0. ACPS Participation in Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Adele C. Morris
Chair
Talented and Gifted Advisory Committee
Alexandria City Public Schools School Board
June 4, 2013

1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ)
Public high school, founded in 1985
Funded by participating jurisdictions and state funds
Administered by Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)

2. Virginia Governor’s Schools
TJ is the only Academic Year Governor’s School available to ACPS. Governor's Schools give gifted students opportunities beyond those at their home schools.
VDOE: Governor’s Schools are “designed to assist divisions as they meet the needs of a small population of students whose learning levels are remarkably different from their age-level peers.”
Approaches center on best practices in gifted education.

3. TJ Location: 3 miles from the City of Alexandria
6560 Braddock Rd,
Alexandria, VA
Braddock Road

4. All jurisdictions surrounding the City of Alexandria participate in TJHSST.
City of Falls Church and Counties of Fairfax,
Arlington, Loudon, and
Prince William participate.
20% of TJHSST students come from outside Fairfax County TJ

5. What would “participation” mean?
Annual contract with Fairfax County Public Schools, signed by ACPS Superintendent.
Contract for participation in is due June 28, You could ask Dr. Sherman to request an extension.
Would allow 8th grade students living in the City of Alexandria (including home and private school students) to apply this fall for entrance in 9th grade.
ACPS compensates FCPS for educating City of Alexandria residents who attend TJ.

6. TJHSST Participation: Estimated Maximum Enrollment Scenario
Academic Year
Estimated Tuition Per Student ($)
Estimated Renovation Fee Per Student ($)
Est. Total Per Student ($)
Est. Maximum Number of Students from Alexandria
Total Estimated Compensation to FCPS ($)
13,237
1,847
15,084 14
211,172
13,634
15,481 27
417,983
14,043
15,890 40
635,594
14,464
16,311 53
864,490
Assumes:
Every ACPS freshman slot filled & one sophomore admission in 2014
Current relative enrollment levels in ACPS and participating jurisdictions
Annual tuition increase of 3%, starting from estimated tuition.
Amortized (not lump sum) renovation fee option
FCPS does not provide transportation for Alexandria students
A separate cost would accrue if ACPS chooses to offer transport.

7. How is TJ different from a typical high school?
“Blows off the ceiling” in science, technology, engineering, and math
Advanced STEM-centric learning environment
e.g. Two DNA classes, quantum mechanics, numerical analysis, robotics
Focus on research, including mentoring by scientists and engineers in area laboratories
Extracurricular activities for STEM enthusiasts, e.g.
Clubs for robotics and nanotechnology
Biology and Chemistry Olympiads
Physics team
Women’s science clubs
A math team
3 computer teams

8. Ranked 4th
“Best High
School”
In the US,
2013

9. Highly advanced lab facilities, such as:
Prototyping lab w/ computer- controlled laser cutter
Labs for supercomputer, computer modeling, computer architecture, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
Lab for neurorobotics, electrophysiology, and neuroinformatics.
Computer-aided design lab with latest design software.
Optics lab with a scanning tunneling microscope and several lasers.

10. What’s the process/schedule for participation?
Illustrative Timeline
Date/Deadline
Action
May 17, 2013
Dr. Sherman received a FCPS letter inviting ACPS participation in TJHSST in academic year.
June 4, 2013
Tonight’s briefing
June 6-20, 2013
Further discussion/vote at ACPS School Board meeting(s).
June 28, 2013
Participation contract due to FCPS (unless ACPS gets an extension).
Fall 2013
Interested 8th grade students apply to TJHSST and take entrance exam. Applications are due in October. Entrance exam is in December.
Spring 2014
ACPS adopts a budget for the fiscal year that includes estimated funds for TJHSST costs.
March 29, 2014
Approximate date applicants learn whether they are accepted
Sept. 2, 2014
First group of ACPS students matriculate at TJHSST
December 1, 2014
First year payment due from ACPS to FCPS

11. Advisory Committee Recommendations
Embrace the opportunity to blow off the ceiling. Offer students this incredible option.
If you need more time to deliberate, ask Dr. Sherman to request an extension from FCPS.
Take a tour of TJ and talk to students and teachers.
Vote YES to participate in TJHSST.
Offer an entrance test prep class, subsidized for students eligible for free/reduced price meals.

