what is the honors program?

There are no separate Honors and Regular classes at Schools of the Sacred Heart. Instead, we offer an Honors Program, which is an individualized course of study that allows students to explore a topic of interest and to demonstrate their understanding through an authentic, research-based capstone project. Students who enroll in the Honors Program are additionally expected to demonstrate behaviors that are aligned to the following standards: academic integrity, active learning, global learning, and growth mindset. Students who successfully complete the capstone curriculum and who adhere to the Honors Standards in all of their academic courses are awarded the following at the end of the year: Honors credit in their core classes, weighted grade point average (G.P.A.) boost for those courses, and Honors distinction at Prizes.

why should a student enroll in the honors program?

The Honors Program was designed and is administered by a cross-curricular team of teachers to create meaningful differentiation of Honors-credit work and to provide a uniform and clear set of Honors expectations rooted in the Goals of Sacred Heart education. The Honors Program is designed and continually upgraded in accordance with 21st century skills and competencies that align to the characteristics that elite universities and college scholarship committees want to see in their applicants. Colleges today are looking for applicants who can show more than a high G.P.A. or test scores. They want to see students who are independent researchers, empathetic global citizens, critical thinkers, and effective communicators, and the Honors Program curriculum is scaffolded from eighth through twelfth grades to achieve these goals so that our students have strong portfolios of personal learning and community service to include in their college applications.

who is eligible to participate?

All students are eligible to participate in the Honors Program every year. If students do not maintain Honors academic behaviors or do not meet benchmarks in their capstone work, then they are referred for an Honors appeal hearing to determine their Honors credit eligibility.

Eighth graders are automatically enrolled in the Honors Program during their first semester and at midterm have the option to drop or choose to continue in the Program. Otherwise, students need only to request Honors during the course selection process, which typically happens at the end of the year.

what about advanced coursework, ap classes, and dual enrollment?

Students in the Honors Program are still able to take accelerated tracks in courses like math if they demonstrate a strong aptitude in that area. They also still have access to Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Enrollment (DE) courses. The Honors Program is entirely separate from these tracks, and Honors credit and distinction are based solely on a student’s performance in the Honors Program.

Recent Honors Achievements