Nova High School

Coordinates: 26°04′33″N 80°14′14″W / 26.0759°N 80.2372°W / 26.0759; -80.2372
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nova High School
Aerial view, October 2023
Address
Map
3600 College Avenue

,
33314

Information
School typePublic high school Public Secondary
MottoWe do the right thing
Established1960
FounderFord
School boardBCPS
School districtBroward County Public Schools
SuperintendentDr. Peter B. Licata
School number1281
School code1281
PrincipalOlayemi Awofadeju
Head of schoolOlayemi Awofadeju
Staffapprox. 110
Facultylargest number of National Board certified teachers in the district
Teaching staff86.00 (FTE)[1]
Grades9-12
Age range14–19
Enrollment2,279 (2021-22)[2]
Classesblock schedule classes #1-4 on green day and classes #5-8 on gold day
Average class size23
Student to teacher ratio25.86[1]
Classes offeredAll Advanced Placement classes plus elective and core classes
LanguageEnglish
Campus sizeCurrent holding of 5,000 students daily
Campus typeSuburban
Color(s)Green & gold
   
SloganAt Nova, we do the right thing.
AthleticsPat McQuaid
Athletics conferenceBroward County Athletic Association (District 5A)
SportsAll FHSAA Sports
MascotTitan & NT
Team nameTitans
RivalSt. Thomas Aquinas High School Western High School
National ranking527
NewspaperTitan Times
YearbookOlympian
Feeder schoolsNova Middle School
AffiliationFHSAA
Debate CoachCourtney Chipman
Student Government Association Sponsor (SGA)Taha Malik free_label2 = Cybersecurity Department
Athletic DirectorPat McQuaid
Drama ThespiansTroupe 4611
Director of BandsJoshua P. Bishop
WebsiteNHS Official Site

Nova High School is a public high school located in Davie, Florida and is part of the Broward County Public Schools district. It is one of four schools that comprise the Nova Center for Applied Research and Professional Development, the others being Nova Eisenhower Elementary School, Nova Blanche Forman Elementary School, and Nova Middle School. Nova Eisenhower Elementary, the newest of the three lower schools, began in downtown Fort Lauderdale, in the old Fort Lauderdale High School building, while the current facility was being built in Davie.

The Nova campus is located within the South Florida Education Center, a consortium of area institutions which include the main campuses of Nova Southeastern University, Broward College, and the McFatter Technical Center, as well as regional campuses of the University of Florida and Florida Atlantic University. The school has been named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence,[3] and has earned a FCAT school grade of "A" every year since 1999, with only one "B" grade in the 2002–2003 year.[4]

History[edit]

Nova High School was established in 1960, and opened in September 1963, as a joint project between the Broward County Public Schools and Ford Foundation. Known as the Nova Educational Experiment, the project aimed to create a community of schools spanning elementary to university level education in one location. Forman Field, the 545-acre site of a vacated naval aviation facility and located in the then rural areas of Broward County was chosen as the site for the project.[5]

The Nova schools were originally jointly funded by the Ford Foundation and local sources, and were known for their progressive curricula and use of experimental teaching methods. Students were required to pass an entrance exam for acceptance and a lengthy waiting list often existed for potential students. The school year consisted of eleven months of instruction, with a one-month summer break.

Nova was the beta testing site for "Propaganda" and a number of other academic games. The earliest national academic games tournaments were held on the Nova campus during the late 1960s.

After the Nova Educational Experiment ended in the 1970s, the Ford Foundation departed and total control of the Nova schools reverted to the Broward County Public Schools. Entrance requirements were relaxed, however, as of 1985, placement on a waiting list for entry into the schools was still required.

During the 1980s, the schools' special status had begun to chafe within the workings of the school board. School board movements to close or consolidate the schools resulted in heated contention between parents, students and the board, often accompanied by noisy public meetings.

The Nova schools have consistently ranked at the very top of schools in the state. Nova High School was ranked as the 237th best public high school in the United States, 36th best in Florida, by Newsweek Magazine in 2007 and is listed as a Silver Medal School by the U.S. News & World Report in 2008, placing it within the top 3% of all high schools in the country.[6][7]

Nova High School is also well known for its extensive course offerings, including 22 Advanced Placement courses. Nova graduates consistently matriculate to some of the finest colleges and universities in Florida and throughout the country.

Demographics and statistics[edit]

As of the 2021-22 school year, the total student enrollment was 2,279. The ethnic makeup of the school was 31.6% White, 59% Black, 21.6% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 3.2% Multiracial, 0.9% Native American or Native Alaskan, and 0.3% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.[2]

Nova High School was awarded a grade of "A" by the Florida Department of Education in 2002–2003, 2004–2013. On the 2007 norm-referenced Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), Nova students performed nationally at the 75th percentile in reading and 82nd percentile in math. Nova faculty have, on average, 12 years of teaching experience and 49% hold advanced degrees. Average class size is 25 and the student stability rate is 97%.[8]

County-sanctioned athletic programs[edit]

Debate team[edit]

