Academics

About Our Programs

Academic programs at Binghamton High School offer a wide-ranging variety of paths and options based on the individual student's interests and abilities. With more than 60 different courses in the BHS course catalog, a full International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, BOCES vocational courses, pre-engineering courses and the Rod Serling School of Fine Arts, there's something for everyone.

For specific information on instruction within a grade level and subject area, please refer to our District Curriculum Maps.
 

International Baccalaureate Diploma Program

IB Head of School - Kevin Richman
Coordinator- James Gill

The Diploma Program was established at B.H.S. in 1997 to provide students with a balanced education, facilitate geographic and cultural mobility and to promote international understanding. 3,293 schools offer the DP, in 153 different countries worldwide.

Benefits of the IB Diploma Program
Intellectually inspire your child to think at a higher level and challenge college level material
Gain valuable and accepted college credits before graduating high school
IB Diploma classes create a small school environment within a large school setting.

Pathways to an IB Diploma- Open Access To All

Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature
IB ENGLISH: LANG. & LIT. SL / HL: (2 Year Course)
All 11th Grade English students take IB English A Language and Literature, SL, or HL

Group 2: Language Acquisition
IB SPANISH SL / HL: (2 Year Course)
IB FRENCH SL / HL: (2 Year Course)
IB MANDARIN SL / HL: (2 Year Course)

Group 3: Individuals and Societies
IB HISTORY OF THE AMERICAS HL: (2 Year Course)
IB PHILOSOPHY SL: (1 Year Course)
IB BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SL: (1 Year Course)

Group 4: Sciences
IB BIOLOGY SL / HL: (1 or 2 Year Course)
IB ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS AND SOCIETIES SL:
(1 Year Course)
IB CHEMISTRY SL / HL: 1 or 2 Year Course)

Group 5: Mathematics
IB Math Applications SL: (2 Year Course)
IB Math Analysis SL: (2 Year Course)

Group 6: The Arts
IB VISUAL ARTS SL / HL: (1 or 2 Year Course)
IB THEATRE SL / HL: (1 or 2 Year Course)
IB MUSIC SL / HL: (1 or 2 Year Course)

Full IB Diploma Requirements and Options

Full Diploma Requirements include -
Three core elements :
Theory of knowledge, in which students reflect on the nature of knowledge and on how we know what we claim to know.

The extended essay, which is an independent, self-directed piece of research, finishing with a 4,000-word paper.

Creativity, Activity, Service, in which students complete a project related to those three concepts.

Six subject groups: Studies in language and literature, Language acquisition, Individuals and societies, Sciences., Mathematics and The arts.

To gain credit, students/parents need to register for the IB exam between September and November 1st, online at www.TotalRegistration.net

International Baccalaureate Career-Related Program

Coordinator- Stephen McGovern

The IB Career-Related program promotes access to an IB education and satisfies a worldwide trend of demand for qualifications that combine academic with career-related achievement. It is a specially designed 2-year framework with a core that recognizes and emphasizes the IB values, missions and needs of career-related students.

Career Program Certificate 

Pick 1 of 3 BHS Pathways:
• Project Lead the Way
• Business and Finance
• General Business

CP Core, Covered in the Personal and Professional Skills class:
• Service Learning
• Language Development
• Reflective Project
• DP courses: at least 2 courses

Advanced Placement Courses

 
The Advanced Placement program is open to any student seeking a challenging academic program. The student will be prepared to take the AP Examination in the spring for college credit. More than 2,900 universities and colleges worldwide grant credit, advanced placement, or both to students who have performed satisfactorily on the exams, and approximately 1,400 institutions grant sophomore standing to students who have demonstrated competency in three or more of these exams.

BHS offers the following Advanced Placement courses, based on student enrollment and teacher availability:

English 10, Studio Art, Calculus, European History

Students may challenge the AP exam in the following courses:
 
English Literature and Composition, Art History, U.S. History, Biology, Physics B, Calculus

Students who take AP courses must pay for examinations by during the first week in March. The fee for each examination is approximately $86.00.

Rod Serling School of Fine Arts

Rod Serling School of Fine Arts Margaret McGarry, Director - 762-8245

The Rod Serling School of Fine Arts at Binghamton High School, named for famed author Rod Serling, a '43 graduate of Binghamt on Central High School, opened in 1995. Since then, the School has averaged over 300 Fine Arts students per year, functioning as a magnet Fine Arts curriculum within the confines of a normal heterogeneous high school. It is thus unique among magnet secondary Fine Arts programs.
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A student at the Rod Serling School of Fine Arts can major in any of the following four areas: the Visual Arts, Music, Theatre, and Dance. Within these areas, students can concentrate on individual interests and gear their study to those interests. For example, in the Visual Arts, students can concentrate in any of three areas: Drawing and Painting, Photography and Media, or Ceramic and Sculpture. In Music, there are concentrations in Vocal Music, Instrumental Music, and Music Theory/Composition. Theatre majors can specialize in Stage, Drama, or the Musical Theatre. While there are no specific concentrations in Dance, the Dance program touches upon every genre (Ballet, Modern, Jazz, and Ethnic Dancing).

Currently, the Visual Arts, Dance, Drama and the Music Department also offers the International Baccalaureate Program in their respective disciplines. Since its inception, it has become a model for Fine Arts education within New York State and in many districts throughout the nation.
 

Project Lead the Way 

Project Lead the Way Project Lead the Way pre-engineering program is a five course sequence designed to help you explore technology related careers and to prepare you for two or four year college programs.

Each class uses state-of-the-art technology equipment and software and is taught in a laboratory setting that involves projects rather than lectures to learn the material. Classes focus on problem solving and encouraging students to work in teams. In many cases, students may actually earn college credit through special agreements with area colleges.

This program allows students to apply their math and science skills to real world problems. Students will have an opportunity to explore the broad field of engineering to help them make career decisions. It is better to find out in high school if this is an area of interest, rather than in college. The program is presented in a project oriented manner that encourages problem solving skills in a team centered approach similar to what students will be doing when they go to work in industry.

Students who complete this program will have a competitive advantage when they apply to college. For more information on the Project Lead the Way Program, please click here.
 
 

School of Business 

The School of Business offers several programs and pathways that Will prepare students for college or a career.
 
Students can choose to use this sequence of business classes through high school to help obtain their Regents Diploma by completing an “alternative pathway to graduation” - through one of our approved NYSED alternative Multiple Pathways in Accounting or General Business Management.
The School of Business offers each student:
 
• Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways in Accounting and Business Management
• IB Career Certification
• Six courses that earn FREE college credit (through Fast Forward Program at SUNY Broome)
• Opportunities to participate in the Greater Binghamton Scholastic Business Plan Competition
• College field trips
• Possible Work-Study experience and Company field trips
• Business Honor Society
• Business faculty with private sector business experience that work together to support all students in the School of Business
• Programs reviewed by a local business advisory board
• BHS - School Store