Comprehensive high schools are the most popular form of public high schools around the world, designed to provide a well-rounded education to its students, as opposed to the practice in some places in which examinations are used to sort students into different high schools for different populations. Other types of high schools specialize in university-preparatory school academic preparation, remedial instruction , or vocational instruction . The typical comprehensive high school offers more than one course program of specialization to its students. Comprehensive high schools generally offer a college preparatory course program and one or more foreign language, scientific or vocational course programs.
40-588: Ridge High School is a four-year comprehensive community public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from Bernards Township in Somerset County , in the U.S. state of New Jersey , operating as the lone secondary school of the Bernards Township School District . As of the 2022–23 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,682 students and 147.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for
80-537: A student–teacher ratio of 11.4:1. There were 15 students (0.9% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 8 (0.5% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch. As of 2021, the racial breakdown consists of White (60.9%), Asian (28.3%), Hispanic (6.6%), two or more races (3.4%) and African American (0.8%). Students in Bernards Township had attended Bernardsville High School dating back to 1927. When Bernardsville became an independent municipality in 1924,
120-758: A scoreless tie after regulation and two overtime periods. The girls' field hockey team won the North II Group III state sectional championship in 2005. In 2007, the girls cross country team finished third in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions, and finished sixth at the Northeast Nike Team Regional Championships . The next year, the team finished #2 in the Meet of Champions and won the Section 2 Group 4 Championships and
160-465: A standalone high school in Bernards Township that would accommodate up to 670 students and be constructed at a cost of $ 1.5 million (equivalent to $ 15.7 million in 2023). The 60 acres (24 ha) of land on which the high school sits was donated by George Ludlow Lee Sr. , who was the owner and chairman of the board of Red Devil, Inc. The school's team nickname, the Red Devils, derived from
200-709: Is Russel Lazovick. Core members of the school's administration include the three assistant principals. Comprehensive high school The tracking system is a way to group students into different class levels based on their academic abilities in comprehensive high school. For example, the English course is a mandatory course for all students; there are four tracks: gifted, advanced, average, and remedial. This tracking system allows teachers to guide students more efficiently with customized learning needs and speeds and make sure students match courses with their ability levels. However, it also brings equity problems that reinforce
240-541: Is important to incorporate digital learning tools and personalized education plans, which allow a more equitable education system and ensure all students can access high-quality education. This article relating to education in the United States is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . New Jersey Monthly New Jersey Monthly is an American monthly magazine featuring issues of possible interest to residents of New Jersey . The magazine
280-410: Is more likely to happen bullying issues, and schools in low-income areas tend to have bullying in school. The future of comprehensive high schools may involve reforms that deal with the limitations of the current tracking systems. By reducing the hierarchy of tracks and implementing more flexible courses, comprehensive high schools will be more supportive of students from diverse backgrounds. Also, it
320-718: The Big Central Football Conference , which includes 60 public and private high schools in Hunterdon, Middlesex , Somerset, Union and Warren counties, which are broken down into 10 divisions by size and location. The school was classified by the NJSIAA as Group IV North for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 893 to 1,315 students. The baseball team won the Group II state championship in 1987 (against runner-up Hackettstown High School in
360-584: The National Scholastic Indoor Championships , the boys track team set a national high school record with a time of 9:53.40 in the distance medley relay . In 2023, the boys' tennis team won the Group IV state championship, the program's first, with a 4-1 victory in the finals against Cherry Hill High School East . The Ridge High School Forensics Team (speech and debate) has had numerous national champions. They have won
400-495: The 2009 New Jersey Interscholastic Ski Racing Association (NJISRA) overall state championship. The boys' lacrosse team won the Group III state championship in 2010 (defeating West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North in the tournament final) and the Group IV title in 2013 (vs. Southern Regional High School ); the team won the 2013 Tournament of Champions vs. Don Bosco Preparatory High School . The Ridge girls' golf team won
440-555: The 2015 Tournament of Champions , 26 strokes ahead of Red Bank Catholic High School in second place, marking the team's fifth consecutive state championship. The Ridge girls' volleyball team won the Group IV state championship in 2017, defeating Cherokee High School . The coach of the boys fencing team, Stephen Kovacs, was arrested in October 2021 on charges of sexual assault. He died in jail in January 15, 2022. In March 2022, at
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#1732794383585480-545: The Group 4 Championships. In 2009, the team got 6th place in the Meet of Champions; in 2010, they took home fourth, and in 2011 they placed 6th in both the Meet of Champions and the Nike Northeast Regional Qualifier. The boys' cross country team finished fourth in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions in 2006. The team finished sixth in the NJSIAA Meet of Champions in 2010. The ice hockey varsity team won
