Intel is proud to name Bergen County Academies as the Star Innovator among the six winners of the "Intel Schools of Distinction" awards. This high school in Hackensack, New Jersey was chosen among hundred of applicants who entered the competition.

"The 2007 Schools of Distinction winners all serve as models of excellence in math and science education that show other schools how they can reinvigorate their own programs," said Craig Barrett, Intel's Chairman of the Board. "The Bergen County Academies, this year's Star Innovator, excels at integrating math and science throughout the curriculum, making their relevance clear to students and encouraging remarkable achievement."

Bergen County Academies earned the Star Innovator award for the way it integrates mathematics, science, and technology throughout its secondary school curriculum and for its outreach to the community and local companies. Star Innovator schools also demonstrate a high level of technology in education, professional development and teamwork, and consistent achievement of high academic standards.

Students are not taught mathematics theory in a vacuum, for example, but experience learning through inquiry-based, hands-on activities designed to capture their interest and provide a springboard for provocative questioning. This fosters students' appreciation for what math can do in the world today. For instance, students are challenged to use their mathematical skills as they compete in an intra-class bridge building contest, in designing and building robots, or in the design of quality-of-life improvements for students in their sister school housing handicapped students.

School leaders recruit and hire mostly "alternative route" teachers, who have used mathematics in their professions. In addition to the traditional professional development models, they create teacher teams in which an experienced teacher mentors a less experienced one. Bergen County Academies also employs "Lesson-Study," where groups of teachers identify a common problem area in student achievement and craft a series of potential solutions to it.

Bergen County Academies receives the full benefit of advanced technology in the classroom. They partner with universities and businesses to align with today's real-world application of mathematics. "Students appreciate the power and beauty of mathematics and understand that it is an essential tool that can be used to understand and improve the world in which they live," said Daniel Jaye, Bergen County Academies' Principal and Director.