Academics

An Overview of FDA.

Our school is nationally recognized as one of the finest college preparatory schools in the nation. Our team of educators is committed to providing a rigorous, innovative, and rewarding curriculum that will not only lead all of our students to attend the college of their choice, but also prepare them for the academic demands of a college setting.

We offer 11 Dual Enrollment College and Advanced Placement classes and we continue to develop relationships with colleges and universities so our students can earn college credits while in high school at little to no cost.

We expect all of our FDA students to graduate with an Advanced NYS Regents Diploma.

FDA Course Information

English

Shakespeare once wrote, “There are more things in heaven and earth…than are dreamt of in your philosophy”. These immortal lines are the heart to the learning of English at the Frederick Douglass Academy.

The English Department strives to explore literature by being canonically reverent and culturally relevant. As students progress through the sequence of English courses, texts increase in complexity, and writing pieces reflect that complexity by asking students to develop uniquely nuanced and academically informed responses to those readings. Very early on, students learn the skills needed for academic research with scholarly sources. The English Department offers two Advanced Placement courses in Language and Literature.

History & Social Studies

The study of history and social studies imparts reflective and evaluative ways of critical thinking on a macro level. By investigating the past, we hope our students will be instrumental in shaping a better future. Students begin their high school careers by studying the past of our own nation and the world. The study of history and social studies is book ended during a student’s senior year with courses in Participation in Government and Economics. The sequence reflects the need to learn from our past and become agents of change to ensure a brighter future for everyone. Advanced Placement courses are offered in US History, European History, Government, and Economics.

Language

A natural extension to the primary mission of college preparedness is global awareness for future success. As our world becomes increasingly competitive on a global scale, it is important for students to learn additional language and about other cultures. Students are therefore enrolled in languages to prepare for the world to come.

At the Frederick Douglass Academy students are offered French, Japanese, Latin, and Spanish. In addition to the standard sequence of language, Advanced Placement courses are offered in Latin, French, and Spanish. To extend and compliment what is learned in the classroom, travel opportunities are offered each year to enrich the experience our students have with modern and classical languages.

Mathematics

The discipline of mathematics is meant to develop and encourage problem-solving skills. Like science, mathematic skills are becoming paramount to our present day and our future. Not simply a bank of formulas, mathematics at the Frederick Douglass Academy illuminates the connective tissue between all the different types of math. From algebra, to geometry and then from trigonometry to calculus, students are continually asked to construct the knowledge necessary for the understanding of mathematics. Advanced Placement courses are offered in Statistics and Calculus.

Course offerings include:

Integrated Algebra
Geometry
Algebra 2 / Trigonometry
Statistics
Advanced Placement Calculus AB
Advanced Placement Statistics
Advanced Placement Micro Economics
Calculus

Science

As we enter the 21st Century in earnest, one thing becomes increasingly clear and that is technology and science are becoming increasingly integrated in our lives. At the Frederick Douglass Academy, we endeavor to prepare our students for the world to come in our science courses. The sciences are not only a systematic way to view the world, but also an academic way to challenge and question that world. Through experiments in labs, students take learning from theory to practice. Students are exposed sciences that explore the Earth we live on and the universe around us. It also strives to introduce more theoretical science such as Physics and Chemistry. Advanced Placement courses are offered in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

Course Offerings Include:

Botany
Earth Science
Living Environment
Chemistry Physics
Advanced Placement Physics
Advanced Placement Chemistry
Advanced Placement Biology
Astronomy Physics

