The Hampden Charter School of Science is a top-ranking tuition-free college preparatory school founded in 2009. The mission of the HCSS is to provide a college preparatory-focused education to the youth of every race and ethnic group in Western Massachusetts.

Latest From HCSS Blog

The Disintegrating Student

Dec 14, 2022 by mcogal


In “The Disintegrating Student,” Dr. Jeannine Jannot provides helpful suggestions to parents to understand today’s teenagers’ struggles. She describes the disintegrating student as someone with a ...

Studying for the MTEL

Jun 09, 2022 by rnelson


Becoming a Massachusetts teacher takes more than caring about children, graduating from college, or knowing your subject matter. To become a certified teacher in Massachusetts you must pass the...

Math in Real Life (MIRL)

Jun 09, 2022 by mbabbitt


Math teachers know that providing real world context for mathematical concepts is so important for student engagement and understanding. Students focus and retain information better if the ideas...

Mindfulness Benefits Teachers and Students

Jun 06, 2022 by rnelson

There is no denying that one of the major issues facing students today is STRESS!  Students are experiencing stress at levels never seen before in history. One in every 10 preschoolers has had...

FOCUS by Mike Schmoker

May 12, 2022 by Caroline Forni


In his book FOCUS, Mike Schmoker argues that focusing on what is essential (instead of continuing to adopt new methods for school improvement) will decrease the achievement gap. He argues that...

Art Education: Incorporating the Arts into the Social Studies Classroom Post #3

May 10, 2022 by Caroline Forni


Lesson Plan Samples: Through my research on Art Education, I have become a strong proponent of incorporating the arts into the classroom, and have tried to do so whenever possible in my History...