This school has loads of character and history the community is great and the kids in the school are so friendly
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Posted by a parent on 09/01/09
Columbia has changed greatly in the past 3-4 years, because when I started there it was very chaotic especially when a lot of freshman had study halls. But I have seen the change in the amount of people wandering the hall the now lack of distraction to enhance the educational learning experience. A lot
... Read more of the honor and ap classes are not as diverse but there are plenty of educators that are willing to teach at the level, because the teachers care about what happens to there students. Coming into this community from a non-diverse to this one really opened my eyes to see how everyone is a very cohesive unit and involve everyone in intellectual conversation and sharing of ideas. At the moment the principal leadership is at average, but it should be raised because we have three great principals that kept well run school Read less
Posted by a student on 03/07/09
yes there is a lot of student involvment in this school but if you aren't a honor or an AP student then the quality of the education really diminishes. Some of the classes are too big and I think the majority of the staff is too based on disipline rather than education.
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Posted by a parent on 01/31/08
With the new acting principal (who has an ivy doctorate and is much loved by the students), the school has had a calm, productive year. The parent community, joined by students, has formed a large and energetic group dedicated to painting and fixing up the school and the building is beginning to look
... Read more good after a number of big painting sessions. The music, musical theatre, drama, and arts in general continue to be extraordinary. The teachers' contract has been settled, and some new and enthusiastic teachers have been added to the already strong teaching staff. There is pressure from the student and parent community to expand access to the extensive choice of AP classes, as there are now so many qualified students. So, it appears that things are looking up. Read less
Posted by a parent on 04/09/07
Columbia is a vibrant, diverse school that refects the surrounding community of politically active, accomplished and creative citizens. This means that conflict occurs, voices are heard and the system is challenged. Aside from adult inflamatory actions which have taken advantage of the student body
... Read more in recent years, the level of conversation and debate in the school has been a positive thing for both of my kids. Seniors who graduate from CHS are prepared for life in a much more practical way than they would be at more protective schools that only emphasize test scores. Many graduates attend top notch schools, many teachers go way beyond the call of duty and many parents agree that they are thrilled to have their kids at CHS! Read less
Posted by a parent on 11/14/06
The quality of the academic program is great if your child is a non-minority honor student. The teachers are outstanding but morale is extremely low. They have been working without a contract and the administration treats them very poorly. For extremely talented students the music program is great.
... Read more Sports are competitive and the number of activities is high. Parental involvement is moderate to high. Right now the climate of the school is volatile. There have been student walkouts and protests. Great diversity in the student population but way too many students. Guidance counselors are overwhelmed with caseloads exceeding 250 students. Freshman failure rate is a very serious issue that I have not seen addressed. This school badly needs some restructuring from the top down. It has a lot to offer and is at a turning point now. Either it will take a turn for the better or continue to deteriorate. Read less
Posted by a parent on 04/26/06
Inspite of the principals insistance that there are not 2 schools, merely children who want to learn vs children who do not want to learn - the atmosphere in Level 3 is not conducive to learning, even for the children who want to learn. Unless your child is already achieving, CHS is not the place for
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Posted by a parent on 04/21/06
I was eager to attend Columbia but when I got there I was disapointed. Some of the teachers are not great teachers and some of the staff discriminate against certain students.
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Posted by a student on 12/09/05
school system is very good there. the teachers take their time to teach and leave the school knowing that you have learned something.
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* In 2007-2008 New Jersey used the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) to test students in grade 11 in language arts literacy, math and science. The HSPA is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of New Jersey. Students are required to pass the HSPA in order to graduate. The goal is for all students to score at or above the proficient level.
Student enrollment:
1,900
Students per teacher:
12
Full-time teachers:
157
Number of classrooms:
85
Vocational Education
Accounting, Auto Mechanics, Culinary Arts, Drafting, Health, Keyboarding/Typing, Phys Ed, Word Processing
*The resources listed are programs that the institution is staffed to support. Staffing for a program does not guarantee that it will be offered. This content is provided by the institution and may be incomplete. The institution may offer programs not listed here. Please contact the school directly for additional details.
Advanced Placement
AP classes are college-level classes offered at the high school level. Once a student completes an AP class and passes a final comprehensive examination conducted by the College Board, the student earns college credit for the course. AP classes are specific and not to be confused with other higher-level classes such as honors classes.
Before/After School
"Extended day" programs where the school day is extended before and after school to accommodate working parents. These programs should not be confused with common after school clubs or athletic activities.
Gifted and Talented
A school system may identify 10% to 15% or more of its student population as gifted and talented. A brief description of each area of giftedness or talent as defined by the Office of Gifted and Talented:
general intellectual ability or talent - high intelligence test score (usually two standard deviations above the mean), and high levels of vocabulary, memory, abstract work knowledge and abstract reasoning;
specific academic aptitude or talent in one area such as mathematics or language arts;
creative and productive thinking, the ability to produce new ideas;
leadership ability, the ability to direct individuals or groups to a common decision or action;
visual and performing arts, special talents in visual art, music, dance, drama, or other related studies;
psychomotor ability, such as practical, spatial, mechanical, and physical skills.
Vocation/Technical Curriculum
Vocational and/or technical courses offered within a comprehensive school, usually a senior high school.
Special Education Classes
A school or program within a school that provides services and training to students with moderate to severe mental and/or physical disabilities.
Adult Education Classes
Programs offering GED or equivalent courses for adults within regular schools, whether classes are held during evening or daytime schedules.
English as Second Language
English language classes for students whose first language is not English.
Maplewood schools — Columbia High School is located at 17 Parker Ave, Maplewood NJ 07040. 17 Parker Ave is in the 07040 ZIP code in Maplewood, NJ The school district for Columbia High School is the South Orange Maplewood Sd. Columbia High School is a Public school that serves grade levels 9 - 12.
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Test Score Ratings
Test score ratings are based on the most recent standardized test results reported by this state. These ratings may help
you compare similar schools in this district or area. For example, a rating of 8 indicates that, on average, students in
this school scored better than 70% of the students in the state on the same tests. We have indicated below which tests
were used in calculating these ratings. Other factors should be considered when comparing schools, including teacher
experience, academic programs, extracurricular activities, resources for special needs students, etc. These ratings are
not provided by the state Department of Education, which may have their own rating systems.