Summer School

High School Summer School
Location: The Thurgood Marshall Academy, 200-214 West 135 Street, New York, NY 10030
Trains: 2, 3, B, C to 135th St; A, D to 125th St
Buses: Bx15, Bx33, M1, M10, M100, M101, M102, M104, M11, M2, M3, M7
Dates: July 5, 2019 through August 17, 2019 • Mondays through Thursdays
Regents Dates: Thursday August 16, 2019 and Friday August 17, 2019
Phone Contact: 212-283-8055
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Middle School Summer School
Location: P.S. 125, 425 West 123 Street, New York NY 10027
Trains: 1, A, B, C, D to 125th St
Buses: Bx15, M10, M100, M104, M11, M116, M2, M3, M4, M5, M60-SBS
Dates: July 5, 2019 through August 17, 2019 • Mondays through Thursdays
Regents Dates: Thursday August 16, 2019 and Friday August 17, 2019
Phone Contact: 212-666-6400
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Summer Bridge Program for Incoming FDA Students
Location: Eagle Academy For Young Men Harlem, 6 Edgecombe Avenue, New York, NY 10030
Trains: 1 to 137th St – City College; 2, 3, B, C to 135th St; A, D to 125th St
Buses: Bx19, Bx33, M1, M10, M100, M101, M102, M104, M11, M2, M3, M4, M5, M7
Dates: July 9, 2019 through August 2, 2019 • 9:00AM to 12:00PM • Mondays through Thursdays
Closing Ceremony: Thursday August 2, 2018
Phone Contact: 212-694-6051

AP/Dual Enrollment Course Information

Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment Courses are the #1 determining factor in predicting the success of high school students once they enter the college of their choice. Advanced Placement/Dual Enrollment classes provide for a high school student is a rigorous classroom environment and college level material, with the added bonus of an end of the year examination for AP classes that can earn the a high school student potential college credit based on their performance on an AP exam.

Most significantly, AP/Dual Enrollment classes on a high school transcript shows prospective target schools that a student is ready for the challenge of college level work because they have already been exposed to it at the high school level. Hence, a high GPA without any AP/Dual Enrollment classes does not mean as much; a student has not demonstrated “strength of schedule.” Taking the most challenging classes in high school, (AP classes) means more than a high GPA with only general level classes. If a college is going to invest their time and money (in the form of grants and scholarships) they want to be sure that their “investment” – an incoming freshmen – will “pay off” and not fold under.

Students earning a three or higher on A.P. exams are three times more likely to earn a college degree than students who do not pass, and African-American and Hispanic students who pass an A.P. exam are four times more likely to earn a college degree than those who do not pass, according to the study–National Center for Education. Our Dual Enrollment classes are affiliated with Syracuse University, SUNY Old Westbury, and Ithaca College.

AP Biology

Course Description: The AP Biology course is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester college introductory biology course usually taken by biology majors during their first year. After showing themselves to be qualified on the AP Exam, some students, in their first year of college, are permitted to take upper-level courses in biology or register for courses for which biology is a prerequisite. Other students may have fulfilled a basic requirement for a laboratory-science course and will be able to undertake other courses to pursue their majors. The Laboratory techniques in this course are developed to further students’ ability to pursue a career in a biologically related field. Students will conduct laboratory investigations of chemical reactions that occur in organisms. Concepts of molecular and cellular biology, as well as the biology of organisms and population will be investigated. Students are required to take the Advanced Placement Biology Exam at the conclusion of the course. AP exam fees may apply. Students not taking the AP exam will not be encouraged to remain in the course.

Prerequisite: Living Environment, Algebra and Chemistry I (recommended) 85 or better on Living Environment and Algebra regents. The AP Biology course is designed to be taken by students after the successful completion of a first course in high school living environment and one in high school chemistry as well. The application process involves a completed course application, submission of your most current high school transcript, two letters of recommendation: one from your previous or current science teacher AND one from your previous or current math teacher, and a letter of intent. Applicants will also be expected to complete 3 basic assignments. This is done to give the instructor better insight into the applicant’s science skills. Each applicant must have at least 90% school attendance and be in good academic standing.