12. Extra slides

13. TJ Renovation Underway Now
$90+ million
50% increase in space with no more students
130,000 sq. ft. addition, including new labs for oceanography, chemical analysis, neuroscience, energy systems, and more.

14. How does FCPS determine the maximum cap on attendance by City of Alexandria students?
Total TJHSST incoming class size = 480.
ACPS cap = 480 x Number of 8th graders in ACPS Number of 8th graders in all participating jurisdictions
ACPS cap would be about 13 per class year
Alexandria students would comprise at most 2.9% of TJHSST’s student body
13 students = about 1.7% of ACPS’ 8th grade student body  
You can choose a lower cap (but no other jurisdictions do that).
Sophomores can apply if you allow it ( for about 10 to 18 10th grade slots total each year)
Actual enrollment will depend on how many get in…

15. How competitive is admission to TJHSST?
Very competitive.
Application requires an entrance exam. Semi-finalists submit teacher recommendations, grades, essay.
Applicants must have completed Algebra 1 by the end of 8th grade.
Last year 3,423 students applied and 480 were accepted, an acceptance rate of about 14%.
Arlington had 160 applicants for 30 slots, a 19% acceptance rate.
Students do well once they’re in.
Less than 4% leave TJ (for all reasons) from freshman to sophomore year
About 93% stay at TJ and graduate

16. Other Considerations
Currently, some families avoid Alexandria to preserve their option for TJ.
Participation in TJ would send a welcoming message to high achieving families.
STEMbassadors program brings TJ students back to home districts for STEM outreach to younger ACPS students.
FCPS trains designated middle school counselors to shepherd students through the admissions process.
ACPS can offer an admissions test or send students to FCPS for the exam.

17. Financial Details and Considerations
ACPS compensates FCPS for any Individualized Education Plan services.
ACPS cannot charge parents tuition.
ACPS can establish a scholarship fund to defray its expenses.
Less than 8% of TJ students come from private/home schools.
Some savings could arise from not serving students in ACPS schools.
Average general education cost per pupil in ACPS in FY 12 = $14,267.
All participating jurisdictions currently provide transportation.

18. How does FCPS calculate tuition?
Tuition has 4 components:
Component
Actual
Estimated
FCPS Cost Per Pupil
$ ,160
$ ,285
Incremental Cost Per Pupil for TJHSST
$ ,898
$ ,988
State payment
(20% of state aid per pupil)
$ (874)
$ (874)
Discount for FCPS not providing transport
$ (548)
$ (548)
Total Tuition per Student
$ ,636
$ ,851
Tuition rises each year with FCPS general education (high school) cost per pupil.
The rise from to will be less than 1%.
The rise from to was about 5.8%.
Earlier slide assumes 3% annual increase in tuition.

19. What is the renovation recovery fee?
Under the current FCPS proposal, ACPS would have two choices to fund the costs of the renovation:
Option 1 $1,847 Per Pupil Paid Annually for 33 Years
Option 2 $2,469 Per Pupil x 20 Years, Lump Sum Payment
The actual fee could be different than values above if actual renovation costs are different than projected.
Once the renovation is done, the capital fee will not increase.

20. What is the difference between TJHSST and a STEM Academy?
The Virginia Dept. of Education calls Academic Year Governor’s Schools and STEM academies “complements.”
3 out of the 5 TJ-participating jurisdictions also have STEM academies
The two approaches serve different populations of students.
STEM academy goals usually include:
Workplace readiness
Head start on a community college credential
Training for skilled technical trades, such as automotive tech, medical tech, electronics
Dropout prevention, increase college attendance, decrease need for remediation in college
STEM academies and TJHSST are both valuable ways to promote individual student achievement in STEM fields, but they serve very different purposes.

21. What input would ACPS have into the governance of TJHSST?
According to the contract, superintendents and/or their designees can serve as an advisory board to the Division Superintendent of the Fairfax County Public Schools.
ACPS teachers can help review admissions applications.
Parents and students can join the active TJHSST Parent Teacher Student Association.
Precedent: ACPS sends students to specialized schools that serve the deaf or disabled and does not have a representative on those schools’ boards.