high school students, currently airing on two NBC affiliates in Washington, D.C. and Central Virginia and one CBS affiliate Baltimore, Maryland . The show has been on the air since October 7, 1961, making it the longest...
team competes in academic competitions.
Environmental Action
The Green Team at School Without Walls works to make it more energy efficient and environmentally friendly place. New recycling bins and many architectural aspects help with this mission.The Recycling Club also works at this goal.
SWWTech
SWWTech is a student run organization of techies. SWWTech provides information technologyInformation technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
support to all faculty and students, runs a portal
Web portal
A web portal or links page is a web site that functions as a point of access to information in the World Wide Web. A portal presents information from diverse sources in a unified way....
http://www.swwtech.net/portal, manages the library computers, and provides numerous other tech-related services.
Other
There are many other clubs in School Without Walls, including Graphic Novel/Manga club, Japanese Culture Club, Cheese Club, Hip Hop Dance Crew, Literary Journal/Newspaper, Skiing, Longboarding, Rubix Cube club, Student Government and Chess club.There are opportunities to create your own club, as well as join them, providing a community for a wide variety of interests.
Historic building
The historic Grant School, the building that houses The School Without Walls, was badly deteriorated. There was extensive water damage throughout the school as well. The brick facade needed to be repainted, and the slate roof was steadily losing its shingles. On February 13, 2006 the D.C. City Council and the George Washington University Board of Trustees approved a deal for $12 million dollars to renovate and expand the school building in exchange for transfer of the school's rear parking lot property to the university.The old facade was kept intact while the inside was renovated and remodeled to better fit the needs of Walls students. In addition, an entirely new building was added as an additional wing to accommodate the constantly increasing enrollment. The new Walls features science labs in the basement, bathrooms and teacher spaces on each floor, and plenty of huge windows and natural lighting. Each classroom has a Promethean board, only one example of the new technology installed in the building. The entire building has wireless internet access as well.
The area where there used to be a parking lot and tennis courts is now the site of South Hall, a new GWU dormitory. Both buildings are LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
certified.
In August 2011, School Without Walls was forced to temporarily close, ironically because of damage sustained to the building's walls and roof during the earthquake
2011 Virginia earthquake
The 2011 Virginia earthquake occurred on August 23, 2011, at 1:51 pm EDT in the Piedmont region of the U.S. state of Virginia. The epicenter, in Louisa County, was northwest of Richmond and south-southwest of the town of Mineral...
and Hurricane Irene
Hurricane Irene (2011)
Hurricane Irene was a large and powerful Atlantic hurricane that left extensive flood and wind damage along its path through the Caribbean, the United States East Coast and as far north as Atlantic Canada in 2011...
a few days later.
Sporting Achievements
While Walls has a very small pool of students from which to select its athletes, they do quite well in many sports, consistently placing 2nd in men's baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. Finishing first has been deemed nearly impossible as Woodrow Wilson High School has won for more than a decade.
Walls has many other sports programs; Tennis, soccer, crew, basketball, baseball, girl's volleyball, softball and skiing are all available. The Track and Field team is going to Penn Relay 2011. The softball team won citywide championships in 2011, beating out rivals from Wilson in the semifinals and Anacostia in the finals. The team had lost to both in the regular season, so the championship win came as a rewarding surprise.
Lacrosse was recently made available to School Without Walls, along with Ballou and Coolidge High Schools. Girls field hockey was also made available recently.