‍Expected Coursework: Students will be expected to read the relevant material nightly and/or prior to class. Students will also be required to complete reading guides designed to specifically correspond with the text and emphasize the key points and concepts of the course. Lectures, which cover selected concepts from the course, are supplemented with diagrams, explanations, visuals, role-playing, examples and demonstrations. A minimum of 25% of class time will be spent on lab work. All of these labs are student directed. Occasionally, classroom time constraints necessitate additional time spent outside of class in the lab. Occasionally, students are assigned primary research articles as required reading in which they must write abstracts. Students will be required to meet for class during regents week, mid-winter recess and spring break. This is done in preparation for the AP Biology exam in May, 2015.

AP Calculus AB

Course Description: Taking Calculus can lead to a future in more than one hundred and twenty five career areas including Engineering, Economics, Business, Finance, Medicine, Forensics, Computers, Meteorology, Software Developing and Law. (AP) Calculus is a course comparable to Calculus courses in colleges and universities; therefore, students should expect to do college – level work at the highest level. There are three basic topics that are covered in the course: Functions, Derivatives, and Integrals. The course is taught with an emphasis on exploring Calculus through the interpretation of graphs and tables as well as analytical methods. Students are expected to use a multi-representational approach to solve problems, make investigations and as often as possible work in groups so as to share ideas and develop mathematics communication.

‍Prerequisite: Students must take a full year of Calculus before qualifying for the Advanced Placement Calculus Program. Students must be successful on the Integrated Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 11 Regents exam in other to be programed for Calculus. Students are recommended for the Advanced Calculus Program by their Calculus teacher. The evaluation criteria includes a high average in the course, strong work ethics, 95% attendance and a passion for the subject of mathematics.

‍Expected Coursework: AP Calculus is an extremely challenging and demanding course. The student who desires to enroll in this course must be willing to work extremely hard and make several sacrifices. This course requires students to attend mandatory tutorials twice weekly. Students are also expected to attend mandatory tutorials on Saturdays beginning in March and during school holidays.

AP Chemistry

Course Description: Chemistry, the study of matter and the changes that matter undergoes, is a fascinating discipline! This is the science that drives all other sciences, from physics to Earth science to biology. Many careers such as mechanical, civil, chemical, biomedical, and electrical engineering, doctors, nursing, and health care depend on Chemistry. Geologists and biologists have relied on chemistry more and more as their disciplines have shifted from a descriptive basis to an analytical one. In fact, much of modern biology has become a direct application of chemical principles. Molecular biology depends on techniques invented by Kary Mullis, a chemist from California. In the early 1980’s, Dr. Mullis developed the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, which revolutionized the way biologists analyze DNA.

‍Prerequisite: Math grade ≥ 75, 2 teacher recommendations (one must come from a math or science teacher), Regents Chemistry course taken, excellent work ethic.

‍Expected Coursework: This course requires students to complete nightly readings in a college-level textbook, nightly homework assignments, and lab work. There will be Saturday tutorials and mandatory test prep sessions during school breaks as announced by the instructor.

AP English Language

Course Description: The purpose of this course is to help students “write effectively and confidently in their college courses across the curriculum and in their professional and personal lives.” The course is organized according to the requirements and guidelines of the current AP English Course Description, and, therefore, students are expected to read critically, think analytically, and communicate clearly both in writing and in speech. Moreover, the purpose of this course is to help students understand how language has shaped their world and how to use language to re-shape it in the ways they see necessary.

Prerequisites: Students should have: an average class grade in English of 80, a previous English teacher’s recommendation, strong attendance rate of 95% or better, good social and academic standing and an English Regents grade of 85% or higher. Only serious scholars who love reading all kinds of literature and desire to write on a college level should apply

‍Expected Coursework: AP English Language and Composition is a college-level course examining rhetoric as “the art of finding and analyzing all the choices that a writer, speaker, reader, or listener might make in a situation so that the text becomes meaningful, purposeful, and effective for readers or listeners, and examining the specific features of texts, written or spoken, that cause them to be meaningful, purposeful, and effective for readers or listeners in a situation” Therefore, students will become sophisticated consumers and creators of a variety of texts.

