At the heart of our school mission is a rigorous academic program that both sets students on the path to individual success and independence after high school, and provides them with the skills, mindsets and insights our communities need as we face the challenges of the future together.
Academics
Anti-Racist Curriculum
For over two decades, Gateway Public Schools have been committed to preparing an incredibly diverse student body with the skills and mindsets necessary to create a more just world. In order to make that a reality, we are required as educators and as a school community to acknowledge the ways in which public schools have traditionally been used to further white supremacist norms and policies, and interrogate the ways in which white supremacy and anti-Blackness can continue to operate in education. Learn more about our commitment to anti-racism here.
Ethnic Studies
Gateway believes Ethnic Studies is a critical lens through which to view all other areas of academics and an important step towards becoming a responsible global citizen. Gateway students begin to tackle key ethnic studies concepts in middle school and gain additional exposure through their high school humanities classes, with the option to take a dedicated Ethnic Studies elective. These programs are shaped in part by the faculty Ethnic Studies Circle and Ethnic Studies Curriculum and Instruction Group, which help frame and implement the formal Ethnic Studies education GHS students receive.
Social-Emotional Learning
Social and emotional skills like relationship-building and collaboration are just as important as science or history, and just as deserving of explicit instruction throughout the school day. GHS’ academic program thoughtfully integrates SEL skills through measures such as:
- All incoming freshmen are enrolled in Ninth Grade Seminar, a course that teaches students how to discover their own learning styles, practice good decision-making skills, develop healthy relationships with others, and weather the ups and downs of teenage life.
- Gateway teachers deliberately infuse their academic courses with opportunities to practice SEL skills like collaboration, self-advocacy, and responsible decision-making.
- Teachers receive professional development about how to explicitly teach SEL skills during the school day and build positive classroom cultures, working closely with our SEL Coordinator.
Advisory
Starting as freshmen, students are assigned to a small advisory cohort with a few students from each grade level and a faculty advisor who will serve as their mentor and ally for all four years of high school. This ensures that each student knows a few friendly faces in each grade, and that they have the opportunity to build a close relationship with a caring adult outside of a strictly academic context. Gateway’s national award-winning, schoolwide advisory curriculum applies a SEL framework to understanding complex issues that face our communities, including racism, sexual harassment and assault, and repairing harm through restorative justice, with an emphasis on validating students’ experiences of oppression and encouraging students to use their voice for social justice. The ultimate goal is for all students to feel a sense of ownership over their learning, school culture, and develop respectful, trusting relationships with each other and adults.
2 years
minimum amount of arts classes GHS students take to balance their core academic load
100
hours of community service across all four years of high school required for graduation
91%
of Gateway alumni report they felt “prepared” or “very prepared” for the rigor of college
68%
of BIPOC students take at least one AP class before graduating (compared to 20% nationwide)
Explore More Academics
Find more details about our academic program and graduation requirements:
