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Milton High School site council highlights growth, AP access and advisory supports
Summary
Milton High School leaders told the School Committee the high school has seen steady enrollment growth, offers 23–24 AP courses with open enrollment, provides PSAT/SAT during the school day to improve access, and runs a daily 26-minute advisory to support climate and transitions.
Milton High School administrators and site council members presented to the School Committee on Dec. 18, outlining academic results, new programs, and student-support systems the school is developing.
Principal Karen Cahill said the high school has seen a modest enrollment increase (about 40–45 students per year over the past several years) and highlighted strong College Board performance. Cahill noted the school achieved AP Gold status and is aiming for platinum by expanding AP access and college-credit opportunities.
The site council described curricular and co-curricular expansions: three unified courses (unified art, unified music, unified PE) to increase inclusion; Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition (a Brookline-originated program) to support students returning after hospitalization; and academic-strategies courses (now offered in seven periods) to support students who may need tiered academic supports. Cahill said the school offers 23–24 AP courses with open enrollment and expects students enrolled in AP to take the exam.
Testing access was a recurring theme. Administrators said the district offers the PSAT to all 10th and 11th graders during the school day and is considering offering the SAT school day to juniors to reduce access barriers. Site council members emphasized that offering tests during the school day removes the cost and scheduling burdens that can prevent students from participating.
On student supports, presenters described the advisory program, where each student is assigned to the same adviser for four years; the advisory period runs about 26 minutes daily and advisers typically oversee groups of about 17–18 students. The site council also highlighted student-led work on climate and inclusion ("Culture Cats"), community-service requirements (140 hours total, 35 per year), and efforts to smooth transitions from middle to high school through counselor outreach and a program-of-studies night.
Administrators acknowledged constraints: oversubscribed electives (some courses capped at 28–30 students), space limitations across the building and staff workspaces, and the need for additional staffing to expand popular programs.
The committee praised the presentation and said the high school’s work would inform district program-of-studies discussions in February.