AP European History

Course Description: Mr. Murphy’s AP European History enters its 15th year this fall. The class covers an arc that begins with the onset of the Renaissance in Italy, and finishes up with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the impact of Islamic Fundamentalism, post 9/11. Since AP European History deals with more than just “historical material” we also spend a significant amount of time on intellectual history: philosophy, art and literature. Core books that have become staples for this class include Utopia (Sir Thomas More), Candide (Voltaire), Frankenstein (Mary Shelly), and The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka).

‍Prerequisites: Student report card must reflect an aggregate 85% average, with great attendance. Students must participate in a four-week selection process in April and May of 2014. Must have favorable recommendations from their History and English teachers. Students will take a diagnostic exam as well as generate a piece of historical writing. Final interviews will be required as necessary.

‍Expected Coursework: Critical writing and class participation are an important part of this class. Nightly homework will rely heavily on not just note taking by analytical writing. Tuesday and Thursday tutorials will be mandatory (September to January), and Saturday tutorials, from 9:00 – 11:00 will take the place of after school tutorials beginning in February. All students will take the AP exam in May of 2015.

AP Microeconomics

Course Description: If you are interested in pursuing a career in business, finance, economics, accounting, marketing, banking and/or you enjoy applied mathematics, this is the course for you. The purpose of an AP course in microeconomics is to give students a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to the functions of individual decision makers, both consumers and producers, within the economic system. It places primary emphasis on the nature and functions of product markets, and includes the study of factor markets and of the role of government in promoting greater efficiency and equity in the economy.

‍Prerequisite: Average math class grade of [≥ 80 in the Geometry or ≥ 75 in Algebra II/Trig] and ≥ 75 in Global History. Students must be comfortable interpreting graphs, have good reading comprehension skills and strong written communication skills. Current Math teacher and Global History teacher recommendation. Students must provide a Letter of Intent and complete an interview process. Good social and academic standing; 95% attendance. Only serious scholars should apply. This will be taught as a one period course; therefore students will need to do significant self study to prepare properly for the AP exam.

‍Expected Coursework: This course will require students to complete nightly reading in a college-level textbook, nightly homework, frequent online quizzes and blog postings, and several projects each marking period. This class involves mandatory after school supplementary sessions on Wednesdays beginning in October as well as supplemental Saturday test prep sessions from February through the AP exam date. Additional mandatory test prep sessions may be scheduled during school breaks at the teacher’s discretion.

AP Physics B

Course Description: AP Physics is a one-year course for students with career plans in science, math, engineering, medicine, and similar fields. Using college textbooks, syllabi, homework, and tests, this course provides students with a rigorous preparation for the AP® Physics B test and the Medical College Aptitude Test (MCAT). This course is designed to prepare students to take the AP Physics B exam at the end of the year. Policies concerning acceptance of a passing exam grade for college credit vary from school to school, so students should determine whether the universities in which they are most interested will give advanced placement for this course. The course includes a laboratory component comparable to college-level physics laboratories, with a minimum of 12 student-conducted laboratory investigations representing a variety of topics covered in the course. A hands-on laboratory component is required. Each student should complete a lab notebook or portfolio of lab reports.

‍Prerequisite: Average math class grade of [≥ 80 in the Geometry or ≥ 75 in Algebra II/Trig] and ≥ 75 in Global History. Students must be comfortable interpreting graphs, have good reading comprehension skills and strong written communication skills. Current Math teacher and Global History teacher recommendation. Students must provide a Letter of Intent and complete an interview process. Good social and academic standing; 95% attendance. Only serious scholars should apply. This will be taught as a two period course; therefore students will need to do significant self study to prepare properly for the AP exam.

‍Expected Coursework: Students must be willing to attend after school and weekend mandatory tutorials. Students must be willing to work diligently. This course is highly demanding. In order to do well, students should be willing to work extremely hard.

