For our December Academic Update, we are excited to highlight high school excellence and the many ways Hopkins High School (HHS) students are growing, achieving, and planning for bright futures. Our HHS educators are exceptional!
Below are key celebrations and improvements that show the strong momentum at HHS.
Academic Letters: This fall, 500 students earned an Academic Letter for high classroom achievement. Academic Letters recognize strong effort, strong grades, and a commitment to learning. Families received details in November. Congratulations to all!
Academic Honor Roll: Quarter 1 Honor Roll lists will be shared at February Registration Night, an evening when families can learn more about the 250 diverse courses offered at HHS. Our Honor Roll celebrates students earning specific GPA distinctions, including those improving their grades over time.
Music & Art Achievement: More than 30 percent of HHS students participate in band, choir or orchestra. In the past three years, 21 students were selected for All-State ensembles and more than 40 were selected for regional/collegiate honors. In Art, our students consistently earn Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mentions in the State Scholastic Art competition.
2024–25 highlights: HHS’s Choir has earned 5 Best in Site awards at the Lake Conference Solo/Ensemble Contest. Orchestra and Choir earned superior ratings at the Large Group Contest. Our AP Art Portfolio passing rate was 100%! Students submit digital portfolios in 2D, 3D, Drawing, Painting, Ceramics, Jewelry, and Photography.
Grade Improvement Across Student Groups: We are seeing encouraging grade trends across student groups. Over the last 3 years, the average number of high marks (A- or better) earned by our Black students has grown by nearly 20%. Students of color, including our Hispanic/Latinx students, have improved their course passing rates from 84 to 86 percent in the last three years. These improvements reflect stronger consistency in instruction, clearer expectations, and better support systems.
Advanced learning: Nearly 50% of students take one or more of the 24 Advanced Placement (AP) courses offered at HHS. Last spring, 1,166 AP exams were taken and 79% of students earned a passing score of 3, 4 or 5 helping many earn college credit. Additionally, 333 students are currently enrolled in College in the Schools (CIS) courses, including Chinese and Spanish, and are on track to earn college credit with a passing grade. The Class of 2025 had 70 graduates who earned a World Languages Proficiency Certificate or a Platinum or Gold Seal for Biliteracy in Chinese, Somali, Spanish, Ukrainian and Russian.
Math League: We are currently celebrating 16 Math League scholars on their 1st place finish in the section meet. HHS Math Leaguers are currently tied for 1st place in the section and looking forward to qualifying for the state meet in March!
ACT Achievement: Hopkins juniors fairly consistently outperform the state and nation on the ACT exam. Last spring’s ACT highlights include 110 students earning 30+ on at least one ACT section, 47 students earning a composite score of 30 or more, and 4 students earning a perfect score of 36. These results show strong readiness for college-level work.
The Class of 2026 is planning their futures! Last year, 88% of the Class of 2025 were accepted to more than 109 colleges and universities and the Class of 2026 is on track to reach even higher. 321 seniors have already submitted 2,271 college applications to 2-year, 4-year, technical, and highly selective institutions including MIT, Spelman College, UW Madison, and Carleton. Students are also exploring apprenticeships, military pathways, and gap-year programs. We remain committed to ensuring every graduate has a clear, well-matched plan.
Pairing strong college preparedness with career exploration: To complement our CNA (certified nursing assistant), culinary, business and construction offerings, HHS is exploring more robust career opportunities for students. We are learning about Ford Next Generation Learning. Ford NGL is an organization that helps American high schools develop career academies so that students can discover their interests, build real-world skills, and graduate with clarity about what they are good at and what they want to pursue. Students still take all their core, AP, CIS, world language, music, and elective courses. By also taking one career-focused course per year, career academies help expand, not restrict, student opportunity. Ford NGL will be with us in February. We will invite families to a session to learn, ask questions, and offer input.
Thank you, families, for your partnership as we continue to raise expectations and ensure academic excellence for every student.
Together, we will keep moving Hopkins forward.
Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed
Superintendent