520-611: The NJSIAA for the 2019–20 school year as Group IV for most athletic competition purposes, which included schools with an enrollment of 1,060 to 5,049 students in that grade range. Interscholastic sports offered at Ridge include volleyball, baseball, ice hockey, football, fencing, basketball, cross country, soccer, gymnastics, cheerleading, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, ski racing, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, winter track, marching band, Special Olympics Unified Sports and wrestling. The football team competes in Division 5B of
560-1002: The New Jersey state tournament every year from 2001 to 2024 (except for 2020, when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic ). The Ridge Marching Band competes in the Fall season in the USBands and the New Jersey Marching Band Directors Association (NJMBDA) circuits. The marching band won its first NJ state championship in Group IIIA in 2015 with their program "Ridge in the City." The Marching Band placed 6th and 5th at USBands National Championships in 2012 and 2011, respectively. In 2012, despite being ranked 2nd going into National Championships,
600-557: The North II Group III championship in 2003 and the North II Group V title in 2013. The girls' track team won the Group II indoor relay state championship in 1987 and 2007 (as co-champion). The girls' soccer team won the Group II state championship in 1996 (vs. West Morris Mendham High School), won the Group III title in 2003 (vs. Colts Neck High School ) and was Group IV co-champion in 2015 and 2017 (with Freehold Township High School both years). A 4-1 win against Colts Neck gave
640-607: The Public A state championship in 2008, 2007 and 2019, won the McInnis Cup in 2004, 2005 and 2007-2009 The team won the Public A state championship in 2008, with a 5-0 over Watchung Hills Regional High School in the tournament final. In 2017, the team went on to win its second Public A state championship, defeating Watchung Hills by a score of 2-1 in the tournament final. The team won the 2019 Public B state championship defeating Randolph High School . The boy's varsity ski team won
680-748: The USBands National Championships in 2016, as well as winning caption awards for best overall effect and best percussion. The band has enjoyed many successes over recent years, most notably placing 1st in the USBands Yamaha Cup at MetLife Stadium in 2021 where they also swept all the caption awards. Despite performing in a torrential downpour, the band claimed 3rd place in Group IIA at the NJMBDA State Championships in 2023. The school's principal
720-420: The academic divisions in the education system. There are critics of the tracking system that it affects students placed on lower tracks by providing less challenging education, lowering their self-worth and self-esteem, which can restrict their potential academic achievement, personal growth, and future aspirations. Other than the comprehensive high school, there are many other types of high schools. Studies show
760-882: The band was unable to compete due to the damage in Basking Ridge from Hurricane Sandy . Prior to the creation of the USBands National Championships, the band placed 2nd at the USSBA Northern States Championships in 2005 and 2009, 3rd in 2008, and place in 2007. The now inactive Winter Guard has finished as high as 3rd in MAIN championships. Although the program no longer exists, the Indoor Percussion Ensemble placed 2nd at USBands Indoor Championships with its inaugural program in 2013 and won its first USBands Winter Standstill Percussion title in 2015. The marching band placed 2nd at
800-582: The company's logo, though the color was changed to green to avoid the red that was used by rival Bernardsville High School. The school opened with 21 classrooms for 500 students in grades 9-12 in September 1961, though some of the school facilities were not yet completed. Stephen Kovacs was appointed the Ridge High School head boys’ fencing coach in November 2019, for a salary of $ 8,542. He
840-400: The comprehensive high school. Other than studying the outcomes, researchers examined the bullying problem between these two types of high schools and revealed that students in career academy high schools experience less bullying than students in comprehensive high schools. The potential factors are the size of the school and income level. Comprehensive high schools are usually larger, which
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#1732794383585880-477: The difference in multiple aspects of the difference comparing comprehensive high schools and STEM-focused high schools or career academy high schools. In comparison with STEM -focused high schools , comprehensive high schools don't show a significant difference in providing STEM opportunities for students, which breaks people's assumption that specialized programs must offer more in that area. In comparison with career academy high schools , researchers compared
920-440: The fall and spring seasons. The school was the winner of the Group IV winner of the 2019-20 Shop Rite Cup. The girls tennis team won the Group II state championship in 1984 (defeating runner-up Millburn High School in the tournament's final round) and 2016 (vs. Bergen Tech ). The 2016 team defeated Princeton High School 4-1 in the semifinals before knocking off Bergen Tech 4-1 in the finals. The 1985 boys' soccer team finished
960-481: The finals), 2000 (vs. West Morris Mendham High School ) and 2002 (vs. Dumont High School ). The 2000 team finished the season with a record of 27-5 after winning the Group II state title with a 4-1 victory against Mendham in the championship game. The team has won the Somerset County Tournament in 1976, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1989, 2011 and 2022; the seven titles (through 2024) are the second-most in
1000-546: The mathematics (95.2%) and language arts literacy (98.0%) components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA). Ridge High School was ranked the 37th best high school in the United States and the 12th best in New Jersey by Newsweek in 2015. In its listing of "America's Best High Schools 2016", the school was ranked 71st out of 500 best high schools in the country. It was ranked 15th among all high schools in New Jersey and third among