AP Spanish Language

Course Description: The Spanish language and culture AP course provide out students unique opportunities to engage with the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Through applied linguistics and the development of the language arts, students can see and share the experiences of others separated from our classrooms by time and space. This curriculum module embodies the focus on culture in the new AP Spanish Language and Culture Curriculum Framework. The framework envisions culture at the heart of the course, as students use authentic materials to observe and analyze the products, practices, and perspectives of Spanish speaker around the world. Students and teachers will use authentic visual, audio, audiovisual, and written materials to analyze cultural products, practices, and perspectives. The learning outcomes for students include the ability to apply the habits of mind developed while analyzing these authentic materials, rather than simply list facts about the particular artists and works.

‍Prerequisite: Students must present teacher recommendations with preferences in the areas of English, Social Studies and the Sciences, along with strong linguistically abilities in Spanish. Students must provide a Letter of Intent and complete an interview process. Good social and academic standing; 95% attendance. Only serious scholars should apply. This will be taught as a two period course; however students will need to do significant self -study to prepare properly for the AP exam as the curriculum covers extensive interdisciplinary components with other areas.

‍Expected Coursework: This course will require students to complete nightly reading in the college-level textbook, Temas. Nightly homework, frequent online quizzes and blog postings, and several projects will be given each marking period. This class involves mandatory after school supplementary sessions on Tuesdays, beginning in October as well as supplemental Saturday test prep sessions from February through the AP exam date. Additional mandatory test prep sessions may be scheduled during school breaks at the teacher’s discretion. The class culminates in an AP Examination in May 2015. All students are expected to take the AP examination.

Grade Level: This course is appropriate for sophomores, juniors and seniors.

AP Statistics

Course Description: Thinking of pursuing one of the following fields in college Economics/Business/Accounting, Finance/Investments, Marketing, Medicine/Biology, Pharmaceutical Research, Legal (Lawyer), Psychology, Sociology/Philosophy, Anthropology, Political Science, Sports Analyst, Opinion Pollster, Journalism/Reporting] These are just some of the many careers that make regular use of statistics. Statistics is the science of data; it is a way of reasoning, along with a collection of tools and methods, designed to help us understand the world. Statistics helps us to humanize mathematics. Many economic, social, political, and military decisions cannot be made without statistical techniques, such as the design of experiments to gain Federal approval of a newly manufactured drug (American Statistical Association). The AP Statistics Course is a fun course filled with daily real-world applications. The course is comprised of four main components: Data Analysis, Data Collection, Probability, Statistical Inference.

‍Prerequisites: Average class grade in Algebra II/Trig course of ≥ 75 and math teacher recommendation. Good social and academic standing; 95% attendance. Acceptance contingent upon achieving passing score on Algebra II/Trig regents exam. Only dedicated scholars should apply. Applicants will be required to submit a resume and writing sample as well as complete an interview process.

‍Expected Coursework: This course requires students to complete nightly readings in a college-level textbook, nightly homework assignments, and frequent online quizzes and blog postings in additional to at least one project per marking period. This course has mandatory after school supplemental classes on Thursdays after school and mandatory Saturday supplemental test prep sessions from February through the AP exam date. Additional mandatory test prep sessions may be scheduled during school breaks at the teacher’s discretion.

Are You Ready for AP?

Curiosity, creativity and commitment are key ingredients for success in AP courses. These may be qualities you recognize in yourself when you’re working at your best, on the things you love best — like teaching yourself about what interests you, finding new ways to solve the problems in your world or proving what you can accomplish with enough practice. Not only will these qualities help you succeed in AP, AP can help you discover and build what you’re capable of by challenging you to do more.

You don’t need to be top of your class to be an AP student, but you’ll want to be prepared for the AP course you choose. Some AP classes have recommended courses you should take first, and all AP courses ask that you come willing to do your best work. To choose an AP course that’s right for you, talk to a counselor or teacher about the subjects that interest you and ask about your options for learning the skills to help you succeed.