Members of the Nova High School speech and debate team have won nine National Championships since the year 2000: Jeff Hannan in Student Congress (2000),[9] Scott Jacobson in Student Congress (2002),[10] Matt Futch in Student Congress (2004),[11] Allison Pena in Extemp Commentary (2007),[12] Jared Odessky in Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking and Jamaque Newberry in Dramatic Interpretation (2011),[13] Gregory Bernstein in Congressional Debate (2013),[14] Craig Heyne in Prose Reading (2016),[15] and the team of Cornelia Fraser and Rafey Khan in Public Forum Debate (2017).[16]

Baseball team[edit]

Coach Pat McQuaid has led the Nova Titans baseball team for 42 years.[citation needed] To honor the coach's service to the school, the baseball field was named Pat McQuaid Field. Recent accomplishments include state championships in 2004 and 2005. In each of those years, the Titans were ranked #1 in the nation by both Baseball America and Collegiate Baseball. In April 2010, Coach McQuaid was inducted into the F.H.S.A.A. (Florida High School Athletic Association) Hall of Fame for his lifelong contribution to coaching high school baseball in the State of Florida.[citation needed]

Former Nova High School players to see game time with a Major League Baseball team include Doug Johns (Baltimore Orioles and Oakland Athletics), Harry Chappas (Chicago White Sox), Michael Morse (San Francisco Giants), Jeff Fiorentino (Baltimore Orioles), Anthony Swarzak (Minnesota Twins), and Tyler Kinley (Colorado Rockies).

Swim, dive, and water polo teams[edit]

Since 1968, Nova High School's Swim, Dive, and Water Polo Teams have earned 1 National Record, 1 National Champion, 183 All-Americans, 8 National Scholar Team Awards, 7 Team State Championships (12-Time Runner-up), and 58 Individual State Titles. From 2006 to 2015.[citation needed]

Drama club[edit]

Nova High School's Drama Club has participated in the Florida State Thespian Festival and received Excellents, Superiors, honorable mentions, and critics choice.[citation needed] The Weight of Words is an anti-bullying show written by Nova High students and the Lovewell Institute, and performed throughout Florida by current students enrolled in the acting class. This play is a "call for action" for all audience members that will transform any audience into agents of change. The Weight of Words is becoming widely known and is now being performed in other states and schools.[citation needed]

Notable alumni[edit]

Entertainment[edit]

News[edit]

Athletics[edit]

Football

Baseball

Basketball

Soccer

Other[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "NOVA HIGH SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "2021-22 BENCHMARK DAY ENROLLMENT REPORT" (PDF). Broward County Public Schools. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  3. ^ "Archived: Blue Ribbon Schools Program, Schools Recognized 1982–1983 Through 1999–2002 (PDF)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2009. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
  4. ^ "FCAT School Grades – High". Browardschools.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2004. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
  5. ^ http://grove.ufl.edu/~turf/flrec/history.html[dead link]
  6. ^ "America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com". Newsweek. Archived from the original on December 1, 2007.
  7. ^ Best High Schools Search – U.S. News & World Report
  8. ^ "Nova High School – Davie, Florida – FL – school overview". Greatschools.net. September 7, 2010. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
  9. ^ "Rostrum 75.1" (PDF). National Speech and Debate Association. p. 35.
  10. ^ "Rostrum 77.1" (PDF). National Speech and Debate Association. p. 55.
  11. ^ "Rostrum 79.1" (PDF). National Speech and Debate Association. p. 74.
  12. ^ "Rostrum 82.1" (PDF). National Speech and Debate Association. p. 45.
  13. ^ "Rostrum 86.1" (PDF). National Speech and Debate Association. pp. 59–60.
  14. ^ "Rostrum 88.1" (PDF). National Speech and Debate Association. p. 65.
  15. ^ "Rostrum 91.1". National Speech and Debate Association. p. 98.
  16. ^ "Rostrum 91.5". National Speech and Debate Association. p. 17.
  17. ^ "Columnist who broke NSA leaks story grew up in Lauderdale Lakes | Miami Herald". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on November 5, 2020.
  18. ^ "Texarkana Gazette honored with 37 journalism awards". Texarkana Gazette. July 25, 2008. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  19. ^ "Netterstrom among APME award winners". Arkansas Press Women. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  20. ^ "2010-2011 APME Awards" (PDF). Associated Press. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  21. ^ "2012-Texas-APME-Awards-List". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  22. ^ "Gazette Wins Awards North and East Texas Press Association". Texarkana Gazette. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  23. ^ "Gazette wins 3 awards in journalist competition Society of Professional Journalist". Texarkana Gazette. September 2, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  24. ^ Cava, Pete (October 2, 2015). Indiana-Born Major League Baseball Players: A Biographical Dictionary, 1871-2014. McFarland. p. 100. ISBN 978-1-4766-2270-5. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  25. ^ Rodriguez, Juan C. (June 8, 2013). "Miami Marlins pick Barry University and Nova High School product Tyler Kinley in 16th round". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  26. ^ "Brief bio of Kevyn Orr".

External links[edit]

26°04′33″N 80°14′14″W / 26.0759°N 80.2372°W / 26.0759; -80.2372