1040-496: The new board of education was given ownership of the high school and Bernards Township students continued attendance at the school as part of a sending/receiving relationship . There were failed efforts in early 1959 to pass a referendum that would create a regional district for Bernardsville and Bernards Township, along with Bedminster Township , Far Hills and Peapack and Gladstone . By a more than 3-1 margin, voters approved an October 1959 referendum that would cover construction of
1080-498: The number of AP/IB courses available to students. The school was the 13th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology. The school had been ranked 9th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 12th in 2010 out of 322 schools listed. The magazine ranked
1120-424: The school 24th in 2008 out of 316 schools. Before that, the school was ranked 11th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which included 316 schools across the state. Schooldigger.com ranked the school 27th out of 381 public high schools statewide in its 2011 rankings (an increase of 1 position from the 2010 ranking) which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on
1160-485: The season with a 20-0-2 record, the state's only unbeaten team, after winning the Group II state championship, defeating Millburn High School by a score of 3-0 in the final game of the tournament. The wrestling team won the Central Jersey Group II state sectional title and the overall Group II state championship in 1986 The football team won the Central Jersey Group II state sectional title in 1987,
1200-714: The state's non-magnet schools. The Ridge High School Red Devils competes in the Skyland Conference , which is comprised of public and private high schools in Hunterdon , Somerset and Warren counties in Central Jersey . The conference operates under the jurisdiction of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). With 1,414 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by
1240-489: The students’ engagement in college and career readiness activities as an outcome of adopting students in future preparation. The researchers found that students in schools with high-level fidelity NAF (an organization aid to evaluate and improve schools) have higher engagement than students in comprehensive high school, while students in schools with low or medium fidelity in the NAF don't show a significant difference from students in
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1280-427: The team the Group III championship an undefeated 2003 season, leading the team to take the #3 national ranking with a 22-0 record. A scoreless tie after double overtime with Freehold Township gave the 2015 team a share of the Group IV title and a 23-0-1 record for the season. The 2017 team finished the season with a 18-4-2 record and was co-champion with Freehold Township High School after the Group IV title game ended in
1320-609: The tournament's history since it was established in 1973. The school was the winner of the 2014-15 ShopRite Cup for Group II, finishing with 68 points, one point ahead of Hunterdon Central Regional High School . The team repeated as winner of the Group II ShopRite Cup for 2015-16, behind first-place finishes in girls soccer, girls cross country and boys fencing. The school finished in second place in girls tennis and girls golf, third place in football and ice hockey, and earned bonus points for having no disqualifications in
1360-668: Was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education , the highest award an American school can receive. During the 2009-10 school year, Ridge High School was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence for a second time. In the 2011 "Ranking America's High Schools" issue by The Washington Post , the school was ranked 3rd in New Jersey and 220th nationwide. Ridge High School
1400-482: Was head coach through February 2021. A number of fencers on the school team attended the nearby Kaprica Fencing Academy, which Kovacs owned and where he was head coach. Kovacs was arrested in 2021 by detectives for allegedly sexually assaulting two teenage fencing students multiple times in 2020 and 2021; he died in Somerset County Jail in January 2022. During the 1986-87 school year, Ridge High School
1440-602: Was ranked 136th nationwide in 2008. The school was listed in 98th place, the second-highest ranked school in New Jersey in Newsweek 's 2007 list of the Top 1,200 Public High Schools in the United States. The school was listed in 116th place, the second-highest ranked school in New Jersey, in the 2006 issue. Ridge High School was ranked as Number 91 in Newsweek's 2005 survey, third-highest in the state for that year. Ridge High School
1480-465: Was ranked 140th in the nation and eighth in New Jersey on the list of "America's Best High Schools 2012" prepared by The Daily Beast / Newsweek , with rankings based primarily on graduation rate, matriculation rate for college and number of Advanced Placement / International Baccalaureate courses taken per student, with lesser factors based on average scores on the SAT / ACT , average AP/IB scores and
1520-412: Was ranked 194th, the second-highest in New Jersey, in Newsweek magazine's 2010 rankings of America's Best High Schools. The school was ranked 175th in Newsweek 's 2009 ranking of the top 1,500 high schools in the United States and was the third-ranked school in New Jersey, with 3.132 AP tests taken in 2008 per graduating senior and 50% of all graduating seniors passing at least one AP exam; The school
1560-540: Was started in 1976. It is based in Morristown . In addition to articles of general interest, the publication features occasional special subject issues covering and ranking high schools, lawyers, doctors and municipalities. It is a member of the City and Regional Magazine Association (CRMA). This New Jersey –related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This local interest magazine article
1600-466: Was the 9th-best public high school in 2012 as rated by the New Jersey Monthly magazine and was the 140th best high school in the United States as rated by Newsweek , being the top-rated comprehensive high school in New Jersey. In its 2013 report on "America's Best High Schools", The Daily Beast ranked the school 215th in the nation among participating public high schools and 16th overall (ninth among non- magnet schools ) in New Jersey. The school
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