By Mario Boucher
Raleigh’s Athens Drive Magnet High School continues to excel after receiving the Dr. Ronald P. Simpson Magnet School of Merit Award of Excellence award, given by Magnet Schools of America to the top magnet school in the country, for its Center for Medical Science and Global Health Initiates in 2024. This year, Magnet Schools of America named this Athens Drive program a Top School of Excellence for its third year running. This is a school that clearly understands the assignment.
First things first. A magnet school is a public school with a specialized curriculum developed around a theme, educational approach or program of study. All students in the public school system are eligible for all magnet programs, with student selection being made by lottery when necessary to avoid overcrowding. The Magnet Schools of America awards are based on a school’s metrics in the five pillars of magnet schools: diversity, leadership, innovative curriculum and professional development, academic excellence, and community partnerships.
So what has made Athens Drive so successful? In a word, diversity. The school’s population offers unique knowledge and perspectives to find solutions to global issues. Athens Drive offers Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese, and two academies—the Health Science Career Academy and STEM Energy & Sustainability Academy.
“In receiving the award, we were spotlighted for our commitment to diversity, academic excellence, and innovative curriculum, and it was noted how authentic our students and staff are,” says Terrill Hartenstein, magnet and mentor coordinator at Athens Drive Magnet High School. “We were able to showcase how all students in our school engage in the curriculum, from our Extended Content students with special needs students to AP (Advanced Placement) students and how we capitalize on diversity to implement the theme and create a culture.”
Between them, the students at Athens Drive speak 50 languages, making diversity its greatest asset. “The way students appreciate and support students different from themselves is hard to describe but amazing to witness,” added Hartenstein. “We have some of the largest special education and multilingual learner populations in the school district, and they are integral parts of our school community and culture. There is sort of a ‘be yourself, love yourself, love others’ vibe.”
Spearheading Excellence for Over Four Decades
Since its opening in 1978, Athens Drive has been a pioneer in Wake County schools, featuring comprehensive curricular programs tailored to meet the needs of its diverse school population. As a data-driven learning community, it concentrates on evidence-based strategies for learning and teaching.
The average growth index (AGI) measures how well students have progressed academically over the previous year. Over the past three years, Athens Drive has produced an AGI of 6.98 from a baseline AGI of 1.32 in 2021. The College Board has identified Athens Drive as having earned a 2024 AP School Honor Roll distinction of Silver, reflecting desired AP participation and achievement levels, increasing participation and achievement rates of Black and Hispanic students in the process.
The school’s magnet vision exemplifies empathy in identifying and motivating students to improve medical science and global health issues. Students use STEM practices, critical thinking, communication and collaboration to produce solutions that enhance communities worldwide.
“We are committed to supporting students in becoming adults who desire and have the skills to improve and sustain life on this planet,” says Hartenstein. “Developing engaged and contributing members of a global community is the bedrock of our Medical Sciences and Global Health Initiatives theme—improving the health of people, animals and the planet.”
Community Partnership
Athens Drive is proud to have established several productive community partnerships, including the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, which provides professional development, curriculum design consultation and student enrichment experiences. A collaboration with The Well-Fed Community Garden offers students authentic horticulture, culinary and business experiences. Arthur Gordon, the original owner and chef of Irregardless, brings his culinary experience to the school’s healthy and sustainable food classes with ingredients from The Well-Fed Garden Community Garden.
Health Science Academy students can complete internships with surgeons in local NICU and emergency departments in partnership with WakeMed Hospital. Some of these students have also completed internships in medical and animal facilities in other countries, including Honduras and Greece, as part of their Health Science class.
“Our unique and innovative programming, such as Project Invent and STEM project-based learning around sustainable practices, allows students to explore and analyze global health issues and collaboratively innovate solutions,” says Hartenstein.
